Does any modern scanner meet my criteria? Help please...

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buckyswider

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Hi, first off, apologies- I started in doing my own research, but the info I'm seeking is scattered and hard to track down, and my requirement are sort of uncommon.

A little background: I'm a vollie fire office in PA. Replaced my old Honda CR-V a couple years back with a Mercury Mariner Hybrid. My PRO-2096 fit perfectly in the dash of the CR-V, but the Mariner is jammed tight and there's absolutely nowhere to hide it. So now I'm looking to buy something new to plop in the Mariner. I'm mostly interested in P25 Phase II (Montco PA system) with the capability of doing simplex channels also. I think pretty much every scanner on the market today meets those criteria, so off to my specific requests:

1- Detachable / remote head- so I can stash the receiver under the seat and mount the faceplate somewhere (I still don't know where- the dash is that busy).
2- Usable button control. OK, I'm an old-head. I love the old format of pressing a button or two to enable/disable a bank. For instance, with the 2096 in scan mode, I press 1 to toggle bank 1. And the same with 0-9. I know nothing is that 'limited' these days, so maybe pushing 01 or 84 or whatever to enable or disable. I will be doing a lot of this control while driving, so simplicity is key. (If it WERE two number banks, I'd put all my frequent flyers in 00, 11, 22, etc. to make it as easy as possible).
3- Ability to turn on and off with the vehicle. I know some SD card based units get freaked out when external power is enabled/disabled and it scrambles the card. No good. I saw that current sale on the TRX-2, but then found the thread where the only way to turn on is to hold the power button for a couple seconds. It may sound like I'm lazy, but that's not something I'd always remember/have time to do when responding to an incident in the middle of the night.

I have in front of me on my desk a PRO-668 that I've had for a couple of years, and I can't stand the user interface. It takes me several minutes to get it right when I try to enable / disable things out of different playlists. So I definitely want to go back to a number pad style thing.

I'm good with programming- I don't need anything that automagically sets up lists based on zip codes or anything like that- I will set mine up specifically the way I want it. I'm an IT guy by day, so I should be able to figure out any programming interface (knock on wood!).

Thanks all. Again I apologize- but I figure the collective wisdom of the RR community would be better than me huntng and pecking for days on end.
 
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hiegtx

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Reading your requirements and desires, I don't believe that any currently available model would fully meet your needs off the shelf.

The only current model scanners with a remote head are the Whistler WS1098 and TRX-2. These both have a removable head (would look similar to this, but with a numeric keypad in addition to the screen controls). But the controls, other than the added numeric keypad, would be very similar to those on your Pro-668, which you are not fond of. Also, if your area systems are sometimes difficult to receive clearly because of Simulcast Distortion, neither of these two scanners would be my first choice. Whistler has announced two new models will be released, TRS-100 and TRS-200 (the -200 would be a mobile, with remote head). Originally, these were promised by the fourth quarter of last year. That was then moved to first quarter of this year, and the most recent information was delayed until the second quarter of this year. These are supposed to be more immune to simulcast than any of their current scanners. However, there has not been any other information, as to why the delay, or any pictures or specific info on them.

In the Uniden line, the best choices if Simulcast is an issue would be the SDS100 (handheld) or SDS200 (base/mobile). But the SDS2900 does not have a remote head, and may not turn and off with your ignition. The SDS200 does have a LAN port on it, and perhaps someone, either Uniden or outside of Uniden, theoretically might be able to develop a remote app for use with a tablet or smart phone. (That's simply speculation, as nothing exists at present, but the scanner does seem to offer possibilities of remote operation).

Uniden's BCD996P2 would meet your "turn on/off with ignition" requirement, but is not a remote head scanner. However, see this thread for adapting the 996P2 where it can be controlled by the now discontinued RH96 remote head. The RH96 has been out of production for a while, but occasionally, you'll find one pop up on eBay or elsewhere online, and also occasionally at ScannerMaster. The 996P2 will do P25 Phase II, and with a paid upgrade, DMR (MotoTRBO). But again, I would suggest trying to verify if simulcast is a serious issue in your area.
 

buckyswider

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Thank you for the detailed reply Steve!!

I don't believe that there is any Simulcast issue with my system of interest, but I will check my regional thread to see if there's anything there. Thanks for the <disheartening> info about the keypads on the WS1098 and TRX-2. Hard to believe that they're making "mobile" devices requires so many more touches than in the past.

I've perused the thread you've linked about the 996P2/RH96 mods. Looks pretty cool. I will have to look at that scanner to see if the keypad works the "old fashioned" way. If so, it could be a worthwhile project for me! But maybe I'll wait for the TRS-200 to see what that offers. Given the state of things I'm not too optimistic, but you never know.

Thanks again for the reply!
 

hiegtx

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Thank you for the detailed reply Steve!!

I don't believe that there is any Simulcast issue with my system of interest, but I will check my regional thread to see if there's anything there. Thanks for the <disheartening> info about the keypads on the WS1098 and TRX-2. Hard to believe that they're making "mobile" devices requires so many more touches than in the past.

I've perused the thread you've linked about the 996P2/RH96 mods. Looks pretty cool. I will have to look at that scanner to see if the keypad works the "old fashioned" way. If so, it could be a worthwhile project for me! But maybe I'll wait for the TRS-200 to see what that offers. Given the state of things I'm not too optimistic, but you never know.

Thanks again for the reply!
I've never had the remote head, so I'm not familiar with it's actual configuration. However, the 996P2 would similar to the 'old fashioned' scanners. The one main difference is that it does not have the "banks" the older scanners did. Your Pro-668 has "scanlists". The 996P2 is a DMA scanner. Instead of banks, you have systems, which are not restricted to "xx" number of channels (or talkgroup ID's for trunked systems). While there are certain maximums as to number of sites (for a trunked system), and talkgroups (also for trunked systems), it's a much higher number than the older scanners were limited to. Wiki page for the 996P2 is here.
 

krokus

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The newer mobile models are not friendly to the old school ways of power removal/restoration. Leaving them on, and hooked to a constant power is an option. (Obviously, with the proper precautions taken, to not drain your battery.)

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GTR8000

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I don't believe that there is any Simulcast issue with my system of interest, but I will check my regional thread to see if there's anything there.
That MontCo ASTRO 25 system is comprised of two simulcast cells, East and West, both of which are made up of multiple subsites (physical sites) each. Like every other modern simulcast P25 system, Phase II in particular, it's going to wreak havoc with nearly all scanners, except for those that are specifically designed to properly handle it.

Frankly, your best bet is probably to pick up a Unication G4 or G5 pager for monitoring the trunked system, and any old scanner that meets your needs for the analog stuff. Or better yet, a mobile radio with a remote head. You'll be limited to a single band unless you pony up for something like an APX, but you can find good deals on older radios, especially if you only need analog capabilities.
 

buckyswider

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Thanks everybody! Don't know why I didn't get notifications about the subsequent replies...

Anyhow, that 996P2 looks like it hits the mark from a UI perspective. I found a pretty good yootoob that walks through turning "systems' and 'banks' off and on. Number of things I'm interested in listening to is fairly limited, so the 'systems' vs. 'banks' doesn't make a difference.

I do already have an APX portable, which I need to manually turn on when responding to fire calls. Another reason I don't want a scanner I have to manually toggle off and on- the idea is to get out of my driveway quickly in that scenario! . I don't really want to leave something running all the time krokus, because yes, it will drain my battery and it will be annoying hearing my scanner in the car when it's out in the driveway. :)

The way I use this is basically for fire calls, I (used to with my old car) turn on the portable for the fire radio traffic (and to transmit if appropriate), and monitor the police channel on the scanner since they're usually there first since they are on patrol. If we're going to a different municipality, I have those TGs set up in different banks so I can access their conversations quickly. And when NOT on fire calls, I leave the portable off and use the scanner to monitor local police and the fire talk groups. And I do have a few other things set up for infrequent use- I have Philly set up so if I'm down there I can be a whacker and listen to them :), and I have atlantic county set up for when I'm going on vacation.

Looks like my best bet now is the 996P2 with the arduino hack. Or get a new car with room in the dash :).

Oh, and I've never run into a problem with the Montco simulcast- I think region 3 and fire dispatch are the only simulcast TGs, and I'm far enough from the county centerline (where the two cells meet) that I've never noticed an issue. Famous last words, huh...

Maybe I should just carry my 'ol PRO-96 and stash it behind the seat- will be clumsy if I want to change something, but I can plug it into switched power with no problem.

Ah, these first world problems...

thanks all!
 
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