Recommended Digital Scanner in 2025

[dxscannerman]

I'm hoping that some of you experienced scanner users can jump in here and give me some advice on purchasing a new digital trunking scanner in 2025. We live in North Idaho and I am interested in buying a new scanner for listening to the local police and fire and misc. radio frequencies that are still available and not encrypted yet. I have an old but still like new RS Pro97 that I can set up for analog frequencies that are available in Kootenai county where I'm interested in listening, but it looks like all the police and fire are using the apco p25 phase1 system. Can I get a modern scanner for this system with a little future proofing for around 400 dollars. Boy scanners are expensive now days, LOL Any help from you guys is greatly appreciated,
I'm considering a uniden bcd996p2 or maybe a uniden bcd325p2, are there any other scanners that might be better that anyone can recommend. Thanks !

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[Enforcer52]

Kootenai County Sheriff is Encryped, Fire is not. The three surrounding counties have no encryption. And it appears that Kootenai is not simulcast, although there is 5 towers in the county.

So the 996P2 or 325P2 will most likely work.

 

[bearcatrp]

There is a 996P2 in for sale section that’s a little cheaper than new if you want to save a few bucks. I have the 325P2. Works fairly well.

 

[mike619]

The SDS100 works well on those kind of systems also if it is within your budget also Unication is good as well.

 

[N7BLZ]

Thanks for the information, I'm not sure what Unication is but I'm sure some research can answer that

 

[EAFrizzle]

Unication makes pagers that deal with simulcast distortion very effectively, but being a pager, they function quite differently than a scanner. Comparable in price to the SDS series of scanners, they're a bit of overkill if you're not dealing with simulcast.

I've got both SDS scanners, and they're great for simulcast and digital reception. I use my BCD325P2 for everything that's non-simulcast, and it does a great job at a much more comfortable price point.

 

[N7BLZ]

Wow, I looked up Unication pagers, man! they look just like a fancy scanner. I pictured something like that little black clip on pager I used to wear that told me I needed to pull off the freeway and find a payphone and call someone back about a current job I was on in the 80's, lol. Boy I'm behind the times, didn't know you could use a pager for listening to digital trunked radio frequencies. But,
for similar costs to the sds 100 & 200 scanners I'd probably be better off with those regular scanners that I could just turn on, give my zip to, and start listening to available freqs that aren't encrypted don't ya think. Thats is if I'm willing to shell out those big bucks for the few unencrypted freq that are still available to listen to here in North Idaho. Thanks for the information, very interesting,
6 to 700 dollars just seems like a lot of money to listen to less and less radio frequencies as everyone keeps moving towards encryption everywhere. Yearn for the good old days, to bad they really are gone