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.
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.