trying to find the best scanner for monroe county ny

[stephen123456]

I am trying to find the best scanner to use in my county and town. I want to be able to hear Henrietta DPW Henrietta fire Monroe county fire and ems and sheriffs

 

[ThePagerGeek]

Uniden SDS100/200.

It's really the only one(s). You need to deal with P25 simulcast, and those are really the only ones on the market that will accommodate that technology.

 

[k2hz]

You will also need the DMR option on the SDS100/200 for Henrietta DPW.

 

[hfd26]

I use the 436 and 536 hp and they work fine for Monroe for the half the price of the 100/200. If your gonna spend that kind of money for simulcast issues you could go with unication pager that's a lot smaller to carry around

 

[GTR8000]

I use the 436 and 536 hp and they work fine for Monroe for the half the price of the 100/200. If your gonna spend that kind of money for simulcast issues you could go with unication pager that's a lot smaller to carry around

They may work fine for your situation, but the overwhelming consensus over many years by many users monitoring many simulcast P25 systems is that most scanners come up short, due to hardware limitations. Scanners other than the SDS series were never designed at a fundamental level to deal with simulcast modulation. That's just a simple fact of physics, which you can't alter. The only safe bet as far as scanners are concerned are the SDS series.

But yes, the Unication G series is also a good choice, especially given that they are working on firmware that will transform them into a more user-friendly scanner-like device. Although it seems likely that it will be a pay-to-play upgrade, further increasing the overall price of the units.

 

[stevez97]

I have the BCD436 and the Unication G5. I would recommend the G5 by a mile. Being you know EXACTLY what you want to monitor, you can set up a knob position for these particular agencies. While the (current) G5 does not have all the functions for a scanner, it can be pretty easily worked around. The new firmware if/when it becomes available, while make such even easier. BTW.............I live in Monroe county and monitor the local agencies.

 

[jonwienke]

If you want to travel, or listen to more than one system, then the SDS100/200 is a better option than the Unication. The Unications have a somewhat better receiver than the Unidens, but with the Unidens and GPS, you can go anywhere in the US and the scanner will automatically scan local traffic.

 

[k2hz]

The Unication is ideal for simulcast trunked systems with performance comparable to a professional 2-way radio. It can not receive the Henrietta DPW system which is DMR.

I have both a 436 and a 100. The SDS100 gives perfect reception of local simulcast systems but has many issues as a general purpose scanner.

I consider the 436 to be the best general use scanner available. It has the DMR and NXDN options like the SDS100/200. It works perfectly on the Henrietta DPW DMR system. It also works perfectly on non-simulcast P25 trunked systems like NYSEG. With the exception of P25 simulcast systems, it receives distant signals the SDS100 can't even detect or require constant fussing with the filter settings to hear at all due the desense and intermod issues inherent in the SDS SDR based design.

Reception of the Monroe system on the 436 may be OK if you are very close to a tower site. Otherwise, it will be subject to breakup depending on your location. You may find a spot where it works fine and then, as conditions reflecting the signals from multiple towers change, you have to find a new "sweet spot" to get reception.

 

[buddrousa]

My SDS100 worked flawlessly in Memphis Tn home of some of the worst intermod that can be found. Sitting in the Cardiac ICU waiting room at Baptist East it worked with out missing a beat on Analog, TACN P25, Memphis Shelby County P25, MSWIN, and others while I was waiting between visits.

 

[sallen07]

I use the 436 and 536 hp and they work fine for Monroe for the half the price of the 100/200.

I'm sure they do, for you, in your location. That doesn't mean they will work for everyone. It all depends on you are in relationship to the towers that make up the site you are listening to.

I have tried a 436, an upgraded Pro-668, a BCD325P2, and a BCD996P2 at my house. None of them could pick up the Monroe County system reliably. My SDS100 picks it up very well.

There are no doubt many places in the county where a 436 or 536 would work. I bet an SDS100 or 200 would work even better.

OP: You may be lucky enough to be in a location where the 436/536, or even a 996P2/325P2 will work OK. I would still suggest the SDS100 or SDS200.

 

[stephen123456]

I use the 436 and 536 hp and they work fine for Monroe for the half the price of the 100/200. If your gonna spend that kind of money for simulcast issues you could go with unication pager that's a lot smaller to carry around

Do those have simulcast

 

[GTR8000]

The Unication is ideal for simulcast trunked systems with performance comparable to a professional 2-way radio. It can not receive the Henrietta DPW system which is DMR.

The G2/3/4/5 are capable of conventional DMR. A dual-band UHF-7/800 G5 would be able to receive Henrietta DPW.

 

[sallen07]

Do those have simulcast

Which?

The Unication pagers will handle simulcast even better than an SDS100/200, although most accounts say it's close.

The 436/536 were not designed to handle simulcast, no.

Depending on your computer expertise, another option would be OP25 running on a Raspberry Pi (or old laptop). If you ran two instances you could listen to both the P25 system and Henrietta DPW DMR.

 

[Hit_Factor]

The SDS100, SDS 200, and Unication P25 pagers handle simulcast well.

There is a big difference in capability between the scanners and pagers. I have both a G5 and SDS100, and the SDS100 has far more capability. There is no discernible difference between the 2 in regards to trunked P25 reception.

An imminent firmware upgrade will make the Unication a little more like a scanner, but that just adds a couple functions.

If you ever plan to travel with your scanner, the location based scanning capability is unmatched by the pager.

It's hard to know what you don't know, and those details contain the difference between a scanner and a pager.

Its entirely possible the pager is right for you. Especially if your needs are very specific and unlikely to change.

 

[hfd26]

Do those have simulcast

It's not so much of the scanner having simulcast bUT rather how well the scanner handles simulcast systems. The 436/536 don't seem to handle it as well as the 100/200 bit with the right antenna and location they will work.

 

[blackbelter]

Per previous posts , although I enjoy my SDS 200 and 436 , my Unication G5 runs circles around these consumer grade scanners . The quality of P25 decoding , handling the simulcast , power sounds from the speaker and over all professional feel of the radio are amazing .
My G5 is now my “go to “radio and am looking forward to the upcoming upgrades to enhance my listening experience .

 

[Hit_Factor]

The 436/536 don't seem to handle it as well as the 100/200 bit with the right antenna and location they will work.

What will work with the right antenna and location? Please explain where that location? Which antenna is the right one? How much is that antenna? How do setup that antenna?

The SDS line is designed to handle simulcast, so is the Unication G4/G5. Nothing else, you might spend time and money trying to make some other scanner work, but it won't. The kicker is, the scanner might receive something, making one think it's working, but in reality it's missing a lot without the slightest whisper of noise.

 

[Peerlessk]

Sds100/200 . Good deal on one locally also