help choosing a scanner for the new metro police

[woollymammoth]

i live in louisville and i assume they all went to the new digital 800 mhrtz band....will a radio shack pro 97 work for this?....what is a cheap hand-held that i can listen to?...and anyone know that exact frequency for j-town police??

 

[ofd8001]

Check the Radio Reference Wiki for a list of scanners that will work with P25 digital trunked systems. Bottom line, they ain't cheap.

J-town police have several talkgroups on the new MetroSafe system, which you can find by looking at the Louisville MetroSafe section of the Radio Reference database.

 

[nofdexplorer406]

I recommend a Scanner from RadioShack, ScannerMaster, or you can Call Radioland Inc they have preprogrammed scanners for sale last time i was in there for parts

 

[unitcharlie]

Our friends at Scanner Master (they help support radioreference.com) have the PSR 500 at a really good price, $358.00.... That includes the transformer and programming cable with a stock antenna and a CD with drivers, basic programming software and the battery holders. By way of comparison the comparable Uniden, BCD396XT, is priced at $479.95; at Radio Shack the Pro 106 IS $399.99 and doesn't include the programming cable nor transformer. You'll also need a good set of rechargeable batteries for the PSR and PRO (included with the Uniden). I'd recommend Don Starr's WIN 500 programming software (makes life much easier when trying to modify things inside your load) and an 800 MHz antenna...

 

[woollymammoth]

i have found the pro-106

on sale for 299.00...that's good right?.....what exactly is a transformer and why would i need it?....also,what does software do if i just want to listen to a particular frequency?....what's the deal with programming?

 

[unitcharlie]

That's a good price for a 106.... Radio Shack has a good price right now on the companion base, PRO 197 at $329.99... If you buy a handheld scanner you'll need the transformer so you won't burn thru a bunch of batteries while scanning at home.... The programming cable is almost a necessity unless you have the patience of Job and the fingers of Superman. There's is a lot of button pushing to get MetroSafe into your radio, much easier and m ore efficient to use your computer for that task.... The Radio Shack ad has the cable half-off if you buy the 197 at the same time (offer good thru 31 Dec 11, it says) which is a deal.... If you never plan to go mobile with your scanner the 197 would be good.... Good Luck!

 

[woollymammoth]

question about a couple of scanners.....

first of all which if either will pick up the new metro digital signals?....

Radio Shack PRO-528 Triple Trunking Scanner

or

RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Radio Scanner

both are for sale cheap.....

 

[unitcharlie]

These are the only MetroSafe capable scanners, to date...

You are limited to scanners that will scan P-25 Trunked Systems.... and they are pricey. This is the list: PSR 500 ($358.00), PSR 600 ($398.00) and PSR 800 ($449.95)from GRE... BCD 396XT ($479.95), BC 996XT ($479.95) and The Home Patrol ($489.95) from Uniden (the BCD 396T and BCD 996T will also work)... PRO 106 ($399.99) and PRO 197 ($329.99) from Radio Shack (the PRO 96 will also work). You will also need an 800 MHz antenna to optimize your signals if you use a hand held, I like the GRE 800MHz Antenna... I honestly don't recommend the PRO 96 nor BCD 396T/996T because of their age and the fact that they aren't supported with updates.... In order to monitor MetroSafe you will need a P-25 trunking scanner. I do recommend programming software with which ever scanner you purchase.... it will save you time and effort and allow folks to help you with your files.
Note to purists: If I have omitted a scanner from this list it is due to the time and my advancing age, not my personal scanner bias. I do prefer one brand of scanner over the others because of the relative ease with which they operate and can be operated...