Still, the for the cost of crystals you can likely buy a synthesized scanner.
I still use some IIIs, but only on Low Band. (which is dying)
Same here for use. I also still monitor a lot of railroad activity but that will change for the Class I's that go NXDN on their road channels.
I always wondered if the Class 1's will be required to maintain analog radios for the sections of track shared by the smaller railroads that will stay with analog radios or if the smaller railroads will be required to install NXDN capable radios when they must venture out onto a Class 1's tracks.
I also monitor what is left of the states lowband which I've been told will be maintained for quite some time although most is now on a statewide P25 VHF high system designed for 95% or so coverage from a mobile or portable but some simulcast analog is still broadcast on low band for all troops but mainly the troops in the southern part of the state that are in the hilly terrain of the Ozarks. The delay between P25 and analog is significant. Analog is much faster but annoying if monitoring both at the same time due to the A/D conversion on the digital system and sites!
The state has already added some 700 MHz sites into the mix to fix dead spots on the P25 system but I think it would cost them a fair amount to eliminate all the dead spots hence the reason to keep the low band system maintained and in use.
In addition, I also monitor fire and some business users but fire may move to a new 800 MHz P25 system currently being tested.
All in all, I have 8 old III's as well as several old 10.7 MHz receivers. For the 10.7 MHz IF receivers, I was able to modify for better narrowband rejection by swapping out the IF filter for ones with much narrower bandwidth.
I've not found a cheap source for narrower 10.8 MHz IF filters for the old Electra's though as 10.8 was not nearly as common an IF frequency back in the day.
There are not really any adjacant channel users on any of the new narrowband channels in this area though so bleedover has not really been a problem.
Intermod is more of a problem with these old models than anything if you are in a urban area with lots of other RF
I agree though that if you don't have the needed crystals, it can cost an arm and a leg to purchase what may still be analog in any given area.
I keep mine going more for nostalgic reasons than anything but I do love the sound of the audio when Missouri keys up one of their low band transmitters. I've not found a modern day scanner type radio that sounds as good as the old Electra's did.
I also use several old Electra Bearcat 220's, 250's and 300's for low band searching when the band opens up.
They all seem to outperform any of the modern day digital capable models for low band.
My county PD is also VHF analog and still wideband for the most part thanks to one of the first non narrowband waivers granted but they will soon be moving to the new 800 MHz P25 systems and sites coming on the air right now.
Being in a highly RF saturated urban area full of high power paging and other transmitters, PAR notch filters are a must when playing with the old Electra's or any old single or dual conversion receivers for that matter including some of the new GRE digital models.
I do wonder what will become of the low band VHF band. I don't recall if I've heard any digital when the band opens up but I assume it would work fine if there is anyone even building digital radios for the band. Skip would still be a potential issue though but probably easier to manage over the old CTCSS tone method unless it wipes out your CC frequency.
