44N, 63W
Scanning in Halifax and Nova Scotia
Scanners and scanning have changed significantly since I started monitoring as a kid in the late 1970s. Back then, purely filtered multi-band radios and crystal-controlled scanners were all we had. In 1986. I bought a 20 channel PRO-2020 that was programmable for VHF airband, police, fire and other services.
Today, scanners can come with 1000+ channels, all the bells and whistles. Most people ask me what type of scanner they need to listen to public safety. This would include fire, police and ambulance. This requires a digital trunking scanner for the 700Mhz band. I use mine during storms and other events. I have to note that practically all law enforcement agencies in Nova Scotia are encrypted. EHS is also encrypted. There is no commercially available scanner that will receive these talkgroups. Expect more emergency services to go encrypted.
That said, there are still services you can receive. These include local, provincial and some federal agencies that deal with fire, emergency management, search and rescue, transportation and security. I will not go into any detail beyond this, but you can find out more information on TMR sites and talkgroups at Radio Reference.com.
Some will say that encryption has made scanning obsolete. The truth is there's more to listen to than public service calls. You'll see this on this site. I'll detail aviation, marine, military and even some satellite frequencies.
Propagation
Propagation is one of my favourite radio topics. For most scanner listeners, however, local frequencies usually have a range of 40 Km (25 miles). This is highly dependent on height of your area, local terrain and other factors. You can expect different conditions in different areas. Also, it's dependent on other atmospheric conditions. Some people monitor the FM Broadcast band for distant (DX) stations. In the days of analog over-the-air TV, many people sought out TVDX. With scanning, you may encounter a small "bump" due to tropospheric ducting. On a everyday scale, you might hear the airport or even Greenwood better some days. Although rare, the VHF/UHF bands can open up all the way down down the seaboard. I've talked to hams in Long Island, NY on 2 meter FM simplex. You can check out conditions here.
Many people overlook it, but "frequency hunting" in the VHF-Lo band (30-50 Mhz) can be very interesting in the late spring and summer (and sometimes around Christmas) with sporadic-E openings. This band is not used widely in Nova Scotia. However, when the "magic band" is open, you'll hear "skip" from Ontario, Quebec, the US and even the Caribbean and Mexico. The military, emergency services, government and businesses still use this band in other regions. It's fun sleuthing out DX signals here. I'd recommend programming the 10 meter FM repeater (W2QH) on 29.620 Mhz and the Baltimore Fire Pager on 46.460 Mhz. When they drift in, it's usually a good time to search out other frequencies. I also use DXMaps as a resource. It's a spotting site for amateur radio operators, but it's good to see how the bands are behaving. You may want to keep listing of what you hear.
Antennas
This is just very basic advice. Please research what antenna might work best for you...
Generally speaking, the choice of antenna for scanning depends on what you're listening to and where you listen. For most people who have a handheld scanner to listen to local TMR or VHF/UHF frequencies, the "rubber duck" will work fine. Most base scanners come with a telescopic antenna. It works relatively well as a starting antemma. If you want further reach, try a wideband mobile whip antenna. Most are "mag-mounts" used to attach onto a vehicle's hood or trunk. If you're mounting it at home, stick it to a piece of metal, as high as possible. You may consider a proper base antenna like a ground-plane or a discone. These are usually mounted outside. It's a good idea to get higher quality coax cable, avoid long runs, and will be weatherproof.
It's important to also look for an antenna that is meant for the frequency range you want. There are antennas cut to specific ranges (like 700-800 Mhz). If you listen to TMR, they'll work fine. But they probably be "deaf" elsewhere. I recommend a good wideband antenna, say 25-1300 Mhz. It will be to your advantage in the long run.
Is this legal?
One of the questions I'm most asked is whether scanning is legal or do I need a licence. In Canada, the radio spectrum is natural resource. There is nothing illegal about owning and listening to a scanner as long as you listen for you own entertainment. Do not use anything you hear for personal gain. And, obviously, do not use it to commit a crime!!!
It is important not to repeat details you hear. My rule of thumb is I will pass frequency information, who uses it and a very general comment. That's in the public domain. I will not provide details of a transmission, especially personal details. However, most of the things I monitor this isn't a problem. Air Canada 123 landing on 05 isn't sensitive information!