I'm trying to pick up basic EMS, police, and fire frequencies. I need a scanner that I can pick up for >$300 so that I can listen to these frequencies. What type of divice should I be looking for, where can I get it, how do I program it, etc.
I'm very new to this stuff. Thanks for the help.
First off, welcome to Radio Reference.
The type (and often the cost) of the scanner you'll need is directly related to what you want to listen to. Unfortunately that's not as easy as PD, FD, or even Dog Catcher. It's really about what types of radio systems what you want to hear uses. If they use a trunked digital radio system (don't worry about what that is, only if they use it) you'll need a digital capable scanner (generally the most expensive type out there). If they use standard an analog conventional system then the lowest cost scanner will do the job. Once you find out what type of systems are in use in your area, a look at the RR WIKI (start here for that -->
Category:Radio Models - The RadioReference Wiki) will help you find the scanner that will work for what you want.
Be aware though that some systems simply can't be monitored because they're encrypted or the system isn't one that any scanner is made to work on (generally proprietary systems like OpenSky, ProVoice, and MotoTRBO).
I know your next question, "How do I find out what types of systems are used in my area and what frequencies they operate on?" (did I guess correctly?). The answer is just a few clicks away. See the entry called "Databases" on the dark blue menu bar above? That's your key to answering that very important question. Click "Databases" and then "Frequency Database" from the pop-up menu. Select your country (The United States is the default so you'll probably already see the clickable map you need). Next select your state (province or whatever your country's map shows) and continue narrowing down where the selections to find where you live and what to monitor. For the US, the states will have you select your county, etc.
Once you have your area displayed, find what you may want to monitor. They may be listed directly on that page, and that's good. They may also be part of a larger system and hopefully a link to that system will be shown under your town's name. If not, the list of large systems that cover your county are listed at the bottom of the page. Look through that to see if one has a name that's promising and click on it. If not, back up to the county page and try another system. Chances are you'll find your town listed. The type of system they use will be on that page (Mode column for most, Type column for large systems).
Good luck finding what you need. If you post your location (state, county, and city) folks here will be glad to help out as well.
