Mr newbie

[Terp]

My name is Terp and I am a newbie. It took a couple of days to find this forum, I been looking and decided to join.
I am retired from the communications center with 30yrs. I live in Indiana, Clinton County. I have watched all the episodes of Walker Texas Ranger and decided to get a scanner. I have decided to get the Uniden BC396. I want to listen to everything, I'm about 50-60 miles from Indy 500, would like to hear the drivers etc.
When I get my scanner do I connect it to my laptop and start loading software to program it?
I'm looking forward to learn as much as possible from this site, from what I have read there is lot of sharp people here. Thanks Terp

 

[N4JNW]

Welcome to Radio Reference, Terp!

Choosing the Uniden 396, you have made an excellent choice! I'm still drooling over these scanners even today..

As far as you are from Indy, it's probably going to be pretty difficult to hear the drivers. Their in car radios are relatively low power, because how far do they really need to talk? A few thousand foot at most.. Not saying you CAN'T hear them, but doing so will provide moderate difficulty. If you want to hear the drivers from your home, you will more than likely need a directional antenna, for the frequencies they use, and point it at the race track area.

I dont know personally, but I assume Indianapolis is using a digital system, or atleast they are trunked. But there is good news, you have a scanner that will hear most anything! If they are indeed digital, no problem! If they're trunked, you're covered as well!

As far as programming software, opinions will differ on what type to use to program your scanner. You actually don't have to have software to program it, but it WILL make it a world easier if you do. Loading the correct software on your laptop, and getting the proper cable to connect your scanner to your laptop will allow you to enter frequencies on your laptop, transfer them to your scanner, and then save the file on your laptop. This makes changing a frequency, or a group of frequencies easy. Just change them in the program, then re-send to your scanner and it's updated!

The best part is, IF you decide to be a paid subscriber to Radio Reference, which is highly reccomended, but not required, you can IMPORT files from the database, directly into your scanner program to transfer to the scanner! I've tried this with my Pro-97, and it is really cool not to have it sit and type or punch frequencies in manually.

Welcome to Radio Reference, and check out the database and the Wiki. It is reccomended you use search before you post, to see if your question may have been asked/answered before, but hey, when you gotta know something NOW, that's not always conveinent.

We are all here to help you with your new scanner. Please take caution, scanning is VERY addictive, and once you get hooked, your wallet will thin considerably..

 

[Terp]

KG4LJF, so you don't think I would be able to hear those drivers unless I have a antenna pointed toward Indy. I read where they advertise Nascar scanners so I guess you have to be at the track to really hear them. I was thinking I could sit at home in my recliner and listen to them, boy was I mistaken. I have been to the track before what a madhouse, never go again.
This kind of changes things for me, maybe I won't go with the BC396. Thanks Terp

 

[w0fg]

Whether or not the BC396T is the best choice has next to nothing to do with listening race drivers as almost all of their comms are straight analog as far as I know, and having digital capability is not going to increase the range at which you can receive signals. If you've spent 30 years working in your local comm center you should have a pretty good idea of whether or not you need a digital scanner to pick up your public safety traffic.

 

[Terp]

Mr

So what kind of scanner would I need and or antenna? Thanks Terp

 

[mjthomas59]

If your sole purpose is to monitor drivers at the track, but do it from your home, then you are going to be extremely disappointed. The units they use in the cars are barely enough to be heard outside the parking lot. You are talking about needing i would guess over 150 watts of broadcast power(on the driver's side) and a directional antenna pointed at it(from your house) to cover 60 miles of relatively unobstructed flat ground. The 5-10 watt units they use in car won't even come close regardless of what scanner or antenna combination you have.

Now if you have interests beyond just listening to racecar drivers, then you need to check the database for what frequencies are used in your area. Mobile scanning i do believe is illegal in Indiana, so you are going to be limited to what is in your more immediate area. Either way, check the database to see what is being used in your area. Once you know the frequencies you want to monitor, and if they are analog or digital, we will we happy to point in the right direction of a scanner and antenna suited to your needs.

 

[N4JNW]

Agreed with the above posts..

Depending on what you want to hear, will depend on how much money you have to spend, and what type of set up you need.

If you only care about listening to local stuff, you could get by with a simple trunking scanner, such as a RadioShack Pro-528, or Pro-97.

If you want to listen to Indianapolis from your home, you will need an outside antenna. A Diamond Discone is a good choice, and there are also many happy listeners with a ScanTenna. You can hook an outside antenna to a handheld scanner with the proper adapter.

If you have no intention of taking your scanner with you in the car or if you're outside on the front porch, then a base type scanner is a good choice. I would reccomend a RadioShack Pro-2055, RadioShack Pro-433, or Uniden BCT 15. All three of these scanners are somewhat similar, in means they are multi system trunking. None of the three are digital capable.

If you have the money to invest, and only want to buy once, grab a RadioShack Pro-2096, Pro-96, Uniden 996, or the 396T as you mentioned. All of these are multi system trunking, and will recieve digital systems. Indianapolis may go digital or may already be digital. Having a digital scanner will allow you to hear them.

You might also want to read up on the big rebanding mess that's happening right now. There is a thread already posted about this. Long story short, after rebanding hits your area, there will be some models of scanners that won't work with Motorola trunking systems. If your area(s) are not Motorola Trunked, then you have nothing to worry about.

If it was me, and I was in your area, I would try to buy a digital scanner. That's just me though. A digital scanner will free you of any snags, such as listening to a digital system, or being affected by rebanding. Pretty much, buy once, and forget it. Other than that, if you choose NOT to buy a digital scanner (which is OK, I don't have one either), make sure the scanner you purchase will be rebanding friendly, and make sure it will recieve the things in your area that you want to hear.

 

[Terp]

Mr

Thanks mjthomas59, the advertisement about scanners saying you could listen to Nascar drivers really caught my attention, I had some money saved up for a power-flush toilet and a new weed-eater I said heck with that and deceided to get me a scanner, one of those handheld BC396.
The idea of sitting in my recliner listening just flew out the window. I will just listen to the cops, fire dept. or anything else I can get. As you can tell I am really green to this scanner business. Hey by the way mjthomas59 could I get Rush Limbaugh on this scanner? It would be am station. I will get me a scanner. Thanks Terp

 

[N4JNW]

Some scanners do have Am recieve capability...