Question re police scanners and cell phones

[Shohamh]

I'm editing a book and have 2 questions I need professional help with.

1. My author's main character is a cop and although he wants to turn on the police scanner in his cabin, he's afraid the bad guy will then be able to track him to the cabin.

I'm not sure about this...doesn't a police scanner work like a radio? So how would a bad guy -- no matter how technologically advanced -- be able to track a scanner?

2. The bad guys eventually do track the hero down -- apparently using the cell phone of the woman he's protecting -- even though the phone is switched off. I know that if the phone is switched off it can't be pinged. My author has explained that every cell has a chip in it that can be tracked even if the phone is off. I wanted to check before I tell her how unlikely this feels to me. My research shows that a phone can be tracked while turned off IF it has GPS -- but is that true? And how common is this GPS function in a regular American's cell phone.

Thanks in advance to anyone who has any feedback to offer. I want the book to be as realistic as possible and so checking these 2 facts out is pretty important.

Thanks
Heidi

[Taxx]

Heidi,

A police scanner can not be tracked in a traditional sense since it only receives information. It would be like tracking someone who is listening to their FM radio. I suppose you could track the electronic inteference emitted from the scanner, but you would already have to be awful close to pick it up.

As far as police radios that can receive and transmit information, those could be tracked. But it is unlikely that either a scanner or police radio would work at the "cabin" since that describes a remote area and there may not be radio towers in the area (but not impossible).

Anything electronic that receives and/or emits electonic signals is susceptible to radio inteference, which means it could be tracked. From which distance the tracking can be started is another matter and probably better left up to an expert, but, again, I would say you would have to be close.

GPS is probably your better route. Whether it be a mobile phone, vehicle mapping or I think even satellite radio, I think you can get your story to go where you need. Whether the phone needs to be on or off shouldn't be addressed here.

[retdetsgt]

As Taxx said, a receiver can't be tracked, it emits nothing to be traced. It's about as easy to track a pocket knife.

I'd question the part about a cell phone being tracked when it's off. Again, it has to emit a signal and unless the cell phone can do it powered down, that won't work either. I'm no expert on cell phones, but I would suspect you would have to be calling out to be tracked even then.

You should probably check with some electronic forums for better answers. We just carry guns, drive fast and beat up people.....

[Shohamh]

Thank you so much Taxx and Retdetsgt

Your advice is really appreciated