Is the PRO-97 OK for my location and needs?

[Iceman692]

This is my first ever scanner. I am very technologically literate. Anyway, I am looking at buying a Radioshack PRO-97 Scanner. I am looking for something to listen to the following things:

-All Lafourche Parish Police, EMS, and Fire
-Thibodaux Police and Fire
-Golden Medow Police and Fire
-Louisiana State Police
-Acadian Ambulance
-Lafourche Ambulance
-All New Orleans transmissions (my secondary priority)

I'm pretty sure I have the trunking abilities and from what I've gathered, all of these transmissions are 800Mhz.

From what I've seen in the database, all of the agencies in the LWIN system are also listed in the old analog "State of Louisiana" system, with the exception of the NOPD. (Scanner Frequencies: State of Louisiana Trunking System, Statewide, Louisiana).

They are trunked but the Pro-97 can handle that, correct? I read that the analog system would become a backup to the digital system once the LWIN was FULLY implemented. Does this mean that they are simultaneously broadcasting digital and analog at the moment? or are the analog State Police frequencies no longer being used in the analog? Furthermore, I read that with the dwindling economy, development of the LWIN has been placed on hold. Does that mean that I can get a few more years out of an analog scanner to see what use I get out of it before I end up spending hundreds? The reason I like the Pro-97 so much is because of its functionality/cost ratio.

Hopefully you guys can point me in the right direction

[Iceman692]

Also, air traffic will remain analog, correct?

[kevins669]

The Pro-97 is fairly useless for the agencies you listed.

You will need the Pro-106 or Pro-197, from RadioShack, to listen to those agencies.

GRE offers sister-units of those, and Uniden's newly released 396XT will work for you, as well.

While some have not completely migrated to LWIN, most in those areas have, or will be.

As far as air., either will work for the forseeable future. Plans are in the works for new FAA communications systems, but it will probably be a while.

Since you mentioned the analog state system, I will go ahead and make some changes to the DB to reflect migrated agencies (later this week, probably.)

-- Kevin

[Iceman692]

Originally Posted by kevins669

The Pro-97 is fairly useless for the agencies you listed.

You will need the Pro-106 or Pro-197, from RadioShack, to listen to those agencies.

GRE offers sister-units of those, and Uniden's newly released 396XT will work for you, as well.

While some have not completely migrated to LWIN, most in those areas have, or will be.

As far as air., either will work for the forseeable future. Plans are in the works for new FAA communications systems, but it will probably be a while.

Since you mentioned the analog state system, I will go ahead and make some changes to the DB to reflect migrated agencies (later this week, probably.)

-- Kevin

ok, wouldnt the Pro-96 work then? It supports digital and trunking as well as project 25.

[kevins669]

No, it will not work. It does not tune 700 MHz channels.

-- Kevin

[shew]

i am from houma, i have a pro-197 and a psr-500....terrebonne.s.o.,houma p.d.,some of the terrebonne fire depts.,state police,game wardens,lafourche ambulance service,acadian ambulance,port fourchon harbor police..some of the lafourche fire depts(captains,..officers)and near future lafourche s.o. are all on the 700mhz lwin...you have the option of programming the larose,leville,gray or theriot towers control channels..all depends what tower you are closest to..i live on the east side of houma and both the gray and theriot towers give me 5 bars....you need the $500 scanners though to pick them up no exceptions..

[Iceman692]

ok. Time to start saving up

so what happens when you start traveling? do you have to program a different frequency for every area you pass through even if its a statewide agency?

[shew]

look in the lwin data base and just program the control channels for the part of the state u be traveling...i have scan list 1 set up as state lwin...basically i have all cc's along i-10... u.s. 90 corridor..