Handheld vs Desktop/Mobile Scanners

• Handheld scanners are kind of like to Swiss army knife
• You can leave them on the desk or take them with you.
• They can go mobile and can go into a backpack.
• Portable radios run off of internal batteries, but they can also run off of commercial power.
• Not every portable scanner can run off of commercial power and charge batteries at the same time.
• Speakers in handheld radios are small and are not as loud as a mobile radio.
• Handheld radios can get knocked around; they can fall off a desk, they can fall off your belt, they can get knocked around in a backpack.
• If you are not careful, you can put a lot of stress on the antenna port on your handheld radios.
• Desktop scanners have a cleaner installation.
• Mostly accessory ports are on the back of the unit.
• You also get larger displays in desktop scanners.
• Desktop scanners have been using the same plugs on their accessories for decades.
• Mobile and desktop scanners both have a larger speaker, which also means it’s got a little more bass, and it’s definitely got some larger audio when it comes to how much volume is coming out of the unit.
• Today’s new cars with their fancy dashboards, it’s really difficult to find a place to actually mount mobile radio scanners.

Are you looking for your first scanner radio?

Download our new e-guide, “5 Thinks You Need to Know Before Buying Your First Scanner”.   This free PDF is about 30 pages long and has 5 things you should look for, plus a few extra bonus items to make sure you make an educated purchase.

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