Scanner Shopping

[landonjensen]

Hi Everyone
I have a Radioshack Pro 95 Scanner, and ive always wanted another scanner as it is good for monitoring multiple things. I am not sure what brand or anything i should get but ill list the things that i would like to have on it.
-Signal Stalker
-My dept dispatchs 8 depts on one channel, and i just want to listen to my dept. Someone told me it there is a scanner that you can program that depts only "tones". Is this hard to do?

Any ideas on what scanner i should buy?
Also, someone gave me the idea of a pager.

The fire dept i like to monitor is Arcadia Fire Dept And Arcadia Police
FIRE DEPT http://www.radioreference.com/modules.php?name=RR&aid=383
POLICE DEPT http://www.radioreference.com/modules.php?name=RR&aid=367

 

[car2back]

Landon, if you're looking for a handheld, I'd look at the BCD396T, as it has Close Call (Uniden's version of signal stalker) and the fire tone out feature.


here's the WIki page: http://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/BCD396T

 

[bobmich52]

Landon, I would Like To Echo the Thoughts Of Phil S.

I also Have The 396T, It's Small, Has all the Bells & Whistles You need & VERY Portable.

Battery Run Time Is Good, About 6/8 Hrs, As Long as You Keep the Backlight Off Or at 3 Seconds.

Only Beef I Have With It Is The Low Band Reception Is Poor, I Programmed The VHF Extender Freqs In To Get around That Problem, Otherwise, The Reception Is GREAT!

Let Us Know what you Decide.

 

[ampulman]

Landon, I would Like To Echo the Thoughts Of Phil S.

I
Only Beef I Have With It Is The Low Band Reception Is Poor, I Programmed The VHF Extender Freqs In To Get around That Problem, Otherwise, The Reception Is GREAT!

Newbie here with 396. What are extender freqs and exactly what problem does it solve?

Ampulman

 

[landonjensen]

?!?

Is there anything between $100 - $300?

 

[vs1988]

Is there anything between $100 - $300?

How about the BR330T or BCT15?

 

[hiegtx]

Is there anything between $100 - $300?

If you're meaning fire tone-out capability in the sub-$300 range, both the BR330T & the BCT-15 have that function. The BCT-15 starts at about $225 from online retailers, the BR330T about $250, although careful shopping can reduce those amounts.

However, neither of those scanners are digital. The links you provided are not digital. Don't know if they will go to digital (I'm not in that area), but you are in the LA area. LAPD does use digital on conventional (non-trunked) frequenies. You would not be able to hear LAPD with either the 330 (handheld) or BCT-15 (base/mobile). I have a 330. It's a very good, sensitive scanner, with a wide frequency range. Most comments on the BCT-15 have also been positive, but I don't own one for a first hand observation.

 

[bobmich52]

For Example Apman.

Around Here, 33.80 Is A Fire Dpt Tone Freq.

152.0075 Is The VHF Extender Freq For 33.80.

Check any Reference Book Etc, Look At The Freq, & You Will Read That It will Extend The Low Band Freq Mentioned.

Takes A Bit Of Reading, But Thats How I Got around My Only ***** About The 396T.

Low Band Reception SUCKS, Otherwise, It Is The Scanner To Have Base/Mobile For Sure!

 

[intrepid97]

"Low Band Reception SUCKS, Otherwise, It Is The Scanner To Have Base/Mobile For Sure!"

Keep in mind that that is due to the antenna you are using and not the radio itself

 

[bobmich52]

I 97.

I Have Had My 396T hooked Up To Various antennas, Base/Mobile & Low Band Still SUCKS In My area.

I Have Taken It Out Portable, I Live In a Suburban/Urban Area With The Same Result Unfortunatly

The Squelch Is Set At ZERO, So, that where I'm At.

 

[landonjensen]

I am really looking into a UNIDEN BR330T. It looks like a very good scanner. Anyone have it?

 

[landonjensen]

oh, also i am looking mostly for a portable, not a base/mobile.

 

[bobmich52]

If Portable You Iz looking For, The 396T Will Be The Key To Your Listening Pleasure.

It Haz A Little Bit Of Everything

 

[davidd2957]

With what you want to monitor, I think a Pro-97 is the best bet for you Landon. Good price range, you can always find it on sale for $149.99. And it has Signal Stalker.
David D.

 

[zangler]

i also second the pro-97...has SS and can lock out ID's on the trunk i believe

 

[Caesar]

97 or 330t is what you need, but 97 doesn't have fire toneout, but neither is digital, however it doesn't appear that you need digital at this time, i really liked the 97 but got rid of it b/c radio shack might not reband it when the time comes, and even if they do, i can do it myself for free on my uniden, so that saves me 30-50$ on down the road...

 

[landonjensen]

The thing i am mostly looking for is fire tones out.

 

[bwhite]

I've been wondering this for a long time, and since this thread has drifted in the direction......
Fire Tone Outs, does this mean the scanner squelch only opens up when the tones for a particular station are transmitted (like a pager)?
If so, can multiple stations be set-up to open the squelch? (I live central to 3 stations)
Sorry if this has already been covered.
Thanx

 

[kingpin]

The thing i am mostly looking for is fire tones out.

The BR330T is exactly what you need. It does fire tone outs, has close call, and is under $300. We discussed this 2 months ago in another thread. http://www.radioreference.com/forums/showthread.php?t=43239

 

[landonjensen]

thanks kingpin, does anyone know any good place with low prices to find a BR330T?