The short answer is yes, it is easier to pick up a conventional tower because you know that anyone who is talking on/listening to that frequency is only using that tower, so you know you will hear all traffic. On a trunk system, you don't know what tower they are affiliated with, and 2 people could be having a conversation across 2 towers miles/counties apart that your scanner can't hear. Add simulcast to the mix and it gets even more complex since scanners don't handle simul very well. But the radios handle it pretty well (I won't say perfectly, because they can have issues too) but that is why they cost 3-4 thousand and a scanner costs 3-4 hundred. In my experience the stock multi-band antennas that come with the scanners are lousy on the state system, go for an 800 only antenna. They work MUCH better. Hope that answers your question Eric. And no, on the radios the audio is crystal clear, unless they go digital, which happens pretty infrequently.
