RadioBanter - View Single Post

Al Klein · July 3rd 06, 12:18 AM posted to rec.radio.scanner

On 2 Jul 2006 12:03:30 -0700, wrote:

I am in a rural area that is quite hilly, and would appreciate any
suggestions on a scanner that would work well there. I am in
northeast PA, am about 8 miles from the nearest fire station, and 8
miles the other direction to the nearest police station. I've seen
scanners that make it to 512mhz (older, like the PRO 2023, BC145XL),
and ones that make it to 956mhz (within 10 years old, like the PRO
2008,2050, BC800XLT).
Are there any benefits by having the "extra coverage"?

If you want to receive something on 800 MHz, a 512 MHz scanner won't
do it. Otherwise, unless you need the extra features that newer
scanners offer - trunking, fire tone out, Wx alerting - no.

Are most reporting stations up this way (NEPA, NY southern tier)
trunked?

"Reporting stations"? Go here
http://www.radioreference.com/modules.php?name=RR&stid=42 and check
out the area surrounding you. I have no idea what county you're in or
which ones are near you.

I want to get the best coverage I can get

The antenna and cable, not the scanner, determine the coverage.

but don't want to pay hundreds of $ for this. My budget is probably around 60.

That's minimal for an antenna. Figure at least another $50 for an old
used, but working, scanner. And, depending on the exact terrain and
the frequencies you want to monitor, the antenna that will work for
you might set you back a few hundred dollars.

I'm just
looking for something where I can hear the latest on police action,
road closures (I'm in the area that really got hit by the floods of
last week)- ones that PennDOT didn't report (there are lots of them).

According to Radio Reference, "Almost ALL PennDOT District's have
moved all operations to the statewide MA/COM OpenSky 800 Mhz system".
That's an unmonitorable system. There's no scanner made that can
monitor it - for any money. (Unless you want to bribe someone in some
secret government agency.)

You can monitor PEMA
http://www.radioreference.com/modules.php?name=RR&aid=1262 and the
state police
http://www.radioreference.com/modules.php?name=RR&aid=744.

Again, the antenna (and cable - the lowest loss
http://www.ocarc.ca/coax.htm you can afford) will determine what you
can hear.