I've looked at some of the frequencies in your area, and it looks like you're right. I'm not seeing many trunked systems. Something to think about though. Of course, you do want to read the wiki, because there are some scanners that I don't know much about, because I personally don't use them.
There's the preprogrammed scanners. They are easy for a beginner to use. You turn it on and listen. You may have to enter your zipcode once, but after that, you're all set. I don't know if they come preprogrammed with only public safety frequencies, but some of them even have a gps feature, so you can travel with them and never have to program your scanner.
Some people seem to think however, that the preprogrammed models don't have frequent updates, so they aren't always accurate. Also, like I said above, I'm not sure if they only have public safety frequencies or other thngs. If that's all you want, these scanners would be great for you, but I think part of the fun of the hobby is learning all about it. If you don't have a preprogrammed scanner, you get to look-up frequencies, program them in, program trunked systems. It really only takes a few minutes if you have your scanner and the correct info sitting right in front of you. There's just so much to learn, especially if you don't limit yourself to public safety monitoring.
I could give you a long list of the different aspects of the hobby, because I'm in to all of them. Ever tried tracking a cable leak? You can find a list of frequencies, if not in the wiki or the database somewhere, I'm sure someone will be kind enough to post a link, or you can always Google it, these frequencies are used by cable tv companies to sniff out leaks. Leaks occur when there's a problem with the cable line, and the signal leaks out in to the air. You can tune these in and triangulate them.
Range finding equipment can make this easier, but even with a handheld scanner, you can do it. You just tip the scanner on to it's side and spin in a circle, slowly and only once of course, and try to find the direction the signal is coming from. If you hear anything, it will be very short range, so the source won't be far away. Some of these frequencies carry a distinct worbling sound. When you hear it, it will possibly sound familiar. Back when tv was all analog, and your tv's squelch was open, going to either channel 98 or 99 would generate this noise.
Either way, I digress, the point is, there's so much you can do with this hobby. That's what makes it so much fun. If you limit yourself, your enjoyment of the hobby is dependant on the activity level. If you only listen to public safety, there may not be much going on at one particular moment, but if you also like listening to trains, aircraft, cabs, tow trucks, whatever, you can look for activity on those frequencies.
One thing I do that I'm not sure many others do is go to a location and look for simplex traffic. Simplex means there is no repeater, it's just simple, hence the name, communication from one radio to another. Some folks think going to the mall and listening to the workers at the Gap talking about where to put the new murchandise and asking if they can have tomorrow off is boring, but it gets interesting, and it's interesting to findout who is using a frequency. There are also companies who rent radios to people from out of town. If you know their frequencies, they can be interesting as well.
Not to long ago, we're talking maybe a month ago at the most, I'm just cruising the 450-470 band, and I come across a couple guys talking, so I stop and listen. The guy talks about how he used to work for the department of justice, but apparently, acording to the shoptalk, they were working on a reposession. He at one point said, "Hold on, I need to pick up this boat." I'm guessing these guys were repossessors from out of town. That's the only thing that makes sense to me.
Just stay open and have fun, because there's loads of it to have.
. Yall have a preference on handheld scanners? Or does it just depend whats all in my area?
