Newbie/Scanner advice

[Everharb]

Hello, I've done some major research and found this wonderful site. I am SO EXCITED!!! I am interested in purchasing a scanner really soon however I am overwhelmed. I do know we are on the MARC system per my research. What type of scanner should I look for as I reside in Middletown, Ohio. I appreciate anyone that responds. Have a great evening All.

 

[buddrousa]

What all new people to the hobby need to learn and answer these questions.
1. What is it you want to hear? (Police, Fire, EMS, what is the range you expect (how far do you want to hear)?
2. Where are you located?
3. What is your budget?
4. Do your homework What Type Systems are in use in your area. (P25, DMR, NXDN, SIMULCAST, TRUNKING)?
5. How technological savvy are you?
6. Do you want a Base Mobile or Handheld?
7. Do you understand BASIC COMPUTER COMMANDS (DOS COMMANDS)?
8. If needed can you put up your own outside antenna?
9. If you require assistance PLEASE LIST
A. Where you are.
B. What type Scanner you have.
C. How you are trying to program it (by hand or Software and IF BY SOFTWARE WHAT BRAND AND VERSION.
D. What problem you are having.
Answering all the above questions will give you the best option to buy the scanner that best works in your requirements and get you the best assistance from the members here.
There is not 1 member here that can answer a question posted this way. MY SCANNER DOES NOT RECEIVE.

 

[eorange]

DOS commands? Seriously? 🙄

For listening to MARCS: research P25 capable scanners from Uniden and Whistler. Also take a look at the Unication G4 and G5.

 

[HWG]

What type of scanner should I look for as I reside in Middletown, Ohio.

All agencies in Butler County use the MARCS-IP system. All Warren County agencies use the Ohio MARCS-IP system.

Site Location: Butler County
Site Notes: 14 tower simulcast site owned by Butler County

Site Location: Warren County
Site Notes: 9-tower simulcast owned by Warren County

Lots of DMR around.

SDS100 or SDS200 with DMR upgrade key should cover it. $$$$

 

[Nasby]

As HWG said, you will need a Uniden SDS scanner to reliably receive the simulcast MARCS sites in your area.

Even though they are expensive and have a lengthy history of defects and shoddy workmanship, they are sadly the only scanners designed to work on simulcast systems.

You could also consider a Unication pager. While they are not scanners they are far superior in workmanship and performance than the Uniden SDS scanners. However, they do have limitations.

As for programming etc., all the info needed can be found on Radioreference.

 

[buddrousa]

DOS commands? Seriously? 🙄

For listening to MARCS: research P25 capable scanners from Uniden and Whistler. Also take a look at the Unication G4 and G5.

DOS COMMANDS make SDR's WORK if you are CHEAP.

 

[Everharb]

DOS commands? Seriously? 🙄

For listening to MARCS: research P25 capable scanners from Uniden and Whistler. Also take a look at the Unication G4 and G5.

Thanks so much!!

As HWG said, you will need a Uniden SDS scanner to reliably receive the simulcast MARCS sites in your area.

Even though they are expensive and have a lengthy history of defects and shoddy workmanship, they are sadly the only scanners designed to work on simulcast systems.

You could also consider a Unication pager. While they are not scanners they are far superior in workmanship and performance than the Uniden SDS scanners. However, they do have limitations.

As for programming etc., all the info needed can be found on Radioreference.

Thanks so much!!

As HWG said, you will need a Uniden SDS scanner to reliably receive the simulcast MARCS sites in your area.

Even though they are expensive and have a lengthy history of defects and shoddy workmanship, they are sadly the only scanners designed to work on simulcast systems.

You could also consider a Unication pager. While they are not scanners they are far superior in workmanship and performance than the Uniden SDS scanners. However, they do have limitations.

As for programming etc., all the info needed can be found on Radioreference.

You Rock!!

All agencies in Butler County use the MARCS-IP system. All Warren County agencies use the Ohio MARCS-IP system.

Site Location: Butler County
Site Notes: 14 tower simulcast site owned by Butler County

Site Location: Warren County
Site Notes: 9-tower simulcast owned by Warren County

Lots of DMR around.

SDS100 or SDS200 with DMR upgrade key should cover it. $$$$

Thanks so much!!

What all new people to the hobby need to learn and answer these questions.
1. What is it you want to hear? (Police, Fire, EMS, what is the range you expect (how far do you want to hear)?
2. Where are you located?
3. What is your budget?
4. Do your homework What Type Systems are in use in your area. (P25, DMR, NXDN, SIMULCAST, TRUNKING)?
5. How technological savvy are you?
6. Do you want a Base Mobile or Handheld?
7. Do you understand BASIC COMPUTER COMMANDS (DOS COMMANDS)?
8. If needed can you put up your own outside antenna?
9. If you require assistance PLEASE LIST
A. Where you are.
B. What type Scanner you have.
C. How you are trying to program it (by hand or Software and IF BY SOFTWARE WHAT BRAND AND VERSION.
D. What problem you are having.
Answering all the above questions will give you the best option to buy the scanner that best works in your requirements and get you the best assistance from the members here.
There is not 1 member here that can answer a question posted this way. MY SCANNER DOES NOT RECEIVE.

Thanks.

 

[radioscan]

I am also in Middletown. Butler County and every county surrounding it are simulcast counties under the statewide MARCS system.
This means there are multiple tower sites with in the county. In Butler County there are 14 separate tower sites.

What this means to you, is that whatever receiver (Scanner) you decide to purchase will be subject to Simulcast Distortion.
The scanners that work best in this area are the Whistler TRX-1, TRX-2 and the Unification pagers. The Unidens DO NOT handle the simulcast distortion in this area, and will cause you great frustration and take away from your scanning enjoyment. Also the Unification pagers are not scanners per se. They work great on the MARCS systems, but if you have other areas of interest such as aircraft, trains etc., they will not meet your needs. So best advice is do your research, especially the Whistler scanners, and make good use of the Wiki here on Radioreference. The Wiki has a ton of good information on these scanners. Good luck and let us know how it goes.

 

[HWG]

The Unidens DO NOT handle the simulcast distortion in this area, and will cause you great frustration and take away from your scanning enjoyment.

I think this is the first post that I have seen saying the SDS's aren't far superior when it comes to simulcast. Very interesting debate to watch on these forums.

 

[buddrousa]

The TRX scanners do not handle Simulcast very well at all. The Uniden SDS scanners were designed for Simulcast and work very well in every Simulcast area tested not sure where this came from.
Everharb Welcome to the forum I currently own and operate 30 Scanners and I have tested both of my Whistler TRX Scanners side by side with the Uniden SDSx00's the 536's and the 996p2's on P25 Simulcast and DMR Simulcast and the winner is the Uniden SDSx00 Scanners.

 

[eorange]

The OP should heed what @radioscan reccomends because he actually is in Middletown, same as the OP.

 

[buddrousa]

Good luck as WHISTLER canceled production of their SIMULCAST scanner due to they could not make it work.
If you want paperclip antennas coffee can antennas beams pointed the opposite direction you want to hear then buy the WHISTLER.

 

[eorange]

So despite the fact that someone who lives in the SAME CITY as the OP and has direct experience with Whistler as the better solution...you're saying Whistler would still be a bad choice for the OP?

 

[jonwienke]

So despite the fact that someone who lives in the SAME CITY as the OP and has direct experience with Whistler as the better solution...you're saying Whistler would still be a bad choice for the OP?

Yes. Because simulcast reception is very location specific; you can have good reception on one end of a Wal-Mart parking lot, and hear absolutely nothing on the other end. Getting good reception in one location is completely meaningless because it doesn't guarantee anything once you move a few blocks away.

 

[HWG]

The other thing that the OP might consider is this: Blue Tail Technologies - P25RX P25 Phase 1/2/DMR Receiver With Bluetooth Audio Support

 

[TailGator911]

I used the TRX-1 in a 3-scanner arsenal to try and follow my local PD here in Greene county and I have to say the TRX-1 did fare better than my WS1065 and BCD536HP tho not much. What did surprise me was how well it did on DMR. Once I got the SDS scanners it basically gathered dust on the desk and I ended up selling it to a member here. Great scanner if you are not attempting to monitor a simulcast system.

 

[eorange]

Are you near Middletown?

 

[n8yid]

I live approx five miles from the city limits of Middletown (to the North), so my two cents on this....

I monitor the MARCS-IP Butler County simulcast site daily, as well as the MARCS-IP Montgomery County simulcast and a MARCS-IP Preble County multicast (stand-alone) site....
I have a Uniden SDS-100, two Uniden BCD436HPs, a Whistler TRX-1 and a Unication G5 that I monitor these systems with, almost daily....

If one is going to monitor various entities across either of these simulcast systems; the SDS series is, without a doubt, the best thing going, hands down. My SDS-100 trucks along every day with no hiccups. The Unication G5 does the same, however, but is somewhat limited as to how many entities one can monitor in a listening session....

The two Uniden BCD436HPs I have, performance-wise lack considerably, along with the TRX-1, when monitoring any of the simulcast sites. Too much broken traffic to make the monitoring sessions enjoyable. When I use them for monitoring the stand-alone multicast sites though, they really shine.... even my older RS Pro-106 does the trick, and still has plenty of use in it....

What I have basically come down to is this.... I use my SDS-100 and Unication G5 for exclusive monitoring of the surrounding simulcast sites; and, I use my BCD436HPs and TRX-1 for the one multicast site I monitor, DMR and other various conventional stuff (ie general listening, sleuthing, etc)...

With that said, I consider myself far from being a fanboy of any of the receivers I use.... they all have various weaknesses and strengths, some more than others. It is up to the user to find out how to use them accordingly. As in other facets of life, I am a firm believer in using the correct tool for the job.....

Hope this helps,

 

[HWG]

If one is going to monitor various entities across either of these simulcast systems; the SDS series is, without a doubt, the best thing going, hands down.

Have you tried one of these? P25RX P25 Phase 1/2/DMR Receiver With Bluetooth Audio Support