I think I made an expensive mistake

Hello,
My name is Tony I live in Hawaii, on Oahu to be exact. This is my first scanner purchase in 20 years, the hold one still works! (SC150B). So I thought I would like to get back into listening. And due to my own ignorance, I bought the "best" scanner I could find solely to listen to police radio. I checked that they use EDACS so I got the BCD436HP.

So now I have had it a few days, been trying to set it up.
According to this page Honolulu County Public Safety System Trunking System, Various, Hawaii - Scanner Frequencies the HPD are using ProVoice. Which, I didn't realize. So if I'm understanding correctly, the only way to listen to ProVoice is to connect my scanner to a computer via the usb/serial connection or via Audio?. Then run one of a couple different DSD software packages that will decode the signal? Please correct me if I'm wrong.


Thanks for any help,

Yes, you are out of luck listening to any of the ProVoice Digital TGs without using the software. It doesn't appear that ESK is in use, so you should be able to monitor the analog groups, like Interop, EMA, & Transportation groups with the 436. Sure, those won't be as interesting usually, but they're better than nothing.

Is there any information on tapping into the encoded activity in order to use the software? Am I supposed to be coming out of the USB/Serial port or out of the headphone jack?

Thanks for any help

FWIW i frequent oahu for work.. and the scanner works really well for all the military trunked systems out there and the MP channels can be some interesting listening

tonythemediaguy said:

Hello,
My name is Tony I live in Hawaii, on Oahu to be exact. This is my first scanner purchase in 20 years, the hold one still works! (SC150B). So I thought I would like to get back into listening. And due to my own ignorance, I bought the "best" scanner I could find solely to listen to police radio. I checked that they use EDACS so I got the BCD436HP.

So now I have had it a few days, been trying to set it up.
According to this page Honolulu County Public Safety System Trunking System, Various, Hawaii - Scanner Frequencies the HPD are using ProVoice. Which, I didn't realize. So if I'm understanding correctly, the only way to listen to ProVoice is to connect my scanner to a computer via the usb/serial connection or via Audio?. Then run one of a couple different DSD software packages that will decode the signal? Please correct me if I'm wrong.


Thanks for any help,

Click to expand...

Check with the guy that streams the audio from New Mexico. They use Provoice and has a commerical grade radio to decode the digital part of the EDACS system. I think you still can hear the audio as long as you search for the right equipment and learn how to program the radio. Good Luck.

Most likely in the next few years they will be switching to a regional island Phase I or Phase II scanner so I would keep the radio.

Thanks for the help. I found a radio on eBay that the guy will program it to my local frequencies.

You think I should keep the scanner? Won't they have a better one out by the time honolulu switches? Is this BCD436HP that good of a radio? I didn't really do any research, I just went to uniden and sorted the handhelds by price.

I personally believe they will eventually come out with a scanner that can monitor both Pro-Voice and DMR. That just may be Uniden's next release, if they want to stay in business since so many agencies are switching over. Also, it is completely legal to manufacture DMR and provoice radios for the public, as long as it doesn't decode encryption. There are already expensive Ham radios on the market that decode DMR, so Uniden's next job is to figure out how to create this to work in scan mode for more complex radio systems. The technology is there obviously if they can create these radios in the first place for law enforcement. Therefore, I would suggest keeping the scanner until something better comes along (right now the one you have is the most advanced one out there). You can still use it to monitor Coast Guard, military aircraft, probably some public safety, beach patrols, etc... When something better comes out on the market, you can always sell your current scanner and use that money towards the next one. I do not think the BCD436 will lose too much value over the next several years.

Thanks. Honolulu is switching away from EDACS by 2017. So maybe then, I'll see what's available.

Someone recommended a Whistler WS1080. So maybe I'll take a look.

No current scanner can currently receive Provoice directly, including the Whistler. Hopefully when they leave the EDACS system, they will switch to something that can be monitored again.