Digital vs Analog

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noeclym

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I am in California and was told by Uniden that all analog scanners will be useless by the end of 2022. Currently I am listening to everything I have for the past 20 years. Have all agencies gone to digital? Is this correct and do I need to purchase new scanners?
 
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I am in California and was told by Uniden that all analog scanners will be useless by the end of 2022. Currently I am listening to everything I have for the past 20 years. Have all agencies gone to digital? Is this correct and do I need to purchase new scanners?
Sounds like someone trying to sell you a new scanner.

When something you want to monitor goes to digital, then you may need a digital scanner.

👍 Good luck
 

Whiskey3JMC

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I am in California and was told by Uniden that all analog scanners will be useless by the end of 2022.
Sounds more like a sales pitch to me. Analog emergency services will certainly exist beyond 2022. Are they less common than 10-20 or more years ago? yes but this does not by any stretch of the imagination render a scanner "useless". Additionally the following can and will still be able to be monitored (mostly) in analog well beyond 2022. This is NOT an all-inclusive list so my best words of advice would be to check the database to see what's in your area to be monitored...
Bottom line: Never blindly believe anything a retailer tells you as their ultimate goal is to make the sale. It's up to you to research what can be monitored in your area & make an informed decision. Radioreference is the premiere resource to guide you with that...
 
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majoco

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Uniden that all analog scanners will be useless by the end of 2022.

Perhaps he meant 'all Uniden analog scanners will be useless by the end of 2022' - all the more reasons to buy another manufacturer's product before the end of 2022.
 

Omega-TI

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A good sales person listens to their customer, assesses their need(s) and suggest an item that will fill those needs, sometimes with a little "growth factor" measured in. Sometimes, taking a step to do a little more research may be in your best interest. For a sales person to use "scare tactics" of what "might be" is not very professional and that individual should NOT be rewarded with a sale. Also, for the record on the "might me", some places are going encrypted, so a fancy ultra expensive scanner could end up being as much use as an old analog radio. I'd take a wait and see approach.
 
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StoliRaz

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Perhaps Uniden analog-only scanners will self-destruct at midnight on December 31, 2022. I guess we'd better leave ours outside the house on New Year's Eve. :eek:
Like it's Y2K all over again 😂

I'm still listening to a Uniden BC246T (2004 model) about 5 days a week. There's still tons of analog out there, at least in my area. In fact other than some trunked industrial systems and a few local PDs nearly everything in my range is still analog which is fine with me
 

Omega-TI

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Like it's Y2K all over again 😂

I'm still listening to a Uniden BC246T (2004 model) about 5 days a week. There's still tons of analog out there, at least in my area. In fact other than some trunked industrial systems and a few local PDs nearly everything in my range is still analog which is fine with me

Same here! I have one trunked system in my area that has activity I want to listen to, the rest, including all public service except the State Patrol are all still analog. While I have a new scanner, I'm also still using an old Bearcat 800XLT for about 50% of my listening.
 

Kingscup

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The state of California is currently building out a statewide P25 digital trunk system. I don’t see CAL FIRE or CHP moving to this system. At the most, there may be some administrative type personnel moved to it but not field operations. I think you will be fine in that respect. Also, I don’t see Madeira county having the money to switch to digital anytime soon.
 

Omega-TI

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So far, I've gotten a PRO-9, PRO-22, PRO-50, PRO-52, PRO-97, PRO-2001, PRO-2020, PRO-2021, PRO-2022, PRO-2005, VR-5000, and R7000. Can almost start my own scanner museum. I gave the PRO-2021 and R7000 to buddies.

I need an old analog scanner for the bathroom. Out of all those you listed, which one do you think would hold up best to shower steam? If you're lucky enough to get them free, maybe I can score a used one somewhere cheap. Since I've gotten back into the hobby after a twenty year break, I've sort of gotten addicted to two specific frequencies.
 

Cognomen

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I wouldn't put any of those scanners in the bathroom. I suggest plugging it into a wall outlet in the hallway, and running a waterproof external speaker into the bathroom. Something like an old Motorola Spectra motorcycle speaker, with the connector changed to a 3.5mm plug or whatever your scanner uses.
 
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