Just curious, but when you are at an airport shooting photos, do you use an aircraft monitor and, if so, what do you use? I use a Radio Shack PRO-97 scanner.

5 days later

I use a Maycom AR-108

wiith SPECIAL FEATURES:

•10 Weather Channels

•Scan Capabilities

•99 Memory Channels

•Dual Watch Feature

•Volume & Sqelch Controls

•Battery Life Indicator

•Back Lit LCD Display

•Key Lock

9 days later

I have two, a Sporty's JD-100 with 1,000 VHF comm freqs (118.000 to 142.975) and 7,200 UHF comm freqs 220.000 to 399.975) 20 memory channels-easiest to use with key lock & beep tone activate/deactivate. Covers all civilian VHF/military UHF air freqs.

Also an old Radioshack Pro-51 (pre-ECPA model with no cell blocking-but who uses analog cell phones anymore?) 108 VOR to 136.975 aircraft in 25 kHz steps. 200 channel memory-direct entry. Selectable band search and priority channel are good features. More compact and "friendlier" shape than the JD-100.

All scanners will have squelch and volume controls and low battery indicator.

I have four portable scanners, but the one I use the most for aircraft is a Uniden Bearcat BCD396T. It can monitor UHF military air channels, which most handheld scanners can't, and I also have it programmed for the local police and fire departments, so I can listen to those if I want to.

Actually, at DVT, where I go most often, they have monitor speakers on the observation deck for both of the tower frequencies plus ground control, so I don't even take a scanner there. It can be somewhat confusing though when there is a lot of traffic, which is often, and all three freqs are active at the same time.

6 days later

I just use an Icom 2meter handheld radio that is a ham radio that receives the airport frequencies. I've thought about getting a scanner but the radio I already have does the trick.