Scanning Police in South Carolina

[xlr8nflorida]

Looking to get a Scanner for police in SC area - hilton head area and all if I-95.

Do scanners work or have they all changed to Digital? Looking mainly for speed traps etc...

Can you suggest a good small scanner?

 

[Grog]

Looking mainly for speed traps etc...

A scanner will not help to find a "speed trap". Not driving above the speed limit will. If you get a ticket on I-95, then you would likely have to be going at least 90mph to be noticed.

I know I once drove between Columbia and Florance with the cruise set at 85mph two years ago and was just keeping up with traffic, a few of us passed a trooper running radar and he didn't even bother with us.

 

[blinddog50]

I-95. America's Autobahn.
If you don't do at least 80.....you'll get run the hell over.
Just get a radar detector. It will help you more than a scanner.

 

[xlr8nflorida]

I-95. America's Autobahn.
If you don't do at least 80.....you'll get run the hell over.
Just get a radar detector. It will help you more than a scanner.

I have a valentine 1 detector but wouldn't a scanner pick up police calling in plates etc?

 

[Grog]

I have a valentine 1 detector but wouldn't a scanner pick up police calling in plates etc?

If they call in your plate, it's too late.


As far as other plates, soem departments use computers in their cars to run plates. Plus the scanner programming would have to cover so many TGs to hear any possible users near you that's it's likely you'd miss them anyway.

 

[rasj]

get a CB radio.

 

[Don_Burke]

I have a valentine 1 detector but wouldn't a scanner pick up police calling in plates etc?

If they call them in instead of using a terminal you would hear all of the call ins on every road. I have found that to be zero help.

Most departments are very hard for the casual scanner listener to get a trap location on.

A CB with the squelch set pretty high on the other hand works very well if you can handle the noise.

I prefer to find someone going a speed I like and trail him.

 

[brian]

To answer the original question, which was (paraphrased) "Can you suggest a good small scanner for scanning police activity in the Hilton Head/I-95 area of SC?"

I'd suggest a PRO-164 (Radio Shack), PSR-300 (GRE) or BC246T (Uniden).

The South Carolina Highway Patrol performs traffic enforcement on I-95 in SC. Their radio communications are carried on the Palmetto 800 trunked radio system. Their talkgroups are not digital, so an analog trunk tracker works fine.

Hilton Head LEs operate on the Beaufort County trunked radio system. HHI itself is patrolled by the Beaufort County Sheriff's Department. At present, their talkgropus are analog as well, though that is likely to change in the next 12-18 months. Beaufort County has recently approved funds for upgrading their radio system, and it will likely include digital talkgroups for LEs.

As noted above, a scanner isn't very good at preventing someone from being pulled over for speeding. But it can help you know where concentrated speed enforcement is occurring, if you know what to listen for. And besides that, it's interesting.

 

[lugoffman]

what ur thoughts about this one

To answer the original question, which was (paraphrased) "Can you suggest a good small scanner for scanning police activity in the Hilton Head/I-95 area of SC?"

I'd suggest a PRO-164 (Radio Shack), PSR-300 (GRE) or BC246T (Uniden).

The South Carolina Highway Patrol performs traffic enforcement on I-95 in SC. Their radio communications are carried on the Palmetto 800 trunked radio system. Their talkgroups are not digital, so an analog trunk tracker works fine.

Hilton Head LEs operate on the Beaufort County trunked radio system. HHI itself is patrolled by the Beaufort County Sheriff's Department. At present, their talkgropus are analog as well, though that is likely to change in the next 12-18 months. Beaufort County has recently approved funds for upgrading their radio system, and it will likely include digital talkgroups for LEs.
As noted above, a scanner isn't very good at preventing someone from being pulled over for speeding. But it can help you know where concentrated speed enforcement is occurring, if you know what to listen for. And besides that, it's interesting.

what do u thank about a pro 97 from radio shack is that a good one to use

 

[brian]

The PRO-164 and PSR-300 are updated versions of the PRO-97. They have many similar features. But of course, the newer models have some additional functionality.

The primary downside to the PRO-97 is that it's not rebanding compliant. Eventually the PRO-97 is expected to be worthless for scanning Motorola 800MHz trunked radio systems like Palmetto 800. It's unknown when the rebanding process will be completed so the PRO-97 may work for 6 more months on these system, or maybe 2 more years.

But $150 isn't a huge investment or a PRO-97, and if you've purchased the programming cable and a license for Win97, those items will work with these newer models I mentioned.

The PRO-97 will continue to be a great scanner for conventional scanning, aircraft scanning, etc. even after rebanding takes place.

 

[Grog]

Eventually the PRO-97 is expected to be worthless for scanning Motorola 800MHz trunked radio systems like Palmetto 800

....and sooner or later when/if Pal800 is upgraded to all digital, it'd be worthless anyway for that. That being said, the 97 is a great scanner for conventional use, and will be my little buddy for quite some time

 

[CAPTLPOL1]

How do you hear yourself talk if you don't have a digital scanner when using your Astro Saber?

 

[bpalmer]

With the Bluffton PD now taking some of the speed duties on US 278 leading to HHI,thanks to annexation, one needs be a bit more careful driving that way. Bluffton PD has grown enough in the past year to get it's own dispatch seat in the dispatch office.

Often they have nothing but time to earn money off of 278. I have heard tales that unless you are a perfect driver they may stop you.

That said the best way to avoid speed traps is to not drive faster then the posted limit.

SCHP has been know on holiday weekends to flood the Bluffton Township US278 with as many as a car per mile. They stay busy on that 10 mile strecth of road, when they do this.

Thank goodness for cruise control.