Need a scanner recommendation for my area.

[ke4pnj]

I live in Charles County Maryland right on the borders of Calvert and St Marys counties. I need a recommendation for a scanner that will work with all of the trunked systems in those counties. I currently have a Uniden Bear Tracker BCT15X. I will primarily be using it indoors but would also like recommendations for a mobile unit also.

Thank you in advance.

Rich

 

[doctordialtone]

I will primarily be using it indoors but would also like recommendations for a mobile unit also.

For a handheld, I like the 325P2. It's reasonably priced and trouble-free.

For base models, I like the 996P2. It's also reasonably priced and trouble-free.

If your area suffers from Simulcast Distortion, the only scanners that handle that properly are the SDS models.

Here's a listing:

Uniden Scanners - The RadioReference Wiki

wiki.radioreference.com

 

[jonwienke]

For a mobile, I definitely recommend the SDS200. Simulcast is fairly common, and becoming more so. The odds are pretty much 100% that you'll drive through places served by simulcast systems. Get the GPS for it, too Being able to drive and have the scanner switch what it scans as you drive without constantly turning stuff on and off manually makes mobile scanning way better.

 

[maus92]

If you want to monitor the St. Mary's County Harris simulcast P25P2 system, you will need a SDS or Unication G4/G5 radio. When the state's new Astro P25P2 simulcast system goes operational in your region by the end of this year, it's likely you will require a SDS radio or Unication G4/G5. For now, Charles County's Smartnet system can be adequately received by a 996P2 or 325P2, but they will be transitioning to a Phase 2 simulcast system in the next few years, and will likely require a SDS or Unication G4/G5 radio. The state's system will start testing later this spring or summer.