I just picked up an Icom IC-R5 scanner, and in a week or two I should be able to figure out how to work it (every button has, like, four functions).

Question is: Anyone have any recommendations as to a quality single earphone with maybe a hangar that goes around the ear? Don't need a mic or PTT switch, obviously.

With the quality stereo earbuds these days, I would have thought there'd be something better than the earplug from the transistor AM radio I had in the sixties.

IMHO, Heil makes the best.

Looks like nice stuff, but they don't seem to have anything for a single ear that doesn't have a mic attached.

C.Crane has a couple single earphone models on sale. I have never tried these, but C.Crane's products are usually of high quality so they should probably work well for you. Yeah, but they do look old fashioned compared to today's fancy, colorful, gel, behind-the-heck, noise-reduction stereo headphones.

I use a set of Sony earbuds that have hooks that hang them from your ears. I prefer to have both ears supplied with audio. You could cut one of them (ear buds not the ears)off as being redundant if you wanted.

Got them for $11 at Longs Drugs. So whatever you do won't cost much.

If the R2 doesn't receive APCO25 digital transmissions you are likely to be missing some stuff in the future.
My State is on that standard now and the radios are expensive but I'd be hearing less than half the action if I couldn't hear the 800 MHz digital trunked traffic.

Unimogbert

I have had trouble with the 'earphone' from my cellphone falling out of my ear.....I found a (I think it was a motorola) cell phone hands free mike that had an eariece that (for lack of a better description) resemble the secret service style that fits into the outer portion of the ear......I have not yet had the thing fall out. The good news is that you can use the 'extra' earpieces to put them onto things like a walkman earpiece. The earpieces come in 3 different sizes (1 each for R and L ears) so even using the one for the phone, I stilll have one that I can use in my other ear for the regular radio.
Give them a look.

I didn't know there earbuds with hooks, I'll have to take a look next time I'm in a store.

As for the APCO25 stuff: Yeah, I knew there were major changes going on and I should have done a little research, but my primary interest was in a quality portable recv'r for commercial broadcast band am/fm and NWS weather that had a speaker and ran off AA batteries. Being able to pick up the other stuff was a bonus. I looked in to cheaper radios, and the one universal seemed to be that they all sucked at recvg the weather stations. Another bonus with the Icom is that it has a weather alert feature.

Something that would fit in the outer ear is what I vaguely had in mind. There's this
from C. Crane that Arney mentioned. Interesting, a little wierd, but interesting. At least it can't just fall out/off.

"my primary interest was in a quality portable recv'r for commercial broadcast band am/fm and NWS weather that had a speaker and ran off AA batteries. Being able to pick up the other stuff was a bonus. "

Then the R2 will exceed your specs by a lot.
Check the earphones racks at most any store. The Walkman/Ipod products brought out a lot of new ways of hearing thru earphones.

I find that having scanners means I know more about what's going on to affect me than any broadcasters do.

Yesterday's Colorado snowstorm was a classic use for situational awareness during my 50 mile commute.
This morning I diverted around a crash in the interstate because I knew where it was far ahead of seeing the pathetically late/limited/useless traffic signboards that CDOT alleges to inform motorists with. (Also found out it was
caused by someone with a nationwide felony warrant for their arrest.)

Unimogbert

I know, it seems Iike major overkill. I did look around quite a bit. The combination of wanting a speaker and weather eliminated the majority of the cheaper stuff. I picked up the unit used, so it wasn't as big a hit as paying retail.

So, what are you using in your vehicle? I assume it deals with this P25 digital trunking stuff?

If you can find one with the right connector, these coiled ear-tube headsets really work well for amateur radio stuff. Far more comfortable over long periods of time than earbuds for me.

Link

The link above is to an ebay auction which may disappear eventually, but you can search on coiled ear tube.

Interesting... Here's a little better description. I wasn't aware of these.

"So, what are you using in your vehicle? I assume it deals with this P25 digital trunking stuff?"

Radio Shack Pro-96. $400 when on sale.
Only the high-end radios can do APCO25 at this point in product history.


'bert

You know, I was going to ask another question and then I remembered...

This is how you radio guys operate. I used to work around a couple of you people; I know, I've seen it. Someone asks a seemingly benign question and you know you've got a sucker on the hook. It isn't long before the hook's set and you're reeling him in to your expensive obsession you call a hobby. Before you know it, the poor sap is checking his local zoning laws for antenna height restrictions.

Well, it's not going to work this time!

Four-hundred bucks, eh? <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

"This is how you radio guys operate. I used to work around a couple of you people; I know, I've seen it. Someone asks a seemingly benign question and you know you've got a sucker on the hook."

I don't think it's limited to radio. In fact, note that I'm not selling you on ham radio even though I've been a ham for 35 years. It's pretty much any hobby or interest where the idea fell on fertile soil.

Pro-96 goes for $400 on sale every few months.
You'll want computer software to program it with and cable to connect (about $50 more). Use www.radioreference.com to find frequencies.

:-) Have fun.

'bert

All in fun. Nearly all the radio people I've ever met were pretty good folk.

The newer digital stuff will have to come down in price (as it probably will, eventually) before I even consider it, though.

I think the Tech license is only $12 <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

For any small items like that I go to a hamfest and pick something up cheap. That's where I got mine. It is a Pryme.