Buying new scanner -- PLEASE HELP!

[Maker177]

Hi all,

I want to purchase a new scanner to pick up my local PD/FD/EMS department. They have all switched over to Fleetnet digital radios now. Would the "Uniden BC346XTC TrunkTracker III Portable Compact Handheld Scanner" work? I think TruckTracker has something to do with it but I'm not very experienced in this area.

Thanks!!

 

[pgnsucks]

I think people on the site could give the best advice if you referenced what general area of the country you were in to give the best scanner.

 

[Maker177]

I think people on the site could give the best advice if you referenced what general area of the country you were in to give the best scanner.

My apologies, I am in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Everything here uses digital Fleetnet radios.

Thanks!

 

[hiegtx]

Hi all,

I want to purchase a new scanner to pick up my local PD/FD/EMS department. They have all switched over to Fleetnet digital radios now. Would the "Uniden BC346XTC TrunkTracker III Portable Compact Handheld Scanner" work? I think TruckTracker has something to do with it but I'm not very experienced in this area.

Thanks!!

If this is the system you want to monitor, then the 346XTC would not be the best choice. As you state in your own question, switched over to Fleetnet digital radios, much of the communication on that system is in digital mode. The 346XTC is an analog scanner. You would only be able yo hear thise talkgroups listed with a letter A in the Mode column. Anything flagged with a D is digital and would require a digital scanner. Those marked with an E are encrypted, and cannot be received with any scanner.

 

[W0TRJ]

Good luck finding any compatible software to program your Analog only BC346XTC TrunkTracker III

I would just buy a Bearcat BCD396XT Digital ready Scanner, It will cost you more but if your area upgrades to Digital P25 your ready..

 

[NWI_Scanner_Guy]

Good luck finding any compatible software to program your Analog only BC346XTC TrunkTracker III

I would just buy a Bearcat BCD396XT Digital ready Scanner, It will cost you more but if your area upgrades to Digital P25 your ready..

From the BuTel website..... "ARC-XT supports the following scanner models: BCD396XT , BC346XT(C) , BCD996XT and BCT15X."

Doesn't look like it would be hard at all to find compatible software. Just sayin'

 

[NWI_Scanner_Guy]

Hi all,

I want to purchase a new scanner to pick up my local PD/FD/EMS department. They have all switched over to Fleetnet digital radios now. Would the "Uniden BC346XTC TrunkTracker III Portable Compact Handheld Scanner" work? I think TruckTracker has something to do with it but I'm not very experienced in this area.

Thanks!!

As was mentioned earlier, looks like you'll need a digital scanner, which the 346XTC is not.

Best bet would be a Uniden BCD396XT / BCD 996XT. Or, if you want to wait a few weeks, the new Uniden's will be out. The BCD436HP / BCD536HP looks to be winners.

Whistler is supposed to be releasing radios sometime soon, but not a lot of information has been released yet. Hopefully during the CES an announcement will be made as to model numbers and release dates.

 

[kirk23]

My apologies, I am in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Everything here uses digital Fleetnet radios.

Thanks!

Ontario OPP and a few small towns use Fleetnet (a Bell system) but the system is not completly digital..The OPP talk groups are digital yet the MOH (EMS) is still analog even though they are using the same towers and freqs...so if the talk groups you want to listen on your system are Analog then the 346xt is fine but if they are digital then you will need the 396xt or a GRE radio like the Radio Shack Pro96.. as a matter of fact I have both the 396xt and the Pro96 for Fleetnet the Pro96 works better yet on the Montreal Fire Motorola P25 system the Uniden 396xt works alot better than the Pro96..

btw..there is a guy on the Ontario Forums in Toronto by the name of TORONTOKRIS and he sells new and used scanners for excellent prices... I have bought 2 off him already..

 

[mikewazowski]

Wrong province Kirk.

 

[kirk23]

Wrong province Kirk.

I know he's in Manitoba Mike. ..

I was just giving him an example of how a fleetnet system coukd be both Analog & Digital within the same system...

Kirk

 

[vortex360]

I would buy a BCD536HP. I have one running constantly here and it is an amazing radio.