Wanting to RAISE money to buy Digital Scanner for analog going dark

[xmusicianguy]

Hello

(first off If I'm not allowed to post about this manner please delete post. Also not sure where this post is supposed to go. )

I am a local scanner feed provider for the Warren Co. (in McMinnville, TN) Police, FIRE and EMS dispatch.

I've been a provider since September of 2010. All has been going great. I love providing this service for people to get use from if they don't own a scanner or don't have it with them.

However I spoke with the Sheriff of my county (Warren) and he told me by the END OF NEXT YEAR, ALL scanner communications will be digital. (Must be a sun-down law). So my dilemma is I want to continue to provide this service to the people of my community. I know it's a great tool for all types of information events. BUT "digital" signal scanners are NOT cheap. So I want to ask to start a fundraiser to raise the money to buy a simple digital scanner so I can continue to provide this service. I'll even set up a online account to receive the funds if this is doable . But I live paycheck to paycheck and couldn't even begin to buy a new scanner for a service I don't even make money off of. Now the fact that I don't make money is FINE. I don't care about that. But I'm making a point. So if people here can suggest a way I can go about doing this I'd love to hear it.

My scanner feed: Warren County and McMinnville Public Safety Live Scanner Audio Feed

The scanner I need to buy: Amazon.com: GRE PSR500 Digital APCO-25 Triple-Trunking Handheld Scanner: Car Electronics

Any info or help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

[NC4DX]

First off I would research the matter a little more, there is NO law that says everyone must go digital. The sheriff may just be misinformed. I would search the local newspaper to see if the County Commission has approved any money for a new radio system and what the particulars of it are.

[rdale]

Originally Posted by xmusicianguy

However I spoke with the Sheriff of my county (Warren) and he told me by the END OF NEXT YEAR, ALL scanner communications will be digital. (Must be a sun-down law).

1) No such law exists.

2) You might doublecheck to make sure they aren't encrypting too, otherwise your new scanner will still be useless.

[Chauffeur6]

It sounds like the Sheriff is talking about "narrowbanding", but doesn't have all his facts straight. Narrowbanding does not = digital. You definitely need to research this a bit more prior to spending money on a scanner you don't need. I suggest posting in the Tennessee forum and see what the other locals have to say.

[xmusicianguy]

Originally Posted by rdale

1) No such law exists.

2) You might doublecheck to make sure they aren't encrypting too, otherwise your new scanner will still be useless.

I will. What routes would you advise to check?

[jim202]

Originally Posted by xmusicianguy

Hello

(first off If I'm not allowed to post about this manner please delete post. Also not sure where this post is supposed to go. )

I am a local scanner feed provider for the Warren Co. (in McMinnville, TN) Police, FIRE and EMS dispatch.

I've been a provider since September of 2010. All has been going great. I love providing this service for people to get use from if they don't own a scanner or don't have it with them.

However I spoke with the Sheriff of my county (Warren) and he told me by the END OF NEXT YEAR, ALL scanner communications will be digital. (Must be a sun-down law). So my dilemma is I want to continue to provide this service to the people of my community. I know it's a great tool for all types of information events. BUT "digital" signal scanners are NOT cheap. So I want to ask to start a fundraiser to raise the money to buy a simple digital scanner so I can continue to provide this service. I'll even set up a online account to receive the funds if this is doable . But I live paycheck to paycheck and couldn't even begin to buy a new scanner for a service I don't even make money off of. Now the fact that I don't make money is FINE. I don't care about that. But I'm making a point. So if people here can suggest a way I can go about doing this I'd love to hear it.

My scanner feed: Warren County and McMinnville Public Safety Live Scanner Audio Feed

The scanner I need to buy: Amazon.com: GRE PSR500 Digital APCO-25 Triple-Trunking Handheld Scanner: Car Electronics

Any info or help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

This smells like a slick sell by the radio shop servicing the SO. The only mandate is to narrow band the VHF and UHF public safety and business channels. A few paging channels remain wide and the marine channels remain wide. The weather channels will also remain wide. Other than that, the radio shop might be looking to make a fast buck.

Then again Motorola has had their sales force pressing their customers to spend money on new radios that they don't need, but are too dumb to ask questions as to why they need to change to new radios.

Let us see just what the story is here. Time will tell the story.

[WA0CBW]

Ummmmm........... I have also seen situations where the Sheriff used this "embellishment" to get new radios. I have also seen them confused because some grants require the purchase of "digital" radios in order to get the money. So this makes them think that digital is required. Of course the local news reporter didn't research the subject either.

BB

[Unitrunker]

Do not buy a new scanner until you know what the new system will be.

[ddoorman]

To: xmusicianguy

Excuse me if I am wrong but your message appears to me that you are asking the members of this forum to contribute money so that you can buy a new scanner. Am I correct/incorrect?

[jasonk]

The guy simply wants to ask the listeners to give back a little - so he can continue the feed once the Digital Change Takes place (If it ever happens) ...I don't see him asking DDOORMAN or any other Forum members for donations.

To the Original Poster - you can simply create a paypal account and just ask folks to donate to it. If every listener would pitch in $10 I am sure you would be well on your way to a new scanner. Good Luck ...

Jason

Originally Posted by ddoorman

To: xmusicianguy

Excuse me if I am wrong but your message appears to me that you are asking the members of this forum to contribute money so that you can buy a new scanner. Am I correct/incorrect?

[lindsay34654]

You want to buy a new scanner I have 2 for sale a 996 xt with remote head and a 396Xt both in great working condition. NO JOKE: Make me a offer.

[SurgePGH]

Originally Posted by jasonk

The guy simply wants to ask the listeners to give back a little - so he can continue the feed once the Digital Change Takes place (If it ever happens) ...I don't see him asking DDOORMAN or any other Forum members for donations.

To the Original Poster - you can simply create a paypal account and just ask folks to donate to it. If every listener would pitch in $10 I am sure you would be well on your way to a new scanner. Good Luck ...

Jason

+1 He never asked for a donation. He only asked for a suggestion on how to go about it.... See below...

So if people here can suggest a way I can go about doing this I'd love to hear it.

[lynxrufus]

Originally Posted by xmusicianguy

I spoke with the Sheriff of my county (Warren) and he told me by the END OF NEXT YEAR, ALL scanner communications will be digital.

There's a bridge in Brooklyn I'd like to sell you.

[tglendye]

I must be the only one who took what he said the Sheriff said... but I thought he meant HIS agencies communications would be digital. Ditto the "don't by a digital scanner until you know what type of system it will be". There are enough digital systems out there now that digital scanners on the market do not receive.

[JnglMassiv]

Under no circumstances should you purchase a scanner before..
1. ..You are certain of the details of the system. As others have mentioned, 'digital radio system' can mean anything or nothing;
2. ..Until the system is ready for rollout. There will be a significant period of testing that you can listen for and your local media will likely report when the turn-of-the-key is imminent.

This is particularly true of a 12-18 month leadtime. These things never seem to be on time.
Finally, honestly and with all due respect, if you can't come up with $25/month for a while, you may be too poor to afford any hobbies at all.

[N8IAA]

[N8IAA]

Test.

[N8IAA]

[QUOTE=xmusicianguy;1756988] However I spoke with the Sheriff of my county (Warren) and he told me by the END OF NEXT YEAR, ALL scanner communications will be digital. (Must be a sun-down law). /QUOTE]

This is the phrase that is most important about the OP. You have plenty of time to figure out what the 'digital mode' will be. If you buy a scanner now, and the digital mode that the SO goes to isn't supported by the current list of digital scanners, you're SOL. Have garage sales, get a part-time job, do something to get the money put aside for your next scanner. Waiting can be the hardest thing to do But, until you truly find out how they are changing, it ain't worth the worry
HTH,
Larry

[R8000]

Originally Posted by jim202

Then again Motorola has had their sales force pressing their customers to spend money on new radios that they don't need, but are too dumb to ask questions as to why they need to change to new radios.

Really ?

Can you provide details ? I would like to see a memo from Motorola instructing dealer sales to this, because at the MSS I work at, we haven't seen this. Can you provide this info please. I will be sure to pass it along to our sales staff so we can start pressing our customers.

A. I haven't seen an "order" come down from above about this.

B. So what your saying is that the local Kenwood/Harris dealer, and the EFJ dealer is playing fair ? HA !!!

Perhaps this isn't the right thread to start your anti Motorola rants.

[KLH]

Good luck trying to raise money.
My feed has topped out at over 1k listeners at one time, and usually average somewhere between 50-100 listeners any given night (and I live in a town of less than 20k people). Due to upgrades that are scheduled to take place later this month, I was forced to buy a digital scanner. I too did not have the extra funds to purchase a $400 scanner, so I took off looking for donations. I put up on my feed details page that the feed will be going away in x months without contributions, and guess what, 3 months later I had raised around $10. So don't expect to raise much money, people from my experience won't give.

Luckily through other means, I was able to raise around $300ish dollars, and paid for the rest out of my pocket.

And I agree to wait and see what system they are switching to before buying a new scanner that may or may not work.