Scanner Advice for Jacksonville Area?

[nsanenmt]

I live in Montana and I have a pretty simple scanner, a RS Pro-528, it suites me fine where I am in Mt and for when I travel. I have a nephew in Florida that has expressed interest in scanners and radio in general. I would like to get him a good scanner that will pick up police and ems in the Jacksonville area. What would recommend?
Price is a minor consideration, ease of use and capabilities of the scanner, I think, are more important.

 

[kg4ojj]

Bad news and good news....

Technically, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office is the only law enforcement agency for the city of Jacksonville and the County of Duval (ok, there are the Atlantic Beach and Jacksonville Beach Police Departments).

All JSO (sheriff) communications are encrypted.....all Florida Highway Patrol communications are encrypted...

Jacksonville Fire-Rescue is in the clear, but you'll need a digital trunking scanner to listen to anything other than dispatch (simulcasted on 460.575 MHz). I recommend the RadioShack PRO-96 or the GRECOM PSR-500 (or PSR-600). Both scanner are NOT cheap, however.

Outside of Jacksonville, it'll depend on where he lives. He may be able to listen to St Johns, Clay, etc Counties.

If you bought him the PRO-96 or PSR-500/-600, I can meet him and help him program (have software and programming cable).

 

[kg4ojj]

Send him to: http://duval.fl.scanamerica.us/index.php

That's the online feed for Jacksonville Fire-Rescue (via a PRO-96, as mentioned above).