New to scanners - inherited equip, questions!

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M3Man03

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Aug 18, 2011
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Hello, I'm new to modern scanning stuff and have some questions. I had my HAM tech license a long time ago and am going to get it again soon, but am mainly interested in setting up a scanning system for police/fire/etc. The biggest question I have is the digital trunking. I have a bunch of nice, but older, inherited equipment and I am wondering if any of it can be used to do scanning of police digital trunking frequencies.

Here's what I have:

ICOM IC-R100 Scanner
Kenwood TM-732A Transceiver

And my old handheld, a Yeasu FT-50R.

From the database, my local PD runs on 155.49000mhz with a Law-Tac system, which I believe utilizes the digital trunking.

If none of what I have would work for this, what's the least expensive way to get into a decent scanner that will receive the digital trunking signals? Thanks for any help!
 

wyShack

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Premium Subscriber
Joined
Nov 18, 2008
Messages
453
Location
Campbell County, Wyoming
Welcome to the hobby (or obsession;)

With just a single frequency, it does not seem likely it is digital and trunked radio is basically a system to share a few frequencies with many users. If you would give a location, more help can be given. or just check the listing inn the database for your area (FM or NFM is analog). NFM can be received on the older scanners, it does 'sound' lower and may require you to adjust the volume.
 

N8IAA

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Dec 19, 2002
Messages
7,240
Location
Fortunately, GA
Hello, I'm new to modern scanning stuff and have some questions. I had my HAM tech license a long time ago and am going to get it again soon, but am mainly interested in setting up a scanning system for police/fire/etc. The biggest question I have is the digital trunking. I have a bunch of nice, but older, inherited equipment and I am wondering if any of it can be used to do scanning of police digital trunking frequencies.

Here's what I have:

ICOM IC-R100 Scanner
Kenwood TM-732A Transceiver

And my old handheld, a Yeasu FT-50R.

From the database, my local PD runs on 155.49000mhz with a Law-Tac system, which I believe utilizes the digital trunking.

If none of what I have would work for this, what's the least expensive way to get into a decent scanner that will receive the digital trunking signals? Thanks for any help!

Without a location, we really can't help. State, county, city please.
Larry
 

rapidcharger

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Joined
Jun 13, 2012
Messages
2,382
Location
The land of broken calculators.
Unfortunately none of the scanners you have will work for west bend police or fire. They are using a digital race-to-waste trunking system that has decimated the hobby and squandered tens of billions of taxpayer dollars. But the good news is at least for the time being (these things are always subject to change without notice) if youve got the dough for a digital scanner, west bends dispatch is not currently encrypted.

Sent using my beta tester iPhone 7 using Tapatalk.
Ssh though. just dont tell anyone.
 

N8IAA

Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2002
Messages
7,240
Location
Fortunately, GA
I've read they are using a Project 25 trunking system. West Bend, WI, USA.

You will need to get a scanner that does Phase I digital.
Such as, Pro-106, Pro-651, and 396XT. Any of the new Whistler scanners will work, with exception of the WS-1080.
The only thing encrypted on your county system are the TAC channels.
Larry
 
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