Newbie scanners? Need help!

[nekogirl]

Hi!!

I'm new here! I decide to join the forum because I am tired of using my phone's scanner app and want to purchase a real scanner finally. I live in downtown Portland, ME. Cumberland County.

Any help or advice on what kind of scanner I should buy would be great! Don't want to break the bank at first but I keep hearing on here about digital vs analog talk. I feel like I'm swimming in the deep end of the pool with only one arm floaty!

My ultimate goal is: to hear Public Safety (but I believe their feed if offline?) I can get Cumberland County/Portland Fire and EMS, just not the PD.

I can't put up any antennas cause I'm in an apartment. Any help or direction on this would be great, since I'm a tard in this subject! Lol

Thanks!

 

[teufler]

well you in luck, cumberland cty is mostly analog, portland has motorola type 2, there are NO tdma stuff so your not looking at the latest scanners. That keeps the prices down . Look for a uniden 396xt or 436 , they will caver your needs. Several sources have the 396xt from $250 to $350. Depends on the condition , cosmetics of the radio. The 396xt and the 436 are basically the same unit. One is a portable while the other is a mobile base unit. Antennas, all depends on where you base location is at. What floor of the apartment you are on. Height above the ground, because the more height, the more range. If you have an ouitside antenna for a tv, those work pretty good. Your just using what is available..There are better rubber duck antennas then what come with the 396xt. Austin Sprectre makes a good antenna, Radio Shack has a good 800mhz one, a good dual band ham antenna works, .

 

[ka3jjz]

I should point out that the MScommNet system is a digital P25 system, so a 346 or BCT15 won't cut it here. The 396XT or 996XT will do the job if you're sticking to Uniden models. Uniden'ts Home Patrol is another possibility. Both the 436 and 536 Unidens will also work on this system, but are much more expensive. I suspect you could get a Home Patrol pretty easily.....Mike

 

[ka3jjz]

Here's our forum for Maine, and I see there's a sticky thread already there for MSCommNet (links are always blue).

http://forums.radioreference.com/maine-radio-discussion-forum/

http://forums.radioreference.com/maine-radio-discussion-forum/180202-mscommnet-project-25-trs.html

There's also a dedicated Maine forum at Scan New England, and even a Yahoo group devoted to scanning in Maine (which seems to be kaput at the moment...).

Maine

I have always felt that local help is best in cases like these...Mike