good radio choice for north dakota

[chevycheyenne]

i was looking into getting a uniden 780 but its a little out of my price range ( i know im cheap) so i started looking into the bct8. This radio should pick up everything north dakota has to offer shouldnt it. Also is range an issue with this scanner, or i suppose you could just get a better antenna. It has the same trunk tracker as the 780 and covers the same range is my understanding.

 

[chevycheyenne]

somebodys gotta have some thoughts on this

 

[fireant]

I am not familar with uniden radio's but do know some about radio shack scanner radios according to the radio reference database there is no digital systems in norh dakota so i would look at the pro 95 it picks everything up you would need also there is a program you can download off the net just use your search engine and enter pro 95 and you can program it from your home computer also offers alpha tags so you know whom you are listening to when you pick up someone it runs $199 if you cannot go that route you can always get a pro 94 its a good radio just don't offer the alpha tags and the computer programming feature it runs $149 that is the route I would go for now and wait later on when or if North Dakota goes digital to invest any big money in a digtal scanner I know I live in oklahoma but I hope this helps answer your question

fireant

 

[N_Jay]

. . .according to the radio reference database there is no digital systems in norh dakota . . .

Some one better double check the database. :wink:

 

[chevycheyenne]

thanks for the help, any uniden guys out there?

 

[Thunderbolt]

For what you want, the 780 would be the best way to go. Trust me, when I say the radio is very sensitive and can hear better than the current 796D, especially on VHF-High band. Also, you will love the two line alpha-display, where you can write-in the data you want to. You can grow into the 780, but the BCT-8 is rather limited, and down the road you will be kicking yourself for not going with the former of the two. Moreover, you can program the 780 via a software and a cable, which is much better than doing it manually from the keyboard.


73's

Ron

 

[chevycheyenne]

im just exploring my options here and i was wondering what other companies answer to the 780 is. It has to be base/mobile too.

 

[loumaag]

. . .according to the radio reference database there is no digital systems in norh dakota . . .

Some one better double check the database. :wink:

Okay, I did. Perhaps you can provide a liink to a RR DB item which indicates a digital system in ND. :wink:

 

[AngelFire91]

Actually there is a couple Digital Talkgroups around. The Grand Forks System does have a couple but they are mostly Data so it really doesn't do any good to listen to them. I have heard talks about some digital stuff in the future but nothing as of right now. Of course the TSA is Digital, that's about it right now, in ND.

 

[loumaag]

Actually there is a couple Digital Talkgroups around. The Grand Forks System does have a couple but they are mostly Data so it really doesn't do any good to listen to them. I have heard talks about some digital stuff in the future but nothing as of right now. Of course the TSA is Digital, that's about it right now, in ND.

I will stand by my statement of earlier. There are no digital systems or items in the RR DB in North Dakota. First off, by definition data channels are digital, so by that defiinition all Motorola and EDACS systems are at least partialy digitial because they have digital control channels. That was not the intent of my comment. I was refering to communication channels. (Let's keep this thread simple. )

As to the TSA, well Kevin, you have ND access; fix the problem (its pretty lonely up here). :lol:

 

[N_Jay]

Nothing more I can say right now. :wink:

 

[AngelFire91]

I agree it's lonely, The TSA is just using their VHF standard frequencies, The Digital Talkgroups you got me on But Like I said they are talking about getting some Digital but not right now. I'll be back up there later this month and see if things have changed any.

 

[jason_58201]

who's running digital talkgroups? i haven't heard any at all, other than the fed system.

 

[jason_58201]

by the way, it all depends on which system you are talking about, if its the main 800 motorola type 2 system which i monitor everyday trying to find out whos who on the talkgroups, cause everyone and there mother uses this now a days, i haven't heard anything digital, (you can't really hear it, ususally i see the talkgroup pop up and hear nothing). although stones also uses a couple of LTR systems which i don't really monitor anymore even though my scanner can track it. there is also a edacs system in town which is pretty much boring.

 

[jason_58201]

by the way, it all depends on which system you are talking about, if its the main 800 motorola type 2 system which i monitor everyday trying to find out whos who on the talkgroups, cause everyone and there mother uses this now a days, i haven't heard anything digital, (you can't really hear it, ususally i see the talkgroup pop up and hear nothing). although stones also uses a couple of LTR systems which i don't really monitor anymore even though my scanner can track it. there is also a edacs system in town which is pretty much boring.

 

[loumaag]

who's running digital talkgroups? i haven't heard any at all, other than the fed system.

Nobody! Reread the thread. :roll:

 

[chevycheyenne]

hey i just talked to a local cop about what kind of radio they are running and he said that they are going to upgrade to a digital system in a couple of years. He said that the money they got from the homeland security grant is letting them do this. I know this guy isnt pulling my chain either. That sucks!

 

[loumaag]

You should look on your state's Information Technology Department web page:
http://www.state.nd.us/itd/

Look under Current Initiatives and you will see one of the projects is called: Public Safety Mobile Radio Communications. The associated link makes interesting reading. 8)

 

[jason_58201]

which city or agency was this local cop in?

 

[chevycheyenne]

bottineau county