Hello JR and welcome to RadioReference.com. I am in Fair Oaks, and have been scanning for decades. Some comments .....
i'm new at scanners and i have fallen in love with the pro-164. I live in Sacramento Ca...
Among the many scanners I have is the PSR-300, it is the same scanner as the PRO-164. These models are updates from the PRO-97.
i have trouble with CHP freqs. Is this because of the whip antenna i have?
Did you read this
beginner's guide for the CHP? For many people, it is a tough agency to monitor. Ideally you want an antenna suited for low band VHF and mounted outside. The rubber antenna that comes with the scanner can only do so much, as it is intended to give you basic reception across the entire receiving range of the scanner.
ok i have found the Sacramento Regional Radio Communications System amazing...
When trying to receive the SRRCS and CHP on the same scanner/antenna, there are several challenges. I opted to run one scanner for the SRRCS and another for everything else, including CHP. I run external antennas, both at home and in my truck. I use different antennas at home, one for the SRRCS and a discone for the other stuff.
Whats the best/cheapest antenna to get i use the scanner in my apt 95% of the time?
Complex question. LOCATION is as important as anything. If your apartment window happens to be on the correct side of the building (for receiving what you want), then you will get off easier than if it is not.
i have 9 banks on the scanner is it best to program like this?
You have 10 banks in the scanner, numbered 0 to 9.
bank1 preprogrammed
bank2 preprogrammed
bank3 Sac co sheriff
bank4 Sac PD and Elk Grove PD
bank5 Citrus Heights & Folsom PD
bank6
It is a VERY BAD IDEA to split different agencies of the SRRCS among different banks. YOU WILL MISS stuff, a lot more than you would think.
I have my scanners set up as follows:
bank 0 = conventional fire
bank 1 = Cal Fire (statewide)
bank 2 = USFS, Parks, ...
bank 3 = CHP (most of the state during this transitional period)
bank 4 = Sacramento CITY TRS site
bank 5 = Sacramento COUNTY TRS site
bank 6 = conventional law enforcement north of highway 50
bank 7 = conventional law enforcement south of highway 50
bank 8 = amateur & marine
bank 9 = aviation
Once you custom program "local" channels into your scanner, there is no need/reason to leave the pre-programmed stuff in there.
A large part of how you organize stuff depends on what you want to monitor. I rarely have all 10 banks on at the same time in the same scanner. I run multiple scanners, each programmed the same, with different stuff enabled on each.
George