Motorola XTS3000 tp receive Linn Co?

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n0akf

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Is anyone using a Motorola XTS3000 set to receive only to listen ti Linn/Johnson co? I am curious about options for receiving other than using a scanner.
 

n0akf

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I was hoping for something better than a scanner. I have found some XTS3000's for a decent price that looks to have the options that are needed (if they stay phase 1). I have the CPS for the 3000's and have a few in VHF/UHF so am familiar with the programming. I hear the Unication works great, but I like the Moto's if I can make them work :)
 

ElroyJetson

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DO NOT ASK ME FOR HELP PROGRAMMING YOUR RADIO. NO.
The issue is all a matter of legality. Those article covered that in some depth.

An XTS IS great for scanning a moto system but if you don't have someone to guide you
through the whole process of setting it up so it's a "safe" scanner, that never transmits at all
into the system, then I emphatically do not recommend trying to learn it on your own.

Not today, in the post-9/11 days of paranoia and the DHS.

I'd suggest an xts5000 over a 3000 any day of the week, anyway.
 

n0akf

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Thanks for the info! After what you have said and in doing some research, I think I will go with a scanner and save my 3000's for non trunked systems. Thanks again for the info!
 

burner50

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As previously stated, buy a scanner.

If you don't know what you're doing, you're likely to screw it up, and get your radio stunned. A commercial radio actually sucks as a scanner... It just isn't what they're designed to do. Scanners, however, are designed to be scanners.
 

n0akf

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Yes as stated above I will buy a scanner. I actually prefer a commercial radio over a scanner any day for many reasons. I am probably not the typical scanner user - I only monitor certain "channels" or "talk groups" that are of interest to me, so the commercial radios just work better :) But for Linn co I will use a scanner :)
 

Septa3371CSX1

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I use an XTS 3000 to passively monitor an 800 MHz P25 9600 baud system in my area. It works great and I can hear everything without the LSM drops and distortions. I didn't program it myself (nor do I have the means to do so myself) but I've had no issues using it. If you know what you're doing then using a real radio instead of a scanner isn't a bad idea. Only thing I will warn of the XTS 3000 is finding one flashed for 9600 baud trunking is not always easy. There are many out on the market but most don't have the ability to do 9600 baud trunking.
 

FFPM571

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Can it be done Yes. But, unless you are very very familiar with XTS programming and then the Non Affiliated scan and then even it is very tricky . It's is not for beginners or people who " think " they know how to do it.
 

radioman2001

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You can program a XTS3000 in conventional digital Carrier Squelch RX only mode to passively monitor, but you would just be listening to all the transmissions on that site. May not be a problem if it is a quiet system and doesn't have everyone on it including the dog catcher. I do this with VSP on my rides up and down I-95. With the XTS5000 you can passively monitor a trunked system by using Trunk Group Scan. Basically you program in all the channels in conventional for RX only for that area and set the squelch to a trunk group (like a PL). Radio can't won't transmit and you will have a much nicer experience than with scanners.
 

bemyax

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https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/DF/662549.pdf (It's way down on page 22.)

I'm wondering then if ISICSB policy has been modified or superseded? Or perhaps the local system administrators need not abide by the board. Or if there is a technical difficulty with being in compliance.

My concern is that if we did need an urgent inter-agency response, participants might not be appropriately keyed. Or are the new consoles that are compliant with the central Iowa system able to quickly patch together a VHF/UHF system for an incident that would be transparent to the boots on the ground?

Not a radio person, so I hope I'm not coming off as some kind of dullard (or dotard). Perhaps some folks who are watching the Linn system have already seen how this is not a problem. (and sorry I'm way off topic)
 
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