What is the difference between a police scanner and a radar?

Question

What is the difference between a police scanner sold at radio shack for 200-300 dollars then compared to small in car "emergency and weather radars" that go from $40-120 dollars? and in a police scanner you can hear the police talk right but a radar you can't? or can you!?

im confused please help!

Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

You partially answered your own question correctly.

Your comparing apples to oranges.

Google each then ask questions.

Answer 2

A scanner lets you hear the radio of the police with in a certain distance. A radar picks up police if they have a certain thing on in their car (sry i forgot what its called) and shows them on a screen however you can't hear them with out a cb.

Answer 3

A radio scanner is used to listen to radio signals broadcast across the radio spectrum.

A RADAR detector just detects the presence of the RADAR waves being emitted by the RADAR gun.

A police scanner is usually able to receive HF, VHF, UHF and on occasion SHF frequencies.

The RADAR frequency is higher than those being in the 10.0gigahertz to 36.0gigahertz range.

Answer 4

You have a terminology problem.

Weather radios have nothing to do with any type of radar. They are radios that receive NOAA weather broadcasts and emergency weather alerts. These are the units that sell in the price range that you mention.

Weather radar systems are used to track storms. You've seen them on TV news broadcasts. Small weather radar systems are available for use on aircraft and ships but they cost thousands of dollars.

There is no such thing as police scanners although that term is frequently used.

A radio frequency scanner is a radio receiver that can monitor (listen to) more than one frequency at a time and allow you to hear the messages on whichever frequency is active at the moment.

A scanner may, or may not, be able to receive the police frequencies that are used in your area.