Kalamazoo County

[gusmacker74]

I was looking at picking up a SDS100, but when I started looking it almost seems like it would be useless, at least in Kalamazoo County as 99% of all traffic is encrypted on the MSPCS system. Anyone else listen to the state systems? Is there enough traffic that makes it work getting one?

 

[scannerman5000]

You can still listen to MSP Dist. 5 and some of the ambulance services.

 

[freqs]

looks like Fire and EMS and City Services are in the clear Police looks like all Encrypted .
So if you looking to monitor your county Law your out of luck .
Now you have MSP DNR tons of comms on MPSCS with surrounding Counties to monitor
I live north of Detroit I can monitor Macomb Wayne Oakland and St Clair county on a BCD 436 although that model has issues with Simulcast Distortion .My view for me would buy one even if my City was Scrambled if you can afford it buy the best one out .

 

[jaspence]

I lived in that county when they first got their P25 system (not MPSCS). I was a storm spotter with the sheriff's office and computer teacher for adult ed. One night as I was leaving class, the officer on duty and I started talking. I mentioned the new radios, and he showed me his and started talking about the security. I don't remember what scanner I had, but I removed it from my belt, turned it on, and he almost exploded.

 

[drdispatch]

There is still stuff to listen to, as has been noted in previous posts. And since you're getting an SDS, you won't have problems with simulcast distortion. (Kalamazoo County is looking at building a simulcast cell.)
I live in Calhoun, and I still have plenty of things to monitor, even though all of our LE is encrypted.
@jaspence I remember when they got that system, too. It's the reason I bought my PRO-96, because the scanner I had at the time was an analog-only non-trunk-tracker.