Its been asked many times before (lol)

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burchill

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So hear it goes WHAT TO GET lol, I am looking to get a scanner and there are so many choice out there and the last thing I want to do is get something that will obsolete in a year or so. A couple things I know I want to get a digital scanner (this will cover both digital and analog frequencies).
I am living in Nova Scotia ( Halifax for now) and i am interested in getting or trying to get most things such as police, fire, EMS all the usual suspects and aircraft (military) perhaps and maybe cellphone lol with a unblocked scanner hehe. Any, one reason for getting a scanned is that I go to the local track Scotia SpeedWorld and go to a few Nascar events in the sumer and would like to program the cars and pits into the scanned as well when I go to the tracks.
I know nothing about scanners a bit more then i did thought yesterday been reading a bit anyhow not sure what to get I have been looking at the GRE - PSR 800 which seems nice and its able to download the data base from this site to allow ease of use and i would think that one couple self program or add other frequencies to it swell with some sort of software program.
I would like again something digital, good range, something mobile (to take to the races) and looking to spend no more then 500 dollars I think with upwards of 500 that should get me a scanner with the qualities I'm looking for, just worried about getting something then its not useful because of rebandding lol read a bit about that tonight anyhow, Id like to have a few options to choose from 3 - 4 to make it easier and basinal come down to style size, thanks sorry for being so long winded and not using proper sentence structure lol wife hates it, but who has time lol Thanks Burchill
 

robschonk

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Got a PSR-800 and love it! It's prolly the only one that will receive P25 Phase II when it comes online.

The other choices would be the BCT396 and HP 1. Each has it's fans and detractors. HP 1 seems more like a scanner with training wheels. To do everything I want to do, I'd have to add the extreme upgrade for another 100 bux. Not quite as "portable" as the other two. The PSR-500 will do it, but is almost as expensive as the 800, and the 800 includes software and free RR updates.
 

N8IAA

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So hear it goes WHAT TO GET lol, I am looking to get a scanner and there are so many choice out there and the last thing I want to do is get something that will obsolete in a year or so. A couple things I know I want to get a digital scanner (this will cover both digital and analog frequencies).
I am living in Nova Scotia ( Halifax for now) and i am interested in getting or trying to get most things such as police, fire, EMS all the usual suspects and aircraft (military) perhaps and maybe cellphone lol with a unblocked scanner hehe. Any, one reason for getting a scanned is that I go to the local track Scotia SpeedWorld and go to a few Nascar events in the sumer and would like to program the cars and pits into the scanned as well when I go to the tracks.
I know nothing about scanners a bit more then i did thought yesterday been reading a bit anyhow not sure what to get I have been looking at the GRE - PSR 800 which seems nice and its able to download the data base from this site to allow ease of use and i would think that one couple self program or add other frequencies to it swell with some sort of software program.
I would like again something digital, good range, something mobile (to take to the races) and looking to spend no more then 500 dollars I think with upwards of 500 that should get me a scanner with the qualities I'm looking for, just worried about getting something then its not useful because of rebandding lol read a bit about that tonight anyhow, Id like to have a few options to choose from 3 - 4 to make it easier and basinal come down to style size, thanks sorry for being so long winded and not using proper sentence structure lol wife hates it, but who has time lol Thanks Burchill

As much as there is a whole new set of scannerheads out there talking about the PSR-800 and Homepatrol 1. I'm going with two of the traditional scanners, the PSR-500 and the BCD-396XT. I have the radio shack version of the 500 and a 396XT also. I do have an 800 too. Depends on how much scanning you'll be doing. Will you be mobile, in the house? All new scanners can do the rebanding. I looked up Nova Scotia's regional trunked system and it is a combo of analog and digital. Either of these scanners should work well. Especially if you'll be taking them to the races. They are more versatile, in my opinion, than the 800 or HP-1. It truly is up to you. Maybe ask in the Canadian forums further down the forums page for a better answer.
HTH,
Larry
 

burchill

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So what is P25 Phase II and when will this take effect and will it make other scanners obsolete that can't pick it up? what frequencies will it effect only the police?
 

N8IAA

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So what is P25 Phase II and when will this take effect and will it make other scanners obsolete that can't pick it up? what frequencies will it effect only the police?

No one really knows until a jurisdiction applies for Phase II. The current Phase I uses a technology called FDMA. Phase II uses a completely different one called TDMA. It is how the signal is broadcast over the air. The best way to stay up to date is to follow your province in the Canadian forums. As is stands in my area of Georgia, it is divided between a variety of digital systems. P-25, Mototrbo, Nexedge, and OpenSky. Still a lot of analog too. My county decided to encrypt all PD, SO, and city PD's. The 800 is supposed to decode Phase II, X2 TDMA. I can't answer that because there is no one in my metro, or state area that uses TDMA.
HTH,
Larry
 

trkntrlrman

RS-PRO 34, RS-PRO 60, BCD396XT, BCD996XT, SDS200
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Just a little side note in case you didn't know, the BCT396XT says inside the battery compartment, that "use of this scanner in Canada Requires a radio license". For my money and I have one, I'd go with the BCD396XT. I'd download Freescan, get an Account here on RR, and download a few areas and look at the way it's programmed, It won't be long and you'll have it figured out. also buy the manual(Book) it's worth the bucks. I've had mine for a couple weeks now and love it....
 
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Just a little side note in case you didn't know, the BCT396XT says inside the battery compartment, that "use of this scanner in Canada Requires a radio license". For my money and I have one, I'd go with the BCD396XT. I'd download Freescan, get an Account here on RR, and download a few areas and look at the way it's programmed, It won't be long and you'll have it figured out. also buy the manual(Book) it's worth the bucks. I've had mine for a couple weeks now and love it....

The FreeScan and RR account are very important tools for scanners.
 

burchill

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New User, entry level scanner

What would be a good entry level scanner I opted thinking of getting a gre psr 800 but now maybe thinking something cheaper on a entry level between 3 - 4 thats digital and would be programable with the laptop and would pick up your regular frequencies and police of course and something that will be compatiable with the systems over the next year or so thanksScott
 

scannerboy01

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Just a little side note in case you didn't know, the BCT396XT says inside the battery compartment, that "use of this scanner in Canada Requires a radio license".

That is not actually a law in Canada. There was talk about making a law like that, but nothing became of that talk.
 
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