Starting out, I have no idea what to do.

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So, i am thinking about trying to set up a scanner for all talkgroups in Snoqulamie and North Bend, (police, fire, ems) but i don't know if i need an analog or digital trunking scanner, or what talkgroups i need for fire and ems, also if i can get just Snoqualmie and North Bend, or if i have to have other areas as well. i also wouldn't mind opinions on cheaper scanners that would work. (probably $150-ish).
 

devicelab

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AFAIK, North Bend is only VHF conventional. Snoqualmie is on the larger trunking system --> KCERS. I'm presuming local fire/ems is probably on KCERS as well but not 100% certain.

You have a several options but it just comes down to how much you want to spend.

The cheaper option is a BCT-15x (base/mobile) scanner @ $180 which will let you monitor the KCERS and NB PD; however, since it's analog-only, it won't let you monitor WSP.

The middle option is a Uniden 325P2 which is more expensive but will at least let you monitor digital traffic and should last a lot longer than the BCT-15x. The 325P2 is a handheld unit and the 996P2 is the base/mobile version. They are roughly $370 and $450 respectively.

The above options can be programmed with Freescan -- a free programming application -- that works very well for these scanners. Programming can be a bit tricky if you've never done it before -- but there are videos on YouTube showing how to program these scanners.
 

gmclam

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A lot of stuff has moved or is moving to P25 Phase II systems, such as WA SP. I bought the BCD996P2 for my dad in Pierce County and that works great for him. Unless you get something (used) for less than $100, I wouldn't buy anything less that P25 Phase II capable.
 

code3kid

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Aren’t Snoqualmie PD-North Bend units dispatched on the Snoqualmie PD talkgroup because it’s technically the same department ?
 
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