JIL SX 200

[Micky]

Hello there.
My name is Michael but just about everyone calls me Micky, I live in Maldon Essex, I am almost 75 years young or well be on 15th of June, the thing is I have just been given a JIL SX 200 scanner and wondering just how good or bad it is and what apart from what I am interested in can I pick up on it. As a lot of you know it tunes from 26-88 - 108-180 MHz in 5 KHz steps and from 380-512 MHz in 12.5 KHz steps, I was hoping I could get the VOLMETS Wx reports have these gone digital, being a Ham I know I can get 6-4-2 meters in that order but what else maybe Eastern block FM, and what's receivable on the UHF range. Antennas I can make as I have loads of tubing I was at onetime into TV DXing and a scanner was great for the sound but that's almost gone, so Ladies and Gents what can I receive.
Have down loaded the user guide and its working as it should. Micky.

[Staffs Paul]

You will get volmet and airband frequencies as usual they are not digital all still analogue

You get all the complate vhf civil airband on that scanner but not the uhf military airband apart from a small chunk of it

[Micky]

Hi Paul.
Well I have used a UV-5R handheld and can't get them on that and now the SX-200 I used to get London main on about 123ish so what am I doing wrong, please direct me to a receivable freq list.
Thank you for coming back, is the scanner a keeper!
I did tune to 87.95 but got nuffing I think its down to spacing or radio design as you can read I have forgot most of how things work, I seem to recall the word discriminator but could be barking - Stay Tuned.

[Allan]

Hi I had a Jil sx 200 scanner way back in the early 1980s .I thought that it was a great scanner in its day..I sold it about 25 years ago, Now I run a few scanners along with my radio gear.. Have fun with it although these days I think you may need a Scanner able to receive Digital transmitions to enjoy the hobby They cost from £300 up.Enjoy.

[Micky]

£300 up I get nervous at £100 anyway the JIL SX 200 is in Flee bay and has had 55 look's with 19 watchers, someone likes vintage or a trip back in time.

[m0lsx]

Personally I do not bother with digital. As currently there is plenty to hear on Analogue. Airband, Marine Band, lots of PMR still.
I have a Grecom (GRE) PSR-295 that I paid around £30 to £35 for including postage that covers, everything including Military Air. Lots of £'s is not always the solution. What I would say is that 8.33hz is now important on Civil Airband & that is not available on older & often newer cheaper scanners.

[Micky]

The JIL SX 200 is now sold on ebay for £35.00 so that's a money start re getting a better scanner, I did have a look at the realistic range the 2004 -2005 pro and note back light problems and LED light strip replacements, now looking for your Grecom GRE-PSR 295, I always have a look at what you guys are using one day I will make up my mind and get something, will report next posting.

[Micky]

Just come from eBay and a Grecom 295 the asking price is £79.00 phew and a hand held still looking for a base model and suggestions.

[m0lsx]

What do you want to listen to on your base radio? If it's airband, then you really need a newish scanner with 8.33 khz.

Edited to add, Being close to the Blackwater you will get fair Marine coverage, if you get a semi decent antenna. And you will get loads of Airband there.

[m0lsx]

As an add on. Do you know about Marine Traffic dot com? It allows you to see marine traffic live any where in the world. Any vessel above a certain tonage MUST by law use AIS (Automatic Identification System.) But some saller vessels also use it, so you will see all sorts of traffic from inshore lifeboats, inland pleasure cruisers to the Ross Revenge when she being towed to the Blackwater & the usual tankers etc.
http://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/home/centerx:0.9/centery:51.7/zoom:10

There is also a aircraft version of AIS..

https://www.flightradar24.com/

And if watching real time thunder storms interests you then take a look at

http://www.lightningmaps.org/blitzortung/europe/index.php?bo_page=map&lang=en

Watching lightning strikes & being able to place them down to a street a few hundred yards away or map a storm as it passes you by can be great fun..