Help in Kansas

pete424 · #1 (**permalink**) 08-17-2009, 04:23 PM

First let me say that I am a complete beginner as far as a scanner is involved. I had one 30 years ago and it was a matter of plugging it in and listening. I live in Andover which is right on the Butler/Sedgwick county line. I read in another post that the Wichita Police were moving to a digital trunking system. I have also read that Butler county is also changing. I would like to monitor Sedgwick County and Butler county, particularly Andover PD.

Here are my questions. I am considering buying a BCD-396xt. Will this work for what I want to do? Also will I need to mount and external antenna on my house? My home is 1 mile east of Andover on Highway 54.
Most importantly, is a nearly 60 year old numbskull going to be able to figure out how to program this thing. I build my own computers and I am technically pretty savvy. What kind of programming software would you suggest? I really would appreciate some of you veterans advice.

PVPD730 · #2 (**permalink**) 08-18-2009, 01:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pete424

First let me say that I am a complete beginner as far as a scanner is involved. I had one 30 years ago and it was a matter of plugging it in and listening. I live in Andover which is right on the Butler/Sedgwick county line. I read in another post that the Wichita Police were moving to a digital trunking system. I have also read that Butler county is also changing. I would like to monitor Sedgwick County and Butler county, particularly Andover PD.

Here are my questions. I am considering buying a BCD-396xt. Will this work for what I want to do? Also will I need to mount and external antenna on my house? My home is 1 mile east of Andover on Highway 54.
Most importantly, is a nearly 60 year old numbskull going to be able to figure out how to program this thing. I build my own computers and I am technically pretty savvy. What kind of programming software would you suggest? I really would appreciate some of you veterans advice.

A BCD396XT will pick up just about anything as long as it's not OpenSky, ProVoice or encrypted. I'm not very familiar with your area, but I have heard that both systems will be P25 digital (which a 396XT will receive), but I'm not sure if encryption will be a factor. As far as set up goes, it should be a breeze as long as you buy the programming software along with the scanner.

shepsvettes · #3 (**permalink**) 08-18-2009, 02:40 AM

Im in Wichita, I have a Pro 106 and can help with programming for that but not much experience with the uniden scanners. I recieve quite a bit of digital form the Kansas P25 system now. Not sure when Wichita will be going all digital.

jereck_99 · #4 (**permalink**) 08-18-2009, 12:55 PM

I have a radio shack pro 96 which is digtal and it a lot easier to program then a bearcat 396. I think

BMETduck · #5 (**permalink**) 08-18-2009, 10:27 PM

What you might want to do is post your programming question to the Uniden scanner forum. I'm not familiar with the Uniden line, but I would think that there is programming software available that can import from RR to download directly your scanner similarly to how Win9x does with Radio Shack / GRE scanners (provided you have a subscription to RR).

seanblackphotography · #6 (**permalink**) 08-18-2009, 10:35 PM

I'm not sure about WPD, but I know that WFD and SCFD just had all their stuff re-banded a couple weeks ago. I have several different Radio Shack scanners and I haven't noticed any changes what so ever. If you have some trouble with it, the guy who owns the Derby Radio Shack is a genius. His name is Mark, and he can almost fix everything over the phone.

jereck_99 · #7 (**permalink**) 08-19-2009, 09:44 AM

Mark is awesome i get mark most of his program. I have not hear any Sedgwick COunty unit on Digtal yet.

pete424 · #8 (**permalink**) 08-21-2009, 06:34 PM

I went down to Derby and talked to Mark at his shop. He suggested a digital scanner as it was just a matter of time before everyone makes the switch to P25. He then gave me a great deal on a Pro-106. He sold it to me for $400. I bought the cable and the AC to DC charger. He recommended the WIN500 software. I installed the evaluation copy and I have not made up my mind to keep it or try something else. One other thing about Mark. He programs all the scanners he sells, no charge. He puts in all of Sedgwick County, Butler County, Harvey County, Cowley and Sumner County as well as the Kansas digital system. That seemed to me to be a pretty good deal. So far I m pretty impressed with the scanner. The only complaints I have read about this scanner concern battery life and support. I had it on yesterday for a total of almost 12 hours and the batteries were still fine and I think Mark is all the support I will need. Thanks for the heads up about him and maybe the best stocked Radio Shack I have been in.

jereck_99 · #9 (**permalink**) 08-21-2009, 07:52 PM

i can help you with anything too

pete424 · #10 (**permalink**) 08-21-2009, 08:44 PM

Thanks!

jereck_99 · #11 (**permalink**) 08-25-2009, 09:18 AM

hey pete are you figure it out?

pete424 · #12 (**permalink**) 08-25-2009, 12:40 PM

So far so good. What I can't figure out from the manual, I have found answers by searching the forums. This web site is the best. One thing though. Do you know what SPIDER stands for? I'm pretty sure the id part is identification but I haven't figured the rest of it out. Thanks for your help.

jereck_99 · #13 (**permalink**) 08-25-2009, 01:12 PM

Spider is what Sedgwick and WPD used to run Tag and DL in wichita. If you need help email me. jeremeck75@yahoo.com

jereck_99 · #14 (**permalink**) 08-25-2009, 05:45 PM

Has anyone hear anymore about Bulter Co going digtal?

KAA951 · #15 (**permalink**) 08-25-2009, 06:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jereck_99

Has anyone hear anymore about Bulter Co going digtal?

The Butler County project has been delayed a year.

jereck_99 · #16 (**permalink**) 08-25-2009, 08:19 PM

KAA951 do you have Sedgwick Co talk around channel

n0lqt · #17 (**permalink**) 08-26-2009, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pete424

So far so good. What I can't figure out from the manual, I have found answers by searching the forums. This web site is the best. One thing though. Do you know what SPIDER stands for? I'm pretty sure the id part is identification but I haven't figured the rest of it out. Thanks for your help.

"Special Police Information Data Entry Retrieval"

pete424 · #18 (**permalink**) 08-26-2009, 12:39 PM

Cool, thank you. What is a "talk around" channel?

jereck_99 · #19 (**permalink**) 08-26-2009, 01:06 PM

not should I hear it last night on the wichita F.D, channel

n0lqt · #20 (**permalink**) 08-27-2009, 07:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pete424

Cool, thank you. What is a "talk around" channel?

Most Public Service Systems now use Repeaters to extend the range of the mobile and handheld units. A receiver is placed on a high tower at a key location to provide good to excellent coverage of an area. There might be several receivers located thru out the county. The same applies to "Trunked" systems. These receivers listen on one frequency for the mobile units and retransmit on a different frequency. A "talk-around" channel is just one that bypasses the repeater by transmitting and receiving on the same output frequency as the repeater. Sometimes they even drop the CTCSS tone so that other radios within the system don't hear the traffic on the talkaround either. Some agencies will call a standalone simplex frequency their "Talk-Around Channel," although that is not technically true. The idea of the talk- around being is that it limits the range of the signal to a few miles for a sort of privacy and doesn't tie up the whole system. It also provides a "Failsafe" should the repeaters go down. Units can switch to Talk-around mode and still be able to communicate although over usually shorter distances. On say a UHF system, two mobile units might be able to talk on "talk-around" over a distance of 5 to 10 miles apart. (line of sight to the horizon for an antenna 6 feet above ground is about 4 to 4 1/2 miles)