Pro-96

blueovalman · #1 (**permalink**) 03-26-2007, 04:22 PM

So I live on the border of Washtenaw County and Livingston County (Hamburg). I want to be able to monitor MSP/Local Police and of course FD's and safety in the surrounding communities. My current scanner is the RE2000Alpha. I suspect the BCD396T & Pro-96 are my two best options. Price wise the Pro-96 is attractive. When/how likely is the 700mghz band issue and the 800mhgz re-banding likely to effect me if I buy the Pro-96?

THanks

Mike

bigbluemsp · #2 (**permalink**) 03-26-2007, 04:39 PM

The Pro-96 tentatively will be useless in the rebanding since it won't trunk 700. It will scan it conventionaly but it won't trunk it.

There is no telling if GRE will have a upgrade for it by then.

blueovalman · #3 (**permalink**) 03-26-2007, 04:48 PM

bigblue,

Is there a time line on the re-banding?

Thanks

Mike

bigbluemsp · #4 (**permalink**) 03-26-2007, 05:00 PM

Rebanding must be completed by 2010 and Michigan is the last state to be rebanded. We were the first to go digital and the last to get rebanded for some reason.

rdale · #5 (**permalink**) 03-26-2007, 05:21 PM

But rebanding won't put Michigan to 700MHz, that is totally separate from rebanding. So MI can go to 700 whenever they want, but that would require replacing all radios in the state and given our current budget crisis I would not let the RS lack of 700 sway you ;>

The Pro96 will still work after rebanding. It will not work with 700.

bigbluemsp · #6 (**permalink**) 03-26-2007, 06:00 PM

Rob,

Most of the State has Motorola XTS 3000's, 3500's and 5000's and they will all do 700 _25 Trunked. So all they have to do is reprogram all the radios. The old Sabers that the 2nd District has won't do 700 so they are waiting on their new radios.

diskmonger · #7 (**permalink**) 03-26-2007, 06:00 PM

Washtenaw County will be switching to a digital simulcast system in the next few years. Most people who have owned Uniden and GRE will tell you the GRE radio's (PRO-96) tend to do better on digital simulcast systems.

Jimmy252 · #8 (**permalink**) 03-26-2007, 08:19 PM

Can someone define "re-banding" for me. And is the State MPSCS system planning on moving to 700 Mhz?

policeMonitor · #9 (**permalink**) 03-26-2007, 08:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jimmy252

Can someone define "re-banding" for me. And is the State MPSCS system planning on moving to 700 Mhz?

will the 396t do rebanding?

rdale · #10 (**permalink**) 03-26-2007, 08:48 PM

396 does rebanding, Pro96 will do rebanding, for more info check the Wiki link above...

396 does 700, Pro96 does not. MPSCS will not MOVE to 700MHz, but it's possible that if the need develops they will add 700MHz freqs but that is a LONG time away.

policeMonitor · #11 (**permalink**) 03-27-2007, 09:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rdale

396 does rebanding, Pro96 will do rebanding, for more info check the Wiki link above...

396 does 700, Pro96 does not. MPSCS will not MOVE to 700MHz, but it's possible that if the need develops they will add 700MHz freqs but that is a LONG time away.

Thanks!!!!

DewAddict · #12 (**permalink**) 03-28-2007, 07:01 PM

Blueovalman,

I live in Livingston Cty. myself and monitor both of the areas you have mentioned. My brother and I have Pro-96's and they work like champs for the systems out our way. You can't go wrong when Rad Shack runs a sale on them for $399.00

Have had mine for over a year and not a single problem. With the 800mhz antenna I can monitor both areas without a problem anywhere in my home. There is a tower in howell that covers our area extremely well in reagrds to reception of Livingston Cty.

If you get a Pro-96 I would be more than happy to help you program it. Just wanted to share my experience with you.

Take Care,

Rob

Wyandotte · #13 (**permalink**) 03-28-2007, 08:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jimmy252

Can someone define "re-banding" for me. And is the State MPSCS system planning on moving to 700 Mhz?

Don't confuse re-banding and the 700 mhz band. They are (kinda) seperate.

Rebanding is when a Public Safety user completely moves all it's communications from one portion of the 800 mhz band to another portion of 800 mhz, because of other users such as Nextel.

700 mhz is frequency area currently being considered by the FCC as a place to put additional public safety communications. 700 mhz may be used alongside 800 mhz by the same public safety entity. The initial proposals were for a place for bandwidth intensive data (other than voice) applications. in other words, voice at 800 mhz, and data at 700. They are starting to finally get it right with these 700 proposals. These are proposals for a nationwide system. Instead of every municipality being licensed specific frequencies of their own, 700 mhz will act just like Nextel, a nationwide set of frequencies that everyone uses.

From what I read, I dont see existing users moving the same thing they do now on 800 down to 700. I overheard a Moto rep say that MSP does not use any of the freqs listed in the RR database for data. Every freq you see here on RR is voice only. Data (MDT's etc) is a seperate system.

blueovalman · #14 (**permalink**) 01-02-2008, 12:19 PM

Well I purchased the Pro-96 just before Christmas for $349. I have downloaded Win96 and played with the scanner a bit. So far I am pretty happy.

I will need to post some questions in other areas for some further frequency help.

Looking to monitor Livingston & Washtenaw county Police, Fire & EMS mostly.

Mike

SEMTTP · #15 (**permalink**) 01-02-2008, 02:48 PM

Keep in mind the entire state is not going to switch to 700mhz. As more and more towers come online, this is when you will see 700mhz frequencies being implmented. It would be too costly for the entire state to switch.

Skud · #16 (**permalink**) 01-02-2008, 06:37 PM

moving to the 700 mhz is something I don't even think about. This has nothing to do with rebanding.

From what I saw rebanding which is slated to be done around Sept of this year, is they are going to move down 15 mhz.
So right now if a tower is at 868.075, after rebanding it would be 853.075

bigbluemsp · #17 (**permalink**) 01-02-2008, 06:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skud

moving to the 700 mhz is something I don't even think about. This has nothing to do with rebanding.

From what I saw rebanding which is slated to be done around Sept of this year, is they are going to move down 15 mhz.
So right now if a tower is at 868.075, after rebanding it would be 853.075

The last time I seen the MPSCS site they said it would be 2009-2010 before it happened here.

Also rebanding is putting the freqs into the 700's becuase 800's will be for cellular/nextel use.

mikey60 · #18 (**permalink**) 01-02-2008, 10:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigbluemsp

Also rebanding is putting the freqs into the 700's becuase 800's will be for cellular/nextel use.

Incorrect.

700 Mhz has absolutely nothing to do with 800Mhz rebanding.

800 Mhz rebanding is moving all of the Nextel/Southern Linc frequecies into the upper portion of the current 800 mhz band, and moving all other users into the lower portion of the current 800 mhz band. 700 Mhz doesn't play into this in any way.

Mike

bigbluemsp · #19 (**permalink**) 01-03-2008, 12:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikey60

Incorrect.

700 Mhz has absolutely nothing to do with 800Mhz rebanding.

800 Mhz rebanding is moving all of the Nextel/Southern Linc frequecies into the upper portion of the current 800 mhz band, and moving all other users into the lower portion of the current 800 mhz band. 700 Mhz doesn't play into this in any way.

Mike

I was going off what was on the MPSCS site 6 months back and the notice i got from Nexthell about it.