Home police scanners are very popular with off duty police officers and firefighters, as well as civilians who like to keep in touch with whats going on in their community. There are many police scanners available, knowing what you want your scanner to do will help you decide which one to buy. Crowding the public service bands with traffic is a problem especially in large urban areas. What this means is that different agencies use the same frequency and often the conversations jump from one agency to another confusing the listener. Getting a scanner with trunk tracking technology will make your listening experience better when you can stay on the conversation that interests you.
Uniden is one of the largest makers of police scanners in the world, and was the first to use this technology. They manufacture affordable hand held scanners all the way to more expensive desk top models. This makes it easier for you to find just the right scanner to fit your needs and wallet. Their popular Bearcat series uses the latest technology and are used by professionals as well as the enthusiast. They have many hand held models with different options to fit your needs and wants. The Uniden Home Patrol Police Scanner is a popular device that is easy to use, even for a beginner. Just enter your zip code and the scanner will load police, fire, and EMS channels for your area. It's also portable with an add on GPS receiver to take with you when you travel and want to know what's going on in any area you might find yourself. For sale at Radio Shack is the Pro-197, which is a desk top scanner that has storage for up to 1,800 frequencies, has 21 V scanner memory and can store up to 39,000 objects. It features a Specific Area Message Coding reception for localized alerts by county, these counties are user set. Included is a weather report channel for your area and help is available on screen for user set up and information while in use. As with any product, good research is imperative to find the police scanner that fits into your budget and performs in the manner you wish.