You can definitely look at the 996T, 996XT, 396T and 396XT as used digital scanners which you can get cheaper than new, especially with the Home Patrol recently being released.
I think I sold my 396T and 996T for $350 each, so that is about $150 less each than they were new. Of course I sold those when the XTs came out, so they might be even cheaper now.
The one's I've seen sold fairly recently are still going in the $300 to $325 range, so they have not dropped that much. Anything selling very far under that, I'd be careful. Unless the seller really needs to move it fast (needs the money badly), there could be something wrong with it.
Txbull816,
The cost of the digital scanners is not going to drop a great deal. At least not for the fairly recent models. I'd also recommend one of the Uniden scanners, as soncorn has already listed. I prefer the way the programming is handled, as well as the fact that you can get more information on the display, than with the GRE manufactured units. FreeScan can be used to program the Uniden scanners. As the name implies, it is free to use, though donations are accepted.
However, as far as GRE models go, several of those
will work for the new system:
The
PSR-500 is a handheld scanner (as are the
BCD396T &
BCD396XT). This same scanner is sold with a Radio Shack nameplate as the
Pro-106. The main difference is the front panel layout. (Firmware is different, so updates have to come from Radio Shack, not GRE, meaning they lag behind.) Also, GRE furnishes the pc interface cable (for firmware updates, and pc control & programming by software), as well as an ac adapter. Radio Shack charges extra for both of these.
The
PSR-600 is a base/mobile scanner (as are the
BCD996T &
BCD996XT). The Radio Shack version is the
Pro-197. Here again, GRE furnishes the pc cable, Radio Shack does not. Software for the GRE manufactured scanners is in the $35-40 range.
All of the listed Uniden scanners are sold with the pc cable included. However, it
is a serial cable. If your pc does not have a serial port, you'd need to get either a USB->serial converter (there are a number listed on this
page), or get the USB-1 cable (mentioned on that same page).
Scanners that you probably
don't want:
Radio Shack Pro-96 (handheld)/Pro-2096 (base/mobile)
Uniden BC296D (handheld)/BC796D(base/mobile)
These have been discontinued for several years (the 296/796 for longer than the 96/2096). None of these four scanners will trunk-track on the 700Mhz band. While the Waco site on the TxWARN Project 25
system is in the 800mhz band, within the range of these scanners, a number of the sites just to your south, such as the Bryan & College Station area, use 700Mhz frequencies. None of these scanners can track those. While the 96 (& 2096) can be "unlocked" to receive those frequencies, as well as the military aircraft band, it can't track a system in that range. And, as the receive was not designed for the 'unlocked' coverage bands, sensitivity can be spotty. The 96 & 2096 also cannot track LTR systems, nor will they track EDACS narrow band. (Oncor's
system fits in that category, if you had any interest in listening to their operations after storms went through.)
I have both versions of the Uniden 396 (396T & the 396XT) as well as the PSR-500 (which texasemt13 has mentioned). Any of them (or the base/mobile version, if you're wanting a scanner to sit on a desk or table, or mount in a vehicle, as opposed to a handheld) will handle the system you're interested in, along with many other systems in your area.
