PA. STARnet/Open Sky/TDMA Digital

[SLJ2137694]

Please be patient with me as I ask what is probably a very basic and simple question to you experts! I am developing an interest in scanning and would make a high dollar purchase of some equipment, but I have a feeling that if I am properly understanding Pennsylvanias conversion to the STARnet system/Open Sky, the system I purchase would be unable to receive these transmissions. I live in Northampton county and would also like to receive Carbon and LeHigh county. If Pennsylvania is converting to this system that I think I understand are not able to be received by a scanner, what's left to scan that would be of interest? I just don't want to spend alot of money on something that will be able to receive fewer and fewer signals. Please help with your advise, Thank You.

 

[captclint]

if I am properly understanding Pennsylvanias conversion to the STARnet system/Open Sky, the system I purchase would be unable to receive these transmissions.

Correct

If Pennsylvania is converting to this system that I think I understand are not able to be received by a scanner, what's left to scan that would be of interest?

1st, only state agencies listed here are planned to go on it: Scanner Frequencies: Pennsylvania STARNet , and it is unlikely DNCR, Game and Tpke will go over for a long time.
That is not to say that counties might have a talk group into this system, or a common link into it, such as the national freq, but I don't see them abandoning their own systems for Starnet, and I don't believe there was ever any intention to do this.
So you would still have all the county and local boys to monitor. Yes, more and more will go to straight digital, and some encrypted, but it takes a lot of money and time to make such conversions. You would still have plenty to hear by the time they converted as long as you went digital. Even going with digital might be a waste for you, as there is nothing there now. By the time they went, you could get 5X more features and capabilities in a digital scanner 5-8 years from now for the same price as today(adjusted for inflation). I would look at the latest crop of Analog trunk trackers

 

[shydude]

apparently i read somewhere the trunktracker V AKA 5 when it comes out will have this capability

 

[Audiodave1]

apparently i read somewhere the trunktracker V AKA 5 when it comes out will have this capability

Sorry, 99.99% chance this will not happen. If it does you will certainly read/hear about it on rr.com first.

Dave