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PaidTourist

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Glenpool, OK
I just recently purchased the 885 and so far I’m very pleased with it. The question I have is currently I am sitting in Wilmington, Illinois which is District 5 for ISP. I’m watching and listening to it on the scanner app on phone, but not hearing anything except occasional fire on the 885. ?? I have everything enabled for scanning all 4, police, fire, ambulance, and DOT. My concern and question is, am I not able to hear everything transmitted by ISP and the local police as I travel through Illinois? I know listening to all districts of Chicago PD would be a little overwhelming but I’m ok with that. I do a lot of inner city driving and like to know what’s going on. Now this doesn’t only go for Chicago and Illinois. Hoping it'll work well in all major cities and for state police. I have scanned threads for the past few hours trying to find out as much as I can about it’s limits, but most is older posts. I seen where it was figured out how to edit the sd card but I am not even going to attempt to try that lol. I just want to get the best I can out of it and find someone that can help me with the database and I understanding how it scans police and state. Thanks.
 

tvengr

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Baltimore County, MD
The 885 scans frequencies and talkgroups with the service types of Law Dispatch (Police), Fire Dispatch (Fire), EMS Dispatch (Ambulance), and Public Works (DOT) only.
 

PaidTourist

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Glenpool, OK
The 885 scans frequencies and talkgroups with the service types of Law Dispatch (Police), Fire Dispatch (Fire), EMS Dispatch (Ambulance), and Public Works (DOT) only.
Thanks for the information. New to using a scanner so I’ll have to do some research on exactly what talk groups are and I’m guessing it’s a definite no on listening to normal calls as you hear using the app. Again Thanks.
 

jonwienke

More Info Coming Soon!
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VA
The 885 is a miss IMP. Not enough of a scanner to really be a scanner, and the CB side doesn't have sideband.
 

fireboat61

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DelMarVa
I have owned the 885 for about two weeks now. I had read some comments about fire dispatch tag only on the scanner. My counties trunking system has fire dispatch, Fire tac,fire talk, and ems tac tags. I am receiving all of them on the 885. The county Dispatch , my county response both fire and ems talkgroups as well as Fireground. Not sure if Uniden has done something to change that? The issue I'm having which the same thing had happen with my HP2 and my old sds100, I had to increase the range much farther then I should have to hear a fire district less then 10 miles from my home. Once I increased the range to 15 miles the world opened up and I could a few counties. Also Yesterday I open the HPD files on my 536 sentinel software to see that the Filter global is selected. The two things I would like to find out from Uniden who I have email about 2 weeks ago, received a reply that someone would be getting ahold of me. Haven't heard back yet, but how can I increase the overall range which I would make at least 30 miles+ for the entire database especially using the gps function and secondly make changes to the filter may help the reception of some frequencies. I am aware this was made for over the road cb use but I would think truck drivers would like to have the ability's to hear what's well ahead of them. Lastly a shot in the dark, If I could figure out how to edit or enable favorites I would retag the US Coast Guard and Marine Band to Fire or mutli whatever because of my close proximity to the ocean. Its a shot in the dark I know. But giving credit there are some very smart people on hear.
 

PaidTourist

Member
Joined
Sep 3, 2020
Messages
12
Location
Glenpool, OK
I have owned the 885 for about two weeks now. I had read some comments about fire dispatch tag only on the scanner. My counties trunking system has fire dispatch, Fire tac,fire talk, and ems tac tags. I am receiving all of them on the 885. The county Dispatch , my county response both fire and ems talkgroups as well as Fireground. Not sure if Uniden has done something to change that? The issue I'm having which the same thing had happen with my HP2 and my old sds100, I had to increase the range much farther then I should have to hear a fire district less then 10 miles from my home. Once I increased the range to 15 miles the world opened up and I could a few counties. Also Yesterday I open the HPD files on my 536 sentinel software to see that the Filter global is selected. The two things I would like to find out from Uniden who I have email about 2 weeks ago, received a reply that someone would be getting ahold of me. Haven't heard back yet, but how can I increase the overall range which I would make at least 30 miles+ for the entire database especially using the gps function and secondly make changes to the filter may help the reception of some frequencies. I am aware this was made for over the road cb use but I would think truck drivers would like to have the ability's to hear what's well ahead of them. Lastly a shot in the dark, If I could figure out how to edit or enable favorites I would retag the US Coast Guard and Marine Band to Fire or mutli whatever because of my close proximity to the ocean. Its a shot in the dark I know. But giving credit there are some very smart people on hear.
Being a driver I agree I would like to be able to hear farther if possible. The main thing I’m a little dissatisfied with is I didn’t know it only picked up certain talkgroups. I was hoping to get most or all of the citywide and zones main dispatch in Chicago since I go into downtown quite a bit along with more from the state police. I am new to having a scanner and so far I definitely like the 885, but wasn’t aware of as many limitations as it has. Well aware it had some but when it says listen to the police and highway patrol I took it as just that. I did read a post last night where someone changed the distance to 100 miles on his in Arkansas by editing the file. I apologize I can’t remember exactly where though. Spent hours reading last night lol.
 

slowmover

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Fort Worth
I’ve not done a thing to mine (two years ownership; OTR driver) as, (1) don’t own a computer; and, (2) don’t want agencies far off from me confusing my in-the-moment decisions.

(That’s not implied advice for others).

Were I only in a single, major metro (as with contributor above) I could see both pros and cons.

A driver doing unlimited general delivery could run into the confusion I wish to avoid, but other truck jobs may have ship/receive points limited in number. (Even, “areas”). In which case “expanded” coverage might tell me that IH-294 is gonna get crowded real fast today.

I’m currently experimenting with a bc355n to scan only CB (my little radio) as The Big Radio (DX-86v) is fixed on AM-19. (I lock out 6 and 19).

I’ve learned in the past two weeks what I’d suspected: quite a lot of truck driver activity on AM not found on 19. Texas to Florida to Pennsylvania, now Indiana and heading down IH-65. (Holiday will make experiment moot).

I tend to swap radios around, so an 885 plus either a 980 or the 355 may wind up being my “ideal”.

The Bearcat 885 is a damned handy unit for nearly every big truck sold today: safe space is limited.

On AM-19 (and scanning locally) I’ve any number of times been given info which made for good effect in driving decisions.

I will make the recommendation that an external antenna be employed to make the most of the frequencies desired.

1). An MFJ-310 will get the coax past the glass; and,

2). Pro-Comm, Workmann and others make external mounts that will work with big trucks. Just need an appropriate jumper.

Or,

I’ve seen one that is just a small teardrop-shaped piece that’ll go on another mount in order to use a mag-mount antenna.

Wilson 305752

52ADEB8A-18E6-46B4-8304-4AE1D78EEB79.jpeg

I’d do this before I changed programmed capture range.

.
 
Last edited:

PaidTourist

Member
Joined
Sep 3, 2020
Messages
12
Location
Glenpool, OK
I’ve not done a thing to mine (two years ownership; OTR driver) as, (1) don’t own a computer; and, (2) don’t want agencies far off from me confusing my in-the-moment decisions.

(That’s not implied advice for others).

Were I only in a single, major metro (as with contributor above) I could see both pros and cons.

A driver doing unlimited general delivery could run into the confusion I wish to avoid, but other truck jobs may have ship/receive points limited in number. (Even, “areas”). In which case “expanded” coverage might tell me that IH-294 is gonna get crowded real fast today.

I’m currently experimenting with a bc355n to scan only CB (my little radio) as The Big Radio (DX-86v) is fixed on AM-19. (I lock out 6 and 19).

I’ve learned in the past two weeks what I’d suspected: quite a lot of truck driver activity on AM not found on 19. Texas to Florida to Pennsylvania, now Indiana and heading down IH-65. (Holiday will make experiment moot).

I tend to swap radios around, so an 885 plus either a 980 or the 355 may wind up being my “ideal”.

The Bearcat 885 is a damned handy unit for nearly every big truck sold today: safe space is limited.

On AM-19 (and scanning locally) I’ve any number of times been given info which made for good effect in driving decisions.

I will make the recommendation that an external antenna be employed to make the most of the frequencies desired.

1). An MFJ-310 will get the coax past the glass; and,

2). Pro-Comm, Workmann and others make external mounts that will work with big trucks. Just need an appropriate jumper.

Or,

I’ve seen one that is just a small teardrop-shaped piece that’ll go on another mount in order to use a mag-mount antenna.

Wilson 305752

View attachment 90900

I’d do this before I changed programmed capture range.

.
I am going to be mounting a ProComm 360 3’ antenna in the next day or so. I’m using a bird perch peg on the mirror above passenger side door on the spot mirror. I run Chicago out to TX, CO, WY, UT, AZ, and sometimes to the southeast and back into Chicago so that’s why I was hoping to at least get citywide and a couple primary zones I run in up just off 94 and 55. I’m really surprised that they don’t offer an “extended database“ that covers a lot more frequencies. I really like it a lot as it let me know about a bad accident yesterday on I-44 at the 159mm headed home through Missouri. I’ll get it figured out in time how to get the main ones I listen to in the app.

I took my Galaxy 66 V2 out to put this 885 in and glad I did. Just so much trash on channel 19 anymore I tend to squelch it out or just shut it off. I like how the 885 gives you the choice of which one you want to take priorit, which of course I have it set to scanner. Thanks for your input and be safe.

attached below is just a screenshot of the channels I listen to on my phone. 20C38295-0676-4DF5-8338-0E77A9C9D8FA.jpeg
 
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