What scanner for Rochester?

[bubbamark]

Can someone please advise me on which scanner would be good for Rochester PD/Olmsted County Sherriff. I really don't know anything about the digital stuff so I'm not sure which scanner I would need to be able to monitor them. I am looking at a pro-96 as I would prefer a handheld so if someone could please tell me if this one would work I would appreciate it!

Thank you

Forgot to add that where I live I need a triple trunking analog scanner which I use now so will the digital work fine here? I live in WI now but my family is from Rochester and I grew up there so when I go back I would like to be able to monitor RPD like I use too so I would like to find one scanner that I can use in both places.

 

[wogggieee]

Uniden BCD-396XT should work well for you. I had a Pro96 before and that would work too, but i think the BCD396XT offers a little more flexibility. I think i've heard that in the Rochester they do encryption full time. Someone else can speak to that better than I can. That might also be something to consider. If it is encrypted you really wont need to spend the money on a digital scanner if your home area is analog since you wont be able to hear the digital stuff if its encrypted.

 

[bubbamark]

Thanks for the info. I will wait to see if someone can clarify on the encryption. Again thanks for the recommendation!

 

[mmtstc]

Olmsted Co uses encryption intermittently on their LE Main 1... maybe about 2% of traffic is encrypted.. often times only when there is a large strike force action or something... there is plently to listen to in rochester that is never encrypted on digital... Fire, EMS, PW, Parks and a bunch of other misc agencies...

When i lived down there, i had my BCD 396T running and rarely was inconvenienced by encyption... I would have no apprehension about buying a digital scanner for down there...

For a new digital scanner user, i would agree with matt and recommend a Uniden scanner... they are a bit more expensive, but they are worlds more understandable as far as programming goes, and their user interface is much easier to read...

 

[bubbamark]

Great info. I will be looking into the recommending scanner. Thank you both for the great advice!!!

 

[dugan]

"but they are worlds more understandable as far as programming goes"

I agree with your advice to this member, but I think you might be overstating your point here a bit. While the learning curve may be steeper at first with the GRE product, I think ultimately it is more flexible and when you "get it" it is really quite simple. Anyway that is the way it seemed to me after a few days alone with the scanner, the manual and some programming software. Prior to owning my GRE, I had used nothing but Uniden scanners. I still have several and they are fine products. For portable digital scanning I generally grab my GRE. It just works better for me, especially while I am on the move.

Just my two cents.

 

[fwfdengine2]

Go with the BC396XT.. will work great.. Don't forget it is illegal to run scanners in vehicles in Minnesota without being a peace officer or HAM operator..

fwfdengine2