Suggestions for a high end scanner.

[merlin]

Looking into a new scanner and "best of the best". anything covers 700Mhz and dual band is a plus. Like to have the VoLTR codec also.
WiMax a plus.
Like to find one also with tapped discriminator before deemphysis. A mod I can do if needed.
Anyone with ideas ? How about Uniden SDS200 ? is it worthy ?
Thanks.

 

[AB5ID]

USRP N310

 

[merlin]

Nice suggestion, 2 things about this:
Betting this is incredibly like a SDR I have on the drafting table and:
Not really looking for something more expensive than my Navigator.
(I am targeting the 7350 CPU, Broadcom's QAMlink, and DSP.)

 

[trentbob]

Nice suggestion, 2 things about this:
Betting this is incredibly like a SDR I have on the drafting table and:
Not really looking for something more expensive than my Navigator.
(I am targeting the 7350 CPU, Broadcom's QAMlink, and DSP.)

So you obviously do your homework. If you're looking for a Scanning Receiver that uses an SDR chip with many features, the SDS 200 is the top of the line when it comes to trunk tracking scanners, it requires much tweaking with filters but is a good performer, especially dealing with simulcast distortion secondary to LSM. A big plus is the display.

It's a consumer product and not in the same league as some of the equipment mentioned here, it depends on exactly what your application is going to be here.

You're in the general scanning discussion forum and are asking about a high-end scanner so this is it LOL. There are many other offerings of course when it comes to high quality receivers but you would have to go to another Forum to discuss them. They will not trunk track and as much as people say that doesn't matter they just put all the frequencies in and scan... We both know it's not the same.

 

[merlin]

Thanks trentbob. pretty much general scanning is what I have in mind. Analog, DMR. Wanting something good through 900Mhz.
Trunk tracking, unrestricted P25 if possible, P25II is a tall order for general scanners. Already have a discone antenna and scientific Atlanta drop amp. Mainstream market SDR radio is plain obsolete, as I mentioned, I have one on the plate pushing the latest technology I can find.
Have my Noo NESDR smarT running right now, Cheap Chinese junk version Chokes with digital and bad selective call analyzing.
4 decades into HF SWLing some Watkins Johnson equipment in the shack. Had an older bearcat sold off so replacement time and just looking to do it right.

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

unrestricted P25 if possible

What exactly do you mean by "unrestricted"?

Like to have the VoLTR codec also.
WiMax a plus.

Don't believe either of these are possible with a scanner radio, let alone anything available on the consumer market

Question is, what is your budget?

 

[trentbob]

Thanks trentbob. pretty much general scanning is what I have in mind. Analog, DMR. Wanting something good through 900Mhz.
Trunk tracking, unrestricted P25 if possible, P25II is a tall order for general scanners. Already have a discone antenna and scientific Atlanta drop amp. Mainstream market SDR radio is plain obsolete, as I mentioned, I have one on the plate pushing the latest technology I can find.
Have my Noo NESDR smarT running right now, Cheap Chinese junk version Chokes with digital and bad selective call analyzing.
4 decades into HF SWLing some Watkins Johnson equipment in the shack. Had an older bearcat sold off so replacement time and just looking to do it right.

Unfortunately, you have got to buy the suit off the rack and there isn't a whole lot of inventory. P2 capable scanners are iffy depending on location. For some they work on some systems and for others it's a no-go. Actually, without getting a commercial grade subscriber radio or professional pager the SDS series is the only scanners that are going to work on Phase 2 simulcast systems, I'm sure there are those who will say how great their scanner is on Phase 2 but it's based on location location location not the sophistication of radio.

The SDS radios deliver performance on a predictable rate with simulcast systems. There are those that will say It suffers on the conventional frequencies on VHF and UHF but they usually do not master the filters or understand proper techniques. I find they work well on conventional frequencies. Unfortunately because of the SDR chip the scan rate is on the slow side. It was slowed down with a firmware update after release I assumed to improve overall performance.

I find the DMR and nxdn works well on the SDS. As I say there really isn't a whole lot of choice out there anymore, Brand X, which are long in the tooth rebranded GRE radios are lacking the ability to decode Phase 2 simulcast properly and does not trunk track nxdn48, I'm sure you would find differing opinions as I am only speaking from my experience. That option might be free but it's worthless to me, I would rather pay for the licensed option that works.

I'm sure you would enjoy owning a sds200. It's worth the money if you've got it... Bob.

 

[kudzu_kid]

USRP N310

Where's Watkins-Johnson when we need them?!

 

[WB9YBM]

Looking into a new scanner and "best of the best". anything covers 700Mhz and dual band is a plus. Like to have the VoLTR codec also.
WiMax a plus.

At least the manufacturers in the ham radio community have brochures on their lines with comparison charts of their radios. Quite often I've seen similar spec's between radios with the primary differences being in the amount of options being offered between them. Maybe scanner radio manufacturers have similar brochures available...?

 

[doctordialtone]

Maybe scanner radio manufacturers have similar brochures available...?

Never seen such a thing. Just the manufacturer websites

The closest I've seen is in the wiki,

Whistler Scanners - The RadioReference Wiki

wiki.radioreference.com

Uniden Scanners - The RadioReference Wiki

wiki.radioreference.com

 

[WB9YBM]

Never seen such a thing. Just the manufacturer websites

The brochures I'm thinking of are something I found in an actual brick-and-mortar store (a radio store, to be specific). Also back when mail-order stores provided actual hard-copy catalogs, comparison charts were in those printed catalogs. There might not be any internet equivalents to these two options.

 

[trentbob]

The brochures I'm thinking of are something I found in an actual brick-and-mortar store (a radio store, to be specific). Also back when mail-order stores provided actual hard-copy catalogs, comparison charts were in those printed catalogs. There might not be any internet equivalents to these two options.

Oh you're taking me back to another time when the hobby was entirely different. Here in the Philly area we had at least half a dozen high-quality radio stores that sold scanners and shortwave equipment. There are absolutely none of those left in a brick-and-mortar setting and I guess the nearest to me would be HRO in Delaware.

I'm afraid to find what you're looking for, and yes I'm very familiar with the brochures and the catalogs, you would need a time machine and you would need to go decades and decades back. For fun you can go on the internet and actually View all of the Lafayette electronic catalogs until they closed I'm guessing maybe late 70s early 80s. Even Radio Shack catalogs were terrific when they really were a radio "Shack" and not cell phone Shack.

Love you bringing up nostalgia from 35-40 years ago, I started young in the mid-60s and have been doing this about 55 years lol.

 

[WB9YBM]

I came into the radio hobby shortly after you--mid '70s, for me. Lotsa good memories and I'm not convinced "modern" is always "better"--but that's the subject of another discussion thread! Getting back to the availability of radio information: it's got to be out there somewhere--after all, we're not dealing with any secret-squirrel stuff. We just got to find out where! Anybody out there got an inside track with any of the manufacturers' engineering departments?

 

[trentbob]

I came into the radio hobby shortly after you--mid '70s, for me. Lotsa good memories and I'm not convinced "modern" is always "better"--but that's the subject of another discussion thread! Getting back to the availability of radio information: it's got to be out there somewhere--after all, we're not dealing with any secret-squirrel stuff. We just got to find out where! Anybody out there got an inside track with any of the manufacturers' engineering departments?

So my answer to your last few sentences and your pointed question is... NO!!!... the passing of the developer of Uniden's latest offerings and the Takeover of GRE scanners by Whistler has resulted in nothing, crickets chirping. No firmware updates, no nothing. Actually pretty understandable.

I don't want to get controversial here, both companies are keeping up with repairs and support of what they've got but I would not expect anything else to ever happen... Just one man's opinion.

I have no doubt you could name all of the scanner companies, dozens of them who competed in our day, those days are gone. When I got my first four Channel Crystal controled scanner which would allow me to listen to more than one frequency on a slide rule dial receiver at a time it was a miracle. I could actually scan 4 different frequencies at once, can you imagine?

You get my point, in 1974 I got one of the first Bearcat 101s, I was out of college at that point and could afford the $399.99 at Lafayette Electronics which would be equivalent to well over $1,000 today. The radio was made by Electra Company in Cumberland Indiana which Uniden eventually bought out in the 80s. On this radio you could actually program your frequencies using a code book and tabs on the radio. Imagine that I went to heaven at such a young age LOL.

As you seek information on new radios you are going to find the same thing as you do on the news media... The same exact standard repetitive releases verbatim on each unit you're looking at. You'll find a lot of opinion here on RR and a percentage of it is very accurate and a lot of it is... BS. Again thank you very much for the opportunity to remember all of this stuff as it's something I don't think about too often LOL.

 

[trentbob]

Thank you JD! I know you know exactly what I'm talking about LOL