Advice For a Newbie

[calbear3]

I’m new to this, and trying to decide whether or not to buy a (cheaper) analog trunking scanner, or spend the extra $$$ on a digital. I really like the Uniden handhelds. The analog trunker is pretty affordable for me, but the digital is definitely a stretch and I don’t want to spend that unless it’s necessary. Here are my questions for you experts:

1. Most of the systems in my area are not digital, right now, but analog. I do need trunking, as there are many trunked systems in my area, but not much digital at all. On what timescale might existing trunked analog systems go digital? If I can get away with an analog trunk tracker for a number of years, at least, I really don’t want to spend the extra $$$ now. If existing systems are switching to digital pretty quickly, I’ll just have to buy a digital scanner in a year or two and might as well bite the bullet now.

2. I am curious about government emergency communications (FEMA, DHS). I understand they are going (or have gone) digital. Are these usually encrypted, and so one might as well not have a digital scanner anyway? Or, can you actually hear them if you have a digital scanner?

Thanks for any help you might provide…

 

[yMidnite]

Knowing where you are located would help a lot.
As for when your area will go digital, your guess is good as anyone's (unless someone has inside info).
Has your area gone through the rebanding?

 

[ScanWI]

Where are you located? Most Federal stuff is going digital and at this point it is not encrypted. Most States are creating some sort of state wide trunked system, mostly digital systems. It's not a matter of if your area goes digital it's when. If I had your location that would help.

As far as scanners go, I have used both the Uniden and Radio Shack Digital scanners and I prefer the Radio-shack. I travel a lot and I can program multiple states in the scanner to recall and the Digital as well as the analog speech is much crisper.

Radio-Shack currently has a sale on their Digital Scanners through the 11th.
This is as cheap as you will ever see them.
Scanners - RadioShack.com

 

[calbear3]

I am in California, in the San Francisco Bay area, but not in the city of San Francisco. The city of SF has *some* digital, but most of the rest (including my area) is still strictly analog (but with many trunked systems).

 

[yMidnite]

I am not an expert and not sure about the whole Bay area vs SF city unless you live in the county of SF. Here is what I found by looking here: San Francisco County, California (CA) Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference
The only Digital that I saw was some police (tatical and narcotics), so currently analog would work if you don't mind losing 7 - 10 channels. However, that systme is almost 20 years old (built in 93) and from the above link looks like SF is working on a new system, Project 25 Phase II (TDMA/FDMA). I see a note on the page that says some of TKGPs are using TDMA and can't be scanned with any scanner. If this is truly the case then I would get analog. Why spend the extra for digital if the new system will not be scannable. I would ask more in your specific area forum to see if anyone knows more about the upgrade.
Hope I helped some.

 

[ranger821]

I took the plunge on black Friday and got my first digital . A Pro 197. I have been watching the prices and they are as low as I have ever seen them. IMHO, go for it. Pro 106 for 249 plus tax.

 

[captclint]

Unless this is the first and last scanner you will ever be able to justify, I would wait until you have something you definitely want to hear. The reason is that digital radios improve and add features nearly every year, and the price remains fairly constant. The 346 is as feature rich as the digital version, so you will be enjoying the best of the Unidens for many years. In my experience, it takes a long time and lots of money(which is hard to come by right now) to convert large systems to digital. You can always sell your analog radio here or ebay when/if the time comes to upgrade.

 

[puzzleriddle]

GR has new Models coming in may or June, supposedly will appear at Dayton Hamvention.

 

[ScanWI]

I'll actually be out there in two weeks. For that area if you want to here Public Safety stuff you are going to want a digital scanner. The Trunked systems are Analog but the Law enforcement and Fire Channels are using P25 Voice which will need a digital scanner to decode.

Marion County - Motorola Type II SmartZone - P25 and Analog Voice
City & County of San Francisco - Motorola Type II SmartZone - P25 and Analog Voice
City & County of San Francisco Public Safety System - Project 25 Phase II (TDMA/FDMA) - Currently being Built
San Mateo County - Motorola Type II SmartZone Omnilink - APCO-25 Voice
Alameda County - Motorola Type II Smartnet - Analog Voice
And Santa Clara uses some Conventional P25

I hope this helps.