a first scanner

[Cressida81]

i've wanted to have a scanner since i was 8 years old. My friend's dad was a El Dorado California Sheriff and they had a scanner in their house, we would sit a listen to it when there were fires nearby and the Fire Planes were flying overhead.
Now i live in Southern California. There is so much going on around me here near LA that now more than ever i want to listen to Public Safety frequencies.
I also work for Campus Security for the University i attend, so i have a vested interest in whats going on in the area. Like two years ago two armed carjackers were chased onto our campus and there was a lockdown and SWAT was called in, that would have been much more interesting to have a scanner avaliable.

So to make an already long post short i was wondering what a really good scanner for beginners is? I don't want something really expensive but i also want something advanced enough for me to be able to keep it for at least a few years. Something that i can configure with my computer on the spot would be cool as well since i do travel around the state often.
i've got a budget of about $100, preferably less though. and Used is just fine with me.
So can you help a new guy out?

thanks
-jason

 

[VegasCorbin]

You may want to ask inthe Califonia forum and they can advise on what would work best in your area.

That said I started a few months ago with a Radio Shack Pro-94. It works fine for me. I only paid $119. I will soon upgrade to a better unit. The Pro-94 is not the best on reception and other units have more "Bells and Whistles".

I am happy with it as a first/starter scanner.

Just my opinion.

Vegas Corbin

 

[K5MAR]

While I'm not real familiar with your area, I do know that there are a number of trunked radio systems in SoCal, so you might consider the Radio Shack Pro-95, which is going on closeout at $130. Computer-programable, the cable is around $20-$25 depending on where you get it, but the Win95 software is free.

You might consider posting this question in the California Forum. People in your area will have a better idea of what types of systems you'll want to monitor.

Good luck and welcome to the fun!

Mark S.

 

[Cressida81]

i just posted the same message in the cali forum. also, i want something that will work in the car as well as the apartment. and yes i am confident in my knowledge of the law and know that its no problem for me to have it in the car as long as i don't plan on committing crimes.

 

[JnglMassiv]

Do you have a preference towards a handheld or base station?

I personally consider alpha-tags an absolute must anymore, too. Especially for a beginner who perhaps isn't accustomed to spectrum organization.

 

[RolnCode3]

Depending on where in SoCal you are, and who you want to listen to, you might need a digital scanner. There are a few agencies that are digital, and several (if not a lot) are trunked. Kill this thread and get the other one going, and you'll get some good answers. The Cali forum is very active.

 

[Cressida81]

i guess i don't really car that much, although i would typically want to be listening in my car, is it a lot cheaper to have a base station? I think i would eventually want to have both a base station in my apartment and a mobile base in my car. Maybe just starting with a base station in my apartment.

 

[nexus]

I think a handheld unit would work best for you as a first scanner in my honest opinion. Simply because it's so portable. If you want to be able to monitor while at work you'd be better off with a portable which could be carried around in a small bag and then sit it down on a desk and monitor, and if you need to get into a patrol unit you could just snatch it up and go.

While you're in the car, you could just carry it into the car and listen, and when you get home you can just bring it inside and still continue to listen in. There are many things you can do with the portable solution. Portables will accept both AC supplies, DC connections, and of course batteries. If you wanted to use it in the vehicle without batteries you can get a cigarette lighter cord to power it up. You can also add mobile and landstation antennas and connect it directly to the portable's antenna connector.

A portable is a multi-role capable radio. If you go for a mobile or a base unit, you're not going to want to move them out of those roles as much because of how cumbersome they are.

The PRO-95 would be a good choice if you don't need DIGITAL. If your local agencies are using DIGITAL however, you'd need to look at the PRO-96 or Uniden's BC-296d.

Click here to find out about the PRO-95

 

[Cressida81]

both of those digital scanners are $500+ thats about 5 times more expensive than what i have to work with. i am a university student as well, so my budget is very very small.

 

[AZScanner]

both of those digital scanners are $500+ thats about 5 times more expensive than what i have to work with. i am a university student as well, so my budget is very very small.

Well, for just starting out you can get a PRO-82. My father in law lives in SoCal and uses one for his "knockaround" scanner that he takes mobile with him. They are $79 brand new and will work well for most of the fire departments, many PD's and the CHP, plus it has the air band for fire season - that's just a must in SoCal. Very easy to use and well within your budget. He's very happy with his.

-AZ