Columbus Ohio Scanner Question

[lancer123]

Hello,

I am considering purchasing a scanner to start a hobby. I am trying to figure out if Columbus is using analog or digital transmission. I am not sure what scanner to buy. I know that digital covers both types of transmisisons but cost 3 times the cost of analog. Any advice anybody can give me would be very appreciated. If Columbus is analog and will be for some time, it may be worth getting an analog to save money. However, if everything is going to be digital in a few years, it may be worth saving more money to get a digital.

Thanks for your help,
Lance

 

[Dubbin]

Right now Columbus is an analog trunking system but there is plenty of digital in the area too, your best bet would be to break down and buy the digital scanner right from the start.

 

[Colin9690]

Agreed. I'd buy a digital scanner right off that bat, it will make the hobby more enjoyable. Columbus has had it's current analog system since the early 90s and a move to digital is somewhere in the future. Delaware County is also all digital, as well as the statewide MARCS system used by Highway Patrol and other state agencies. Good Luck!

 

[escortz28]

It depends.

If your main interest is in monitoring Columbus public safety and services, the majority of the suburbs, and county operations then an analog trunking scanner is a cost efficient way to enter the hobby. The price of digital scanners will drop over time. As pointed out, OSP and many state operations are digital along with a few suburbs (e.g. Worthington and Dublin). Delaware County public safety is digital as well. It depends on what you really would like to monitor and how much (or little) you want to spend.

 

[mparker]

i am in SW columbus and use a bct15... i am very happy... i might look into getting a second and possibly a wideband...

 

[oesjmr]

I'm using a PRO-95 right now, but it doesn't support the upcoming rebanding, so I'm in the market for a new scanner as well.

Does anyone know when Columbus is rebanding? I've heard in the later half of 2010. I've also heard that Columbus will be sticking to analog for now because of the immense cost of upgrading to digital. Has anyone else heard anything different?

Like lancer123, I want to make sure I get the right scanner (95% of my listening is Columbus fire/police). A digital scanner would be nice, but I'll have a hard time justifying the cost difference to my wife!

 

[mmartinfan]

"Does anyone know when Columbus is rebanding?"


Sometime between tomorrow and the end of the Mayan Calendar. I will still doubt it when I take my radio to communications to be "reprogrammed"

 

[wa8pyr]

"Does anyone know when Columbus is rebanding?"


Sometime between tomorrow and the end of the Mayan Calendar. I will still doubt it when I take my radio to communications to be "reprogrammed"

Why you... I'll reprogram you!!!

The Mayan Calendar ends in 2012, if I recall correctly, so you've got until the end of this year.

 

[oesjmr]

Any word on whether Columbus will be switching to digital or not? I really don't want to get stuck with a new scanner that won't work in a couple months/years.

Thanks!

 

[mparker]

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Personaly i wouldnt buy a digital scanner... if you buy an analog scanner there will ALWAYS be things to listen to with it... local ham traffic, utilitys, mil air.. all kinds of stuff.

Imo after hearing about all the cuts the city is making i would be suprized if they go dig any time soon

 

[mdulrich]

Personaly i wouldnt buy a digital scanner... if you buy an analog scanner there will ALWAYS be things to listen to with it... local ham traffic, utilitys, mil air.. all kinds of stuff.

And you can listen to those things on a digital scanner along with all the other digital stuff in Ohio.

Mike

 

[mparker]

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True, but the OP didnt say a budget...

We are talking almost 300 dollar diff between the two...

I was just thinking cheap.

 

[oesjmr]

I have a PRO-95 right now and am pretty happy with it. The only reason I'm looking into buying a new scanner is because the PRO-95 doesn't support the upcoming reband. It would be nice to have a digital model (along with the V-Scanner technology), but I'm not sure I can raise the funds for it as quickly.

 

[FireHousesOfOhio]

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True, but the OP didnt say a budget...

We are talking almost 300 dollar diff between the two...

I was just thinking cheap.

The off the record answer I received when asking when CFD was going digital was not likely for a while because it was going to be a pretty expensive proposition. Plus just think of the out cry from everyone that has had a analogue scanner for many years not to mention anyone who recently purchased a newer BC346XLT.

I have seen Uniden 396T scanners come up for sale on the Yahoo group for around $350 from time to time. I'll admit it's expensive to make the purchase to make. With more different departments making the switch it was a forward thinking step on our part here. We'll probably gain a BCD396XT this year and possibly a BCD996T if the stars would align for the back half of the year.

My question would be other than the number of channels stored what is the difference between the BR330T & the BC346XT on a practical level other than neither one will scan digital and one has Nascar car numbers?

 

[jscott02]

Plus just think of the out cry from everyone that has had a analogue scanner for many years not to mention anyone who recently purchased a newer BC346XLT.

I STRONGLY doubt that CFD/Franklin county would take that into consideration when making their future plans...

 

[hokiewheeler]

You might as well get the digital now because there is so much of it here already. Buy once cry once.