About a year ago, when Optoelectronics Engineering
Manager Bill Owen paid a visit to an aircraft carrier in harbor, he observed the
ship’s crew operating a myriad of radios. Like any ardent scanner buff, he began to
imagine the opportunities. However, the major challenge was finding the frequencies being
used without drawing attention to himself in the process. He felt it would be a bit unwise
to pull out a frequency counter and start writing down frequencies on a Navy vessel. That
sort of behavior has been known to get folks escorted away by men with guns. It was then
and there that the idea for the Scout® was born.
In a nutshell, the Scout is a small, innocent-looking frequency counter which has been
specially designed to collect frequencies inconspicuously. Measuring just 3.7” high X
2.75” wide X 1.2” deep, the Scout isn’t much larger than a pack of
cigarettes and could easily pass for a high tech pager. And if you use the optional DB32
dual band antenna (which is just 1.75” tall), very few people will even notice it
clipped onto your belt.
However, don’t be deceived by its size; this is one very powerful tool! The Scout
functions like a conventional frequency counter in that it measures the frequency of any
transmission from 10 MHz to 2.8 GHz that is ten to fifteen dB greater than the ambient RF
level. Measurement time is a fast 75 milliseconds with 1 kHz resolution. But in addition
to its diminutive size and innocent appearance, its unique memory features are what really
set it apart from a conventional counter.
When the Scout is armed to begin collecting frequencies, it can store up to four hundred
in the built-in non-volatile memory. The Scout will also keep track of up to 250 hits per
frequency.
Operation of the Scout is very straightforward. The three slide switches and one push
button on the front each serve two or more functions. Nevertheless, the primary and
secondary functions of each switch are clearly labeled and very easily understood.
The Scout features a large, clear display which can be seen easily in the sun, and a
bright electroluminescent display light for night operation. It also has an aural beep to
inform you when it has logged a hit, or will function in the “silent” mode with
a pager style vibrator.
If by now you think you’ve heard it all, the Scout still has one more extraordinary
trick up its sleeve. When connected via the ICOM CI-V interface to the ICOM R7000, R7100,
or R9000 receiver, or a Realistic® PRO2005/6 scanner modified to allow computer control
(such as with OptoScan456), it will automatically tune the scanner to the frequency the
Scout most recently captured. Or, you may scroll back through previously captured
frequencies to tune the scanner to those. Just think of the potential—instant lock-on
to any strong transmitter in the vicinity!
The Scout On Patrol Well, it all looks pretty good on paper. But how will it
perform under actual conditions? The following chart shows the results of my tests using
several different transmitters. In each case, the receiving antenna specified was the one
that provided the maximum range for the Scout. Performance will vary according to local RF
conditions.
| Transmitter Type | Output Power | Receiving Antenna | Range |
| Cellular Telephone | 3 Watt | Seeker 800 | 198 Feet |
| Cellular Telephone | 600 MW | Seeker 800 | 130 Feet |
| UHF Amateur Handheld | 4 Watt | DB 32 | 201 Feet |
| VHF Amateur Mobile | 45 Watt | DB 32 | 276 Feet |
| UHF Amateur Mobile | 35 Watt | DB 32 | 285 Feet |
| Citizens Band Handheld | 4 Watt | 20" Collapsible Whip | 103 Feet |
| Baby Monitor/Cordless Phone | 100 MW | 20" Collapsible Whip | 2 Inches |
To test the Scout in a truly random environment, I attached it to the dashboard of my car
with a strip of Velcro. Over the course of several days, it provided some very interesting
data. Even though the built-in digital filter minimizes the number of false readings,
under circumstances of high RF saturation (such as near high-powered paging transmitters
and repeaters), quite a few may slip by. On the positive side, the Scout revealed numerous
frequencies that I had not yet logged.
After using the Scout for just a short time, it became readily apparent that the logic of
operation had been well thought out. For instance, when the backlight was activated, it
would go off after ten seconds in order to conserve the battery. However, when a new
frequency was captured or any switch setting was changed, the light would reactivate for
another ten seconds. This feature was quite useful when using the Scout in the car at
night.
The life of the built-in NiCad battery was more than sufficient for an average day’s
use, typically exceeding six hours. The battery can be recharged in two hours with the
provided charger, or quick charged in less than an hour from a one amp, twelve volt
source.
The Scout is manufactured by Opoelectronics, Inc., 305-771-2050 (5821 NE 14th Ave., Ft.
Lauderdale, FL 33334). It is also available from Grove Enterprises (800-438-8155). The
introductory price of $399.95 is expected to jump to a new list price of $449 in February.
The Seeker 800 antenna, mentioned in the chart above, is available from Radioware
(800-950-9273) for $37.99.
MT Editor's Note: This review is based upon the most recent version of the Scout®, which
we were later informed has been renamed model 400 (named for the number of frequencies it
can record). The previous version, model 25, stored half as many frequencies. Besides the
vastly increased memory capability, several other features, such as retention of
non-volatile memory, power up beep, and display appear to be improved. An upgrade to the
400 from your model 25, however, will cost around $80 through the manufacturer.
For more information about the Scout, click on
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Moore, and may not be reproduced
in whole or in part without written permission from the author.
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