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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I'm a Giant Squid! Because I have created so many lenses, the powers that be at Squidoo have bestowed upon me Giant Squid status. To find out just how many lenses I have, click here. 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
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 Price: $181.19 (as of 07/09/2008)
List Price: $229.99
Usually ships in 24 hours
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 Price: $111.97 (as of 07/09/2008)
List Price: $199.99
Usually ships in 24 hours
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 Price: (as of 07/09/2008)
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 Price: (as of 07/09/2008)
List Price: $169.99
Uniden BC72XLT Bearcat 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 Price: $83.94 (as of 07/09/2008)
List Price: $149.99
Usually ships in 24 hours
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Cool Scanner Accessories
Boostaroo Portable Audio Amplifier/Splitter
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.
Avg. Customer Rating:
Amazon Price: $22.14 (as of 07/09/2008)
List Price:
Usually ships in 1-2 business days
HF-24RS Scanner Headphones - Pit-Style
Avg. Customer Rating:
Amazon Price: (as of 07/09/2008)
List Price: $34.95
Frequency List Links
Click one of the links below to be taken to the free frequency lists of your choice:
NASCAR Nextel Cup, Busch 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.
Free NASCAR Frequency Lists
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FREE NASCAR Busch Series Scanner Frequencies
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Updated 9/23/07! Program these frequencies into your scanner, and listen in on your favorite drivers and crew chiefs at the next NASCAR Busch Series race.
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FREE NASCAR Nextel Cup Scanner Frequencies
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Updated 9/19/07! Program these frequencies into your scanner, and listen in on your favorite drivers and crew chiefs at the next NASCAR Nextel Cup Series race.
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FREE NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Scanner Frequencies
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Updated 4/1/07! Program these frequencies into your scanner, and listen in on your favorite drivers and crew chiefs at the next NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race.
NASCAR Polls
Well we're about a quarter of the way through the season, and its time for some early speculation. Who's going to win this year's championship?
Free Indy Car & Open-Wheel Racing Frequency Lists
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FREE Indy Racing League (IRL) Scanner Frequencies
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Updated 5/2/07! Program these frequencies into your scanner, and listen in on your favorite drivers and crew chiefs at the next Indy Racing League (IRL) race.
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FREE Formula One (F1) Scanner Frequencies
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Updated 7/6/07! Well, unfortunately, due to apparent overwhelming dissatisfaction with the way I was posting this information online, I have decided to remove this free resource from the web. In posting and updating a free Formula 1 team freque...
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FREE Champ Car (CART) Scanner Frequencies
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Updated 5/11/07! Program these frequencies into your scanner, and listen in on your favorite drivers and crew chiefs at the next Champ Car race.
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FREE Indy 500 Scanner Frequencies
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Updated 5/27/07! Program these frequencies into your scanner, and listen in on your favorite drivers and teams at the 91st running of the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 27, 2007.
Open Wheel Poll
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Think you have what it takes to create an award-winning Squidoo lens? Click here to get in on the action. 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.
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racerman28
The best page I've seen anywhere on the net for scanner rating....I gave you 5 stars! Posted March 06, 2008 |
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krisManuel
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! Posted December 09, 2007 |
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riff999
Enjoyed my stay. Sounds like it would be a lot of fun to have a scanner at the races. Posted September 01, 2007 |
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joerice
Great site! buy your scanners and be ready before the race :) Posted August 20, 2007 |
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Karendelac
Super 5 star information. These radio's are the best at Nascar races. Please visit me soon. Posted July 10, 2007 |
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