Milair Scanner Suggestions for NewB

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neurodragon

neurodragon

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Greetings,
I'm a prior USMC electronic communications specialist living in the Florida panhandle. I'm looking for an inexpensive scanner/ spectrum monitor to start monitoring the airwaves for fun down here. I'm nestled between a few Large bases/fields with a descent amount of training activities being conducted. I'm pretty tech-savy but I just don't know what my options are as far as hand-held devices vs pc/software goes. I'm open to any and all suggestions as you would be helping to educate me on the different platforms to listen from. Thanks in advance and I'm excited to be back in the Freq game.

cheers !
 
neurodragon

neurodragon

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Gulf Breeze FL
update :: I've been reading a lot on the different handhelds and base stations and it seems that the Uniden BCD-396XT is the desired hand-held scanner with the Uniden BC 780xlt being a highly sought after base station. Is there a cheaper hand-held that can grab the 225-400 range ? And what features are necessary to listen to current milair traffic as far as "trunking" and APCO-25 decoding ( maybe that is an answer in itself, but I'm a Newb lol )

<<thanks>>
 
CalebATC

CalebATC

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Well, since you are in Florida, your in for some fun. Between the Tyndall ranges, and Avon Park, you will have a blast listening to military ops.

But to start of, you won't be able to just get a scanner. After you are all done, the price will be easily $300. I haven't heard much on the Bearcats, but I use a PRO-164. It does all the trunking you will need it to do. I have it trunked for my county, and the county next for me, both different types.

First thing to do is get a scanner. That Bearcat is an amazing scanner. If you can't get that, go for the PRO-164.

Next you will need an antenna. I live 25 miles away from the Lake Placid MOA, and still can't get anything standing on my porch.

Here's some popular milair antennas:
Diamond D-130J Discone Antenna <- Most popular

Antennacraft ST2 Scanner Antenna, Antenna Craft ST-2 <- Great starter, also what I have

ICOM AH8000 Discone Antenna AH-8000 <- It's worth it...

->SDL Log Periodic Antennas -                      Communications Monitoring  <- The Escalade of all antennas.


And with that, now you need a mount. You will spend another $50 on some pvc, and fittings.

Also, military doesn't trunk. If I am right, they do use P-25 though, only in Customs and border patrol.


Good luck!
 
K

ka3jjz

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Keep in mind the 780 cannot trunk in the 380 mhz area, but the 396XT can. In fact, most all the newer trunktrackers (Pro-106, 197, PSR-500, 600, 396XT and 996XT) can. So can the somewhat older (never thought I'd say this now..) BCD396T and BCD996T

73 Mike
 
neurodragon

neurodragon

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Jul 20, 2010
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I'm looking into the D-130J ... I'll probably grab it next week, and I already have a nice 25ft aluminum pole I can erect it with. This is going to be killer. I can feel the impacting artillery and free-fall munitions' on my couch tonight ( as most Wednesday nights ) from Eglin AFB. Lots of aircraft moving around over the base too. I'm probably about 15mi from the impact area so I should be able to hear a ton of x-mits..
Now I get to figure out how to use the new gear and get a list of Freqs going !
 
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