Need help

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rcfd34

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Dec 1, 2011
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52
Location
Dakota IL
Kinda new to all this digital/p25 stuff i live in northern il rockford area and am looking for a radio not scanner wanna be able to listen to fire and police from all surrounding countys can any point me in the right direction looking for used not new

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jaspence

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Mar 21, 2008
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Michigan
Radio for listening

First of all, all areas you want are not necessarily on the same system. Secondly, using a radio rather than a scanner can get you into serious trouble if for any reason you happen to transmit on one of the public service frequencies. It can also get the radio bricked as most digital radios can be shut down with a signal from an agency if they suspect you are using the radio improperly. There are many discussions on RR about this topic, and the bottom line is use a scanner, even if you think you know what you are doing.
 

rcfd34

Member
Joined
Dec 1, 2011
Messages
52
Location
Dakota IL
Well im waitong to hear back from the local fd and once i join ill need a radio for them thats why i wanna go with a portable 2 way so it can be used both ways

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Spitfire8520

I might be completely clueless! =)
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Colorado
You should wait and see whether or not the agency will be issuing a radio for duty use before committing to buying a radio. If they do not issue you a duty radio and require that you purchase your own (which is questionable), then you will want to consult whoever coordinates your radio system on what kind of radio will suit your purpose. If you are seeking to purchase this radio for personal off duty use, then you should consult the department SOPs and administrative personnel regarding policies of radios off duty. The database shows a mixture of many different radio systems that will make it hard to say which kind of radio you will need. A multiband radio will allow you to do this, but will cost thousands of dollars. If it ends up being some type of digital radio, then you will be required to go through official channels to obtain the necessary keys for the radio system to gain access.

If you intend on only listening to neighboring channels to hear what is going on, then many users (including those involved in public safety) have gone the scanner route as it provides the widest amount of coverage for the price. They will not allow you to transmit, but you shouldn't be needing the ability to transmit on those channels while not on duty.
 
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