New to scanners - central FL, near UCF

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Geoff321

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Aug 19, 2008
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Hello, I am new to scanners and last night got a RadioShack PRO-164. I had a giftcard from this past x-mas that has been sitting in my wallet. My weather radio (several years old) crapped out over the weekend and I figured I would go pick up a new one on Monday night. The store was pretty busy, lots of people getting weather radios and they were sold out of all but the hand-cranked redcross one. I started to look at the scanners. I figured I would loose the "standby" alert, but the sales person explained I could put the scanner in a "sleep" mode as long as it was turned on and it would alert with the same county code I program in like my old desktop weather radio would do. He would give me a deal (10% off) since it was his last one in stock. Anyway, I have wanted a scanner ever since I was a kid (Im 25 now) so I figured why not.

Well I get the thing home and turn it on and start reading the manual. First I program the weather part with the right codes. Then I setup the "SkyWarn" function. I found this forum looking for information on trunking and how to set it up as the manual for my scanner is only so-so. I think my technical skill is good enough to take on setting this stuff up, but its all new stuff for me so I will need to read up on it more...and right now I cant get much to work.

I have the list of trunking signals in my area (from this website) and when I follow the instructions to get it going, the scanner seems to ask some questions that are not covered steps in the manual.

Also, I was sad to read that all the OPD stuff is now digital and encrypted, as well as the OFD being digital now.

If anyone else knows about working with this scanner (or one similar), could you point me to a place I can read up on setting the scanner to listen to the list of local trunking signals.

I only have the stock antenna, and I was sitting in my backyard last night trying to search for stuff and program it to a ch. So far all I have been able to get is : UCF mait. dept, coast guard, something that sounded like a cab company, and a few audio feeds of local TV stations. I also would sometimes find what sounded like it could be a PD/FD dispatch but it sounded like I was only getting part of the conversation...I was listening on FM so I guess that I was hearing part of a trunked signal?

Also, what things am I going to be able to pick up and listen to in my area as far as law enforcement, fire, ems and any other interesting stuff. I live on Univ. Blvd. about a mile away from Alafaya. With more stuff going digital, if I am not going to be able to hear much with this unit I would like to return it and use the funds for a digital scanner, or something else entierly. It looks like Orlando is a hard city for someone new to scanning, with the way the public works and county stuff is setup.
 

WX4JCW

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Jun 26, 2006
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Stow, Ohio
It will alert on the SAME code i will give you Orange counties
012095

You will not be able to montor the Orlando 25A System without a digital scanner, however for now You can Monitor Orange County 1F36 as they are non digital for now.

Look Here for the Information as this is the best
http://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?sid=205

USE ONLY SITE 001 It is all You Will Need

Get A RS 800Mhz Antenna to help improve Signal

Ok Finally Here are some quick tips for the UCF Area

Monitor Orange County Fire Tacs
Fire 1 - Dispatch
Fire 3 - Eastside Response
Fire 4 - Eastside Fireground

You are in Generally Station 65 and Station 63's First Due Area for response.

Orange County Sheriff Sector 2


PM Me if you need more help on what to program, i don't know that particular radio but i may be able to help but no promises

Tonight will be very very busy due to the storm, if the sustained winds go over 54MPH they will shut down operations
 

Geoff321

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Aug 19, 2008
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It looks like everything in OC is digital now? Cause I show I am connected to the control ch ("Control 99% Sys-1F36") but I just get static, even in Talkgroup DEC's like fire and EMS that are not marked as encrypted.

Its a shame that they dont bother to tell you any of that at the store when you are asking questions about the scanners, maybe the guy doesnt know anything about them but I would think a manager would let the employee's know when they tell you "This one will do your FD, EMS, PD, NOAA...everything" and its an analog scanner when the whole county is on digital. :(

A digital scanner is just over twice the investment I made in this, and I would return this and get a digital if there is at least some FD/EMS stuff I can check out...I dont mind it if I can never get the PD.

Its only so interesting listening to the guys at the college call for trash pickup or that they fixed the water leak in the science building...or someone puked in the drivers cab. lol. I like the weather function, but I really wanted to get a peek at emergency calls and stuff.

Thanks for the help over PMs from the people that messaged me!
 

Patch42

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Feb 14, 2008
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I don't know your scanner model, but you should be able to get all the county sheriff's office stuff, plus county fire. It's all still analog.

Most everyone is complaining about the horrible digital decoding of OFD calls. On my PSR-500 I'd guess at least 80% of them are garbled to the point of being incomprehensible. And, of course, OPD is encrypted so you can't hear anything there anyway. You're not missing much by not having digital right now.

I sometimes get a kick out of monitoring some of the hotels and the amusement parks. You're further away from most of them than I am though, so you may have trouble hearing much.

Aside from that, I'd look through the database here and see if you can find anything that looks interesting.
 

Geoff321

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Aug 19, 2008
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I don't know your scanner model, but you should be able to get all the county sheriff's office stuff, plus county fire. It's all still analog.

Most everyone is complaining about the horrible digital decoding of OFD calls. On my PSR-500 I'd guess at least 80% of them are garbled to the point of being incomprehensible. And, of course, OPD is encrypted so you can't hear anything there anyway. You're not missing much by not having digital right now.

I sometimes get a kick out of monitoring some of the hotels and the amusement parks. You're further away from most of them than I am though, so you may have trouble hearing much.

Aside from that, I'd look through the database here and see if you can find anything that looks interesting.

Yeah, after I got the bank programed with all the talkgroups I tired one of the analog chs and I was hearing some FD calls....so I guess the 2-3 talk groups I had were not enough. Now I am getting stuff. Should be busy tonight with the storm. I have a few lists I found at home last night, and now that I know how to program the trunking stuff, I should be able to listen to more of the stuff that was on the lists I have at home, from this site as well as others. I used to work at the Grand Cypress and we used an 800mhz trunked radio system on-site, so I am sure I could pick that up as well as the other resorts (as your said) I am a little far away, but I am down there a lot as I go to Disney almost every weekend.

Thanks again for everyones help in clearing up some questions and pointing me to some sites that explained setting up the trunking stuff better than the manual did.
 

climberkid

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Sep 8, 2007
Messages
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Location
Wichita, KS
hey geoff, i live down on the other end of university between forsyth and goldenrod. i have both a handheld and base station uniden scanner and i have all of OCSO programmed and all of OCFD programmed. my reception is amazing just using the stock antenna. if you have any questions or would like some help with programming let me know. i would be very glad to help out a fellow scanner lover in the area.
 

n2hbx

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Dec 23, 2004
Messages
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Location
Lady Lake, FL
I Wonder Why?

hey geoff, i live down on the other end of university between forsyth and goldenrod. i have both a handheld and base station uniden scanner and i have all of OCSO programmed and all of OCFD programmed. my reception is amazing just using the stock antenna. if you have any questions or would like some help with programming let me know. i would be very glad to help out a fellow scanner lover in the area.

Your reception there ought to be amazing....you're practically under the OC Prime Site tower!
 
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