Oklahoma City/Edmond Scanner Purchase

[bk_phillips]

I have been out of the scanner game for 15 years....a lifetime with technology changes. I've read quite a bit about the OKWIN system and the current systems in use by the Oklahoma City Police and Fire. Still, I am confused on what type of scanner I should purchase. I realize I can't scan on ProVoice digital systems. So, I need a recommendation for a good scanner but I don't want to purchase more scanner than I need.
Any help is greatly appreciated!!

 

[KX5MOT]

I recommend the Uniden 396 or 996 scanners, I have several in service and they trunk OKWIN quite well as well as conventional systems. They can be programmed pretty easily with the FreeScan software.

There are some links to the OKC Provice system on OKWIN so you can hear some OKC traffic on there.

 

[bk_phillips]

Thank you so much for the reply. My budget was hoping I could use the Uniden BCT15X. Is it possible to use the 15x? What would be its shortcomings? I really appreciate your help!

 

[N5TWB]

Thank you so much for the reply. My budget was hoping I could use the Uniden BCT15X. Is it possible to use the 15x? What would be its shortcomings? I really appreciate your help!

It has no digital capability and it won't be that long before you'll be wanting that for P25.

 

[plaws]

It has no digital capability and it won't be that long before you'll be wanting that for P25.

Have to agree. An alternative might be the first version of the Home Patrol which has been on sale for about $400 (the HP 2 is out). The sole "drawback" with the 1 vs the 2 is that the 1 does not work with a P25 Phase II system. We don't (yet) have any of those in Central Oklahoma but we do have "regular" P25.

Also note that while GRE (who made almost all of Radio Shack's scanners) is gone, the important bits were bought by Whistler and are coming back on to the market. I almost bought one of their Pro-652s the other week - $300.

 

[bk_phillips]

Thanks for the replies. It was very helpful.

 

[Firecop203]

I just saw this online a few minutes ago. Will it work for the Oklahoma, Cleveland and McClain county areas or is the radio technology still ahead of scanners?

The Uniden BCD436HP HomePatrol Series Digital Mobile Scanner with WiFi

 

[N5TWB]

I just saw this online a few minutes ago. Will it work for the Oklahoma, Cleveland and McClain county areas or is the radio technology still ahead of scanners?

The Uniden BCD436HP HomePatrol Series Digital Mobile Scanner with WiFi

That scanner is pretty much the leading edge for scanner technology in that it is capable of receiving P25 digital transmissions for both Phase I and Phase II. What it cannot do is the same thing you mentioned earlier, the OKC Pro-Voice system. Additionally, since you've now added McLain County to your list, you should know this scanner will not do the DMR/MotoTRBO systems in use in that county. No scanner can follow that technology currently.

 

[Firecop203]

Thanks for the reply. Glad I asked before spending the money.

 

[plaws]

That scanner is pretty much the leading edge for scanner technology in that it is capable of receiving P25 digital transmissions for both Phase I and Phase II. What it cannot do is the same thing you mentioned earlier, the OKC Pro-Voice system. Additionally, since you've now added McLain County to your list, you should know this scanner will not do the DMR/MotoTRBO systems in use in that county. No scanner can follow that technology currently.

No scanners yet receive Pro-Voice as noted ... but ... OCPD talkgroups are patched to OKWIN (see the DB) pretty much full-time. OCFD is not but for big incidents fireground channels are patched regularly. EMSA is on OKWIN but, if you've noticed, is encrypted full-time.

DMR is another problem, too, because no scanner receives it yet. You can buy DMR radio fairly cheap (google up Connect Systems, for example), though, so if you are desperate to hear DMR, it can be done. And then there is always doing it via software, but that's a whole 'nother forum.

 

[papadoc]

The Uniden BCD436HP HomePatrol Series Digital Mobile Scanner with WiFi

Will FreeScan work with this new scanner?

 

[mule1075]

Will FreeScan work with this new scanner?

No freescan will not work with x36 series.

Sent from my Z750C using Tapatalk

 

[papadoc]

No freescan will not work with x36 series.

Ok, thanks.

 

[plaws]

Will FreeScan work with this new scanner?

No, as noted, but it comes with Sentinel. Actually, you can go get Sentinel now and play with it - it's on Uniden site. Just make sure you get the one for the BCDx36HP and not the one for the HPx. The memory layout is more complicated than on the BCDx96(X)T radios.

I think there is an ARC that will support it as well.

 

[Gilligan]

There are some links to the OKC Provice system on OKWIN so you can hear some OKC traffic on there.

Just out of curiousity, how do these links sound coming thru OKWIN? Do they sound better than the old VHF conventional channels? The reason I'm asking is I'm setting up a programming scheme for OKC and if those linked talkgroups are garbled or too hard to hear reliably, I won't even mess with them...

 

[papadoc]

Thanks for the info plaws.