Thanks very much all for your suggestions and information. It's very
useful to learn this! I'm in the SF Bay Area, by the way. Anyone know
if this area requires Trunktracking or digital?

I've seen the Bearcat BC250 handheld advertised.. It appears to have
the capability to upgrade to digital. Anyone have any experience with
this model? Is it worth getting a digital-ready scanner like this
(looks like the digital card is another few hundred bucks). I'm
wondering whether these were just an interim solution to the digital
market? Or is it a worthwhile investment?

Thanks for any info!

Dave