digital or analog?

[searingxheretic]

Greetings,

I haven't used my old scanner in years. I have recently been reading almost every page in RR to try to get back into the scanner game. I am looking to buy a new scanner, but am not sure if I need to buy a digital scanner or not. Can anyone tell me if I should get a digital scanner to listen to frequencies in the Newport News/Williamsburg area? Your help is much apreciated! Sorry for the n00b question

 

[Don_Burke]

You will eventually need a digital scanner to listen to Virginia State Police as the changeover is coming soon for Division Five.

The city of Chesapeake is already digital and there is a digital system for Naval Station Norfolk with a tie-in to some of the peninsula.

That will be a hit of about $500.

The good news is that you can get an analog trunking scannner and listen to Newport News, Hampton, and several business trunked systems (along with all of the conventional systems) for considerably less. My favorite for this is the Radio Shack Pro-97, which is frequently on sale for $140 or so.

 

[tuttleje]

Williamsburg, James City, York County, College of William and Mary are on th same P25 digital trunked system. Therefore, you have to use a digital trunking radio. Due the moderate encryption on the system, I would suggest either a Uniden 396T or a Uniden 996T. The reason for these radio over the Radio Shack models is that the Uniden radios mute encryption on a 9600 baud system. Otherwise, you have to listen to the garbled noise of encryption that is very annoying. If you want a radio to carry in your pocket/car/house, buy the 396T. For a house radio buy the 996T. They are both the same price. The 996T has more features that make it better when driven by a computer.....and allows you to set up various sites under a system. You can use the 996T in your car (it comes with a cigarette lighter plug and a wire for hooking directly to the power line in the car). However, it is larger and you can't just stick it in your pocket or on your belt.

 

[fmon]

Langley AFB is digital also.

 

[tuttleje]

The Colonial Nation Parkway Police are using a P25 digital protocol on 167.150....they also use TG 1254 on the JC/YC/Wmbg system. Further, within a year, Gloucester County will be joining the JC/YC/Wmbg system. As previously mentioned, the new Virginia State System (STARS) is digital. Living in this area, I would really recommend a digital radio. If you are serious about monitoring, you going to need one.

If you buy a Uniden digital radio, I would strongly suggest you buy the associated Butel software (ARC396 or ARC996) and become a premium subscriber to Radio Reference. With that combination, you can pick the system you want to program and the software will download all the data (TG, frequencies, etc.) from RR to your radio. All you have to do is set up the quickkeys. It works great....and save you a bunch of time (and frustration) trying to program a radio by hand.

 

[rvawatch]

You can use the 996T in your car (it comes with a cigarette lighter plug and a wire for hooking directly to the power line in the car). However, it is larger and you can't just stick it in your pocket or on your belt.

I guess it depends on the size of your pocket

 

[tuttleje]

True....but I hate to think where you are gonna insert that cigarette lighter plug.

 

[searingxheretic]

thanks!

Thanks a lot for the replies. Your replies have pretty much solidified my decision to get a digital scanner. Being out of the loop for so long, I didnt know that places around here, such as Gloucester were all on digital. So, I'll save up a few more bucks and get a digital scanner. I'm assuming there's no way to get around the encryption that places such as WMBG have in place... I've read up in RR.com and have seen that the newest encryption is pretty much uncrackable. Just curious, do you all think the encryption will take hold in the hampton roads area, and eventually get to the point where we won't be able to hear anything on our scanners??

I'm not sure about the prospect of where to plug in the cigarette lighter, but I don't need it to be mobile, so I'm leaning towards the 996t

Thanks again for the replies, it helped me a bunch in my decision on which scanner to get!

 

[searingxheretic]

Also....

Just for a general opinion....

Should I get a 996t now, or should I wait and buy a PSR600 when they come out next month? Both are practically the same price, which would be better?

 

[fmon]

I've read up in RR.com and have seen that the newest encryption is pretty much uncrackable.

Illegal to "uncrack" is the main reason

Should I get a 996t now, or should I wait and buy a PSR600 when they come out next month? Both are practically the same price, which would be better?

The 600 won't be out until Dec. The 2096 should be considered if you need a scanner now.

 

[tuttleje]

Gloucester has not joined the JC/YC/Wmbg system...but should be online within a year. The only organizations that are 100% encrypted are The College of William and Mary Campus PD and Kingsmill Security. I never listened to them before the digital system. York County has the most encryption. Whereas, JCCPD and WPD uses very little.
I know fmon is a 2096 fan...and he is one of the smartest guys on this forum....I would go with the 996T.....only because it mutes encryption. Either way, you should be happy.

 

[fmon]

I know fmon is a 2096 fan...and he is one of the smartest guys on this forum....I would go with the 996T.....only because it mutes encryption. Either way, you should be happy.

He he, don't go tapping your foot under the stall divider. However, the blasted York county school bus drivers ( SO and FD as well) will drive you nuts with anything but the 996t.

 

[searingxheretic]

the deal is done...

Just placed the order for the 996t. So, it should be here in 3 days, and then the fun begins of trying to program it. I am going to take your suggestion with the Butel software, does the 996t come with a serial cord to hook it up to the pc, or do I need to buy the uniden usb-1?

Thanks again for all your help, without this forum I'd be lost!

 

[tuttleje]

It come with a serial port cable. However, it is in the folds of the cardboard packing material....so don't panic when you unpack the scanner and can't find it. Just keep looking...it's there. Send me a private message with your contact info if you need any help and I will walk you through the programming.

 

[gcgrotz]

Welcome to RR and the VA forum, and welcome back to scanning.