In Atlanta; buying scanner - Pro97 or Pro96 ???

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gedaliah5729

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Hi,

I'm getting back into scanning after a long hiatus. My last scanner was an RS Pro-39 that I still have. I am considering getting the RS Pro-97 (on sale for $149.99, regular price is $219.99). Is it worth it spending a few extra hundred bucks on a digital scanner now? (RS Pro-96 or a Uniden). I live in metro Atlanta and would start with Atlanta, Fulton, DeKalb, and Cobb stuff. What's digital and what would I be missing with a Pro-97?

Thanks.
 

koonhatenme

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im in mcdonough georgia..... could you send me some info on that stufffff tooo bro ? please
 

b7spectra

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Pro96 is really the only way to go. Cobb County, even though delayed, will probably be the 1st to go digital. All others will soon follow suit and then the Pro97 will be useless!
 

K4SVT

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97

The 97 is good little scanner i say but im saving to for a 96 so ya no compitetion there
 

4phun

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Scanner suggestions

firemedic2150 said:
Get a 396 does a great job on all of the Atlanta area systems.

Mark Mc.

Since none of the Atlanta systems are digital I would guess any decent trunking scanner would work. I can not recommend the 396 since the audio output volume control is poor when using it with digital systems. If you can find a 396 for under $400 I would suggest getting it anyway as it has some nice features not found in many other current scanners.


The PRO 96 is way cheaper when on sale and overall a better handheld digital scanner. I have one and have no plans on selling it at this time. I have just unloaded a boatload of other scanners and radios. I still ahve a BC780XLT but I suspect I have sold that one for $65 to a guy at work, I will not know for sure until I see the money.

Uniden may have an improved digital scanner in mobile/base format in a new BCD396T which should be out by late summer. It should have a street price in the mid $500 price range give or take a few sawbucks.

There is a new BR330T that is very interesting as a basic non digital trunking scanner. It has all the great features of the 396 less digital trunking plus the extended frequency coverage of a worldband radio. It has a NASCAR logo on it which dsturbs some but IMHO it may help hold its resale value as there would be a large market of people there that would still buy a non digital scanner after everyone goes digital. They do not need a digital scanner at the races so that should not bother them too much. If I find ione cheap enough I plan to buy it and cover the logo with a lable from my lable gun. I suspect this radio will be sold at volume in many palces at good prices as distribution fills the market place. This is a mass market scanner with fine features for anyone.

The BR330T is going to cost you $252 from Amazon.com

I would avoid paying over a hundred dollars for any trunking scanner that could not potentialy be rebanded later as changes take place. Failure to heed thiis advice could cost you a lot of money. It may create a situation where your scanner may basically be better of as a boat anchor than a trunking radio.
 

1268

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Go 396 or pro-96 most of the Metro will go digital before long, if your using it well north of the city alot then you could go 330T, but in town would recommend going with a pro-96 or 396. :p
 

MP5

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Cobb County, even though delayed, will probably be the 1st to go digital. All others will soon follow suit and then the Pro97 will be useless!
__________________
/\/\|k.e
webmaster
ScanAtlanta.com


Forsyth County is already digital, unless you don't cosider it part of the METRO Area.
 

berrin

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Pro 96 for Digital?

I'll cast my vote for the Pro96. I've used it in Atlanta and on some digital systems around the state and it works flawlessly. Combined with Don Starr's software, you can't beat it.
 

b7spectra

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Forsyth Co is full digital, US Gov has a digital system up and running and MARTA is a digital/analog mix. Go for the digital!
 

DanRollman

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4phun said:
Since none of the Atlanta systems are digital I would guess any decent trunking scanner would work.

MARTA, Federal/DHS/Dobbins, and Forsyth County, to name three metro Atlanta systems that are Digital.

4phun said:
I still ahve a BC780XLT but I suspect I have sold that one for $65 to a guy at work, I will not know for sure until I see the money.

If that deal falls through, drop me a line. I'll pay $75. If nothing else, I can resell a working 780 on eBay for three times that. If you'd like to sell your car for 1/4 of its market value, I'll take that, too. Whatever it is.

4phun said:
Failure to heed thiis advice could cost you a lot of money. It may create a situation where your scanner may basically be better of as a boat anchor than a trunking radio.

It could be a boat anchor, but my BC9000XLT or Pro-2006 could have too I suppose. Loosing 800 MHz trunking ability will hurt older scanners' values, but certainly will not be the end of their utility. Let's not forget there is still a lot out there besides Motorola 800 MHz trunked systems, both in public safety (plenty of suburb counties still on VHF) and elsewhere (air, media, federal, mil, etc.). Plus, those people in the big and numerous major conventional cities remaining (LA, Dallas, Chicago, Boston, New York, etc.) will be real winners in all of this, since the cost of excellent scanners for those areas (like BC780's) will drop.

Dan
www.AtlantaScanner.com
 
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