PALMETTO 800

[WINNSBORO1]

Anyone know of any chances of the Pal800 changing to Phase 2 anytime soon?
Also will a BCD-996 scanner be a good purchase for listening to SC systems and Charlotte and Atlanta systems. My Pro-96 died after over 9 years. Heard of too many problems with the new Unidens that I am looking hard at the 996 or possibly the 396 to replace it. Also what type of cable do these scanners use for programming? May consider the Home Patrol also.

I need some input to help me decide as I can get both scanners at a very good price.

 

[Jaxco]

The 996 comes with a programming cable, it will use either a special proprietary USB port or you can use a DB9 (COM Port) to USB cable. The 996 comes with it in the box though.

 

[Ronaldski]

Palmetto system in Charlotte?

What I do to condense is to make a separate group for fire, police, medical and move the appropriate channels/talkgroups into those groups and then delete the original groups that I moved from. Generally each group many times will only have 1 or 2 items in it and the 20 limit comes up fast when it is that way.

 

[KE4ZNR]

Anyone know of any chances of the Pal800 changing to Phase 2 anytime soon?
Also will a BCD-996 scanner be a good purchase for listening to SC systems and Charlotte and Atlanta systems. My Pro-96 died after over 9 years. Heard of too many problems with the new Unidens that I am looking hard at the 996 or possibly the 396 to replace it. Also what type of cable do these scanners use for programming? May consider the Home Patrol also.

I need some input to help me decide as I can get both scanners at a very good price.

I am pretty sure the Pal800 is not going Phase 2 TDMA any time soon as that would require every radio on the system to be an APX radio (or Phase 2 TDMA compatible radio) and there are too many radios on the system that can't do Phase 2.
VIPER in NC is in the same boat: too many non-capable Phase 2 radios on the system.
I would not sweat Phase 2 TDMA anytime soon.
Marshall KE4ZNR