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LaserHater
08-07-2005, 08:31 PM
I am considering buying a scanner. I am looking for some opinions on which one to go with.

The ones I am thinking about are the:
Uniden BCD396T or Radio Shack pro 96

Since I don't know much about these things, and a lot of you seem to be experts I was hoping to get some advice. I probably won't drive around with it to much, but it would be cool to listen to stuff going on every once in a while.

Thanks, LH

CLTX11
08-07-2005, 09:56 PM
as mentioned in many many scanner threads, you can go to radioreference.com. You will find anything and everything on those forums, if not just ask. The pro 96 is the most raved about digital scanner, you have to look closely at all the features it has and compare them. If you dont know what something is, ask here or register over at RR.com

LaserHater
08-08-2005, 03:03 PM
Cool, thanks for the info I appreciate it !

LH

GTO_04
08-09-2005, 08:00 PM
I am considering buying a scanner. I am looking for some opinions on which one to go with.

The ones I am thinking about are the:
Uniden BCD396T or Radio Shack pro 96

Since I don't know much about these things, and a lot of you seem to be experts I was hoping to get some advice. I probably won't drive around with it to much, but it would be cool to listen to stuff going on every once in a while.

Thanks, LH

I own both scanners. They are both very good and either will serve you well. You will get good information on both of them on radioreference.com.

I prefer the 396T over the Pro-96. The 396T has better RF sensitivity and is less prone to static interference. You can store a lot more frequencies and trunked talk groups in the 396. And it's memory is more logical to deal with. But I am not knocking the Pro-96 at all. It is very good, has great audio quality and power. It is much better than the older Uniden handhelds like the 250D and 296D.

The Pro-96 has been acting up a little bit, picking up electrical noise from other boats. I get interference in the form of a whistling sound and open carrier on digital 800 MHz systems. It only started doing this recently so it is not normal for it. I will probably get it serviced.

I will keep the Pro-96 and use it in the boat. I got stuck in a thunderstorm the other day, the Pro-96 got wet, but it survived just fine.

The Pro-96 is a lot bigger than the 396T, so if you want to be stealthy, the 396T may be preferable. The 396 is easier to program too. Either scanner can be programmed by PC software too. If you go with the 396, get the Comet SMA-501 800 MHz antenna. It is very short (stealthy) and works well for local trunked radio systems on 800 MHz. With that antenna, you can put the 396 in your pocket and listen with an earphone.

Like I said, both are good scanners and either one will serve you well. I do prefer the Uniden because it is more sensitive, it is smaller and has more advanced features. It has Close Call feature that notifies you of radio transmitters in very close proximity to you. Kind of cool IMHO. Most law enforcement agencies are going digital, so you are correct to only consider these handheld scanners.

Another plus for the 396T is the blue LED backlight. It is much easier to read than the amber backlights in other scanners.

GTO_04

LaserHater
08-09-2005, 11:36 PM
I am considering buying a scanner. I am looking for some opinions on which one to go with.

The ones I am thinking about are the:
Uniden BCD396T or Radio Shack pro 96

Since I don't know much about these things, and a lot of you seem to be experts I was hoping to get some advice. I probably won't drive around with it to much, but it would be cool to listen to stuff going on every once in a while.

Thanks, LH

I own both scanners. They are both very good and either will serve you well. You will get good information on both of them on radioreference.com.

I prefer the 396T over the Pro-96. The 396T has better RF sensitivity and is less prone to static interference. You can store a lot more frequencies and trunked talk groups in the 396. And it's memory is more logical to deal with. But I am not knocking the Pro-96 at all. It is very good, has great audio quality and power. It is much better than the older Uniden handhelds like the 250D and 296D.

The Pro-96 has been acting up a little bit, picking up electrical noise from other boats. I get interference in the form of a whistling sound and open carrier on digital 800 MHz systems. It only started doing this recently so it is not normal for it. I will probably get it serviced.

I will keep the Pro-96 and use it in the boat. I got stuck in a thunderstorm the other day, the Pro-96 got wet, but it survived just fine.

The Pro-96 is a lot bigger than the 396T, so if you want to be stealthy, the 396T may be preferable. The 396 is easier to program too. Either scanner can be programmed by PC software too. If you go with the 396, get the Comet SMA-501 800 MHz antenna. It is very short (stealthy) and works well for local trunked radio systems on 800 MHz. With that antenna, you can put the 396 in your pocket and listen with an earphone.

Like I said, both are good scanners and either one will serve you well. I do prefer the Uniden because it is more sensitive, it is smaller and has more advanced features. It has Close Call feature that notifies you of radio transmitters in very close proximity to you. Kind of cool IMHO. Most law enforcement agencies are going digital, so you are correct to only consider these handheld scanners.

Another plus for the 396T is the blue LED backlight. It is much easier to read than the amber backlights in other scanners.

GTO_04

:D Thanks, I ordered the 396T tonight 8)

GTO_04
08-10-2005, 10:18 AM
I am considering buying a scanner. I am looking for some opinions on which one to go with.

The ones I am thinking about are the:
Uniden BCD396T or Radio Shack pro 96

Since I don't know much about these things, and a lot of you seem to be experts I was hoping to get some advice. I probably won't drive around with it to much, but it would be cool to listen to stuff going on every once in a while.

Thanks, LH

I own both scanners. They are both very good and either will serve you well. You will get good information on both of them on radioreference.com.

I prefer the 396T over the Pro-96. The 396T has better RF sensitivity and is less prone to static interference. You can store a lot more frequencies and trunked talk groups in the 396. And it's memory is more logical to deal with. But I am not knocking the Pro-96 at all. It is very good, has great audio quality and power. It is much better than the older Uniden handhelds like the 250D and 296D.

The Pro-96 has been acting up a little bit, picking up electrical noise from other boats. I get interference in the form of a whistling sound and open carrier on digital 800 MHz systems. It only started doing this recently so it is not normal for it. I will probably get it serviced.

I will keep the Pro-96 and use it in the boat. I got stuck in a thunderstorm the other day, the Pro-96 got wet, but it survived just fine.

The Pro-96 is a lot bigger than the 396T, so if you want to be stealthy, the 396T may be preferable. The 396 is easier to program too. Either scanner can be programmed by PC software too. If you go with the 396, get the Comet SMA-501 800 MHz antenna. It is very short (stealthy) and works well for local trunked radio systems on 800 MHz. With that antenna, you can put the 396 in your pocket and listen with an earphone.

Like I said, both are good scanners and either one will serve you well. I do prefer the Uniden because it is more sensitive, it is smaller and has more advanced features. It has Close Call feature that notifies you of radio transmitters in very close proximity to you. Kind of cool IMHO. Most law enforcement agencies are going digital, so you are correct to only consider these handheld scanners.

Another plus for the 396T is the blue LED backlight. It is much easier to read than the amber backlights in other scanners.

GTO_04

:D Thanks, I ordered the 396T tonight 8)

Great choice. You will like it!

GTO_04

CLTX11
08-10-2005, 12:16 PM
Laserhater, Go to this thread on the RR.com site. If you havent checked it out it will give you lots of info.

http://www.radioreference.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16779

LaserHater
08-10-2005, 10:00 PM
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CLTX11
08-10-2005, 10:17 PM
Thanks, thats a lot of good info. I am gunna need it. This thing sounds super complicated. I use radios at work, I think they are digital and trunked and all that but I don't know anything about them. I always sleep during the training classes on them :wink: This should be fun.

LH


Once you get the hang of it, it should be cake. Now how long will it take you to get a hold of it? Hope not to long....good luck, let me know what you think.

Have you ever used a scanner before? if so what models?

LaserHater
08-11-2005, 09:52 PM
It should be here some time next week, I would think by wed. I can't wait. The only scanner I ever used was like over 5 years ago. I saw on the site you linked they have a frequency database. That should be really useful.

LH

stalker
08-18-2005, 06:39 AM
I run the ICOM ICR3 with the LCD screen.....that is an awsome scanner...

crazyVOLVOrob
08-18-2005, 10:17 PM
I am inlove with my Uniden BC246t but it's not digital

CLTX11
08-19-2005, 12:08 AM
if there is absoultly no need for digital why get it?

Well for me, I know the areas a scan will not be digital within a couple of years.

There is a bigger city using conventional still where mine is on trunking.

Trunking is alot more stressful on the ears but if you just want to scan em....you better know what you want to scan.

GTO_04
08-19-2005, 12:10 PM
Digital is coming, most agencies seem to be going to digital. If you already have a scanner and none of the areas you drive in are digital, then you're fien. But if I didn't already have a scanner, then I would definitely get digital. If you don't your scanner could be obsolete within a few months.

Another issue is re-banding. Nextel struck a deal with the FCC and all public safety agencies have to move to a new, lower part of the 800 MHz band. The older non digital scanners cannot be modified to monitor this band, hence they will be obsolete!

GTO_04

stalker
08-19-2005, 03:12 PM
most LEO have gone to digital here...encrypted too so you cant hear them.

GTO_04
08-19-2005, 03:48 PM
most LEO have gone to digital here...encrypted too so you cant hear them.

Are all the talkgroups encrypted? Most agencies that have encryption do not use it full time. They'll use it for drug enforcement etc. It is expensive and not as reliable as unencrypted communications, there are issues with voice quality etc.

GTO_04

bountyhunter
08-27-2005, 01:18 PM
Hey guys, New to the board, just looking for some help with this new scanner. We, Bail bonding company, just bought a dual trunking scanner, Radio Shack model PRO-94. I may be ignorant, but I aint stupid, I can't for the life of me get this thing to work. I am clueless when it comes to electronics and am very limited in the vocabulary neccessary to communicate. IT WONT WORK. I can't seem to get both sides of conversation, I cant figure out what all this thing will do. Is there help out there somewhere. I hear alot of noise, I can recognize our local PD dispatch, but cant seem to hear response. No unit to unit conversation at all. What can I do?

Keep the snickering to a minimum please, I'm at the end of my rope with this thing :D

stalker
08-27-2005, 04:48 PM
id say you will need to program the RX and TX frequency in...do a search on the net for your local PD frequencies...this should show you both freq....just a thought

CLTX11
08-27-2005, 05:16 PM
Hey guys, New to the board, just looking for some help with this new scanner. We, Bail bonding company, just bought a dual trunking scanner, Radio Shack model PRO-94. I may be ignorant, but I aint stupid, I can't for the life of me get this thing to work. I am clueless when it comes to electronics and am very limited in the vocabulary neccessary to communicate. IT WONT WORK. I can't seem to get both sides of conversation, I cant figure out what all this thing will do. Is there help out there somewhere. I hear alot of noise, I can recognize our local PD dispatch, but cant seem to hear response. No unit to unit conversation at all. What can I do?

Keep the snickering to a minimum please, I'm at the end of my rope with this thing :D

What city are you trying to monitor? Ill look it up and see what I can do for ya.

bountyhunter
08-30-2005, 04:58 AM
What city are you trying to monitor? Ill look it up and see what I can do for ya.
Montgomery County
Montgomery, Alabama
Thanks.

CLTX11
08-30-2005, 09:23 PM
Bountyhunter,

Montgomery, AL is on a trunked system using EDACS.

The agencies not using EDACS can be found on this link:
http://www.radioreference.com/modules.php?name=RR&ctid=51
You will be able to scan these conventionally

Now for what I am assuming you want to scan you will have to set up your scanner to trunk an EDACS system. The thing that really sucks is AL is using Provoice. Im not up to snuff on it but I dont think you can scan all of it. Here is a thread you can thumb through about Provoice.
http://www.radioreference.com/forums/showthread.php?t=19257&highlight=provoice

If you wanna give it a shot, look in your Pro-94 owners manual and see how to set up the scanner to trunk the EDACS system. If you dont have a users manual you can click on this link:
http://support.radioshack.com/support_electronics/doc61/61172.pdf
It starts on about page 34?

Here is the freqs and dec's you need to input into the scanner when programming it to scan this system. Like I said if they are using Provoice I dont think you will be able to scan it all.

http://www.radioreference.com/modules.php?name=TRSDB&sid=2946

GTO_04
08-30-2005, 09:49 PM
Bountyhunter,

Montgomery, AL is on a trunked system using EDACS.

The agencies not using EDACS can be found on this link:
http://www.radioreference.com/modules.php?name=RR&ctid=51
You will be able to scan these conventionally

Now for what I am assuming you want to scan you will have to set up your scanner to trunk an EDACS system. The thing that really sucks is AL is using Provoice. Im not up to snuff on it but I dont think you can scan all of it. Here is a thread you can thumb through about Provoice.
http://www.radioreference.com/forums/showthread.php?t=19257&highlight=provoice

If you wanna give it a shot, look in your Pro-94 owners manual and see how to set up the scanner to trunk the EDACS system. If you dont have a users manual you can click on this link:
http://support.radioshack.com/support_electronics/doc61/61172.pdf
It starts on about page 34?

Here is the freqs and dec's you need to input into the scanner when programming it to scan this system. Like I said if they are using Provoice I dont think you will be able to scan it all.



That would suck if they were using Provoice. However, I have been told that you can actually buy Provoice radios on e-bay.

GTO_04