My Radio Scanning Story - From 27MHz Beginnings to College Classrooms and Beyond

My radio scanning journey began when I was just a child, around 8 years old, under the guidance of my uncle. Back then, he had a 27MHz CB radio, and I’d sit by his side for hours, enthralled by the voices crackling through the static, like hidden conversations from a different world. I still remember the thrill of hearing truckers, local chatter, and the occasional oddball signal. My uncle would explain how the waves travelled, how to adjust the squelch, and why certain channels came alive only at night.

Those early days planted a seed—a fascination with the invisible signals flowing through the air around us. When I got to college, I took up electronics, eager to better understand the workings behind those early conversations. I poured myself into learning circuits, signal theory, and radio propagation, combining my love of radio with a technical foundation. It felt like I was learning the secrets behind the magic.

The Day the Police Came Knocking
College and starting to work also brought access to new equipment. I was no longer restricted to a basic CB rig; I had a growing collection of scanners, tools, and knowledge. My curiosity led me to the 800MHz EDACS trunked radio system that the police in my area were using. As I tinkered and experimented with my Uniden UBC245XLT and UBC780XLT, I worked out how to follow their communications across the system, managing to piece together the method behind their frequency hopping. I was running a website for radio scanning at the time and published a "how to" guide.

But then came the day the police paid me a visit. Someone had caught wind of my ability to track their communications, and it raised more than a few eyebrows.  It was clear they weren’t happy about my newfound skills. I assured them that I wasn’t trying to cause trouble—just fascinated by the technology and the challenge of understanding how it all worked. They gave me a stern warning, and I quickly learned that some parts of the radio hobby were best kept low-profile. They moved to AEGIS and then PROVOICE and it was only in the last 5 years of the TASGRN network, that a PROVOICE capable scanner was for sale here in Australia.

Diving Into Amateur Radio and Beyond
That experience didn’t discourage me; it only deepened my love for radio. I earned my amateur radio license, opening a new world of bands and frequencies. Amateur radio offered a chance to talk to people from across the globe, all while experimenting with antennas and new modes of communication. It became my sandbox for testing ideas, from home-built dipoles to portable setups that I could take into the field.

I also got into ultralight DXing—a passion that combined my love for radio with a minimalist spirit. It was all about taking a small, portable receiver and seeing just how far I could push it, hunting for faint signals from distant AM and FM stations. I’d spend quiet evenings tuning through the dial, picking up the whispers of faraway broadcasters. There was a thrill in catching a station from halfway across the world, just by finding the right spot, the right time, and the right conditions.

The Hunt for New Signals
But my true passion lay in hunting down new users and undiscovered frequencies. I’d scour frequency guides, internet forums, and online databases, looking for hints of unlisted channels. And once I had a lead, I’d go on the chase. I spent countless hours in my car, parked in quiet spots with a portable scanner and a notebook, chasing down elusive transmissions.

One of my favourite tools was CloseCall, a feature that could catch nearby transmissions. I remember one time sitting near an industrial area, CloseCall lit up with signals from a construction crew coordinating their work. I could hear their bulldozers, cranes, and even the foreman yelling at a worker to “get a move on.” Another time, I picked up a private security firm’s conversations near a shopping centre, revealing everything from night shift routines to offhand comments about a suspicious car in the car park, this might have been me...

Portable scanning sessions became my favourite way to spend a quiet afternoon. I’d find a spot on a hill or near a busy area, set up my gear, and just listen. Some of the most interesting finds came during these trips. I’d pick up emergency services, maritime signals, or private contractors—each one revealing a small piece of the world that most people never knew existed.

A Lifelong Connection
This hobby has always been about more than just the gear or the technical challenge. It’s a window into the lives of others, a way to explore the hidden layers of communication that crisscross our everyday world. Whether it’s an airline pilot chatting with ground control, a rural fire service coordinating a backburn, or a distant AM station carrying a late-night talk show over the static, each signal tells a story.

And through all the years—from those early days with my uncle’s CB radio, through college experiments, encounters with the law, and countless nights spent with my scanners—radio has remained a constant in my life. It’s a way to connect with something bigger than myself, to chase the thrill of discovery, and to keep alive a passion that began so many years ago.