Many thanks for the thorough overview, hiegtx! Thanks also to gr8rcall and RonnieUSA for your ideas.
I have narrowed my search to the GRE PSR-600, Radio Shack PRO-197 and Uniden BCD996XT.
Do you have any thoughts on how OOM compares to DMA? I would like to use programming software that will run on Windows 7 if that makes a difference.
Personally, I prefer Uniden's DMA over GRE's OOM. But that's a personal preference. Either system works, and I have a PSR-500, the handheld equivalent of the PSR-600. There are no "banks", in the sense of the older scanners, in either programming style.
The GRE scanners, in general, are more sensitive than the Unidens, but not by a huge margin.That sensitivity is tempered by the tendency of the GRE's to overload & desense (hear less) when there is too much signal being received. This can occur due to signals adjacent frequencies, or from nearby cell towers, or broadcast band sites (FM or TV stations). The Uniden scanners seem to be much less affected. In town, I run my 'carry' scanner, a BCD396XT, with a R/S
800MHz antenna. Works very well on the multiple trunked systems in the area. Using the same antenna on my PSR-500, I miss many of the same transmissions, due to overload from the forest of cell sites in my area, and along my commute to work. I also go through downtown Dallas on the way, where every building worth a name on it's side, has repeaters for SMR systems on it's roof. Doesn't bother the 396XT; the PSR-500 overloads badly. I avoid the issue by using the stock antenna on the 500, and it performs well.
On the other hand, for some simulcast systems, the GRE scanners seem to handle the multi-path
distortion better than the Unidens. However, that is very location specific, dependent to where you are in relation to the various tower sites. For more local information, you might ask down in the
Texas Forum. I know there are several members in your area that post from time to time.
With
DMA, you create systems, either conventional, for non-trunked cities or counties, or agencies such as Texas DPS, and enter your frequencies in them, or a trunked system. You can group your frequencies, or talkgroups, by city, or usage, into groups within the system. As an example, for
Ellis County, just south of me, I have the County agencies in one group, then each of the larger cities in individual groups, much as they are listed on the database page.
The scanner display shows:
1st line System Name.....<<alternating with>>......Group Name
2nd line ...........................Text tag for the frequency
For a trunked "system", your display is:
1st line "Site Name"........<<alternating with>>.....Group Name
2nd line............................Text Tag for the Talkgroup ID
For a system such as
GATRRS, you have a number of transmitter tower sites. For this type of system, I would use some basic abbreviation on the site names, such as GATRRS-Wllmsn, for the Williamson County Simulcast site. Use whatever you like- it's your scanner. As an example, in my case, for
this system that I catch when spending time out west of the Metro area, I have the Weatherford site tagged as "Parker-Wthrfrd". You have 16 characters to work with on text tags.
You have 100 SQK's, System or Site Quick Keys, depending on whether it's a Conventional
System or a Trunked System
Site, that can be used to easily toggle reception on & off. There are also 10 Group Quick Keys that can be used, within each system, to turn individual groups, within the system, on and off.
Also see
Program your DMA Scanner - The RadioReference Wiki
I primarily use FreeSCAN, which handles all the programming needs for my DMA scanners. It also has logging/recording capability, for monitoring a system via the pc, and reviewing the recordings later. ProScan is another program that I have available, with some features that FreeSCAN does not offer, but my primary reason for also purchasing ProScan was that it also supports two older scanners, the BC780XLT & BC250D, that I own. These are out of date for the newer P25 systems (the 780 is not digital at all), but still get some use on the agencies in the area that use conventional frequencies. The third program, which I have not purchased, is ARC-XT. It comes in two versions- Basic, $39.95, & Pro, $69.95. The Pro version includes logging & recording capability; basic does not. Both ProScan & the ARC software have 30-day free trial periods, before you have to buy the software. FreeSCAN is freeware, though donations are accepted (I made a donation for this excellent software). Any of these will run under Windows 7.
The cable that comes with most Uniden scanners, including the BCD996XT, requires a serial port on your pc. If your computer does not have one (labeled Com 1), which is the case for most new laptops & many desktops, then you can either order the Uniden USB-1 cable for programming or get a USB->Serial adapter. See
Connecting scanners via USB - The RadioReference Wiki I use the
Monoprice adapter, with no issues, on my laptop. Both desktops have serial ports. There are other adapters, from other sources as well, mentioned in the Wiki article.
For the
Object Oriented scanners, manufactured by GRE, and sold either under GRE's name or through Radio Shack, the programming and display options are different. You have 20 scanlists, which could very roughly be compared to "banks", except that these do not have a defined size. In total, you have a little over 1800 'objects' to use. An object could be a Conventional Object, which is a conventional (non-trunked) frequency, or a Talkgroup Object (TGRP), a TGID on a Trunked system. The Trunked Systems themselves each use several 'objects'. Even so, I have never pushed the limitation here in the DFW Metro area.
When programming, you assign each object, Conventional (CONV) or Talkgroup (TGRP), to a scanlist. That way, you can sort them as you wish, and toggle them on or off as you desire. I set up my DFW file sith a scanlist for Dallas Fire/Rescue, Dallas PD, Dallas County, Texas DPS, then the rest are for neighboring counties or quadrants (for farther out). The trunked systems are associated with the scanlist that covers their area, and one scanlist is for 'regional' type systems. We have a couple of systems in the build stage that will cover more than one area, or are for regional interoperability. I've grouped them in one place.
In the OOM system, your display is:
Conventional:
Scanlist Name..........<<alternating with>>.......CONV Object's text tag
Trunked System:
TSYS Object (the System's name, such as GATRRS)<<alternating with>> TGRP text tag
(Note: For both the Uniden and the GRE manufactured scanners, other information can & will be displayed, such as frequency, the actual talkgroup ID, or PL/CTCSS tone, depending on the display option chosen.)
For software, see
Object Oriented Scanner Software - The RadioReference Wiki
All three of the programs mentioned- Win500, PSREdit500, & ARC500, have a 30-day trial period, to let you try the software before you have to buy it. Win500 & PSREdit500 are each $35.00 to buy. ARC500 comes in two versions. Just like ARC-XT, there's a Basic & Pro version, Basic does not have logging/recording, the Pro version does, $39.95 & $69.95 respectively. Both Win500 & PSREdit500 have that capability in the standard version (there is no other version needed). All of the software mentioned works with Windows 7.
The Radio Shack Pro-197 is identical to the PSR-600, as GRE makes both. However, GRE supplies the pc cable, which is required for firmware updates or pc programming, with the scanner. It's an extra cost accessory with Radio Shack. So, take that into account when considering cost. The Shack often deeply discounts the 197, and at times has offered the cable at 50% off if purchased at the same time as the scanner (regular price for the cable is about $34, I think). But at the "regular" price for the Pro-197,
$424.99, the PSR-600 is usually
cheaper (also see
here).
