Anyone use a scanner?

[photonick]

Quite a tenuous photography link but cant find anywhere else to post it.
Thinking of picking up a handheld scanner for when standing out in the forests (at Rallies), not knowing whats going on. Does anyone use one on motorsport events if so how useful are they?

[GSH]

Very useful in my experience.

Ideal for knowing when a race is going to be red-flagged (so you can make a quick change of position) and on the larger events with Pit-to-car comms you can listen in to most of the teams.

I haven't tried mine for Rallying yet but as long as you can get a signal in the trees it could be very handy. My original reason for getting one was after i stood in a stage for almost 2 hours before i found out it had been scrubbed (Pirelli Rally '08 )

[Cadwell]

I suppose, theoretically, they could be very useful for listening to race control on and for finding out what is going on during rally stages. I would, of course, never use one for that purpose since to do so is a criminal offence under the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949 (WT Act) and is also an offence under Section 1 of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000. I use my scanner for catching up with the goings on in Ambridge as it is more than I can bear to miss The Archers Omnibus Edition. :) The only thing you can legally listen to with a scanner is transmissions intended for general reception.

Reference http://www.ofcom.org.uk/static/archive/ra/publication/ra_info/ra169.htm

[photonick]

Thats a yes then! Thanks for the info Glen, I had no idea that the Archers was set there ;~)