Scanner as a gift help

[ianholman]

I am looking into getting a radioshack scanner for my grandfather who has been using scanners for as long as I can remember. Lately he has been talking about wanting a new one since everything went to digital, and my wife and I are going to get him one for his bday. However, I know nothing about scanners, and want to suprise him with a new scanner, so I am looking for direction on which way to go. Price is not issue, but I am not interested on spending a fortune. Any help and direction is GREATLY appreciated!! PS the easier for me to understand the better so I can help him.

 

[hoser147]

Here is the info on Digital scanners from the Wiki. Im sure that they are going to be different from the scanners he has had in the past. http://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/Category:Digital_Scanners Good Luck and Good Scannin Hoser

 

[SAR923]

Any digital scanner is going to be in the $500 range. If that's less than a fortune, check the wiki link that hoser posted for the diffent makes and models available. I'd buy a GRE model but that's just me.

 

[N8IAA]

The 164 ia an analog trunktracker. He will need a digital to hear his favorite public safety systems.
Larry

 

[SAR923]

The 164 ia an analog trunktracker. He will need a digital to hear his favorite public safety systems.
Larry

You lost me on this. How did the 164 come into the conversation? Neither hoser nor I mentioned it and the wiki doesn't call it a digital scanner either.

 

[N8IAA]

You lost me on this. How did the 164 come into the conversation? Neither hoser nor I mentioned it and the wiki doesn't call it a digital scanner either.

Brain fart?? Actually, I've been in a bunch of 164 questions, and just carried it over.

 

[ianholman]

ok, thanks for the help. I'm trying to decide between the BC796D and the PSR 600. Which one would be better for a first time experience? IE easier to understand..

 

[AZScanner]

I think your gramps will find the BC796D a bit easier to deal with than the latest whiz bang GRE or Uniden. I'm sure he's familiar with having fixed sized banks and channels so it'll be less of a learning curve to overcome. The newer scanners all have dynamic memory "objects" that make no sense to us old fart scannerheads who've been scanning since Fred Flinstone dispatched dinosaurs on AM radio.

-AZ

 

[lugoffman]

I know this may sound dumb but were do you live state , county you may not need digital i know you said everything went digital but a lot of people are getting the tv thing mixed up with the digital change over thing. I have a lot of friends want digital scanners cause everything is turning digital on there tv next year and nothing in the county were they live has digital frequency's lol !!!