Getting back into scanning... recommendations

[neonhomer]

I used to monitor police frequencies here in Volusia county back when some cities were still on the 150's... Since then, I have not been on, and my old bearcat (cant remember what model, but it only has 20 channels, and does not do 800mhz) only comes out for weather radio use.

I am looking for a good scanner that will let me listen to the EDACS system so I can monitor again. I dont have too much to spend ($500 for the BC769D is a bit up there for me now). Any recommendations?

I dont mind used or older equipment, as long as it will work.

 

[STiMULi]

Really and truly you should think about spending the extra bucks for a high-end digital. Eventually what you will be hearing will be APCO-25 either because it is the next upgrade or the agency will try to use it as a means of "encryption"

The county you mentioned is currently using EDACS. There are many non-digital scanners that will work.

http://www.radioreference.com/modules.php?name=TRSDB&sid=199

In my area the only EDACS system is in the middle of a conversion to APCO-25.

Good Luck!

 

[KD4JAF]

I agree with trying to save up and buy digital. I'm currently doing so myself because Brevard and most central Florida counties will be going digital. I have the BCT8 truncktracker III which does a fine job for the EDACS system and the price is right. Good Luck

 

[n4voxgill]

If I were living in Volusia County I would buy either a BC245 or a PRO95. I have both, I have used both to scan the volusia system. I prefer the PRO95 because you can put in text tags that indicate who the talk group is. I think the PRO95 is on sale for 149.95 at radio shack and the software is free from starrsoft.com. You do have to buy the cable from radio shack 20-289 is the model number.

There is a good chance that if volusia goes to a digital system it will be an edacs provoice, like the state is using and no scanner can listen to provoice. So buy something that works, at a reasonable price and enjoy. Buying a digital scanner in volusia is just overkill.

Gill

 

[STiMULi]

There is a good chance that if volusia goes to a digital system it will be an edacs provoice,

50/50 I'd say. Our EDACS site skipped EDACS provoice altogether. I would bet in that case it was because there are strong hints that the County-wide (BIGA$$ county) new communications system will be an APCO-25 based system.

Food for thought. The Members of APCO specified the new mode as a national mode. So do your research. Call your county communications (radio) director and see what they plan on doing. Maybe even see if the is any FOIA info you can get from them.

With the newly approved SDR mode radio, communications as we know it will be bigtime different in the next 5-10 years and it probably won't matter anymore what kind of trunking someone uses. Instead it will matter if they decided to use encryption or not.

So buy something that works, at a reasonable price and enjoy. Buying a digital scanner in volusia is just overkill.

You decide... Get on the 70mph highway with a 52hp Volkswagen Bettle or a 300hp all wheel drive WRX STi. They will both do the speed limit

 

[Travis]

I'd just get a low cost analog Trunk Tracking scanner that does EDACS such as the Uniden BCT-8.

http://www.grove-ent.com/BCT8.html

 

[ID2003]

The BC-245 and the new BC-246T work great for Volusia. I will be in Daytona tomorrow(Wed.) If you would like to see them working, feel free to give me a call. 321 403-3649 George

 

[KingC]

I would get one that works on I-Call. They do a lot of I-Calls on the Volusia System> Another base scanner to look for that should be marked down pricewise is the BC 780. If the 246T does that as well, then fine. You are missing half the FUN w/o this capability, especially all the I-Calls on that system.

 

[edweirdFL]

I picked up a Pro-96 last week, since they are on sale until Christmas and I wanted something that could do both EDACS and the newer digital stuff.

So far I have really liked it. I programmed the VC EDACS systems into it and like the text tags. I put the digital system the state is using in our area in, and also heard some traffic. I heard the digital radios the TSA uses at DAB (and nationwide) too.

I'm working in Houston this week, and the V-folder system this radio uses to give you 11 sets of 500 freqs is going to be real handy for my travels. I monitored the trunked system in Atlanta during my layover, and the systems here in Houston this week.

Ed

 

[neonhomer]

Well, for my Xmas eve gift I recieved a PRO-95 (Radioshack). The guys at RadShack were happy to program it for me, and I am listening to it right now.

However, I would like to be able to lock it into just listen to Edgewater PD.

(AFS 08-141 and 08-142)

Is there a way to do this? Right now, I just have to put it in scan mode and listen.

 

[edweirdFL]

If it's like the 96, you could program just the 2 Talkgroup ID's, and then scan the system in CLOSED mode. That means only traffic on those two would be heard.

I'm doing something a little different. I programmed a lot of the really active TG's I don't want to listen to, and locked them out. I can now listen to the beachside stuff I want, and the occasional TAC channel used elsewhere.

Ed

 

[neonhomer]

I did find out something interesting though... My scanner came preprogrammed with the System A (from http://home.cfl.rr.com/scanner/vcso.htm). I added in the System B frequencies as well, and almost tripled the amount of info I was hearing.

Since this is on the same network, can I put both A & B on the same bank, or do they have to be on different banks (I think they have seperate control channels for each system.)


Now to see what else I can find to listen to with this thing... just need the data cable!

 

[edweirdFL]

According to this http://home.cfl.rr.com/scanner/vcso1.htm some of the cities are on the A system, some on the B system, and some stuff is simulcasted on both. I would place each of the systems in a separate bank. If you wanted to scan both systems at the same time, you could scan both banks (if the Pro-95 allows this), or select which one you want to scan by only selectnig a single bank at a time.

I've programmed the 3rd system which they say is only used for special events into a third bank on my scanner.

So far, I've pretty much been listening to the "B" system only, since it has the DBS talkgroups. According to the page above, Edgewater is on the A system.

There's also frequency info here on this site, under the database links.

The Volusia system http://www.radioreference.com/modules.php?name=TRSDB&sid=199 and other local info http://www.radioreference.com/modules.php?name=RR&ctid=379

Good listening,

Ed

 

[aforsman]

Volusia County

There is Talk about Volusia County going Digital Encrypted... I had a chat with a fellow Stringer and while he was at a shooting last night the Chief of Police told him that Volusia County/Daytona Beach is switching to a digital system

 

[WX4JCW]

You can probably bet it will be provoice, if i remember right volusia was one of the first counties to go trunked, i am sure Ma/Com will want to keep that business.

If it was me, and i was a stringer i would be finding out if the Media will have access, so it doesn't end up being like the CharlieFoxtrot in Orlando,

 

[whattaconcept]

I just got a pro-528, and I used to do some stringing here and out of state a while ago..

Everything I'm searching for as far as police frequencies are concerned is telling me that all of Volusia County is now EDACS, does anyone know about ANY frequencies still available to receive??

It might make it pretty difficult to do much stringing without any real contact.

 

[aforsman]

Scanning/Stringing

Well Volusia County is All EDACS and they have plans within the next 2 years to go to Digital and those signals will not be able to be picked up by any scanner.... I have a MRK-II EDACS Radio so recieving the signals is not a problems for me right now....