New Scanner Ideas

[KD0RVY]

So I have been in Skywarn the last 4 years and I have had my tech. ticket for 2. I also, as of today< have become an ARES Emergency Coordinator, and see a need and desire for a scanner. Now I was thinking about getting two RTL-SDR dongles and hooking them up to my laptop as suggested by a fellow Skywarn buddy, but I am hearing that may not be the best way to go. So my questions that brings me here are this:

1) Could using the RTL-SDR dongles in anyway be a viable option even if its a "just for now" setup?

2) If #1 is not a good option, what scanner options do I have that will do what I need and not break the bank?

Thanks a lot for the help.

 

[N8IAA]

So I have been in Skywarn the last 4 years and I have had my tech. ticket for 2. I also, as of today< have become an ARES Emergency Coordinator, and see a need and desire for a scanner. Now I was thinking about getting two RTL-SDR dongles and hooking them up to my laptop as suggested by a fellow Skywarn buddy, but I am hearing that may not be the best way to go. So my questions that brings me here are this:

1) Could using the RTL-SDR dongles in anyway be a viable option even if its a "just for now" setup?

2) If #1 is not a good option, what scanner options do I have that will do what I need and not break the bank?

Thanks a lot for the help.

I'm going to suggest the 396T/XT scanner. It will allow you to manage all the TGID's that Stearns county has. Check out the RR For Sale forum. Quite a few there.
Larry