Newbie in NE Kansas

[Jesmitch]

Old retired EMT in NE Kansas. I live in a small town and miss hearing the scanner traffic. Things have changed so much since the days I was in EMS, back then there was no digital or no statewide system. I have a few questions.

1. What scanner would you reccomend for mainly at home listening to local P25 and statewide system traffic? Live fairly close to the Nebraska border so would be interested in what I might pick up there as well.

2. If I am close to a P25 statewide antenna, am I able to pick up any traffic that broadcasts statewide on the statewide system? In our ambulance right before I retired, I remember we could dial in a frequency in SW Kansas and listen crystal clear on the 800mhz system. Is this the same with a home scanner, as long as you are close enough to a statewide tower?

3. I want something that is a bit future proof, so if I can spend more today and know that it will work longer than maybe something cheaper, that is fine too. I want to not have to buy anything again for a while.

Thanks friends.

 

[Jimbnks]

Old retired EMT in NE Kansas. I live in a small town and miss hearing the scanner traffic. Things have changed so much since the days I was in EMS, back then there was no digital or no statewide system. I have a few questions.

1. What scanner would you reccomend for mainly at home listening to local P25 and statewide system traffic? Live fairly close to the Nebraska border so would be interested in what I might pick up there as well.

2. If I am close to a P25 statewide antenna, am I able to pick up any traffic that broadcasts statewide on the statewide system? In our ambulance right before I retired, I remember we could dial in a frequency in SW Kansas and listen crystal clear on the 800mhz system. Is this the same with a home scanner, as long as you are close enough to a statewide tower?

3. I want something that is a bit future proof, so if I can spend more today and know that it will work longer than maybe something cheaper, that is fine too. I want to not have to buy anything again for a while.

Thanks friends.

Which county do you live in, from their people can give better help.

 

[Jesmitch]

Which county do you live in, from their people can give better help.

Sorry, forgot all about that. NM & BR, right on the edge of both.

 

[tvengr]

Which counties are NM & BR?

 

[Jesmitch]

Which counties are NM & BR?

Nemaha & Brown

 

[nec911]

Nemaha and Brown

 

[tvengr]

Nemaha & Brown

Nemaha and Brown

Thanks! The KSICS statewide system only has a single site in Nemaha County. There are no sites yet in Brown or Jackson Counties.
2 (2) 010 (A) Corning Nemaha 851.900 852.2375c 852.900c 853.250 853.500 853.925
For the most part, you will hear only the radio traffic in your local area using the Nemaha County site. If all of the statewide traffic were carried on all of the sites, the system would quickly run out of frequencies. What is your city and how close are you to the Nebraska border? You may be able to receive the Falls City site of the Nebraska State Radio System. I don't see any simulcast sites in your local area. A Uniden BCD996P2 or BCD536HP should serve you nicely. If simulcast sites are added in the future, a SDS200 may or may not be required depending upon your location in relation to the towers. Both the Kansas and Nebraska statewide systems are P25 Phase 2 capable. All of the talkgroups are currently Phase 1 but that could change at any time. All of the above mentioned scanners are Phase 2 capable. The least expensive scanner would be the Whistler WS1065 but that one is capable of P25 Phase 1 only. The Whisler TRX-2 is also Phase 2 capable. The Uniden SDS100 handheld and SDS200 base/mobile scanners are the only ones specifically designed to receive simulcast systems.

 

[Jesmitch]

Thank you for the explanation.

 

[Jesmitch]

I appreciate all of the assistance provided to me through this post and also via direct messages. I ordered the SDS100 with upgraded antenna to try and see how it performs in my area. Thank you again.

 

[fuzzmanks]

I appreciate all of the assistance provided to me through this post and also via direct messages. I ordered the SDS100 with upgraded antenna to try and see how it performs in my area. Thank you again.

Did you do much shopping around for best prices on scanners? I have been holding off for the last few months to see if they were going to encrypted channels.

My town (in Thomas County Ks) just switched off their analog trunking repeater (I think that is what it is called) a couple weeks ago and activated a new site in the center of the county (which happens to be in the center of my town). So I'm in the market for a digital trunking scanner. I currently have a Uniden Home Patrol 1 that works, but would like a digital scanner for the basement. I haven't decided if I will go with a portable handheld scanner.