First Time Scanner User

[toddeus]

I just bought a PRO-96 scanner as a first-time scanner user. Will I really get a lot more out my scanner by going through all the programming stuff (that I'm not familiar with at all) versus just letting the scanner scan through the pre-programmed frequencies that are pre-set in the scanner?
What will the difference really be? Aren't I already able to receive all of the conversations of my local area police if my scanner scans through the 33–46MHz, 153–170MHz, 453–465MHz and 851–868MHz bands?

 

[KB8UYC]

First off WELCOME!

I found that some of the preprogrammed stuff was wrong. I just took all of it out and programmed everything that I wanted into it. My suggestion? Play with it, see what you like, see if it is programmed right by using the website here. And most of all have fun with it, it is a beast of a scanner.

Eric

 

[loumaag]

I just bought a PRO-96 scanner as a first-time scanner user. Will I really get a lot more out my scanner by going through all the programming stuff (that I'm not familiar with at all) versus just letting the scanner scan through the pre-programmed frequencies that are pre-set in the scanner?
What will the difference really be? Aren't I already able to receive all of the conversations of my local area police if my scanner scans through the 33–46MHz, 153–170MHz, 453–465MHz and 851–868MHz bands?

As SEMTTP says, welcome! To expand a bit on what was already said, consider this; if you were using the "search" funcion and just scanning all of the police bands, you will get stuff you are not going to want to hear. In addition such siganls will not tell you "who" you are listening to.

The Factory setup V-Folders are nice, but also inaccurate and generic. They are mostly set up for Trunking systems in major Metro areas and little (if any) conventional stuff. Might I recommend getting the Win96 programming software and a programming cable. This will make your life a lot easier.

 

[gatorhater]

Welcome to Scanning!

With tomorrow night being New Year's Eve, this will be an oppurtune time to listen in on the bad behavior that happens in your area.

I hope you enjoy your scanner and have a Great New Year!

 

[doug408]

This is sort of like asking why you need to learn how to use the remote control of your TV. Sure, you can watch something if you let someone else randomly flip channels for you, but isn't it more fun when you can choose what you want to watch (or not watch) ? Isn't it helpful if you know which channel you are watching?

Keep in mind that most of the pain of programming is in the initial setup of the radio. Once you do that once, you don't have to spend much time at all on it in the future in most cases.

Even in cases where the scanner comes from the factory with a bunch of things programmed into it, it's very often the case that the programmed information is way out of date with what's actually in use in a given area. This is especially true now that many cities are moving to trunking radio systems.

It really is worth the pain of doing it right, even if you have to get someone to explain some of the details or help you do the programming.

 

[Voyager]

I just bought a PRO-96 scanner as a first-time scanner user. Will I really get a lot more out my scanner by going through all the programming stuff (that I'm not familiar with at all) versus just letting the scanner scan through the pre-programmed frequencies that are pre-set in the scanner?
What will the difference really be? Aren't I already able to receive all of the conversations of my local area police if my scanner scans through the 33–46MHz, 153–170MHz, 453–465MHz and 851–868MHz bands?

For the first time (novice) user, I would recommend the following:

1. Buy Win96 ($30 from http://www.starrsoft.com )

2. Buy the PC interface cable (Radio Shack 20-289)

3. Find a user in your area with a PRO-96 and ask for a copy of their local V-folder, then dump that into your scanner. You can also find many folders online - perhaps asking on your state forum would help. Does your area has a local or regional email list? If not, try a google search for V-folder (your city name or the name of a large city in your area).

Of course, it would help if you said where you were and what you want to listen to.

Joe M.