I've been kicking around the idea of getting a police scanner but the more I research, the more confused I get. All this digital, analog, trunking and so on, I can't seem to figure out. I've looked up my area, McCurtain County Oklahoma 74734 and im still lost. Where the heck does it show if it's digital or analog? I believe the OHP uses trunking but not even sure about that. Is there anyone here that can help an old man out?
Welcome to RadioReference, Passmore
Looking at your county, McCurtain in the
database, it appears that everything is currently analog. You can tell by looking at the mode column. If it only shows FM, or FMN (narrow FM), the transmissions are analog.
Take a look at
Red River County in Texas, just across the state line to your south. Now, see the first frequency listed for the Sheriff's Dept. Dispatch? The P25 in the mode column shows that the frequency is digital. The second line is the same frequency, but uses mode FMN (analog). The text tag for that second line also includes "analog".
Now, take a look at
Little River County, Arkansas, just to your east. You'll see that while the county departments are mostly analog (FMN in the mode column), they also use Arkansas's
statewide digital system. However, the county highway department, as well as the Wilton VFD, use a different form of digital,
DMR, which is shown in the mode column.
For your specific county, McCurtain. a relatively inexpensive analog scanner would work. That also applies to the Oklahoma counties that border your's (Choctaw, Le Flore, and Pushmataha). However, if you wanted to listen to the counties across the state lines, you would need to look at digital scanners. That may also the case if you travel to or through major metropolitan areas elsewhere, to visit friends or relatives, for business, or on vacation. If you travel to or through such areas, and plan on taking your scanner with you, a digital, trunking capable, scanner would be advised.
I would suggest that you request your thread be moved to the Oklahoma forum. Someone there might have information of any upgrades or changes planned for your area. To do that, do
not create a new thread. Instead, click on the red outlined triangle in the upper right corner of your original post, and request that a moderator move your thread to the state forum. Someone in the area would be more likely to see it there.
