Jeff & Beth's Place @ Forret.org: Hobbies/Interests: Radio Scanning

Home Page • Hobbies/Interests • Photo Album • Message Board • Favorite Links

<< Return to the Hobbies/Interests

Radio Scanning

Oddly enough, my interest in scanning arose from my interest in NASCAR.

What do the two have in common, you ask? Attend a race, and you will quickly notice a great number of fans with portable scanners on their belts and heavy-duty headphones on their noggins. The purpose? To gain an inside edge on the action both on the track and in the pits. Frequent communication is taking place between driver and crew, as well as between NASCAR and track officials. Spotters high above the track are lending their drivers an extra set of eyes, calling out passes and warning of trouble. To the fan in the stands, hearing this action pushes the live race experience to a higher level.

At any NASCAR track, you can rent a good scanner and headset for roughly $45 or so, depending on the setup you want. Below are updated frequencies from The Paddock, an excellent resource for race scanning.

NASCAR Winston Cup (from The Paddock)

NASCAR Busch Series, Grand National Division (from The Paddock)

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (from The Paddock)

I also monitor a number of non-racing, Quad-Cities Scanner Frequencies

For even more scanning information, visit Michael Scheel's Quad-City (IA-IL) Scanning Information site. It's an excellent resource; most importantly, he keeps it up-to-date. Another great source is the FCC Wireless Telecommunications Bureau's online database. If it's a pending or currently licensed frequency in the United States, you will find it there.

Related Links:

Radio Grant Pages for the Midwest (An updated record of recent FCC license grants in the Midwest)
NASCAR.com Racecast (Listen to NASCAR Winston Cup, Busch Series and Craftsman Truck drivers and crews live during races, right from your computer)
RaceScanners.com (order race scanners and accessories online)
Racing Electronics (another offering online ordering; they also provide scanner rentals and frequency sheets at races)
Firehouse.com (Listen to live fire and EMS freqs online)
How Stuff Works: Air Traffic Control (What's the difference between TRACON and "Center" Controllers? If you monitor your region's ARTCC, you probably want to know)
Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) Frequencies (Includes ARTCC sector maps)
AirNav.com (an index of airports across the U.S.; complete frequencies are available for each)
Strong Signals (Scanner product reviews, a variety of online forums, and much more)
911Scanner (Frequencies from across the U.S. and Canada)

Last Modified: 1-January-2004
Send Comments or Questions to: Jeff@Forret.org