The 10 Best Handheld Aircraft Scanners (2023 reviews)

We consider a handheld aircraft scanner to be a worthy investment in the long run. We are here to help you choose the right one for your needs from all the best available products in market today.

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Our Top Picks:

Best Overall: Buy: Handheld Aircraft Scanner READ REVIEW

Best For Car: Buy: Uniden Weather Channel READ REVIEW

Best With internal speaker: Buy: Uniden Good Scanner READ REVIEW

Best For local Police: Buy: Uniden Digital Scanner READ REVIEW

Best For Home: Buy: Uniden Ham Radio READ REVIEW

Best For North America: Buy: Uniden Great Scanner READ REVIEW

Best For conventional communications: Buy: Uniden USB Cable READ REVIEW

Best With Emergency calls: Buy: Uniden sophisticated Scanner READ REVIEW

Best For Railroad: Buy: Uniden Bearcat Handheld Radio Scanner READ REVIEW

Best With FM Radio: Buy: Uniden FM Radio READ REVIEW

Best Overall: Handheld Aircraft Scanner

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The handheld aircraft scanner should be able to handle its purpose and duties with ease.

• Delivers what they promise
• Good investment for long term

Best For Car: Uniden Weather Channel

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Compared with other products by Uniden, the uniden weather channel has a convenient design. Coupled to an Antron 99, this scanner picks up 50 miles or better, a nice job. It gives you plenty of room to store frequencies for weather spotters, local businesses, emergency services, and more. 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. It has good volume so you can hear clearly. The channels are preprogrammed and you use the arrow keys to scroll through them.

The radio is in clock mode and it is constantly monitoring all the weather channels. It is easy to set up & program.

• Very easy to program very clear resonance of police calls
• Reception excellent for in door back antennae
• Works well, and fast, for analog

Best With internal speaker: Uniden Good Scanner

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The uniden good scanner might be a relatively new release, but it's still nothing short of impressive this year, thanks to multiple price cuts and added new features over the past few iterations. Uniden's Bcd996p2 digital base/mobile scanner is a full-featured design with the serious hobbyist in mind. It features like advanced dynamic memory system, close call rf capture technology, and gps compatibility. It comes with a mounting bracket and cigarette lighter power adapter. It picks up all frequencies in these bands.

This Scanner suffers from overload and IMD when using an outdoor antenna and has a difficult time with weak, distant stations. It's used for transmitting also. It comes with an advanced digital decoding system and large memory bank, the Bearcat bcd996p2 scanner is an extremely powerful and useful public safety scanner.

• Different colors and audible alerts for each frequency
• Good investment for long term

Best For local Police: Uniden Digital Scanner

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The uniden digital scanner is satisfactory and appropriate and fits well with your daily usage. This handheld scanner covers just about anything you might want to listen to. It picks up just about all frequencies between. The 436 can listen to basic encryption on analog devices or the more advanced p25 digital trunking encryption. The included software has the majority of channels, organized by state and county, and allows you to pick and choose. The software needed is stored on board, and the card is expandable.

The charging circuit is only limited to an end user set timer. The unit will charge the battery while the scanner is off. It’s easy enough to program, good volume without an external speaker, and is up and running. For non-law enforcement monitoring, this unit should provide years of use.

• 800 mhz nmo antenna permanently mounted on the trunk
• Gps and zip code features make it easy to travel with
• Come in crystal clear additionally includes yes, weather
• Aa rechargeable battery, use just this battery

Best For Home: Uniden Ham Radio

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The uniden ham radio should be able to handle its purpose and duties with ease. This sophisticated scanner has 300 user users. It is a compact handheld scanner that is ideal for listening to events as they unfold. It can be used by police, fire/emergency, marine, racing, civil air, ham radio, railroad, cb radio, weather, and more. It features, the orange backlight display is easy to read, even in low light conditions. The sound is loud and clear.

This unit only needs batteries rather than the old 4 battery which is a major plus because the unit is easyer to stand up and carry. It includes a sturdy belt clip as well.

• Great for airports and nascar frequencies
• Good features, well made and excellent reception
• Nice blacklight to see display at night
• Programable channels in a convenient compact design with loads of features

Best For North America: Uniden Great Scanner

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The uniden great scanner might be a relatively new release, but it's still nothing short of impressive this year. This scanner makes it easy to listen to transmissions in your area. It is easy to program, easy to move from home to car. It comes with software that allows you to program any frequencies into any new or existing favorites list including text description etc. It will act as a removable device in windows. This needs a telescopic antenna, if you want to receive the lower frequencies with clarity.

There is an optional GPS device available for mobile use, which detects any available channels as you travel across the state, or across the country. It is compatible with windows, and the software is required for proper functioning of the device. The battery management or charging system is very rudimentary/basic.

• Has a large national database that you can update with home patrol sentinel software
• Excellent scanner, very easy to operate
• Works great in the car as well
• Excellent, interface means novice can use and then progress in usage sophistication

Best For conventional communications: Uniden USB Cable

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We know from years of feedback from readers, customers and amazon sellers, what most people want in a convenient and appropriate scanner. The product is exactly that - it's a simple product that hits all the right notes. The SR30C only covers analog frequencies, that you can't possibly fill it up with frequencies. It covers up to 512 mhz. In addition to its standard scanning features, your scanner also includes close call rf capture technology designed to help you detect and identify strong local radio signals in your area. It allows you to enter frequencies into the radio through the computer without manually typing them with the keypad. This can be programmed from a Windows PC.

The scanner lets you scan transmissions and is pre-programmed with service bands for your convenience. It comes with a USB charge cord, that you can use with a usb to ac adapter with. It will work better for stations at greater distances.

• Easy to program by hand or by a microsoft computer
• You can program up to 500 frequencies into the scanner’s memory
• Setting-up a new program file is straight-forward and quite easy/quick
• Very easy to program small but tough

Best With Emergency calls: Uniden sophisticated Scanner

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The features department is where uniden sophisticated scanner truly manages to shine. To find a multi-band scanner which has aviation frequencies, is portable and inexpensive, this one can't be beat. The Bearcat Bc125at handheld scanner gives you direct access to over 40, 000 frequencies. This feature separates multiple frequencies into 10 categories which can then be turned on or off of scanning. It can pick up radio signals from 5 miles away. It also allows you to program the scanner via your computer which is extremely helpful and easy to use.

From a usability and quality perspective, this is a great scanner. It takes a few times to go through it to understand it completely. It is great with emergency calls in the two county area. This makes it easy to find channels that interest you.

• Give you the flexibility to choose what you want to tune in to
• Works great for train and plane spotters
• Scans all the frequencies you could dream of
• Easy to program with pc free software

Best For Railroad: Uniden Bearcat Handheld Radio Scanner

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We know from years of feedback from readers, customers and amazon sellers, what most people want in a convenient and appropriate scanner. The product is exactly that - it's a simple product that hits all the right notes. The 99 Noise Reduction StereophoneNew advances in materials and design have served to expand the performance of stereophones. The Bearcat Bc125at handheld scanner has a feature called close call technology. It is compact and features weather alert technology and is capable of attaching to civilian and military air bands. It allows easy level adjustment additionally it is designed to make the world disappear.

The range is typically 1-8 miles, depending upon the terrain and many other factors. The Passive Noise Reduction stereophone system isolates listener from ambient sounds. It is ideal for use with racing scanners and metal detectors. It is located on the ear cup for maximum ease of use.

• Good brand reputation
• One of the new comers and featured product

Best With FM Radio: Uniden FM Radio

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The Bc365crs is a multi-featured conventional channel scanner. It picks up local towns in about a 35 mile radius. Listen in and stay informed, this sophisticated scanner has 500 alpha-tagged channels in a convenient compact design with loads of features. It is used for police, fire/ems, aircraft, radio, and marine transmissions. The Built in alarm clock lets you wake to your favorite fm station, a weather channel, or scanning. The scanner also features AM/FM clock radio with snooze and NOAA weather broadcasts.

• Delivers what they promise
• Lot of satisfied buyers