Best Aviation Scanner in 2023: Our Top 10 Picks

Sometimes it might be quite difficult to find the best aviation scanner. With every niche market offering so many different products, it makes sense that this is the case.

Unfortunately, this very fact can make it incredibly difficult to find the item that best suits your needs, which is why we’ve put together this aviation scanner buying guide.

Our Favorites:

10 Top Aviation Scanner Reviews:

SaleBestseller No. 1
Uniden Bearcat BC125AT Handheld Scanner, 500-Alpha-Tagged Channels, Close Call Technology, PC Programable, Aviation, Marine, Railroad, NASCAR, Racing, and Non-Digital Police/Fire/Public Safety.
  • LISTEN IN AND STAY INFORMED, this sophisticated scanner has 500 alpha-tagged channels in a convenient compact design with loads of features. Close Call RF capture technology instantly tunes to signals from nearby transmitters and the Do Not Disturb Mode prevents Close Call checks during a transmission.
  • LISTEN TO OVER 40,000 FREQUENCIES, you can listen to both civilian and military bands, including Non-Digital Police, Ambulance, Fire, Weather, Marine, Aircraft, Railroad, Civil Air, Amateur radio services, and Racing events.
  • SEARCH MORE EFFICIENTLY with 500 Alpha-Tagged Channels finding the channel you want to listen to is easy, with 500 channels divided into 10 storage banks. Organize your channels by department, location, area of interest, or any other way you prefer. Alpha Tagging lets you assign names to your channels, so you can keep track of who you are listening to.
  • LIGHTWIEGHT PORTABLE DESIGN, take this Bearcat handheld radio scanner with you on the road, or on outings. It packs plenty of features, the orange backlight display is easy to read, even in low light conditions.
  • GET STARTED LISTENING RIGHT AWAY with convenient Pre-sets for the most popular searches. Frequencies are preset in ten separate Non -Digital Police/Fire/Emergency, Ham, Marine, Railroad, Civil Air, Military Air, CB Radio, FRS/GMRS/MURS, and Racing search bands. This makes it easy to find channels that interest you.
SaleBestseller No. 2
Uniden Bearcat SR30C, 500-Channel Compact Handheld Scanner, Close Call RF Capture, Turbo Search, PC programable, NASCAR, Racing, Aviation, Marine, Railroad, and Non-Digital Police, Fire, Public Safety
  • LISTEN IN AND STAY INFORMED! The Uniden Bearcat SR30C is a very affordable 500 channel hand-held scanner with loads of features in a convenient compact design.
  • LISTEN TO OVER 32,000 FREQUENCIES: Get started listening right away with convenient pre-sets for the most popular searches. Frequencies are preset in ten service banks, Non-Digital Police/Fire/Emergency, NOAA Weather reports, Marine, Racing, Civil Aircraft, Ham Radio, Railroad, CB Radio, and other bands. This makes it easy to find channels that interest you.
  • PC PROGRAMING lets you program your scanner using your PC. Close call RF capture technology instantly tunes to signals from nearby transmitters and the Priority Scan function Scans the channels you have designated as priority channels. Memory backup keeps the frequencies stored in memory for an extended time if the scanner loses power
  • DELAY FUNCTION helps prevent missed replies during two-way conversations. Other features include keypad entry, Earphone Jack, key lock, battery low alert, battery save. The triple-conversion design ensures excellent Performance.
  • THREE POWER OPTIONS: #1- The included USB cable will power your SR30C from your PC or other USB power source, such as a smart phone USB charger (not included). #2 - Two AA alkaline batteries (not included). #3 - Two AA rechargeable Ni-MH batteries (not included). You can also charge rechargeable Ni-MH batteries in the unit using the USB cable.
Bestseller No. 3
Portable Radio, Aircraft Band Radio Receiver Scanner with 4 Search Modes, Retractable Antenna and Digital LCD Display, Full Band Radio Recorder (Black)
  • The Best Radio: The best way to listen to your favorite radio stations on the go and home. with chip has a powerful memory, and can store 50 radio stations in each band.
  • Radio Search Mode: manual search, automatic search radio, full automatic search and store radio, convenient and easy.
  • There are Two Ways to Listen to Radio: external speaker(40mm, 8Ω, 1W, loud and clear sound) or inserted earplug(3.5mm Jack).
  • Retractable Antenna: Steel tie rod antenna is used to enhance the receiving sensitivity of the product. The factory is equipped with an extended antenna to facilitate users to receive short wave.
  • Widely Receiving Frequency Range: AIR: 118 138MHZ; FM: 87.5 108MHZ; AM: 520 1720; CB: 25 28MHZ; SW: 2 30MHZ; VHF: 30 223MHZ.
Bestseller No. 4
Uniden BC365CRS 500 Channel Scanner and Alarm Clock with Snooze, Sleep, and FM Radio with Weather Alert, Search Bands Commonly used for Police, Fire/EMS, Aircraft, Radio, and Marine Transmissions
  • LISTEN IN AND STAY INFORMED! The Uniden BC365CRS is an affordable 500 channel all-in-one conventional Analog Scanner, Alarm Clock, and FM Radio with loads of features in a convenient desktop design.
  • 500 CHANNELS: Get started listening right away with convenient pre-sets for the most popular searches, Non-Digital Police/Fire/Emergency, Weather reports, Marine, Aircraft, Amateur Radio, Railroad, and other bands. This makes it easy to find channels that interest you.
  • BUILT-IN FM RADIO & ALARM CLOCK: Save up to 30 FM stations in preset memories so you can instantly tune to your favorite local broadcast. Alarm Clock with Snooze and Sleep - Set the BC365CRS to wake you to scanning, a weather channel, or your favorite FM station.
  • ATTRACTIVE DESIGN: Ideal for Home Use. This all-in-one scanner features a fresh design that's attractive on your desktop and easy to read at night through its clear LCD backlit display. The buttons are nicely laid out for ease of use, so there's no fumbling around in the dark.
  • PRIORITY with DO-NOT-DISTURB: Store your most important frequencies into priority channels. When scanning, these channels are checked every 2 seconds, so you are more likely to catch important activity on these channels.
Bestseller No. 5
Uniden BCD536HP HomePatrol Series Scanner with Wi-Fi, TrunkTracker V, Backlit Keypad & LCD, Control Channel Only Scanning, S.A.M.E. Weather Alert, USA/Canada Radio Database
  • Trunk Tracker V Operation, APCO 25 Phase I and Phase II, X2-TDMA, HomePatrol Operation
  • Control Channel Only Scanning, Zip Code Selection for Easy Setup, Close Call RF Capture Technology
  • Frequency Coverage: 25-512MHz, 758-824MHz, 849-869MHz, 894-960MHz, 1240-1300MHz
  • Favorite List, System and Department/Site Quick Keys; Recording, Playback and Replay Temporaty Avoid
  • Simple-to-use Sentinel PC Software Keep Your Scanner's Database and Frimware Up to Date
SaleBestseller No. 6
Uniden BCD436HP HomePatrol Series Digital Handheld Scanner. TrunkTracker V, Simple Programming, S.A.M.E. Emergency/Weather Alert, Covers USA and Canada
  • The BCD436HP is the first scanner to incorporate the HomePatrol-1 ease of use in a traditional handheld scanner. Plus, Uniden's exclusive Close Call RF Capture feature, GPS Connectivity, Extra-Large Display, Radio System Analysis and Discover Modes put the most advanced scanner features ever right in the palm of your hand.
  • Simple to operate, no programming needed. Simply turn it on, enter your zip code, and TrunkTracker V does the rest.
  • This user-friendly digital scanner will immediately begin receiving communications used by Public Safety, Police, Fire, EMS, Ambulance, Aircraft, Military, Weather, and more.Scan Speed - 85 channels per second
  • This functionality is made possible by combining the rich radio system database from Radio Reference with Uniden's patented radio system selection methods to correctly identify and monitor only nearby systems in the USA/Canada.
  • Whether it is across town or across the street, the BCD436HP keeps you informed. Now with the largest display on the market and more advanced features, the BCD436HP makes a superior unit for the scanner enthusiast..Instant Replay – Plays back up to 240 seconds (4 minutes) of the most recent transmissions..Custom Alerts – You can program your scanner to alert when you receive, a Channel or Unit ID, a Close Call hit, an ID is transmitted with an Emergency Alert, or a Tone-out hit. For each alert in the scanner, you can select from 9 different tone patterns, 15 volume settings, 7 colors, and 3 flash patterns.
Bestseller No. 7
Uniden SDS100 True I/Q Digital Handheld Scanner, Designed for Improved Digital Performance in Weak-Signal and Simulcast Areas, Rugged / Weather Resistant JIS 4 Construction
  • SDS100: True I/Q receiver design for improved digital performance in weak-signal and simulcast areas
  • SDS100: Rugged/ weather resistant jis 4 construction
  • SDS100: Li-Ion battery
  • SDS100: Improved UI with 3 contextual soft keys that Change function based on the current operation
  • SDS100: Customizable color LCD: user can modify color and what is displayed
SaleBestseller No. 8
Uniden BC355N 800 MHz 300-Channel Base/Mobile Scanner, Close Call RF Capture, Pre-programmed Search “Action” Bands to Hear Police, Ambulance, Fire, Amateur Radio, Public Utilities, Weather, and More, Black
  • The Uniden Bearcat BC355N Mobile/Base Scanner is one of the most feature packed, user-friendly, entry level scanners available today. It can pick up analog receptions including 6 Service banks for monitoring Police, Fire, Emergency Medical Services, Marine, Air, Weather, and CB frequencies.
  • The BC355N features “Close Call RF Capture Technology,” which instantly tunes to signals from nearby transmitters. This pre-programmed search makes it easier to find active frequencies and helps you stay on top of local happenings and emergencies in your area. 100 ch/sec Scan Speed (max)
  • You can save up to 300 frequencies that are scanned along with the preset frequencies. So whenever you encounter a newly activated local frequency for any service category, you can add it to the bank for that category. This gives you quick access to the frequencies you want to hear.
  • The BC355N comes complete with a backlit display, making it easier to read in low light conditions, along with AC adapter, a DC power cable and an automotive power outlet plug, giving you more options for supplying power at home or in your car. Frequency range for aircraft band is AM mode 8.33 STEP (kHz) at 108.0000, 136.9916(Lower and Upper)
  • If you’re looking for an affordable way to jump into the world of scanners, the BC355N may be the right choice for you. (Please note: model BC355N is not suitable for trunking or digital radio system monitoring. If you live in an area where trunking or digital radio systems are used, you need to upgrade to a Uniden Digital model (“D” stands for Digital), such as models BCD996P2, BCD436HP, BCD536HP, BCD325P2, or HomePatrol-2.
Bestseller No. 9
Uniden SDS200 Advanced X Base/Mobile Digital Trunking Scanner, Incorporates The Latest True I/Q Receiver Technology, Best Digital Decode Performance in The Industry
  • True I/Q Receiver, Trunk Tracker X
  • Direct Ethernet Connectivity for Streaming and Control
  • Complete USA/Canada Radio Database
  • Location Control for Simple Operation
  • 3. 5" Customizable Color Display
SaleBestseller No. 10
Yaesu FTA-250L Handheld VHF Airband Transceiver (Comm only)
  • 5W TX output
  • 700 mW Audio Output
  • 250 Memory Channels
  • 8.33kHz Narrow Band compatible
  • IPX5 Waterproof rating

Last update on 2023-06-03 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

How to find the best aviation scanner?

Here, we’ll be going over a number of factors that you can use to ensure that you’re purchasing the best aviation scanner for you.

Regardless of which type of item you’re looking to buy, chances are that there are existing buying guides on the internet, all of which aim to give you good aviation scanner recommendations.

Despite these recommendations, however, it’s always a good idea to do your own research. In addition to this research, asking yourself the following questions is also super helpful:

  • What features does the aviation scanner need to have to be perfect for my needs?
  • What is my budget?
  • Do I need to purchase a certain brand?

Once you’ve answered these questions and have a good idea of what you’re looking for and the buying process becomes much easier. Keep in mind that when looking for the best product, there’s no need to rush. In fact, very rarely are the ideal products found by choosing the first one you see or by basing your decisions on only one factor. Take your time and enjoy the process!

Now, with the answers to the previous questions in mind, we urge you to use our upcoming buying guide for aviation scanner to find what you’re looking for:

Brand

In some cases, the brand of aviation scanner is very important. For example, if you’re looking for an item that works in tandem with another, you might very well need both products to be the same brand. If this is the case, it’s vital to pay attention to this factor, as choosing the wrong product can mean the difference between wasting your money and buying a great product that functions as it should.

Features

The features in any given aviation scanner are important because they can dictate which version of an item you need and how much money you need to spend. Consider all the key features that you want your item to have and don’t settle for anything that doesn’t check at least ¾ of your boxes.

Reviews

Customer reviews about aviation scanner are crucial – especially when you’re buying a product that costs a lot of money or serves a big importance. Luckily, most products can be found online, which means that it’s common for there to be scores of customer reviews from those who have already purchased any given product.

Pay attention to these reviews. Take note of the pros and cons that they mention, and factor these into your big decision. In some cases, you’ll be forced to sacrifice one con in order to gain a particular pro, but being aware of the potential con is going to be beneficial in either case.

Quality

Of course, quality is key. You don’t want to purchase a low-quality product. If you do, you run the risk of your item breaking, not working properly, or otherwise proving to be very disappointing, as well as a waste of money.

You can compare aviation scanner quality by researching what your potential purchases are made from, contrasting the individual items against each other to discern which one is made of the best materials.

Warranty

Warranty isn’t always going to be important, but it definitely can be. This is especially true if the item in question is tech-related or expensive. A good warranty will be valid for an extended time after purchase and cover a variety of problems ranging from item defects to random accidents, water damage, and other miscellaneous events that could ruin your product.

Conclusion

The quest to find the best aviation scanner can be daunting – but it doesn’t have to be. It can be made much easier by asking yourself a few simple questions and then thinking critically about the items you want to buy. Consider their features, quality, brand, warranty, and customer reviews and you’re more likely to make a great purchase.