Need help listening to Joliet Fire

[Squid44]

Hello. I have a Radio Shack PRO-528 scanner that I want to use to scan JFD. I have read the manual, but it was like reading Russian. I have looked up frequencies on this website, but all I hear is police traffic on the ones listed. I am new to scanning and really have no idea what I'm doing.

Will someone please let me know what I need to do with my scanner so I can pick up all the JFD channels? I know the have one for regular dispatch and then others for fire ground communications. Thanks!

[cucho]

Youre not going to be able to listen to the Joliet system because they rebanded and I dont believe that scanner supports rebanding.

[ERICMYERS]

Well, you can't trunk track on that scanner, but if you put in all the right voice frequencies, you can hear the calls. This means that you can hear the Joliet Public Safety system and whatever comes across, but you cannot listen to 'just' fire with that particular radio anymore.

there are new frequencies since the reband.. make sure all these are in there....it's probably not a complete list.. 851.11250c 852.78750c 853.27500c 853.70000c 856.43750 857.43750

I'll bet RoninJoliet would know all the voice channels.

[RoninJoliet]

You got'em correct Eric but he needs a "rebanded trunking scanner"....

[Squid44]

Thanks for the info guys. Do you have a recommendation for one that I should get?

[ERICMYERS]

There are lots of choices, depending on what you want to hear, what you want to spend, where and how you like to use it. In every case, you need a trunking radio that is capable of being rebanded. The next big decision is whether or not you want to spend enough to get a digital capable radio (to hear plainfield, state police, etc).

Do this, research, find something you think you're interested in and check back with us before you drop the dough. Scannermaster has a link at the top of this page and their website is great for researching, plus they're great to do business with.

[RoninJoliet]

Eric is correct, i use a Uniden 346XT-$199.00 from CEI in AnnArbor Mich, put in the rebanding steps and sounds good....Or work "overtime" and get the Uniden 396XT-digital-$499.00 shipped from same place....You will hear the new Starcom ILL State system....GRE also has a rebandable lesser model GRE300??...

[ERICMYERS]

I still haven't gotten around to rebanding the Pro 162, and I listen to that radio every day in the car for 2 hours. Maybe this weekend.

That said, it's a big portable for the car, which I actually like. Proves that everyone's preference is different.

[RoninJoliet]

I also have the new Uniden 346XT, Joliet rebanded works fine in the regular scanning systems BUT, i created a "Custom Search" 851-854, put in the Custom Bandplan1-2, the 346XT trunks it perfect with CC's 853.275, 853.700, BUT, with CC 852.7875 it will not hear any AUDIO , just sits there in the Custom Search...I called and spoke to "Upman" (Mr .Opitz Uniden Rep), he said he has spoken to the Japanese techs about the problem but has never heard of this??...With out the Custom Bandplan it will not see the 853 freqys so thats why people need new scanners....My 396XT and 996XT work perfect with the same "Custom Search on rebanded Joliet???

[kc4400]

Great thread. Just realized today that my Pro-97 is no longer getting the Joliet frequencies and is not able to handle the reband. I am going to start researching an early Christmas gift. Ron, any recommendation on antenna to pick up the IL state on digital. Thanks.

[AlabamaRS]

Originally Posted by kc4400

Great thread. Just realized today that my Pro-97 is no longer getting the Joliet frequencies and is not able to handle the reband. I am going to start researching an early Christmas gift. Ron, any recommendation on antenna to pick up the IL state on digital. Thanks.

I have an older model Pro 96 hand held Pm me & maybe we can work something out.. I would like $250.00 for it

[RoninJoliet]

I just sold my PRO96 to a friend who listens to the Starcom 800mgz towers only, the PRO96 does not receive the 700mgz towers in Chicago area....I use the RS800mgz rubber duck on my 396XT and GRE500 digital scanners and it receives very well....Ron in Joliet

[ERICMYERS]

antennas are another topic altogether. To reliably receive Starcom in our simulcast multipath riddled area, what works for one guy might not work for another guy 2 miles away (ron and I are good examples of that). I ended up building a Yagi cut for 774 mhz and hanging it in my attic at a very specific angle to deal with multipath.

there's a thread on that somewhere.

All this said, I've tried a lot of antennas to reliably receive Starcom, which was #1 a great learning experience and #2, ultimately very successful. You can probably find those threads in here too.

700 mhz on Starcom up in chicagoland really rules out the PRO 96.

[RoninJoliet]

Eric pretty much has it correct, i have a RS grnd-plane 25-1.3 in the attic that does well on Starcom using RG6U low-loss but its a tough game....Eric, congrat's on becoming a ham radio operator, do you talk on 146.82-Joliet repeater on Provena hospital or 145.25 the repeater out on RT52, i walk in the mornings between 7am and 8am on the far west side of Joliet and some times bring my FT50 and monitor both repeaters if your on the way to work???....kb9UER....

[ERICMYERS]

Ron, I wondered if you were a ham, just hadn't gotten around to asking!. I haven't got a rig running yet, but aim to get that handled here shortly! I'm looking at an Icom2200H mobile. Was considering a dual band, but I never hear much of anything on 70cm where I go and the Icom will fit in my car real nice being as small as it is.

We'll catch up on 2 meter once I get the rig running now that I know your call.