Choosing What to Scan: Frequency Range vs Scan List

Scanner mode sweeps in one of two ways, switched with the Frequency range / Scan list switch on the Scan Source card.

Frequency Range

Set a Band (MHz) low and high value, then choose what to sweep within it via the Channels dropdown:

• Known — only frequencies already in the database within your band.
• All — every step-spaced frequency across the band, known ones labelled, unknowns shown as raw frequencies.
• New — like All, but skips anything already known, so you only catch unlisted activity.
• Bands — ignores this card’s own range entirely and instead sweeps every band you’ve ticked “Scan” on the Bands tab, each at its own settings.
• Any named scan list you’ve created also appears here as a shortcut — picked this way, it’s treated as exact aviation channels only (ignoring any range entries the list might contain), which is why you’ll be prompted to switch to AM mode if it isn’t already, since aviation lists are assumed to be AM.

Scan List

Switch to Scan list and pick one from the List dropdown instead — this sweeps the list properly, respecting each entry’s own type and mode: single frequencies are scanned as exact channels, and range entries (e.g. “144–146 MHz”) are swept at your step size, letting one list mix individual aviation channels with a swept amateur block, each keeping its own mode.

Two entries in the dropdown aren’t lists you made by hand:

• Selected lists (N: names) — appears once you’ve ticked two or more lists on the Scan Lists tab. It scans every ticked list in turn, each frequency once, and is rebuilt whenever a ticked list changes.
• Map: … — a list sent from the map’s Scan these button (an airfield, a transmitter site, a WTR company). It’s selected and scanning the moment it arrives. See Tune, Track and Scan These.

Pulling In Bands

There are two distinct ways bands feed into Scanner mode:

• Use Band (on the Bands tab) — a one-off copy of that band’s range/step/mode into your current Scanner tab settings. It doesn’t tick anything ongoing; it just fills the fields once.
• Channels: Bands (described above) — an ongoing sweep of every band currently ticked “Scan,” all at once.

Step and Mode

Step (kHz) sets the spacing for range sweeps. Mode — Auto, AM, NFM or WFM — sets the demodulator for a range sweep; scan-list entries and ticked bands each carry their own mode instead. Auto lets the engine listen to each channel and pick AM, NFM or DMR for itself, which is the setting to use for a range that mixes modes — see Auto Mode.

Changing the Source While Scanning

You don’t need to stop first. Picking another list, another Channels choice, or flipping the range/list switch while scanning restarts the scan on the new set straight away.