Posted: 3/4/2010 3:00:26 PM EDT
| What is there to know about these when purchasing one. My local mail all shipping place guy has one, always listening to it, and he is friends w/ alot of local PD guys, he is ex mil. I find it interesting to hear what is going on. What is a good basic unit to get. Can I get one I can listen to in my car or my house?? |
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Quoted: What brands are good? What units in particular? Try these guys, good company. Hit the scanner receivers link. |
| Go to the database at radioreference.com and click on your state and county to see what they are using (VHF,UHF, 800Mhz, trunking, digital etc.). That will tell you what kind of scanner you need. You can find old VHF/UHF units for almost nothing or spend upwards of $500 on a digital trunking scanner, just depends what they use in your area. |
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http://www.amazon.com/Uniden-BC72XLT-Handheld-Scanner-Black/dp/B0002QIBNK/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1267747552&sr=8-5 Is this any good??? Visit the link I posted above. Or better yet; http://www.policescanners.net/ |
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http://www.amazon.com/Uniden-BC72XLT-Handheld-Scanner-Black/dp/B0002QIBNK/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1267747552&sr=8-5 Is this any good??? Negative you need something like this: http://www.amazon.com/Uniden-BC346XT-Handheld-TrunkTracker-Scanner/dp/B001UALWX8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1267748004&sr=1-1 Also call/email your county 911 or Communications Director, ask if they have any pans to convert from analog to digital. If they do go digital one day and don't encrypt it you will need something like this: http://www.amazon.com/Uniden-BCD396XT-Handheld-TrunkTracker-Digital/dp/B001W0Y44K/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1267748004&sr=1-2 |
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If they are going trunked you will not be able to listen Yes you can, just need an analog/digital trunking capable scanner. Like many other systems I have worked on, I would bet they only have certain talkgroups set up for secure comms, and probably only a handful of radios with encryption modules in them, usually the SWAT teams and NARC/Investigations guys. If other people are listening on their scanners, they don't have a fully encrypted system. |
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http://www.amazon.com/Uniden-BC72XLT-Handheld-Scanner-Black/dp/B0002QIBNK/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1267747552&sr=8-5 Is this any good??? Negative you need something like this: http://www.amazon.com/Uniden-BC346XT-Handheld-TrunkTracker-Scanner/dp/B001UALWX8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1267748004&sr=1-1 Also call/email your county 911 or Communications Director, ask if they have any pans to convert from analog to digital. If they do go digital one day and don't encrypt it you will need something like this: http://www.amazon.com/Uniden-BCD396XT-Handheld-TrunkTracker-Digital/dp/B001W0Y44K/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1267748004&sr=1-2 I have #1... it works very good. |
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Free online listening, if a feed is available in your location: http://www.radioreference.com/ |
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Quoted: As cool as it is to have one of the hand held ones.. it's a hell of a lot more convenient just listening online. There is an inherent value to them during shtf.. but you could buy ammo instead  +1 Police + Fire visually tracked a tornado in my area, providing warning to everyone. Real time updates by eyewitnesses beat local news after the fact everytime. |
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I've got two...a hand-held Radio Shack unit in the house and a base model Bearcat hardwired in the truck. They both became obsolete last week as my local dispatch center and all the area L.E., fire, amberlamps, forest circus and park service agencies went digital and scrambled...permanently.
I'm told that along with all the stimulas & grant money they all got for the change, that there is a mandate that they specifically go digital and scrambled and that all our scanners out here in 'scannerland' will be completely quiet by 2012. That's what I was told, anyway. I'd spend the money on ammo if I were you. |
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Quoted: I can still pick up air traffic on mine, so not a total loss.I've got two...a hand-held Radio Shack unit in the house and a base model Bearcat hardwired in the truck. They both became obsolete last week as my local dispatch center and all the area L.E., fire, amberlamps, forest circus and park service agencies went digital and scrambled...permanently. I'm told that along with all the stimulas & grant money they all got for the change, that there is a mandate that they specifically go digital and scrambled and that all our scanners out here in 'scannerland' will be completely quiet by 2012. That's what I was told, anyway. I'd spend the money on ammo if I were you. |
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Damn those digital ones are expensive...can i find a good trunk scanner for around $100? At a minimum for your area you mentioned you need analog trunking scanner. Usually around $200. That Uniden one I listed above, the BC346XT, will do all the local VHF/UHF conventional systems as well (like maybe the smaller podunk PD and Fire Departments). |
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First many Police and Fire went from 151-155 mhz to 800 mhz. And now most are moving down to 700 mhz digital trunking systems.
The scanners that will cover this are, from a discussion last night, difficult to program due to the poor instructions with the scanners. You need to find out what band your local agencies are using, and what their plans are for the future. Some of the locals were real surprised at the their scanners suddenly going quiet not long ago. And the guys that have new scanners now are so far not able to listen in on the new 700 mhz. Just don't rush out spending any money just yet... do some research. |
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Go into your local Radio Shack. They probably know what works for your area.http://www.amazon.com/Uniden-BC72XLT-Handheld-Scanner-Black/dp/B0002QIBNK/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1267747552&sr=8-5 Is this any good??? No, they won't. They'll try to sell you a cell phone plan. |
| I have a Radio Shack "Pro 164" . It will pick up all the local LE even the trunked systems. It gets all city departments like the street and water dept. Picks up all kinds of wireless phones and cell phones. It picks up all kinds of shit. Even picks up the hillbilly internet. |
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The trunk scanners will also allow for analog correct? I believe most are backwards compatible these days, basically for each notch you go up the ladder in capability it still will perform all the "lower" functions as well but there may be exceptions to that. |
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I have a Radio Shack "Pro 164" . It will pick up all the local LE even the trunked systems. It gets all city departments like the street and water dept. Picks up all kinds of wireless phones and cell phones. It picks up all kinds of shit. Even picks up the hillbilly internet. That would work in the OP's area, it does trunking and is analog. Also around $200 like the Uniden. |
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There is a free application in the iTunes store for iPhones called 5-0 Radio. It has the police and fire bands available for many cities, but mostly larger ones like NY, LA, etc, but Las Vegas is in there. Most things you can think of, there's an app for that. iPhone required though. |
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Sorry , didnt Quote . Matches my scanner bout 3 second delay. |