I don't really know where to begin with this, but given you are asking, you have not evn started the vast learning curve you need
to set up any transceiver for NAS scanning.
That alone will take you months.
Your comment XTS radios suck, not into them, well, are you into any others like Harris or Tait ?
I cut my teeth with an XTS, and already had programming software. Final result is it works well. months in the works though.
Things you MUST know is the basics of P25 and how it works, and there is a lot to it.
Then basic programming with what ever brand you go with. prcguy suggested XG-100P. Good radios and easier to program NAS on about any
P25 system.
Then there is the system(s) you want to scan. You need to know some detailed information about each one.
Then your programming software, shoving in a couple analog channels is easy, Digital and P25 is not, along with NAS, this is far easier than Motorola, but still advanced programming level.
Then build your codeplug, that may take 10 or 20 trials before it works.
You need to know how to set up your programming hardware, PC, cable, radio, so they talk to each other.
When you are up and running, then there will be tweaks and setting you want.
I am not trying to scare you off here, it is gonna take a lot of patience, lot of reading. It can be a very interesting journey at hobbyist level.
One setup I use is an SDR radio and DSD+fastlane. Works fine monitoring my local system. Its cheaper, probably easier to set up.
6 years I have been at this, I have a few Motorola, portable and mobile radios, A few Harris mobiles, all able to non affiliate scan my local system that is big. upward 3000 users, and there are larger.
So, you get cold feet and buy a capable scanner like SDS100, to program that, much of the above still applies.
Hope this helps and gladly answer any questions you have within my know how.
