My Old PSR-400

[paramedic228]

I have a PSR-400 scanner and I think I know the answer, but not sure, so here goes:

I currently do listen to Texas Wide Area Network (TxWARN) Motorla Type II Smart Zone frequencies, or channels on that system.

Is my scanner capable also of receiving the Project 25 (APCO-25) system channels too? I am thinking not, maybe because that is a digital system?

Dave

 

[iMONITOR]

Is my scanner capable also of receiving the Project 25 (APCO-25) system channels too? I am thinking not, maybe because that is a digital system?

Dave

Unfortunately no, it is not. Analog only.

 

[paramedic228]

I guess it's time to upgrade. Any suggestions? Whistler or Bearcat?

 

[iMONITOR]

They both have their Pro's and Con's. Make sure you buy a model that is P25 Phase 2 compatible, even if your current needs do not require it. I prefer Whistler, and the Radio Shack scanners, made by Whistler.

 

[br0adband]

It'll receive the frequencies and the transmissions, sure, but it'll be in a digital format the scanner can't decode - however, you could use that scanner as a discriminator tap to provide the baseband signal to a computer's audio input and use software like Unitrunker (to handle trunked control channels) and DSD+ (to decode the digital formats) as required.

Info on creating the discriminator tap is here: http://forums.radioreference.com/radio-shack-scanners/120315-pro-163-mods.html

Since the PSR400 is the same as the Realistic/Radio Shack Pro-163, internally the tap point (TP4) is exactly the same as expected).

There is one caveat there: DSD+ can only decode P25 Phase I presently, although there is hope that it will be able to decode P25 Phase II at some point in the near future (maybe, maybe not). Unitrunker can decode P25 Phase I or II control channels so at least you'd be able to "see" the activity and tag the RIDs and TGIDs if you wanted.

Could also use OP25 on the Linux side of things to monitor P25 Phase I or II with a discriminator tapped scanner.

While these alternate methods are more difficult to create and make use of, they do offer the potential to monitor P25 Phase I and II (and many other formats that even the best scanners can't do at this time) so it's worth considering.