Berkeley County New System ? What to buy that works ????

[slopjaw41]

Can anyone list the scanners that will work with the (Berk County ) new system, would like to get one but not sure what i need ,i have 2 old pro-67's that works great with everything but berkeley county. Also does the new digital scanners pick up everything else besides berkeley county,say like Washington and Franklin countys ems systems ? Any help would be wonderful. Thanks

 

[JESSERABBIT]

Berkley County, Wv-what Works

I have a Pro-96. Thanks to the efforts of Brucewarming and others on this Forum, I programmed it using the info that he posted in the last few days. The WV North Mountain Tower is comming in like gangbusters here in Charles Town. I believe that Uniden will also work as info is posted for that as well. I am not too up to speed on their latest scanners, but check previous posts on this fourm fot that info. Any further questions, feel free to post on this forum. The help here is nothing short of outstanding!
The new scanners will difinitely work on most MD, VA, and DC systems. Pennsylvania is going to a new system. It is called Open Sky. I don't believe it is fully operational at this time, and with the problems they are having with it, maybe never will be. The Pro-96 will pick up the current ANALOG Pennsylvania State Police System and most of the local systems, at least for now. If or when Open Sky goes online, It will probably not be scanable unless a new generation of scanners is produced (highly unlikely in the foreseeable futrue). I hope this helps. By the way, Berkley County Sheriff and Fire are now using the new sytem off North Mountain as well as Martinsburg. There may be others using it, however my experience monitoring the site is limited at this time.
Good luck.

 

[smwincva]

With a Bearcat/ Uniden 796D I can pick it loud & clear from my hometown, often at 6 bars, with the stock antenna. I have yet to alpha tag the TG's because I am hoping to get a good list. Make sure when you program it, to leave room for the WV State Police and counties nearby that are not yet online.

As far as nearby trunked radio systems (TRS) I can pick a local business TRS, the Warren County TRS (mostly business but the PD & sheriff office also use it), and the EMS (PD, Fire * Rescue) systems in Loudoun & Fauquier Counties in VA.

I found that with an indoor antenna, TRS using 800mhz has a range limit of about 25 miles (the latter 2 counties, although 40 miles away, have towers on closer mountain ranges).

I can pick up the new FD frequencies (in the 453 mhz range, on some days, from Franklin Co PA. Those are repeated, so you can here the mobile radios too. I can hear the Washington Co fire dispatch (not the mobile radios) most days.

I have picked up transmission from as far as 80 miles on the analog frequencies. But I emphasize it seems to be sporadic. Factors seem to be rather a dispatcher runs a system at full power or turns on a antenna to broadcast to a certain fire company.

Normal range of reception is about 50 miles for at least repeated or base stations transmissions.

Steve