Listening to OKC Police

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Redneck425

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I know this sounds like the tipple newbie thing, but what is the cheapest way to be able to listen into police with a mobile scanner? I dont understand all this ProVoice stuff... I have used a boefeng but only for when i worked at walmart. I just want to be able to listen in to dispatch in my free time. Could someone please guide me in a direction of what i need to do? Good "cheap" scanner/radio to buy? How to set up a scanner/radio or at lease some simple guidelines? Thank you to anyone who may help me. I really Appreciate it.
 

N5TWB

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Use the Radio Reference wiki pages to guide your quest for knowledge & that way you'll really know it rather than "sum dood on the interwebs told me...." Clues to help your quest: if you want a handheld radio, check out a Uniden BC-396XT or if you want a base/mobile unit, check out the Uniden BC-996XT. Next, go to the RR database: https://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?sid=844 to discover the info you need to program your scanner. This info will have to be combined with what you learned on the wiki. Further search clues on the wiki: trunked radio systems, Motorola SmartNet Type II, P25, and the answer to what ProVoice is can be found there, too.

Best of luck in your knowledge search - the crew here is ready to help so this is your opportunity to learn some stuff so you can ask informed questions where the answer can actually help you. Another resource: www.scannerschool.com -- includes videos to assist in the learning.
 

wx5uif

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You are correct that you will need a Provoice scanner. (They have some talk groups that are linked on the OKWIN system, but I'm not certain if all the divisions and channels are full time.)

Uniden BCD325P2, BCD996P2, BCD436HP, BCD536HP and SDS100 are the scanners that can have an upgrade key bought to monitor Provoice.
 

hiegtx

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I know this sounds like the tipple newbie thing, but what is the cheapest way to be able to listen into police with a mobile scanner? I dont understand all this ProVoice stuff... I have used a boefeng but only for when i worked at walmart. I just want to be able to listen in to dispatch in my free time. Could someone please guide me in a direction of what i need to do? Good "cheap" scanner/radio to buy? How to set up a scanner/radio or at lease some simple guidelines? Thank you to anyone who may help me. I really Appreciate it.
Your 'cheapest' solution for listening to OKC PD would be to listen to one of the feeds on Broadcastify. However, listening to a feed, you can only hear what the feed provider has set up. You cannot listen to anything that he or she did not program for the feed, neither can you hold on something of interest, like an ongoing incident. When the scanner moves to the next active talkgroup, you can't control what it goes to.

ProVoice is not the same as encryption. It is a digital talkgroup type used on EDACS systems. But, previously, you could not monitor ProVoice on a scanner. However, certain newer Uniden scanners can receive ProVoice utilizing a paid upgrade. The list of scanners capable of this are on the ProVoice page in the Wiki. However, none of those scanners fits the definition of 'cheap', unless you get a fantastic deal on a previously owned scanner. The scanners are the ones that wx5uif listed.

Also look at this page in the Wiki. You may be able to monitor the system with one of the SDR dongles, plus some software that can be downloaded. I have not tried this, but it appears doable. However, it would require using a PC to rum the software as well as process the output of the SDR tuner.
Whatever you choose to try, remember that the EDACS format (including ProVoice) is end of life, and manufacturer support is being discontinued.

Many of the formerly ProVoice systems are being updated to P25 (digital). Whether, or when, that may be done in your area, I would not know.
 

HogDriver

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Are the links to OCPD still active on OKWIN? That’s what I listened to before Provoice opened up.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 

Turner101

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Yes ALL of the division dispatch channels are still active on the OKWIN system. There is no need to pay for a provoice upgrade esp since OKC PD/FD are moving to P25 Phase II system. Not sure when they are switching but I think its sometime first half of next year

Any scanner/radio capable of scanning a Motorola Type II SmartZone system will work if you just want to listen to their dispatch channels.
 
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plaws

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There is no need to pay for a provoice upgrade esp since OKC PD/FD are moving to P25 Phase II system. Not sure when they are switching but I think its sometime first half of next year

If I had waited every time I heard that "they're changing to a new system so you might as well wait" I'd have never bought a scanner.

FD is RARELY bridged to OKWIN. PD, as noted, is there most of the time.

I have the key for PRV (and all the others) for my BCD436HP. I also have the PRV key for my BCD996P2. If I ever get it into my car (in place of my BCD996XT) I'll get the other keys as well.

It comes down to budget. None of the radios (all Uniden) that are PRV capable are cheap. OTOH, in addition to eBay there is also Craigslist and the marketplace thingie on Facebook and with the last two, you can often find good deals from people who really need some quick cash.

Someone mentioned Broadcastify ... Fine at home where you can run an instance for each of the Divisions but unwieldy at best mobile. Scanners scan for a reason.
 

Ensnared

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Dongle

I would look at using dongles to monitor. One for receiving and one for decoding ProVoice.
 
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