Naive questions

[ka1njl]

I have been a radio/scanner enthusiast for a long time and from what I've read here I think I'd enjoy a G5. However, I can't determine which frequency range is best for my location in Monroe county (NY) on the border of Wayne county. I think the cost of the G5 is reasonable for what it does but I can't afford to buy the wrong one.

In that light I have two questions. What is the best way to determine which one to buy? And, can I monitor amateur radio transmissions with the G5?

All helpful advice will be appreciated.

73, Gary

 

[ecarvalho]

Your police dept appears to be 460Mhz (UHF) but your Fire dept is 154Mhz (VHF).

Can you determine what system (s) you want to monitor in P25 around your area?
Keep in mind P25 phase 2 is not yet deployed by Unication and might not be available until October 2017 according to Unication.

 

[ka1njl]

Your police dept appears to be 460Mhz (UHF) but your Fire dept is 154Mhz (VHF).

Can you determine what system (s) you want to monitor in P25 around your area?
Keep in mind P25 phase 2 is not yet deployed by Unication and might not be available until October 2017 according to Unication.

Thanks for the quick response. I was put off by the need for both VHF and UHF to cover everything. Maybe this is the wrong receiver for me. However, before I make that decision I'll look around for p25 systems as you suggest and determine which may be worth listening to.

Gary

 

[ecarvalho]

Thanks for the quick response. I was put off by the need for both VHF and UHF to cover everything. Maybe this is the wrong receiver for me. However, before I make that decision I'll look around for p25 systems as you suggest and determine which may be worth listening to.



Gary

Look particularly for systems in your range that are troubled by simulcast!

 

[sparklehorse]

The Unication pagers really only excel at P25 Phase 1 simulcast systems. They are not that great as analog VHF or UHF receivers, because they use an internal antenna for those bands, and can only scan 16 conventional channels at a time. If all you need is analog VHF and UHF then you are honestly better off with one of the Uniden or Whistler hand helds, or base/mobile models, which of course can also monitor 2-meter and 440 ham radio bands easily. Or even something like a Yeasu VX-6 works decently as an analog police scanner, but also lets you transmit on 2-meter and 440 if you have a ham ticket. But if you do have simulcast P25 Phase I systems in your area there is nothing in the price range of the Unication that can compete with them for clear, reliable P25 digital audio reception. They are in an entirely different league vs. the current P25 offerings from consumer scanner makers like Uniden and Whistler.

.

 

[troymail]

The Unication pagers really only excel at P25 Phase 1 simulcast systems.
.

Concur -

P25 (Phase 1) simulcast (Baltimore City, Baltimore County, etc.) - great.

P25 (Phase 1) non-simulcast, non in-building coverage system (IMHO - NC VIPER for example) - not so much - at least not inside my house.

Anything else - you should probably stick with a scanner - at least at this point.

 

[ka1njl]

Thanks for the help

Thank you everyone for the insights. The truth is that I have a Uniden 436 that is great for monitoring almost everything locally but I am looking for something new (just for kicks) and something that is less conspicuous. In NYS we cannot have scanners in our cars but a pager is one way to keep monitoring while, perhaps correctly or incorrect, skirting that law. I know the wide band receiver in my amateur transceivers are exempt from that law but they don't receive anything digital except DStar, nothing in use by public service agencies.

Oh well, I'll keep an eye out for something else.

Gary

 

[ecarvalho]

Move somewhere with lots of P25 phase 1 systems man!
jk