I know this sounds like the tipple newbie thing, but what is the cheapest way to be able to listen into police with a mobile scanner? I dont understand all this ProVoice stuff... I have used a boefeng but only for when i worked at walmart. I just want to be able to listen in to dispatch in my free time. Could someone please guide me in a direction of what i need to do? Good "cheap" scanner/radio to buy? How to set up a scanner/radio or at lease some simple guidelines? Thank you to anyone who may help me. I really Appreciate it.
Your 'cheapest' solution for listening to OKC PD would be to listen to one of the feeds on
Broadcastify. However, listening to a feed, you can only hear what the feed provider has set up. You cannot listen to anything that he or she did not program for the feed, neither can you hold on something of interest, like an ongoing incident. When the scanner moves to the next active talkgroup, you can't control what it goes to.
ProVoice is not the same as encryption. It is a digital talkgroup type used on EDACS systems. But, previously, you could not monitor ProVoice on a scanner. However, certain newer Uniden scanners can receive ProVoice utilizing a paid upgrade. The list of scanners capable of this are on the ProVoice page in the
Wiki. However, none of those scanners fits the definition of 'cheap', unless you get a fantastic deal on a previously owned scanner. The scanners are the ones that wx5uif listed.
Also look at this page in the
Wiki. You may be able to monitor the system with one of the SDR dongles, plus some software that can be downloaded. I have not tried this, but it appears doable. However, it would require using a PC to rum the software as well as process the output of the SDR tuner.
Whatever you choose to try, remember that the EDACS format (including ProVoice) is end of life, and manufacturer support is being discontinued.
Many of the formerly ProVoice systems are being updated to P25 (digital). Whether, or when, that may be done in your area, I would not know.