Butts County. City of Jackson, GA

[jdw1958]

I'm considering buying a scanner to monitor police and fire in Butts County. Would like to reach Lamar, Spalding and Henry County as well.
I have looked at the PRO-197.
I am still a novice in regards to understanding the Trunking, Digital signals. On a limited budget, can I get some suggestions on whether this one is ideal, or is there a better option?

 

[N8IAA]

I'm considering buying a scanner to monitor police and fire in Butts County. Would like to reach Lamar, Spalding and Henry County as well.
I have looked at the PRO-197.
I am still a novice in regards to understanding the Trunking, Digital signals. On a limited budget, can I get some suggestions on whether this one is ideal, or is there a better option?

Welcome to the GA forum, jdw1958 For those counties, you need only an analog scanner. Not even a trunktracker. All use conventional VHF/UHF frequencies. Not saying you can't monitor the counties you listed with the 197, but it's a bit of overkill.
HTH,
Larry

 

[jdw1958]

Thanks. I wasn't real sure as to the best options for the area.
I have been listening online via the radioreference link for Butts, but, lately, I have had difficulty hearing it.

I figure an actual scanner unit may eliminate the question of 'is it the computer or me?'. :}

 

[Metrofire31]

Jackson-Butts County

JDW - I agree with Larry's advice but keep in mind that Spalding County is allegedly about to migrate to a 700/800 MHz trunked system so you'll want a scanner that will handle such future migrations as they occur.

Welcome to the Georgia Forum and to scanning. It's a great hobby - I've been doing it for over 30 years and I get just as much enjoyment out of today as I did then. Let any of us know if we can help you with frequencies, programming, antennas or anything.

Mike
"Metrofire31"
Atlanta (Smyrna)

 

[CSHIFTLT]

I'm considering buying a scanner to monitor police and fire in Butts County. Would like to reach Lamar, Spalding and Henry County as well.
I have looked at the PRO-197.
I am still a novice in regards to understanding the Trunking, Digital signals. On a limited budget, can I get some suggestions on whether this one is ideal, or is there a better option?

Analog VHF:
Butts/Jackson

Analog UHF:
Lamar

EDACS Analog 800:
Henry Fire Alerts (all other provoice digital)

P25/Opensky 800 (digital)
Spalding

Hope that helps.

 

[Porkins]

I got a basic desktop unit at the Radioshack on the square. I pickup Butts SO/FD/PD, Rail, Monroe FD/SO, EMC.

 

[Porkins]

I was looking in the Butts County FCC licenses and can't find the road dept freq. anymore. There was a freq. for the dept. about 4 months ago. It also seems that the freq. list has shortened.

Thanks.

 

[jdw1958]

Thanks. I will consider all comments.

 

[stgilmer]

P25/Opensky 800 (digital)
Spalding

I confirm that, I have been scanning Spaldings new digital 800 for a month now. It is very clear, picks up long distances away with short ant. Reband is scheduled for Feb. I for one am not totally sure what to do from there on/being new to digital and totally in the dark of know how of rebanding. Hopefully just changing all freqs -15 for this county works fine. By the way, I have the Pro-106, so consider that if spalding is a must have.

 

[rmiller818]

I confirm that, I have been scanning Spaldings new digital 800 for a month now. It is very clear, picks up long distances away with short ant. Reband is scheduled for Feb. I for one am not totally sure what to do from there on/being new to digital and totally in the dark of know how of rebanding. Hopefully just changing all freqs -15 for this county works fine. By the way, I have the Pro-106, so consider that if spalding is a must have.

Once it is rebanded just put the new CCs in, that is it, the scanner should do the rest.

 

[jdw1958]

Thanks.

 

[stgilmer]

Once it is rebanded just put the new CCs in, that is it, the scanner should do the rest.

I am using ARC500 to program. Fayette county is a trunk analog, they are rebanded, just entering new CC's didn't do enough. I was only getting one side of the transmission. After reading around on here I had ARC500 set the Tables before I was able to hear all of it.

 

[rmiller818]

I am using ARC500 to program. Fayette county is a trunk analog, they are rebanded, just entering new CC's didn't do enough. I was only getting one side of the transmission. After reading around on here I had ARC500 set the Tables before I was able to hear all of it.

That is because it is an analog trunk system so for that you would have to use the trunking tables. With a full P25 system you just need the new CCs and the scanner does the rest.

 

[stgilmer]

That is because it is an analog trunk system so for that you would have to use the trunking tables. With a full P25 system you just need the new CCs and the scanner does the rest.

Thanks!

 

[ejack92s]

Do you get Spalding Co. and Griffin clearly all the time. I live in Fayette Co. about the same distance from Griffin as you. I am using a PRO 2096, and my signal is strong, but the audio is clear some of the time and it goes garbled . Sometimes, the entire conversation on a transmission, cuts in and out or a lot of squeals and different sounds. I just wonder if my scanner is not decoding the signal right... I also have a PRO 106 ordered.

 

[N8IAA]

Just in case someone wonders, Spalding isn't OpenSky. It is normal P-25 digital. A digital scanner will do the conventional frequencies, analog trunking, and digital trunking as well.
Larry

 

[stgilmer]

Do you get Spalding Co. and Griffin clearly all the time. I live in Fayette Co. about the same distance from Griffin as you. I am using a PRO 2096, and my signal is strong, but the audio is clear some of the time and it goes garbled . Sometimes, the entire conversation on a transmission, cuts in and out or a lot of squeals and different sounds. I just wonder if my scanner is not decoding the signal right... I also have a PRO 106 ordered.

Yeah you should get clear transmission all over fayette. Not familiar with the 2096 but I have been all over fayette with my pro 106 and its fine. You might be talking about the encrypted channels that are garbled. I have picked up about 4 of them. Those IDs are 12, 10, 18 and 4 so far. If this isn't the case there may be something around you interferring, towers...etc.

Fayettes moto analog is static wind like sound in the background of the transmission for me from Brooks, must be because its analog.

Give a update when u get the 106 up and running.

 

[stgilmer]

Just in case someone wonders, Spalding isn't OpenSky. It is normal P-25 digital. A digital scanner will do the conventional frequencies, analog trunking, and digital trunking as well.
Larry

Larry I don't disagree with you but why do they call it a M/A-COM P25IP communications with OpenSky for mobile data communications? Is the opensky used only for the laptops in the vehicles?

Doesn't really matter to me what they call it, all I know is it sounds 100% better than the old Conventional channels.

 

[mulletron]

Its a P25 voice, 5 site, simulcast with an OpenSky data overlay at three sites.