Anouther noob with questions.

[nat3z]

As I'm ready to pull the trigger on Scannermaster.com, I figured I should ask if this online order would fullfill my mobile scanner dream!

First, the dream.
Install a scanner in my truck that could do the following.
- Provide coverage from Seattle (where I work) to Idaho (where I don't work but play)
- Cover ATC, WSP, EMS and the trunked systems.
- Be able to organize groups by location I.E.: (Boeing field, WSP, Tukwila PD, all together) then switch to anouther group (say WSP, Northbend PD, King county, and Fire service) as I drive along I-90.


So the dream lead me to a shopping cart with:
-A BDC996XT with USB cable
-Membership for a year in this esteemed organization.
-Spectrumforce antenna with BNC.

But the hold-up is:
-Am I missing any parts from that list?
-Will this set up last till I buy a new truck or will it be obsolete sooner than later? (Or you can just tell me what will happen in the future and I wont need a scanner
-Will this be funtional traveling without reprogramming via laptop when moving between regions? I'm pretty sure I know where I am all the time. So I don't see a need for the GPS reciver. But I'm new and could be quite wrong.

Buying a top of the line scanner is biting off quite a lot to learn. I'm hoping to be able to learn how to program this scanner with my laptop, the wiki section of RR, and lastly through the help of this community. Croud sorced forums like this one have become one of the last usefull things on the internet.

So in advance,

Thank you.
Nate

 

[SCPD]

Yes but you will definitely need the XT to hear the Idaho P25 system. Either way, the 996XT is a awesome mobile scanner.

Yes you can program this once and pretty much leave it -- until rebanding takes place.

I'm a true non-believer of magnet mount antennas. They are all but worthless. Install a NMO mount. The parts are cheaper than the antenna you want to buy. The ground plane from your roof could definitely help with VHF-Air frequencies.

I guess the price of the Spectrumforce is okay if you must have a magnet mount.

Hold off on the GPS. It's a costly fad at this point.

I'm actually heading down to Boise later this month myself.

 

[kd7kdc]

Dose the truck you want to install it in have a metal or fiberglass roof?

 

[UPMan]

GPS is actually (as described by others) and awesome addition. It allows the scanner to automatically turn stuff on/off without touching it...invaluable if you are driving.

An alternative to your setup would be a HomePatrol-1 with mounting bracket, antenna, and GPS. Requires no programming and seamlessly selects all channels available for where you are.

BCD996XT won't have enough memory/system space (limited to 500 systems) to cover everything between Idaho and Seattle, so you are going to have to scale down your channel inventory. Or, you are going to have to create multiple configurations and load them when you drive out of the programmed area.

 

[nat3z]

Thanks for the responses. The scanner is officially in the hands of UPS.

But to anwser your question, the roof is sheet metal and I went with a hard mounted antenna.

Although I have never used the Home Patrol, It seemed to be a little too easy to use. Ive found that things that are heavly preprogrammed for ease of use (iphones come to mind) tend to limit ones ability to program and decide how to use a device. As they say... "If you cant open it, you don't own it." But as said before, I'm new.

 

[SCPD]

BCD996XT won't have enough memory/system space (limited to 500 systems) to cover everything between Idaho and Seattle, so you are going to have to scale down your channel inventory. Or, you are going to have to create multiple configurations and load them when you drive out of the programmed area.

Nah, that's not quite the case UPMan. I drive the route once a year (I-90 East and then down I-84 to Boise.) There just isn't much to monitor that direction. There are a couple of cool sites if you're willing to drive a little off-path but generally it's quite dead.

I have to listen to HAMs on HF just to keep me awake.