cheap scanner

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rr9876

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I am about 5 miles off the freeway but line of site for some of it...
whats a good scanner for a beginner.... a portable but doesnt have to be a handheld....
 

FLRAILMAN

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Okay, in order to help you, why don't you provide the following:

1: City, Town, Village, County, State you reside in.

2: Significance of the highway mentioned

3: Type of service(s) wishing to be monitored to ascertain type of scanner needed for conventional, trunking, analog, digital, etc.

4: Preliminary decision on type of scanner, Tabletop, Mobile, Portable

5: Preference of Manufacturer and/or Model

6: Spending ceiling.

Also have you checked the database for your state & the WIKI section to familiarize yourself with all aspects of the hobby? This may sound like a tall order however the more information you can provide, the more you can be helped.

[!] The man formerly known as FLRAILMAN
 

hoser147

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FLRAILMAN is correct on his analysis, its all about location. Take a look around at others posts most have the City State and or region listed. Then we can start to help you.
 

rr9876

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I am in Montana but will move at some point. Was just looking for a desktop,small, that picks up the usual
emergency stuff and would like aviation also if possible...??? is there a small un it that can do this..??
100-200$ max.
 

Drafin

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Let me expand a little further on the other's points.

Without knowing what City you are in it's hard to narrow down a scanner.

By "usual emergency stuff" I assume you mean police, fire, ems and rescue. Again that would depend on your city and county.

A lot of agencies have moved to trunked radio systems and more and more are switching all the time. Some have gone digital and more are headed that way as well. You may could buy a scanner now that would get all the local frequencies but it's hard to know how long that would last. Maybe a long time maybe not.

If you are planning on moving then I'd suggest the Uniden or GRE scanners that receive digital. You will pay more, but you get more bang for your buck in the longevity of the usage of the scanner.

The only way I'd buy another non digital scanner at this point is if I was only interested in monitoring ham, business, marine, CB and other freqs that should be around a long while.

Draf
 

freqs

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Still this is not much help we need the city you live in .If your City / County or State uses a P25 Digital system it will cost more for a scanner that dosent receive DIGITAL MODE.Could be a couple hundred $ difference.If you dont need a Digital scanner you can find them on e-bay or craigslist for $25 so this is why we need the State and City you live in to help you more to find the scanner that best fits your needs
 

mikemsu1

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$200 ceiling means you can't go digital even if the agencies around you are so if price is the MOST important factor....

I picked up my Uniden BCT15 (online) brand new delivered to the house for $170 and some change. It's a great scanner and in your range...go for it! You WILL pick up SOMETHING unless you are really in the sticks.
 

freqs

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I seen a 197 for 200 bucks on c-list in Dearborn Mi and the guy next door got a 96 for 200 on e-bay all used but his works great.So deals are out there .if he wants a used radio. By just looking around on the Montana database he could get away with a analog scanner for now .But his location County and will help out alot City
 
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rr9876

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never mind location... consider this a mobile question only.... whole USA...pretend I am a trucker ,long haul,

what Digital trunking scanner can I get and where that picks up everything pretty much and aviation,civil and Military, and can be re programmed if needed in the future.....mobile desktop, not handheld, for less than 400$,hopefully less than 300$.....
 

Drafin

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never mind location... consider this a mobile question only.... whole USA...pretend I am a trucker ,long haul,

what Digital trunking scanner can I get and where that picks up everything pretty much and aviation,civil and Military, and can be re programmed if needed in the future.....mobile desktop, not handheld, for less than 400$,hopefully less than 300$.....

Ok then, if you want to cover the whole US then you will definitely need a digital scanner. One can not be found in the $400 range unless you catch one on sale. For what you want to listen to AND not be location specific then you would have to go with either a Uniden BCD996XT Scanner or a GRE PSR-600 Scanner.

Both run $450ish, new.

EDIT: OH and the best place I found with the best price is http://www.scannermaster.com/ . Have dealt with them before and highly recommend them.

Draf
 
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wise871

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Ok then, if you want to cover the whole US then you will definitely need a digital scanner. One can not be found in the $400 range unless you catch one on sale. For what you want to listen to AND not be location specific then you would have to go with either a Uniden BCD996XT Scanner or a GRE PSR-600 Scanner.

Both run $450ish, new.

EDIT: OH and the best place I found with the best price is Scanner Master - Police Scanners by Uniden Bearcat, AOR and Radio Shack. . Have dealt with them before and highly recommend them.

Draf

Don't forget the Pro-197. I was lucky and got it for under $299 when radio shack had the special.
 

rr9876

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thanks, by the way , what kind of Antenna do I need and is it ok mounted on a corner of the roof..??
 
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rr9876

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a mobile that can be used for a house too....
I am going to check prices after the New Year... hope to find a 450 for 350...
 
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