I have no idea what I am doing

[Shari1]

Being nosy, I asked for and received a trunking scanner for Christmas. I thought you plugged it in and suddenly you knew it all.

It is a Radio Shack PRO-528 1000 channel handheld trunking scanner. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to what I pick up.

I want to be armed with the frequency numbers when I finally find someone to program them in. I can'y figure it out. I don't know where to go to find these.

I live in Maine, Piscataquis county.......want other areas as well.

I receive at times, off and on...airlines and life flight.....police an hour away as well as two hours away. got some on ham once..actually receive little from the local police.

It says it is desiged to tract motorolla type 1, type2, hybrid analog systems such as smartnet and privacy plus ...plus, m/a-com edacs and ef johnson ltr

I have outside antenae but it is inside still....vhf-hi/uhf..outdoor scanner antenna 108-1300mhz range..about 20" height it says.

what am i working with here and how do i make it work and where do i get a list of frequencys and codes???

Help!!! Thanks

 

[mcema699]

For starters, head to your state's forum here on RR...Probably best bet for asking about local codes. Also check the RR database here for your area for frequencies and to make sure what you want to hear is what the 528 is capable of. IE anolog and not digital. Go to the WIKI here for terms and an understanding of what you're dealing with. Hit the RadioShack forum for issues dealing with your model of scanner after you've determined its what you need. You can get cable and software to do the programming yourself. Contribute to RR and you can download right to your programming software.
Never really was "plug and play" for scanners. Even with the first ones you had to know what crystals or cards you needed to get the thing to work.. Welcome to scanning and happy learning. Love to get the females in the hobby.

 

[hoser147]

Welcome mcema699 is right, check the Database and maybe post in your state forum. Its a lot easier with the cable and software but dont buy everything they tell you at radio shack. You are in the right place to ask questions and get good reliable answers. Good Luck and Good Scanning Hoser

 

[Gooser]

...
I live in Maine, Piscataquis county.......want other areas as well.
...
what am i working with here and how do i make it work and where do i get a list of frequencys and codes???

Help!!! Thanks

Here ya go Shari1...

Some freqs to get ya started...
http://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?stid=23

I am not familiar with the scanner you have, but I am certain if you post in your State Forum, as previously stated, you will find some great folks to help ya out.
Also, check out the Radio Shack forum http://www.radioreference.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=81

Welcome to a great hobby!

 

[ka3jjz]

There's also a fairly active Yahoo scanning group for Maine - always good to have more than 1 source of information...

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ScanMe/

73s Mike

 

[ScanDaBands]

Piscataquis county ? Do you live in the middle of the county or ? That's a BIG county , I used to live in a place called Winslow (Waterville). The Maine forum is all but non-existant on here, if you can find a ham operator close by and I bet they could really help with some frequencies for that area...some things that come to mind are - Baxter State Park,Mount Katahdin,Moosehead Lake.....State up that way is 154.905 PL tone 192.8.

If you are more towards Penobscot or Somerset I might could help a little more myself. Aroostook I had nothing because I never ventured up that way.

(also Trunking systems up that way - I'm not quite sure there is any unless it's new) Like ka3 mentioned ScanME link above might can clear up a lot for you up that way.

 

[WA1CRZ]

Piscataquis county ? That's a BIG county

As big as Connecticut, believe it or not!

 

[WA1CRZ]

where do i get a list of frequencys and codes???

Help!!! Thanks

Gimme a shout via PM. I can help with frequencies.