Looking to buy a new scanner

[xx8josh9xx]

i am looking to buy a new handheld scanner....what should i get? and why that one? it has to be digital.....i live in Hamilton Co. and i can hear all of them fine [on my pro-164]....i want to be able to pick up state police, Tipton Co, Madison Co, Knox Co, Marion Co, and probably Monroe Co. i know i wont be able to pick them all up from were i live but i want to pick them up when i am in those counties. what should i purchase? price isnt much of an option.....

 

[AK9R]

The age old question. Which $500 scanner do I buy. GRE PSR-500 or Uniden BCD396T?

See this thread for a recent discussion of the subject: http://www.radioreference.com/forums/showthread.php?t=109320

 

[W9NES]

Bob,Thank you for posting the link but if you are going to buy a scanner hands down you will buy the Uniden Bc 396T or the Uniden Bc 996T. Look at the specs for the scanner vs the GRE-PSR500. I will always buy the Uniden.I am pround to say that I own 1 of the 396T's as a handheld unit I carry with me all the time and I own (6) of the Uniden 996T's.Just my two cents worth!!!Read the owners manual!!!!!

 

[ExpendableCrew]

As posted in the other link, I purchased the 396t. So far, I am very pleased with the unit. You will want to download BCTool from this site and grab a premium subscription so you can access the database for programing. The combination makes programing very easy.

 

[xx8josh9xx]

As posted in the other link, I purchased the 396t. So far, I am very pleased with the unit. You will want to download BCTool from this site and grab a premium subscription so you can access the database for programing. The combination makes programing very easy.

i alrdy have that..

 

[N9WP]

I haven't played with the GRE scanners yet but I also put my vote in for the BCD396t. I have one and it does a great job for me. To make it easy for you, I have the usd files to program the 396 on my webpage, you just have to download them and download the free software from uniden. My files cover central and West Central Indiana and East central Illinois. Link is in my signiture.

 

[W9NES]

N9WP, Thanks for your view on the Uniden 396T, Could you please share with the others your view on the Uniden BC 996T.

 

[N9WP]

N9WP, Thanks for your view on the Uniden 396T, Could you please share with the others your view on the Uniden BC 996T.

I love the 996, mine is usually used for my online feed but currently I'm using it next to my bed as I recover from surgery. After I return to work next week and put the 996 back online, people can listen to my online feed and judge for themselves. I just got my 796 going for my feed right now, a good scanner but nothing compaired to the 996 in my opinion. I've owned many scanners and the 996 is my favorite whether it is used for my feed, if I take it mobile with a mag mount antenna and power from the ciggarette lighter plug or next to my bed!!! I'm actually debating on selling my 796 to pick up another 996 and I don't usually part with my scanners. Here in Boone county, I've probably been responsible for 50+ sales of 396's and 996's and more then half of those I helped program for people and I interact with these folks when I see them and they still love their scanners and thank me for my recomendation.

The GRE's sound like they are good scanners too but I've always bought Uniden, they do a great job for what I need them to do and they have never failed me yet so I will continue to recommend the Uniden scanners. I'd love to do a compairson of the new GRE's vs the Unidens but I haven't had any cross my desk at home. I have compaired the Radio Shack 2096 to the Uniden 996 and the Uniden beats it in every way from sound quality, build quality, display, programming, to the amount of memory. The Uniden's can't be beat...

 

[AK9R]

I'd love to do a compairson of the new GRE's vs the Unidens but I haven't had any cross my desk at home.

I currently have both a GRE PSR-600 that I bought and a borrowed Uniden BCD996T. My initial reaction to the GRE was a bit negative because of the need to use the attenuator to get it to trunk track. I can see a cell site from one of my bedroom windows and it appears to cause some RF overload for the GRE.

When I ran my side-by-side testing, the Uniden still had the version 1.x firmware. I was getting a bit of machine-gunning that the 396 and 996 are known for. I've since upgraded the Uniden to the publicly-available 2.x firmware, but I haven't done the side-by-side test again. Now that MECA is transitioning to their new digital system, I plan to do some more side-by-side testing.

 

[W9NES]

Thanks bob for your view on the subject matter at hand.I have never seen any GRE's setting on the asignment desk at any of the TV stations Asignment Desks at Channel 6,8,13, or 59 or The Indianapolis Star.I programed (4) scanners for WIBC 93.1 a while back and they bought with my recomendiation(2) of the Uniden 396T's and (2) of the Uniden 996T's.I also own (6) of the Uniden 996t's and (1) of the 396T's that I carry with me all the time.I do monitor MECA Police,Fire, EMS along with Boone County and Hendricks County Talkgroups along with Hamilton County.

 

[N9WP]

I was getting a bit of machine-gunning that the 396 and 996 are known for.

I do agree with that. The machine gunning sound on the Uniden's is one negative. On the 996, you can fix that by identifying the digital talkgroups as digital, it's easiest done through the software (where you identify the talkgroup alpha tag,the column under audio, select digital in the drop down). The 396 you can't do that with. I'm still running the older firmware on both my 996 and 396, haven't updated yet...The 396 I'm still on a firmware a couple versions back which works pretty good with less of the machine gunning.

 

[xx8josh9xx]

Thanks

just wanted to say thanks for all of the replies.....and i was a bit confused when i was reading over it....but ill will read back through it when it isnt 1:30 in the morning....without wearing contacts hahaa......thanks again...

 

[brentoli]

Question...
I haven't delved into the world of trunking, and SAFE-T yet. The woman won't let me.

But...

Would it be easier in Madison county to have a seprate scanner for SAFE-T and a seperate scanner for the rest of the county, since it is all conventional. Or would a (3)996 handle it just fine, with out missing much traffic?

 

[KC9NEG]

Any of the GRE or Uniden scanners would handle it (mixed trunk/conventional) just fine.

Todd/Indy
KC9NEG