New guy with a scanner and a massive headache...

[GPTV]

Hello everyone,

After finally buying my first official scanner today, I decided it was finally time for me to join this site. I am an independent news reporter/videographer in Southern California and for the longest time I went scanner less. I basically went around looking for things happening... wasting gas. So over the last few months I have tried out several different scanners from Radio Shack to see which one suited me best. The downside is that most of the action in my area occurred on only one dispatch frequency along with it's sub channels and those were all AM/FM.

I've been wanting to pick up my local police department, but the downside is that Simi Valley Police is on a P25 system which of course caused me to buy the PRO-106 from Radio Shack. Now I'm sitting here with the scanner with no idea how to use it... I've watched and read a few tutorials and I still don't get it!

If anybody an please help me out on how to program SVPD into my 106, it would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
Gabriel

P.S. Here is the link for all the frequencies in my county:
Ventura County, California (CA) Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference

*Edit* Here is my area: California > Ventura County > Simi Valley

 

[DickH]

...
P.S. Here is the link for all the frequencies in my county:
Ventura County, California (CA) Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference

*Edit* Here is my area: California > Ventura County > Simi Valley

Those are all conventional freqs. I can not find the P25 system in Simi Valley or Ventura county in the database. You had better scroll down to the California Forum and ask there.

 

[GPTV]

Thanks!

 

[joetnymedic]

not sure if you have digital in your area or not as I'm not from Cali, however as suggested, I would go and post for the freqs you are looking for first in the California forum, once you get that info, you can either return here with the freqs and we can help you get them programmed into your scanner or you can even ask someone in the california forums and they can get you up and running. either way, you can be up and running soon and gwet rid of that headache too. I used to string here in CT too so I know what it's like and having a scanner will definately help you a bit once you're able to listen. Unfortunately here in CT they got this bright ideaof having this report it feature from your cell phone so now we have every Tom, Dick and Harry out there claiming to be media and taking pics so those of us with a reason to be there are catching the backlash. Plus when the stations are getting the amatuer stuff for free, why pay for it. so we get hit from both sides. I have one place in Norwalk I deal with, but other than them, unless it's in the middle of the night and a big event, I don't even bother going anymore unless it's something I know the station in Norwalk can use. Hopefully you guys out west dont have the same problems we're having over here. And seeing as I was on the streets for a good many years as a medic, I know alot of people and get some decent stuff, but it is what it is. Good luck.

Joe

 

[scannerfreak]

Moved to CA/LA forum

 

[GPTV]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I did manage to get Simi Valley Police dispatch onto my scanner finally before going out and it helped a lot. The trick was to punch it in as conventional instead of a talkgroup, but it's still P25.

Ideally I would like to have all of Simi Valley Police and Ventura County Fire Department programmed in, but I still can't figure out the Radio Shack programming software.