I am new to the modern scanners and have been thinking about getting one. I have spent hours reading on the various systems and scanners and am more confused. Some systems in my area are encrypted but most don't appear to be. I have read posts and articles saying some scanners can be programmed to decode the encryption and others saying the opposite. I have access to a active radio, can the encryption key be pulled up on that radio and programmed into a scanner to listen to that department? What would be the best scanners for East TN? I know some agencies are P25 1 others P25 2 some TACN. I'm still trying to research but the game has changed a lot in the past 20-30 years.
I apologize, taco.
The least I could do is answer your question before I go tard jousting on pedantry.
It is very easy to get confused about listening to radio systems in 2023; it
IS confusing. Do NOT feel bad. It is not like it used to be. I remember the radio shack in the Oak Ridge Mall, it had a list of frequencies typed up on a typewriter scotch taped under the glass at the counter. That era is gone.
There are analog and digital systems. The number of analog (legacy/old time) systems have dwindled to almost nothing in this area. Digital systems require a digital listening device much like you can't get tv off the air with an antenna anymore unless you either have a digital tv, or a digital adapter box. Same same.
An uncomfortably increasing number of entities take it a step further and make it so even if you have the appropriate receiver, even a real transceiver, without an additional piece of information you still can't listen. That's what they used to call 'scrambling' and now you see it as E or ENC or encryption.
Even if you have access to a radio that currently is correctly 'keyed' (It can hear the transmissions), you cannot clone that into another radio or generally remove that information without a lot of specialized equipment that involves taking the radio apart. I don't recommend this.
There is only one scanner currently capable out of the box to contend with encryption, and that, opinions aside, is the Unication. It is limited to two bands, and it is a dog slow scanner. But it
will decrypt.
The issue is, unless you have a plan to obtain the keys (notice everyone says 'key'? That's how you know they don't know what they are talking about.), even if you have the
capability, you still won't be able to
listen.
So, maybe all that was helpful. The short story is that I don't recommend any scanners any more.
I recommend you look online for what they call 'feeds'. Someone else takes all the effort upon themselves to stream radio traffic across the internet for you, all you need is a smartphone or internet-enabled device like a tablet or something. The issue is, you are limited to what others decide you get to hear; and many will delay broadcasting, so you don't get it in real time.
IF you must buy a dedicated 'scanner' appliance, buy one that you can hook to this website, and can program itself. That's the smartest way to go. None of them really stands out among the others.
Again, it does not guarantee you can hear all the things that you used to. Even stupid things like the highway department has gone scrambled on and off over the years (Roane county did, i think. unsure now).
Nothing you can buy will guarantee you are able to hear all the things I could as a kid 45 years ago.
Now
If you truly are a hobbyist, and you want to poke and explore, the current future is in software defined radio. Where you used to have to have a set of security screwdrivers, and a sams photofacts, and a soldering gun, now, you can do that again, but with just ones and zeros.
I strongly recommend the RTL-SDR as an entry point. Just go read; you'll know if it is right for you.
I have stopped recommending buying a transceiver and doing no-affiliate scanning. I used to recommend some of the Harris portables, they are relatively inexpensive, easy to program, and are very safe with regards to scanning. I never recommended the Motorola NAS route; too many pitfalls, and you either took the risk of being ripped off with a broken codeplug, or, you had to learn moto programming, buy a cable, steal software and take your chances.
If you must 'learn', figuring out SDR is going to be more profitable now and in the future than learning how to dickwhip an APX radio, I promise. Even if you want to go into 'radios' as a field, you will not really use what you figure out beating that radio into submission in a legit radio shop, again, I promise.
Radio listening as it is in Tennessee has about 5-8 more years left. Everything (and, I mean everything) will go over to 6G mobile when that shoe drops. Check my post history, I've been ringing this bell for more than ten years now. LMR, paging and terrestrial telephone has been choked out by 'cellular' telephony. Broadcast media is being choked out by wireless internet, and before that, satellite services.
We right now, this second are at that crossroads, and at least public safety isn't looking back at LMR.
The only wrench in this orderly progression onto the cellular cattle cars is the emergence of digital wideband HF modes, and the BLOS satellite stuff happening. That's why I say the sixth gen of cellphonery will be the end. Will 'scanners' survive? Doubt it. SDR will though, I bet my money on it, and you should too.
The TL : DR of this is, you are wasting money buying a police scanner in 2023. Do the internet feed route first. Buy a cheap cellphone and make it a dedicated feed appliance if you want. Do SDR as a second tier for all-band listening, do a Unication if you just want the majority of TN public safety. Lastly, don't do a scanner, and don't buy a 'police radio' and get someone to program it as a scanner for you.
I see sun outside poking through the clouds; I am going to go soak it up.
Edited to fix a typo
And to add a missing thought.
