Are trunking scanners really worth it??

[ps630]

I have a Pro 26 handheld which is not a trunk tracking scanner. However I catch all the call ins and to me- thats more important than following up on boring chit chat. So my question is:are trunk tracking scanners all they are cracked up to be?Are conventional 800 mhz scanners enough to do the job?

 

[INDY72]

YES! Trunkers are more than worth the cash they cost! With trunkers you can follow the complete calls of multiple agencies. Try to follow a trs on a conventional scanner, not only must you lock out the changing data chans then unlock as they switch to voice chans, you can not hope to follow all the comms especially in a busy county/city/state. And on an EDACS system, forget it the infamous tones placed in the system by GE/Ericcson back when it was first formatted (the tones sound GE's old theme- we bring good things to life) after each and every transmission will throw off a non trunker. Your convo is on another chan and your hearing beeps! So just put it like this YES! And I dare you to try to monitor a digital system with a non digital scanner, whether the system is trs or conventional,.. you will get a headache very very fast.

 

[jgarber311]

Short answer: YES!!!!!!

 

[W4KRR]

It's not a question of worth it, they're mandatory if you expect to follow a conversation on any trunked system that's the least bit busy.

 

[KR4BD]

I'll admit that if you are monitoring a relatively inactive Motorola system, you might be able to "get by" with a conventional scanner. A friend of mine in Florida was able to do this a few years ago (monitoring is local sheriff), but when they started loading other services on to the system, it became increasingly difficult to follow the conversation. And, you can forget using a conventional scanner if you are trying to monitor EDACS systems! BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, BEEP.....

Analog Trunktracking scanners have become very reasonably priced in recent years. I am sure the digital models will also become cheaper down the road. 8)

 

[gatorhater]

Absolutely!

Yes, having a trunk tracking scanner is used by newspapers, television stations, and radio stations in order to keep up with local news. Consider this, if you have a good TT scanner you can hear the un-edited events as they happen.

 

[Aircargo]

if you can figure out how to program it...which ever scanner you get....then my friend...its ALL worth it....the answer is YES...its worth the cash...do it.... i got bc250d for 270 with shipping..no digital. card thou. HIGH POINT ELECTRONICS is cheapest place ... look here

www.hometown.aol.com/aircargo0/index.html

store is on that site...any scanner is cheapest there.

 

[cellblock776]

Yes they are worth it if you live in an area where trunked systems are widely used.

 

[gatorhater]

Programming the Trunk Trackers

I have a RS PRO 95. I bought it last April. It took me until last July to understand how it works.

You just have to be persitent and stay with it. Yes, I did get frustrated many times. For awhile I just listened under the old conventional way.

Hang in there! If I can figure it out, anyone can!

 

[mciupa]

Saginaw County has a lot of talk groups listed on their Motorola Type II
system. So a trunk tracker like a Pro 95 or BC 245 XLT would be nice
to identify what you are listening to and they are reasonably priced.
I feel 800 mHz conventional scanners do only half the job,and you will
have to lock out control channels,sometimes daily.


C'mon , you know you really want a trunktracker! :twisted:

 

[ps630]

haha- yea I know I really want a trunking scanner. Its gonna happen as soon as the price drops on ebay.(the pro 96).

 

[gwgvfdpio]

I love my pro-96. There are a lot of frustrated folks here in Montgomery County, MD where fire and police went digital-trunked last July and the police just dropped their UHF simulcast.

Ed, KR3E