On the market for a police scanner? Want to save a little bit of cash? Well, cheap used police scanners may be right up your street. On this page, we are going to talk a little bit about what you should be looking for when buying a used police scanner.
The Cheapest Used Police Scanners are Analog
Analog is not very useful nowaways, as many municipalities have converted to digital. Seriously. We cannot stress how important this is.
The cheapest police scanners on the market will be analog. A lot of people are selling used analog radio scanners right now. Why? Well, because they simply won’t work in most cases. Most emergency services have now switched on over to digital radio, and those analog scanners won’t be able to pick up on digital radiowaves. Avoid them.
So, what should you opt for? Well, probably something like the Whistler TRX-2 which picks up on digital radio signals. Pick up one of those, even if it is used, and you are pretty much ‘future-proofing’ yourself.
Reputable Online Sellers
This is something that can be tricky to determine at times. This is, partly, why we suggest that you buy from a site like Amazon. There are reviews of the sellers here, so you know that if you are buying from somebody who has proven to be trustworthy. Plus, if you run into issues, then the customer support team will be more than happy to help you out.
Generally speaking, the people who will own something like the Whistler TRX-2 will be regular radio scanner users. While this is a device that can be used for beginners and has been designed to be as simple to use as possible, the cost is going to be prohibitive if you are not planning to use the radio scanner every day. This means that most of the time, you can trust the seller to have experience with radios and know how to treat them.
Honestly, we wouldn’t buy one many of the lower-end units ‘used’. They are affordable enough to buy new, and there is no sense trying to save a couple of dollars buying a used one. With the cheaper radio scanners, you have no idea how it has been treated, if it was left out in the sun etc., leaving its remaining usable life left unknown. Most of them seem to be sold by those who have no experience in radio scanners and how to ensure that their products are kept in working condition.
Thorough Reviews by Real People
Just because a radio scanner is cheap doesn’t mean you should buy it. It is vital that you read through as many reviews as possible to get a feel for what the product brings to the table. Amazon has some tremendous user reviews on their site and we, obviously, have also put together a ton of reviews you can read through too. Never buy a product blindly. This is how you will end up being disappointed.
One of the first things that we look for when searching for a radio scanner is whether you can easily change the channels that you are scanning. As you may well know, emergency services frequently change the frequencies that they use. Some places will do this 2-3 times per year. This means that you need to update somehow, or your radio scanner will be completely useless.
Easily Updated
This is part of the reason as to why we recommend the Whistler TRX-2. It comes equipped with a little SD card that is packed to the brim with radio channels for emergency services all over the United States and Canada. This can be updated every so often. This means that you will always have the right stations no matter where you are in the country.Fe
Features & Accessories
Of course, you will also want to pay attention to the other features that the radio offers. What does it come with? If you buy used, then it may not come with everything. You can also assume that some of the accessories may not be working correctly. For example; if you picked up the Whistler TRX-2, whether new or used, we would always recommend that you pick up an additional antenna with it. The included antenna is good, but the range of it isn’t going to be fantastic.
Obviously, you will also want to pay attention to the build quality of the unit. As you can probably tell from the price; the Whistler TRX-2 has been built to last for a very, very long time. As we said before, you should never purchase a cheap radio scanner. Chances are that it will break within months of owning it. Buy a cheap, used Whistler TRX-2? Well, you can easily bet that it will give you a good couple of decades use…assuming you keep it ‘up to date’. Reading through product reviews is a good way to determine how long your radio scanner will last you.
Looking Over a Used Police Scanner
When your used radio scanner arrives, you will want to check it out right away. Even if you are planning to give it as a gift, take a look to ensure that everything is in working condition. The longer you have the radio scanner without checking it, the harder it is going to be to deal with any issues should there be a problem with it.
If there are issues, then we recommend getting in touch with the seller first. They will be able to help you out. If you are purchasing from Amazon (highly recommended!) then talk to the customer support team. They will be able to help you out.
Remember; you should probably read through the various manuals for your device. That way you can check every single feature it offers. After all, if you have picked up the Whistler TRX-2, there are tons of features that are awesome, but you may not have imagined they were there!
So, there you have it. If you want to buy used, then think long and hard about whether it is the right way to go. Do not buy something because it is cheap. It is important that whatever you decide be the right product for you.
