Lancaster, PA ..... am I too late to the party? Scanner questions.

[GotDogs]

I have just become very interested in listening to what is going on around us at home. I live in Lancater ( Warwick ) and am thinking of getting a good scanner ( any thoughts there based on my local ) If I get a scanner is it going to be short lived with all the changes ( doom and gloom ) that may be happening in the county and city. Any help would be GREATLY appreciated. John

[lancopa]

Originally Posted by GotDogs

I have just become very interested in listening to what is going on around us at home. I live in Lancater ( Warwick ) and am thinking of getting a good scanner ( any thoughts there based on my local ) If I get a scanner is it going to be short lived with all the changes ( doom and gloom ) that may be happening in the county and city. Any help would be GREATLY appreciated. John

Just make sure it's digital able and you should be good.

When I check over the requirements for the radios they have to be encryption ready. So I think there will be some encryption on the system.

[xxdanielt3]

You can never go wrong with a digital scanner. One of the cheaper digital scanner is the Radioshack Pro-106. When I see cheaper, I mean price and obviously some build quality over the GRE scanners.

[GotDogs]

I am reading a lot of pretty good things about GRE is this still the case? I was kicking arounf the PSR 800 for ease of use. Better alternatives? Thanks for the responses thus far as it's much appreciated.

John

[Tommahawk]

Only Two big manufacturers of Digital Scanners to deal with: Uniden or GRE. As I understand it GRE is reorganizing in America. GRE as a business model is actually going out of service.

While the system will partially be encrypted on Law Enforcement talk groups, most of the communications will be remaining Project 25 Phase 2....

[lancopa]

Originally Posted by Tommahawk

Only Two big manufacturers of Digital Scanners to deal with: Uniden or GRE. As I understand it GRE is reorganizing in America. GRE as a business model is actually going out of service.

While the system will partially be encrypted on Law Enforcement talk groups, most of the communications will be remaining Project 25 Phase 2....

So you're saying Lancaster will be Phase 2 and not Phase 1? Guess I'm not buying a digital scanner, I am not buying a GRE scanner. Hopefully Uniden gets a Phase 2 scanner out.

[soberbyker]

Keep in mind the GRE PSR-800 is the only radio on the market today that can decipher Project 25 Phase II, TDMA.

I know a few systems are now using TDMA modulation. Philly is currently in the process of switching to a Project-25 Phase II TDMA capable trunked radio system, although they aren't using the TDMA yet they may someday.

It's a hardware issue, a simple firmware update will not allow radios on the market today to handle TDMA.

[bauker]

My understanding is the system will be P25 phase 1, not 2. The Tait radios already received and installed in our Fire Apparatus on the grant $ County--wide are phase 1 units, so that had better be the case.

[vinzep491]

Originally Posted by Tommahawk

Only Two big manufacturers of Digital Scanners to deal with: Uniden or GRE. As I understand it GRE is reorganizing in America. GRE as a business model is actually going out of service.

While the system will partially be encrypted on Law Enforcement talk groups, most of the communications will be remaining Project 25 Phase 2....

While I am not 100% certian, I was fairly sure that this was a p25 phase ONE system. What gives you the impression on a phase 2? I know the county was showing off phase one radios to pick