Racing Scanners & Frequencies

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Racing Scanners

Ever wonder what race car drivers and their crew chiefs talk about during a race?  With the help of some easily purchased and relatively inexpensive electronic equipment you can eavesdrop on these sometimes heated and always uncensored conversations.  This lens discusses everything you ever wanted to know about buying and using a radio scanner at the racetrack.  What equipment should you buy?  How do you use it?  What frequencies should you program into your scanner?  Answers to all of these questions and more are here.

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What You Will Need 

Having a scanner at a race allows you to hear the drivers, spotters and crew talk to each other during the race. You can also listen in on the racetrack officials or simply listen to the TV/radio broadcast. Listening to a scanner during a race adds a whole new dimension to being a race fan. Here's a few things you will need to get started scanning at the next race:

1. Scanner - You can't listen without a scanner. Just about any portable radio scanner will do. The thing you want to be sure of is that the scanner you buy has enough channels to allow you to store all of the team frequencies you want to be able to listen to. A typical scanner used at a race has about 200 channels. Also it must be small enough and light enough to be conveniently stored and transported. Click here for a list of recommended race scanners.

2. Recommended Accessories - Most portable scanners come with just the scanner body, an antenna, and a belt clip. With these recommended accessories and add-ons, you can really enhance your race scanning experience.

3. Frequency List - Without a frequency list, you would have to just scan the entire frequency band which means you would be picking up all non-encrypted radio traffic within the range of your antenna.....i.e. police, fire, aviation, other race fans talking on portable walkie-talkies, etc. But if you program specific race team frequencies into your scanner ahead of time, you can scan just those known frequencies or you could just jump from team to team at will. You can buy race team frequency lists at most tracks for a few dollars OR you can just print one of our FREE frequency lists.

Recommended Race Scanners 

With so many choices available, buying a scanner can be a daunting task. Here are some of the best choices among the current lineup of scanners available today.

Uniden SC230 Scanner featuring Pre-Programmed NASCAR / Busch Frequencies

This scanner is made to suit the very specific needs of NASCAR fans. It comes preprogrammed for Cup, Busch, Truck, ARCA, Indy and Champ car frequencies plus it connects to your PC for easy frequency management. You can name each channel or group with up to 16 characters which makes it easy to see who is talking at a glance. With too many features to list, this is a great scanner for a new fan and a great upgrade for your older numeric scanner.

Avg. Customer Rating: Amazon Rating

Amazon Price: $229.99 (as of 07/11/2009) Buy Now
List Price: $229.99

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Uniden BC92XLT Bearcat Handheld Scanner

The Uniden BC92XLT is a great 200 channel scanner. The compact size is perfect for lugging to the track. IT runs on two AA alkaline or rechargeable batteries which provide plenty of battery life to get through a weekend. With 200 channels available this is a solid choice.

Avg. Customer Rating: Amazon Rating

Amazon Price: $199.99 (as of 07/11/2009) Buy Now
List Price: $199.99

Usually ships in 1-3 weeks

RACEceiver TruScan Pro - Daytona Pkg

This extremely compact preprogrammed scanner has been updated to now allow you to store some frequencies by car number and scan through them. It gives excellent battery life (up to 36 hours) on one single AA battery. If size and weight are your primary concern there is no better scanner for you than the RACEceiver TruScan.

Avg. Customer Rating: Amazon Rating

Amazon Price: (as of 07/11/2009) Buy Now
List Price: $194.95

ProScan C-100-NC Nascar Racing 100-channel Trackside Scanner with Noise Reducing Earmuff

The ProScan 100 catches your eye right away with the bright graphics and its small size. Show off your driver loyalty at the track with this unique, brightly-colored, scanner. This is a great scanner for a race fan who only catches one or two races each year. A power-user might want to look for something with more channels and a channel lockout feature.

Avg. Customer Rating: Amazon Rating

Amazon Price: (as of 07/11/2009) Buy Now
List Price: $169.99

Uniden BC72XLT Handheld Scanner (Black)

The BC72XLT is the 100 channel little brother to the 200 channel BC92XLT. The features and frequency coverage are virtually identical. This version simply has less channel memory. If you can swing the few extra bucks the 200 channel version will be more convenient for you over the long run, but this is still a solid scanner selection if you are on a budget.

Avg. Customer Rating: Amazon Rating

Amazon Price: $77.97 (as of 07/11/2009) Buy Now
List Price: $149.99

Usually ships in 24 hours

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Cool Scanner Accessories 

Boostaroo

If you need to share your scanner, need a boost in scanner volume to hear over the roar of the engines or simply want to extend your battery life then the Boostaroo may be the solution you've been looking for.

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Amazon Price: $24.95 (as of 07/11/2009) Buy Now
List Price: $29.95

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

Vanco HF24RS Race Scanner Headphones

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Amazon Price: (as of 07/11/2009) Buy Now
List Price: $34.95

 

NASCAR Superstore

Frequency List Links 

Originally, I had frequency lists for all major racing series here on one page. But what I learned is that there is not a lot of cross-over between racing "genres", meaning that your typical open-wheel race fan is not likely to attend a lot of NASCAR events and vice versa. So now I have broken the site down. Each list appears on its own separate page with links to each from this main page. This should make it easier for you to find and print just the info you need for the race you are attending. Let me know if you like this new format better than the old.

Click one of the links below to be taken to the free frequency lists of your choice:

NASCAR Sprint Cup, Nationwide Series, & Craftsman Truck Series Frequency Lists

Indy 500, IRL, Champ Car, & F1 Frequency Lists

Disclaimer: I do not vouch for the 100% accuracy of the frequency lists posted here. I rely on multiple sources at the racetracks and from around the internet to provide me with updates to these lists as they change. Most websites charge you a fee for their frequency lists. The ones posted here are FREE, so please don't complain to me if a few of the frequencies are incorrect or outdated. Also, if you use any of these frequency lists, please take a minute to contact me or leave a comment in my guestbook to let me know how they worked out for you. Your input and feedback helps keep these lists accurate and free.

 

15% off any single item at Store.NASCAR.com

Free NASCAR Frequency Lists 

 

NASCAR Superstore

Free Indy Car & Open-Wheel Racing Frequency Lists 

Open Wheel Poll 

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NASCAR Superstore

Jurist 

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Speak up! Can't hear you over the roar of the engines!! 

Leave me a comment in my guestbook and tell me what you think.

chrisnel wrote...

Your lens would be a great addition to the 'Formula 1 Racing' Group
( http://www.squidoo.com/groups/formula1 )
Feel free to add it anytime!

ReplyPosted September 13, 2008

beachbum_gabby wrote...

cool products! well done compilation.

ReplyPosted July 22, 2008

racerman28 wrote...

The best page I've seen anywhere on the net for scanner rating....I gave you 5 stars!
Ken at NASCAR News & Rumors

ReplyPosted March 06, 2008

krisManuel wrote...

Hey Stan, well done on an interesting topic. 5-stars! If you have time, stop by my lens Your Health and Freedom. Thanks and have a Happy Thanksgiving!

ReplyPosted December 09, 2007

riff999 wrote...

Enjoyed my stay. Sounds like it would be a lot of fun to have a scanner at the races.
Best Wishes! ~Jane

ReplyPosted September 01, 2007

 
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Stan is an Alabama native currently displaced to the Emerald Coast of Florida (its a rough existence).  When he's not dodging hurricanes and tour... (more)
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