Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
  #1   Report Post  
Old January 10th 04, 05:08 PM
 
Posts: n/a
Default need advice - purchasing a new scanner


I'm thinking about purchasing a new scanner.

The one I have now is a handheld, probably about 8 years old, Radio
Shack 200 channels, 1.3GHz, Hyperscan Pro-26 with an antenna bought
separately (RH77CA Diamond).

I would prefer a desktop scanner that will scan around 400 channels or
possibly more. I would be willing to spend around $300 or so.

I would like the scanner to pick up the basic stuff: police, fire,
ambulance, security, city, also if it were to pick up baby monitors or
the occasional cordless phone would be interesting. : )

Can someone please recommend brands, model #'s?

I'm in the suburbs of Detroit (Oakland County). Is there anywhere
(besides a Radio Shack), that anyone could recommend making a
purchase? I would like to buy a new one a.s.a.p. instead of waiting
for an online delivery. If not, can someone recommend a good online
store?

Thanks in advance !!

alli


  #2   Report Post  
Old January 10th 04, 05:50 PM
Soliloquy
 
Posts: n/a
Default

wrote in
:


I would like to buy a new one a.s.a.p.


When you said this, at first I though of "a sap", which might put you
into the category of a Radio Shack customer.

BUT Radio Shack has had quite a few scanners over the years, many quite
admirable. I believe that they now have a Digital Capable handheld
scanner. It requires no additional card (as does the Uniden line, quite
expensive for the card). But the price is high, since the card and price
were incorporated into the unit at the same time. The Pro-96 Catalog #:
20-526 and if the link is still good when you use it, here is the diet
version from TinyURL.com
http://tinyurl.com/2qlmy

The radio is a Trunk Tracker, 5500 Channels, $500.

Also try AES for online orders. I have consistently received orders
overnight. This is the usual shipping cycle from Cleveland to
Pittsburgh, not and extra charge service. I have ordered items at 5:00
PM one day and received them the next. They have several stores, one
being in Cleveland Ohio and another in Milwaukee Wisconsin. (there are
other stores as well).

I have the Digital Capable Uniden 785D, which would require the APCO 25
card when I want to use the digital facility. But I have had many
problems with intermod interference, as my area is saturated with Cell
Phone and Pager towers. If you live in an area likely to receive
intermod interference, perhaps someone can suggest another radio.

Don't rule out the handhelds though, they can be multipurpose since it's
difficult to take a desktop radio to an air show or other event. We use
our handhelds most often, having the Yaesu VR-500, Yaesu VX-5R
Transceiver, and an Alinco DJ-X10T. None of these are trunk tracking.


Good luck.


I'm thinking about purchasing a new scanner.

The one I have now is a handheld, probably about 8 years old, Radio
Shack 200 channels, 1.3GHz, Hyperscan Pro-26 with an antenna bought
separately (RH77CA Diamond).

I would prefer a desktop scanner that will scan around 400 channels or
possibly more. I would be willing to spend around $300 or so.

I would like the scanner to pick up the basic stuff: police, fire,
ambulance, security, city, also if it were to pick up baby monitors or
the occasional cordless phone would be interesting. : )

Can someone please recommend brands, model #'s?

I'm in the suburbs of Detroit (Oakland County). Is there anywhere
(besides a Radio Shack), that anyone could recommend making a
purchase? I would like to buy a new one a.s.a.p. instead of waiting
for an online delivery. If not, can someone recommend a good online
store?

Thanks in advance !!

alli



--
Never say never.
Nothing is absolute.
  #3   Report Post  
Old January 10th 04, 10:01 PM
Rob Mills
 
Posts: n/a
Default


wrote in message
...

I would prefer a desktop scanner that will scan around 400 channels or

possibly more. I would be willing to spend around $300 or so.

I have never regretted getting my Uniden 895XLT, unless you need trunk
capabilities other than the Motorola system it's a pretty good scanner. I
like the manual tune feature. Think I paid about $180 for mine several years
ago, don't know what the going rate is now but notice that they evidently
are still available.

I got a flyer from RS a few days ago and they are offering their Pro-94 for
$129 now. It's a pretty nice little scanner if you like hand helds. I don't
really care for hand helds (do keep one (94) in the glove box) but pick one
up once in a while when the price gets down to more than I can stand. RM~



  #4   Report Post  
Old January 11th 04, 07:07 AM
jmacdon
 
Posts: n/a
Default

If you want to listen to the Michigan State Police a
Uniden BC 796 XLT will be the way to go because MSP
us ASTOR APCO P-25 digital Motorola 800 Mhz trunking with
9600 Baud control channel data! More and more public safety
folks are going digital ,most unencrypted!
Check out this site:

http://www.strongsignals.net/index.cgi

http://www.strongsignals.net/access/boards/bc296-796d/board.cgi

http://www.strongsignals.net/access/boards/frequency/board.cgi

http://www.strongsignals.net/access/boards/trunking/board.cgi

Go to the bottom of the FREQUENCY board and TRUNK board to
look at the resources there. Check out the trunking systems to see if
they will work with the BC 796 XLT It not enough to know the bands covered
by new radios looking at the trunking systems supported is even more important!
Jim


Rob Mills wrote:

wrote in message
...

I would prefer a desktop scanner that will scan around 400 channels or

possibly more. I would be willing to spend around $300 or so.

I have never regretted getting my Uniden 895XLT, unless you need trunk
capabilities other than the Motorola system it's a pretty good scanner. I
like the manual tune feature. Think I paid about $180 for mine several years
ago, don't know what the going rate is now but notice that they evidently
are still available.

I got a flyer from RS a few days ago and they are offering their Pro-94 for
$129 now. It's a pretty nice little scanner if you like hand helds. I don't
really care for hand helds (do keep one (94) in the glove box) but pick one
up once in a while when the price gets down to more than I can stand. RM~


  #5   Report Post  
Old January 11th 04, 11:48 AM
jmacdon
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Here's an article on your county

http://www.trunkedradio.net/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=314

This is another great site for trunk tracking info!
jim

jmacdon wrote:

If you want to listen to the Michigan State Police a
Uniden BC 796 XLT will be the way to go because MSP
us ASTOR APCO P-25 digital Motorola 800 Mhz trunking with
9600 Baud control channel data! More and more public safety
folks are going digital ,most unencrypted!
Check out this site:

http://www.strongsignals.net/index.cgi

http://www.strongsignals.net/access/boards/bc296-796d/board.cgi

http://www.strongsignals.net/access/boards/frequency/board.cgi

http://www.strongsignals.net/access/boards/trunking/board.cgi

Go to the bottom of the FREQUENCY board and TRUNK board to
look at the resources there. Check out the trunking systems to see if
they will work with the BC 796 XLT It not enough to know the bands covered
by new radios looking at the trunking systems supported is even more important!
Jim

Rob Mills wrote:

wrote in message
...

I would prefer a desktop scanner that will scan around 400 channels or

possibly more. I would be willing to spend around $300 or so.

I have never regretted getting my Uniden 895XLT, unless you need trunk
capabilities other than the Motorola system it's a pretty good scanner. I
like the manual tune feature. Think I paid about $180 for mine several years
ago, don't know what the going rate is now but notice that they evidently
are still available.

I got a flyer from RS a few days ago and they are offering their Pro-94 for
$129 now. It's a pretty nice little scanner if you like hand helds. I don't
really care for hand helds (do keep one (94) in the glove box) but pick one
up once in a while when the price gets down to more than I can stand. RM~




  #7   Report Post  
Old January 11th 04, 01:12 PM
Dwight Stewart
 
Posts: n/a
Default

wrote:

I'm thinking about purchasing a new scanner.

The one I have now is a handheld, probably
about 8 years old, Radio Shack 200 channels,
1.3GHz, Hyperscan Pro-26 with an antenna
bought separately (RH77CA Diamond).

I would prefer a desktop scanner that will
scan around 400 channels or possibly more.
I would be willing to spend around $300
or so. (snip)



If you're looking to really improve your scanning capabilities, perhaps
you should be looking at multiple scanners instead. With a single scanner,
your returns diminish at some point as the number of memory channels
increase. This is caused by two factors. First, in general, the greater the
number of memory channels in a single scanner, the longer it takes to scan
those channels, meaning each channel is scanned less often over a given
period. Second, whenever a scanner locks onto a busy channel, you always
miss what is happening on the other memory channels. With a greater number
of memory channels, your scanner will find busy channels more often. But, as
the scanner locks onto those channels more often, you miss more on the other
memory channels.

More advanced scanner enthusiasts solve these problems by simply using
more than one scanner, each focused on a specific range of frequencies. This
allows any one scanner to lock on a busy channel while the other scanners
still scan, insuring the user doesn't miss as much while listening to any
one channel.

Simple scanners are fairly inexpensive. For example, to focus on the
aircraft frequencies, a twenty or thirty channel scanner will often do
nicely. If you're a real real aircraft band enthusiast, you may want two or
three of these. With a separate scanner for this band, you'll be less likely
to miss anything interesting on this band while listening to the police
frequencies.

You could do the same for any specific group of frequencies you want to
scan intensively, leaving your main scanner to cover the frequencies not
covered by the dedicated scanners. Of course, that main scanner should be
the very best for those times when you want to hunt down the really rare
stuff.

Just something for you to think about.


Dwight Stewart (W5NET)

http://www.qsl.net/w5net/

  #8   Report Post  
Old January 11th 04, 07:40 PM
 
Posts: n/a
Default


Thanks to everyone for their advice & suggestions!

A LOT of this stuff goes right over my head (digital ... trunking ..
etc.), but I'm reading and trying to learn. : )

I probably won't turn this into a huge hobby or anything - honestly, I
just want a New scanner that is desktop (is 'base' the right term?).
It will Not be something portable that I would take on trips with me.
I just want it, so I can listen to it at home, in the evenings for
fun. (I already have an Old handheld - Radio Shack 200 channels,
1.3GHz, Hyperscan Pro-26 with an antenna bought separately - RH77CA
Diamond).

I just want the new desktop scanner for home and to sit on an end
table/stand in the living room. I'd prefer it to have a screen that I
can program it to 'label' what frequency and name of what agency
(fire, p.d., city ...) it is picking up, example:

453.800 Detroit Police

Right now, the handheld scanner I do have (which I guess, I could take
it on trips if I decided I wanted to do that) JUST displays the #'s.
So, for the past several years, whenever I'd listen to the scanner,
and see the frequency # or channel - I would have to refer to a list
and compare it to the channel, to 'try' to figure out What I was
listening to. : )

I'm not having much luck find a place that sells desktop/base scanners
though! I looked at http://www.radioshack.com/ under:
Catalog Home -- Phones & Radio Communications -- Radio
Communications -- Scanners & Accessories

clicked on:
Metro (800MHz/Digital) Scanner

They only had Two - one was out of stock (Uniden® BC785D Digital
Scanner), the other (Pro-2052 1000-Channel Dual-Trunking DeskTop
Scanner) didn't look like I could add text/labels to the display
screen.

I tried:
http://www.uniden.com/store/
and it seemed as if their entire stock is "like new" condition. I
want something brand new, not used.

I've listened to my old handheld scanner for Many years, but this is
the First time I'm researching how/where/what to purchase and I'm just
trying to figure out What I need to buy. I'd be listening to mostly
Oakland County Michigan (and Macomb & Wayne County Michigan also).

Thanks again for all your replies!!

alli

  #9   Report Post  
Old January 13th 04, 09:32 PM
Tim
 
Posts: n/a
Default

The Uniden you are refering to is the BC296D and it comes with the card. It
is about the same price as the Pro-96.


"Soliloquy" wrote in message
4...
wrote in
:


I would like to buy a new one a.s.a.p.


When you said this, at first I though of "a sap", which might put you
into the category of a Radio Shack customer.

BUT Radio Shack has had quite a few scanners over the years, many quite
admirable. I believe that they now have a Digital Capable handheld
scanner. It requires no additional card (as does the Uniden line, quite
expensive for the card). But the price is high, since the card and price
were incorporated into the unit at the same time. The Pro-96 Catalog #:
20-526 and if the link is still good when you use it, here is the diet
version from TinyURL.com
http://tinyurl.com/2qlmy

The radio is a Trunk Tracker, 5500 Channels, $500.

Also try AES for online orders. I have consistently received orders
overnight. This is the usual shipping cycle from Cleveland to
Pittsburgh, not and extra charge service. I have ordered items at 5:00
PM one day and received them the next. They have several stores, one
being in Cleveland Ohio and another in Milwaukee Wisconsin. (there are
other stores as well).

I have the Digital Capable Uniden 785D, which would require the APCO 25
card when I want to use the digital facility. But I have had many
problems with intermod interference, as my area is saturated with Cell
Phone and Pager towers. If you live in an area likely to receive
intermod interference, perhaps someone can suggest another radio.

Don't rule out the handhelds though, they can be multipurpose since it's
difficult to take a desktop radio to an air show or other event. We use
our handhelds most often, having the Yaesu VR-500, Yaesu VX-5R
Transceiver, and an Alinco DJ-X10T. None of these are trunk tracking.


Good luck.


I'm thinking about purchasing a new scanner.

The one I have now is a handheld, probably about 8 years old, Radio
Shack 200 channels, 1.3GHz, Hyperscan Pro-26 with an antenna bought
separately (RH77CA Diamond).

I would prefer a desktop scanner that will scan around 400 channels or
possibly more. I would be willing to spend around $300 or so.

I would like the scanner to pick up the basic stuff: police, fire,
ambulance, security, city, also if it were to pick up baby monitors or
the occasional cordless phone would be interesting. : )

Can someone please recommend brands, model #'s?

I'm in the suburbs of Detroit (Oakland County). Is there anywhere
(besides a Radio Shack), that anyone could recommend making a
purchase? I would like to buy a new one a.s.a.p. instead of waiting
for an online delivery. If not, can someone recommend a good online
store?

Thanks in advance !!

alli



--
Never say never.
Nothing is absolute.





----== Posted via Newsfeed.Com - Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet News==----
http://www.newsfeed.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! 100,000 Newsgroups
---= 19 East/West-Coast Specialized Servers - Total Privacy via Encryption =---
  #10   Report Post  
Old January 14th 04, 01:01 PM
SpazMaTaz
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Try K-40 (They're a local dealer, not the national brand company).
It's on the south-east corner of 14 mile and Van Dyke. I haven't been
there in a couple of years (married, so no money to buy anything) but
I got my CB (a refurbished Uniden PC76XL) and a K-40 antenna there
about 7 years ago and it is still cranking like a champ. They even
replaced the connector on the antenna when it came loose for me at no
charge. Soldered a new one on in seconds, right there. I believe
they'll carry the uniden scanners. They'll also carry all the
accesories you'll ever need...Antennas, external speakers, adapters,
latest issue of police call...etc.

Scott


wrote in message . ..
Thanks to everyone for their advice & suggestions!

A LOT of this stuff goes right over my head (digital ... trunking ..
etc.), but I'm reading and trying to learn. : )

I probably won't turn this into a huge hobby or anything - honestly, I
just want a New scanner that is desktop (is 'base' the right term?).
It will Not be something portable that I would take on trips with me.
I just want it, so I can listen to it at home, in the evenings for
fun. (I already have an Old handheld - Radio Shack 200 channels,
1.3GHz, Hyperscan Pro-26 with an antenna bought separately - RH77CA
Diamond).

I just want the new desktop scanner for home and to sit on an end
table/stand in the living room. I'd prefer it to have a screen that I
can program it to 'label' what frequency and name of what agency
(fire, p.d., city ...) it is picking up, example:

453.800 Detroit Police

Right now, the handheld scanner I do have (which I guess, I could take
it on trips if I decided I wanted to do that) JUST displays the #'s.
So, for the past several years, whenever I'd listen to the scanner,
and see the frequency # or channel - I would have to refer to a list
and compare it to the channel, to 'try' to figure out What I was
listening to. : )

I'm not having much luck find a place that sells desktop/base scanners
though! I looked at
http://www.radioshack.com/ under:
Catalog Home -- Phones & Radio Communications -- Radio
Communications -- Scanners & Accessories

clicked on:
Metro (800MHz/Digital) Scanner

They only had Two - one was out of stock (Uniden® BC785D Digital
Scanner), the other (Pro-2052 1000-Channel Dual-Trunking DeskTop
Scanner) didn't look like I could add text/labels to the display
screen.

I tried:
http://www.uniden.com/store/
and it seemed as if their entire stock is "like new" condition. I
want something brand new, not used.

I've listened to my old handheld scanner for Many years, but this is
the First time I'm researching how/where/what to purchase and I'm just
trying to figure out What I need to buy. I'd be listening to mostly
Oakland County Michigan (and Macomb & Wayne County Michigan also).

Thanks again for all your replies!!

alli

Reply
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules

Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Pro-95 Scanner John Jenkins Scanner 2 January 16th 04 01:21 AM
Need advice on Digital Scanner pa wifi Scanner 1 December 25th 03 04:44 AM
Coax signal deteriotion to Scanner Paul Keenleyside Scanner 3 December 10th 03 03:39 AM
FS: scanner stuff Bart V Scanner 1 September 22nd 03 05:43 AM
Scanner advice needed please (UK) Henry Scanner 1 September 16th 03 10:22 PM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 06:10 AM.

Powered by vBulletin® Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 RadioBanter.
The comments are property of their posters.
 

About Us

"It's about Radio"

 

Copyright © 2017