Pro 96 or 396T

[starchild]

I have not been into scanning for the last 9 years and would like to get back into it. Im trying to decide what scanner I need to get started again. Im not real concerned with the price difference.

I am mainly instersted in scanning police and fire activity in my area. I live on the genesee/oakland county border.

Im not real up to speed on trunking and how to follow calls but will learn. I can pick up on things fairly quickly once I understand the concept.

Is there any value in monitoring I-calls? I noticed only the uniden unit will do this.

I dont know if the "close call" feature is of any benifit, if I would use this? I do plan on taking the unit with me on the road, with necessary permit depending on outcome of the new house bill.

I understand the uniden is somewhat more difficult to adjust squelch etc. And may or may not be as sensitive to signals as the Pro96. Is this just folks not understanding the squelch adjustment or of a real concern? Possibly something an antenna upgrade may correct?

Any help will be appreciated. I am sure I will need more info as I go along. And look forward to joining the group!

 

[rdale]

Either one would be fine, I'd highly suggest you go to the scanner forums and check out the numerous "Pro96 vs 396" threads loaded with factual differences and opinions. I've had both and prefer the Uniden.

 

[wjf]

Was in the same boat - scanned years ago when it was simple. After six months of research, I got a 396 a few months ago. Love it.

 

[seamusg]

I have not been into scanning for the last 9 years and would like to get back into it. Im trying to decide what scanner I need to get started again. Im not real concerned with the price difference.

I am mainly instersted in scanning police and fire activity in my area. I live on the genesee/oakland county border.

Im not real up to speed on trunking and how to follow calls but will learn. I can pick up on things fairly quickly once I understand the concept.

Is there any value in monitoring I-calls? I noticed only the uniden unit will do this.

I dont know if the "close call" feature is of any benifit, if I would use this? I do plan on taking the unit with me on the road, with necessary permit depending on outcome of the new house bill.

I understand the uniden is somewhat more difficult to adjust squelch etc. And may or may not be as sensitive to signals as the Pro96. Is this just folks not understanding the squelch adjustment or of a real concern? Possibly something an antenna upgrade may correct?

Any help will be appreciated. I am sure I will need more info as I go along. And look forward to joining the group!

Genesee co. is on the MPSCS system. The Genesee Simulcast is a little choppy on my PRO96 near the boarder of Genesee and Oakland Co., but gets better as I get closer to Grand Blanc. Either scanner will work. Squelch isn't a big problem on a digital trunked system since the scanner does not scan the voice freqs, but only monitors the control freq. and switches to a voice freq when it gets a grant on the control channel.

 

[newbie]

Genesee co. is on the MPSCS system. The Genesee Simulcast is a little choppy on my PRO96 near the boarder of Genesee and Oakland Co., but gets better as I get closer to Grand Blanc. Either scanner will work. Squelch isn't a big problem on a digital trunked system since the scanner does not scan the voice freqs, but only monitors the control freq. and switches to a voice freq when it gets a grant on the control channel.

Heck I get Genesee over in St Clair MI (St clair County) with my 996t. I am just shy of the river and Canada.

 

[seamusg]

Heck I get Genesee over in St Clair MI (St clair County) with my 996t. I am just shy of the river and Canada.

The PRO96 just has a rubber ducky ant. And it's choppy at my daughter's place in Genesee, just north of the co. line.

 

[starchild]

Thanks for advice. I have done reading on the for/against each model. I wanted to know how any of that would directly apply to our local area. It sounds like those here locally are having better luck with the 396 with signal reception. Im leaning toward the 396 and recommendation on where to buy?

Years ago I could hear dispatch but I could never get cop to cop radios the ones they wear in the field when on foot. Is it possible to hear these conversations with newer models? With my old scanner I had difficulty following conversations.

Do most folks do scanning of banked freqs. That is what I used to do, but I always had to freeze the scanning when I heard something of interest or it would jump to another bank when there was a break in talk. I found this frustrating when you heard a call you were interested in and it jumped to another freq.

 

[seamusg]

Thanks for advice. I have done reading on the for/against each model. I wanted to know how any of that would directly apply to our local area. It sounds like those here locally are having better luck with the 396 with signal reception. Im leaning toward the 396 and recommendation on where to buy?

Years ago I could hear dispatch but I could never get cop to cop radios the ones they wear in the field when on foot. Is it possible to hear these conversations with newer models? With my old scanner I had difficulty following conversations.

Do most folks do scanning of banked freqs. That is what I used to do, but I always had to freeze the scanning when I heard something of interest or it would jump to another bank when there was a break in talk. I found this frustrating when you heard a call you were interested in and it jumped to another freq.

Most of the PD in your area in on trunked systems. With those you scan control channels only and the control channel tells the scanner which voice freq to goto. If you hear something interesting you can hold on that talkgroup. With trunking you scan sites not freqs. Genesee county is mostly on the Genesee Simulcast site plus the Holly site. I was in Grand Blanc Twp yesterday and most of the Grand Blanc Twp. traffic was on the Holly site.
With trunked systems the concept of scanning has changed. Insted of freqs for each PD and FD you have Talkgroups for each. For Grand Blanc the scanner was set up for three sites (Romeo, Genesee Simulcast and Holly). At home I have it setup for Warren, Mt. Clemens, Romeo, Richmond, Oakland, Wayne and one bank for conventional. I also have a second scanner for conventional and Mil.
On the new systems you can hear the PREPS since you're monitoring the output of the repeater and the PREPS and dispatch are on the same repeater.

 

[starchild]

Thanks for the clarification. I kind of gathered this is the way scanning works today. I will need to do a bit more homework on details of tracking a trunked conversation. Im assuming when you hold on a control channel everyone dealing with that particular call or situation will be communicating through that control. So this would include car radios, dispatch and individually worn police radios.