I would also recommend the 246. The tone lockout is the only annoying feature. It takes way too long to block a PL/DPL, so you hear 1-2 sec's of voice before it mutes.
Since there are trunked systems, you should definitely get software. This will not only make your programming much easier, but it will help you understand all of the features of the 246. Here is a list of software:
http://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/BC246T#Supporting_Software Three that provide the most value are ARC246 by
BuTel, and free programs,
FreeSCAN and
BCtool. They allow a automatic download of any or all frequencies in your county and state from this site, and sets up trunking TGID's & para's(this is a big help). They have a neat virtual control panel that works your scanner from the keyboard., but the best part is that it logs all the information(freq & PL) and lets you see your scanner window in a much larger scale that you can actually see clearly. The logging is great when searching, but it is also handy for normal scanning. Often, I do not look up in time to see what agency was just talking, so I just look at the log.
Neither BCtool or FreeSCAN work well with the 246 logging, so if that is something think you would like, then I can strongly recommend ACR246. If logging is not needed, then I lean towards BCtool, because the display can be easily minimized and made to "stay on top". However, you can download all three and see which one you like(ARC free demo has some limitations, but it is robust)
Also, if you have a new PC or lap top, you will need a serial to USB converter from Uniden
http://tinyurl.com/2cqyu4 or Radio Shack:
http://tinyurl.com/2gpbsp . Another source is
http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...=10311&cs_id=1031104&p_id=2276&seq=1&format=2, for quite a bit less. It is reported to work.
Note: You would need to become a
paid subscriber to this site to get the automatic down loads, but this is also very reasonable($7.5 for 3 months). This can save you countless hours of programming and frustration.