choosing a uniden scanner

[wtp]

maybe use a cable extension to attach it...

 

[Akuriko]

no the fireproof metal 2 drawer file cabinet has my safe on it, the scanner will be next to the window.

 

[tvengr]

no the fireproof metal 2 drawer file cabinet has my safe on it, the scanner will be next to the window.

I can feel the excitement building! If you have a metal file cabinet with a safe on the top, you could possibly move that under the window and use a magnetic mount antenna. How does FedEx, UPS, and USPS make deliveries to the island? Do they put their vehicles on the ferry or use the airport?

 

[Finn42]

Hello All, I am new, i have been trying to do research on the uniden bct15x, bcd996p2, bcd536 hp, my county in Washington state is still analog and I have from 2007 a gift from my husband a radio shack pro 97, it still works, however, I am not picking up much, I use to live in grant county wa, they went completely digital then i couldn't listen, out here I can listen off and on, but I wanted a base station scanner, so my question is as my birthday is coming up and i fell in love with the scanner when i was hanging out with my uncle Donnie i would listen to his scanner for hours and hours, so my husband decided to get me one, so currently i live in san Juan county, in the county seat of san Juan island called Friday harbor, I wanted to listen to anything and everything if possible if its analog I will get analog, i did enjoy listening to ems, pd, sheriff and more, i am curious if i will be able to out here on the bctx15.

my father in law says don't buy one for my birthday which is coming up as if i get it i might get a year or 2 before its a paperweight, when he said that it brought me down, I love listening to my radio, its a good hobby plus my dad was a radio/ communication man in the united states army.

any suggestions you may have would be appreciated, I thought a radio here would be entertainment and fun since I moved to live on an island, boats, planes, ferries and more.

i was hoping to also reach 40 miles away plus with the scanner to pick up Skagit county as well as Watcom county.

Thank you for your time.

~Akuriko

Not sure what your coverage is in your area (analog vs digital), but I went with the BCT15X (pure analog) in my area (Cape Cod), FreeScan to program. The area has not switched to Digital yet. I found a slightly used BCT15X in the low 100s. Once you get the hang of the organizational model, its really simple. Before using, I laid out the various systems, groups in a logical order (towns, PD, FD, trunked, state police, etc). Freescan was a breeze to program.
Going this way, its helped me get a good flavor for scanning, a very good intro. When (not if) digital comes around, I can upgrade to a very pricey radio, but not yet.
Glad you have the bug.

 

[Akuriko]

I can feel the excitement building! If you have a metal file cabinet with a safe on the top, you could possibly move that under the window and use a magnetic mount antenna. How does FedEx, UPS, and USPS make deliveries to the island? Do they put their vehicles on the ferry or use the airport?

lol, move a 600 pound 2 drawer file cabinet by the window, no thanks, it was hard to get it downstairs, lol, still waiting its still sitting in Troutdale Oregon, lol, well for air they fly it in, otherwise ground by truck off and on the ferry, overnight and 2-day air is via air, everything else is by truck.

 

[Akuriko]

Not sure what your coverage is in your area (analog vs digital), but I went with the BCT15X (pure analog) in my area (Cape Cod), FreeScan to program. The area has not switched to Digital yet. I found a slightly used BCT15X in the low 100s. Once you get the hang of the organizational model, its really simple. Before using, I laid out the various systems, groups in a logical order (towns, PD, FD, trunked, state police, etc). Freescan was a breeze to program.
Going this way, its helped me get a good flavor for scanning, a very good intro. When (not if) digital comes around, I can upgrade to a very pricey radio, but not yet.
Glad you have the bug.

purely analog is the coverage of zip code 98250, and currently the analog isnt chirping much, we are on a tourist trap island and it moves slow when it comes to radio scanner traffic, lol

 

[Akuriko]

still waiting for it to leave Troutdale Oregon, however, while waiting I programmed the 125 at and my family member got me a 75 xlt, it's not bad but unless I go where the action is it isn't chirping much, lol still got the 536 due in as well as 2 other gifts coming in, just waiting patiently, lol

 

[tvengr]

purely analog is the coverage of zip code 98250

The 2 talkgroups for the ferries on the WA State DOT system are digital. You have a site for that system on Constitution Mountain in San Juan County. Sounds like you may need to go to Troutdale Oregon and hijack a FedEx truck. Just kidding!

 

[Akuriko]

ok good, currently still waiting for it to arrive so i can program it, if it works well i will be buying in sept or octo a 436.

 

[tvengr]

if it works well i will be buying in sept or octo a 436.

You can use the same favorites list file for programming both the 436 and 536. I always limit the alpha tags to 24 characters so that they will not be truncated on the BCD436HP or SDS100.

 

[bearcatrp]

still waiting for it to leave Troutdale Oregon, however, while waiting I programmed the 125 at and my family member got me a 75 xlt, it's not bad but unless I go where the action is it isn't chirping much, lol still got the 536 due in as well as 2 other gifts coming in, just waiting patiently, lol

Either your scanning to many frequencies or it’s your antenna for not chirping much. Have you sat outside with the 125 with same results?

 

[Akuriko]

Either your scanning to many frequencies or it’s your antenna for not chirping much. Have you sat outside with the 125 with same results?

as i said we live on a tourist trap island, ems, the fire goes out or speaks very lil and the sheriff comes out or speaks when dispatch calls out, otherwise i have 3 scanners all set to each area, 1 for police, 1 for fire,1 for ems, next one I will set for ferrys, talk groups and of course the airport, my thing i think is yes programmed with codes, i think this island has no action and yes i took the 125 out to the harbor at 1 am, 3 am a few nights and it was dead calm like a mill pond, im still exsperimenting in the day, we have a airport and a float plane airport at the harbor, hopefully we can hear something good but for ems, fire and sheriff, it doesnt chirp much, i wont be going off island till october so i can test it out then off island, and yes as i go out to walk my dog i take my scanner with me as far as the park, so unless the codes are input wrong witch i dont think so, i think the radio traffic has to do with this is a tourist trap and most people keep to themselves or there is not much action on it, but i wont give up on it at all.

 

[bearcatrp]

Being that slow, combine pd and fire on one scanner. Use that 125 for air band. You can input the frequencies or scan between freqs searching for unknown transmissions.

 

[Akuriko]

Being that slow, combine pd and fire on one scanner. Use that 125 for air band. You can input the frequencies or scan between freqs searching for unknown transmissions.

will do as its slow as molasses here, lol

 

[Akuriko]

ok so for the antenna sitting in the window I ordered these, will these work?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07X2LJ4HB/?coliid=I1SRFPQPJCG6MJ&colid=1SMA2NYFC665N&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08NBC25BG/?coliid=I1ZNFH7PE0Y1SI&colid=1SMA2NYFC665N&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BDJ8HN9/?coliid=I2N129V6CGSVKL&colid=1SMA2NYFC665N&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

 

[bearcatrp]

Skip the last one. That’s for CB (11 meters) only.

 

[K4EET]

Hi @Akuriko. The first two antennas appear to be one in the same. One is 12.6 inches and the other is 13 inches tall. Both are 7 dBi in gain. Looks like all you need is the first one which is the lower price of the two. There are better antennas but they sort of have already been discussed like the discone and perhaps a higher gain antenna if you can get it to fit in your window area. Cheers! Dave

 

[Akuriko]

does this answer you on my window, lol

 

[tvengr]

Are they metal or plastic blinds? Metal blinds will block the signal.

 

[Akuriko]

plastic blinds, i can buy other antennas just tell me what to do, lol