Scanner for cross country trips?

[Hip2u77]

Hi!

I'm looking for something to listen to on trips.

When we go on our annual trips from Kansas City to Moab I always have my CB on and my wife and I enjoy listening but with such little range it's dead air most of the time. (Running a Uniden PC68LTW with a 4' Everhardt Tiger on the typical spare tire mount on a Jeep Wrangler)

I been on this site off and on for years and every time I start researching I get overwhelmed with all the info. It seems every time I get on here there's a new system out that takes an even higher dollar scanner than before just to listen to something. Plus, I'm kind of getting the idea that with all the different systems and frequencies it would be a complete nightmare to use one on a multistate trip?

Basically we're bored with listening to the radio / Sirius for xx hours straight. My old man spent 32 years on the fire department so I grew up in a house with a scanner running everyday he was home and kind of miss it sometimes. (That was 15 years ago.)

Is there anything even remotely cost effective that wouldn't be a complete nightmare to setup for trips to and from Missouri, Kansas, Colorado & Utah?

Thanks!

 

[KE4ZNR]

The upcoming Uniden Home Patrol 1 would be a perfect fit
for what you are asking.

If you can wait a little bit longer it should be released in October.

Marshall KE4ZNR

 

[GrayJeep]

One man's nightmare is another man's hobby......

You'll need a digital scanner so whatever you choose won't be cheap.

I've just worked my way thru programming 2 different roadtrips of over 1000miles each.
The project was kind of fun but I like looking at maps and have looked at maps and programmed my scanners for trips for over 20 years. It's a LOT more complex now but it's still fun.

If you aren't interested in scanners already then you'd find the project to be a nightmare. And it will take several hours of work to figure out what to program. On the other hand, if you get hooked on scanners then it would be a fun project.

(I'm using a Radio Shack Pro-197)

 

[rdale]

HomePatrol from Uniden will take care of all that for you...

 

[Hip2u77]

That HomePatrol is exactly the type of product I was looking for. It's too bad it's not available now as we're leaving in the morning for Moab, but I'll be buying one before our winter trip.

Thanks for the replies!

 

[gmclam]

PSR-500 or PSR-700

I see two choices. If you are willing to spend the time (or money) to figure out all the agencies you'll want to monitor during your drive, then you could program a PSR-500 digital scanner. Regardless of whether or not you need digital, the standard bank-oriented scanners don't have enough "lists" to cover that kind of area. With the PSR-500 you can program one scan list for each county you will be driving through; or however you want to organize the data.

I set up a scanner like above for someone who travels in California. It took me about 2 weeks (8 hours a day) to get it set up. I programmed lists for each county of interest and then some more for statewide agencies like highway patrol. It was a lot of work.

Another option is to get one of these scanners; which can be either a RS PRO-107 or GRE PSR-700. It comes with the entire RR DB programmed on a Flash card. It works like an iPod or MP3 player. You create a play list of what you want to hear, and then play that list. One drawback to this is you won't be able to listen to digital stuff, since it is an analog only scanner. But it certainly would not take as much time as my first choice.

 

[rdale]

I see two choices.

You forgot one... The "HP" one

 

[NYRHKY94]

May be a bit "off-topic" here.....but I'm surprised there has been no mention of the various state laws about operating a scanner in a mobile environment. Probably something for the cross-country traveler to take into consideration as well.

 

[friendlybob]

Anyone care to take a stab at how much this thing will cost or is there any information about that?? Just wondering. It looks really nice!!!

 

[rdale]

Yep - it's in the Home Patrol price thread. $499.

 

[gmclam]

You forgot one... The "HP" one

Funny, I figure a scanner called "home patrol" is meant for listening at home, and not when crossing several states.

 

[KE4ZNR]

Funny, I figure a scanner called "home patrol" is meant for listening at home, and not when crossing several states.

Well, I know you are allergic to anything stamped with a Uniden logo on it

And since you have missed the other hundred or so posts about this very topic: The Home Patrol 1 will be the perfect radio for "crossing several states".
The fact it has the entire US & Canada RR.com database makes it a perfect road trip radio. Add in the ease of programming and great touch screen display means it is light years ahead of the RS/GRE Iscan in terms of features for the "road warriors" out there.

Marshall KE4ZNR

 

[gmclam]

1. Performance 2. Safe to operate while driving

Well, I know you are allergic to anything stamped with a Uniden logo on it

In good faith, I cannot recommend something that does not have as good of reception. While I have not compared performance of a HP, I have compared many other models.

The fact it has the entire US & Canada RR.com database makes it a perfect road trip radio.

I understand that the user is not able to manually program a frequency into this scanner. All programming must come via the RR DB.

Add in the ease of programming and great touch screen display means it is light years ahead of the RS/GRE Iscan in terms of features for the "road warriors" out there.

One of my complaints about the Unidens is their unfriendliness when it comes to operating them. I can drive any of the scanners I have below without looking at them - which is essential to be able to do while driving. The "soft keys", touch screen and "rotate and push" knobs make many Uniden scanners unfriendly (or UNSAFE) to operate while driving.

 

[rdale]

I understand that the user is not able to manually program a frequency into this scanner. All programming must come via the RR DB.

Incorrect...

 

[KE4ZNR]

Wow...where to begin? So much inaccurate or misleading info in your response....

In good faith, I cannot recommend something that does not have as good of reception. While I have not compared performance of a HP, I have compared many other models.

I am sure you have accurate statistics to back up your statement that "Uniden does not have as good of reception"?
Or is this yet another claim you throw out there just out of personal preference?
Having done head to head tests with a Pro 106 and a BCD396XT (just last Friday night at a Raleigh Fire Dept station) both received very well.
Yet so many variables are a part of radio reception: location, antenna, system being monitored, etc that I would never proclaim one receives better than the other. It all comes down to personal preference of use.

I understand that the user is not able to manually program a frequency into this scanner. All programming must come via the RR DB.

Which makes it a great radio. It is a user friendly radio for the casual user and beginner hobbiest (unlike the GRE/Radio Shack Iscan). And I don't understand your "all programming must come via the RR DB" comment. Well yeah. That is a positive aspect of this radio. Though you neglect to mention that the entire US & Canada database is preloaded into the radio and updating the database is quick and painless for even the basic computer user due to a simple update process (unlike the IScan where the SD card which has the database has to be removed before it can be updated).
Seems to me that the Home Patrol is the perfect trip radio as you toss it into a suitcase and can be up and running in minutes in most metropolitan areas.

One of my complaints about the Unidens is their unfriendliness when it comes to operating them. I can drive any of the scanners I have below without looking at them - which is essential to be able to do while driving. The "soft keys", touch screen and "rotate and push" knobs make many Uniden scanners unfriendly (or UNSAFE) to operate while driving.

Yet another admission you know little about the XT Line of radios. See the XT line of radios has a little feature called "System & Channel Number Tagging" where an individual System and Channel/Talkgroup can be easily pulled back from the thousands in memory.
Example: I hear a structure fire dispatched on Wake County PS TAC 19.
In a half a second I can pull up that one channel out of the thousands stored by hitting "99.19+Menu". Hell, I can't tell you the last time I had to manually navigate to a stored frequency/talkgroup. System & Number Tagging means I can operate my scanners without looking at the display while driving.
That seems pretty dang user friendly to me.

My point is no radio is perfect and if you were to give current Uniden radios a chance instead of basing your statements on old and inaccurate info you might find that they are pretty darn good.
I always say I own both GRE & Uniden scanners. Both have pluses and minuses and I use them for different uses.
Hopefully someday you can be open minded enough to enjoy having a "mixed radio" collection as well.

Getting back to the Home Patrol I can't wait for it to get into the market and in consumers hands so they can see how powerful of a device it is.

Happy Monitoring
Marshall KE4ZNR

 

[andyishere]

The upcoming Uniden Home Patrol 1 would be a perfect fit
for what you are asking.

If you can wait a little bit longer it should be released in October.

Marshall KE4ZNR

I like the Idea of Home Patrol... but my City Fire/Police use Provoice IMBE Digital... And the little demo thing says I will still pick it up I know I wont though.

 

[gmclam]

PSR-500 or PSR-700

Having done head to head tests with a Pro 106 and a BCD396XT (just last Friday night at a Raleigh Fire Dept station) both received very well. Yet so many variables are a part of radio reception: location, antenna, system being monitored, etc that I would never proclaim one receives better than the other. It all comes down to personal preference of use.

When I do comparisons, the radios are connected to the same antenna with signals of equal strength applied to their antenna inputs. This is not a one time test, but has repeated itself over and over. It seems that in order to reduce effects of interference that Unidens reduce their sensitivity, but that's just my opinion.

And I don't understand your "all programming must come via the RR DB" comment. Well yeah. That is a positive aspect of this radio. Though you neglect to mention that the entire US & Canada database is preloaded into the radio and updating the database is quick and painless for even the basic computer user due to a simple update process (unlike the IScan where the SD card which has the database has to be removed before it can be updated).

I was reading another thread here on RR, just before posting the above statement, in which it was mentioned there is no way to program a frequency manually. I did not know that as a fact, so I wrote my comment as such.

I scan nearly 1000 frequencies here and many of them are not in the RR DB. And quite a few are listed over and over and over and over again (like when one mutual aid frequency is used in every jurisdiction). As I am sure you know, some frequencies are managed by the FCC while others by the NTIA. Some government frequencies just don't show up. And then there are agencies who have asked for their frequencies to be removed from the DB.

Someone else mentioned it, and I agree; especially when travelling, you need the ability to 'search' for some new stuff and manually enter them. If you are tied to the DB and nothing else, you are limited.

Seems to me that the Home Patrol is the perfect trip radio as you toss it into a suitcase and can be up and running in minutes in most metropolitan areas.

And what makes that any different than the PSR-700 or PRO-107 (other than the brand name)?

Yet another admission you know little about the XT Line of radios. See the XT line of radios has a little feature called "System & Channel Number Tagging" where an individual System and Channel/Talkgroup can be easily pulled back from the thousands in memory.
Example: I hear a structure fire dispatched on Wake County PS TAC 19.
In a half a second I can pull up that one channel out of the thousands stored by hitting "99.19+Menu". Hell, I can't tell you the last time I had to manually navigate to a stored frequency/talkgroup. System & Number Tagging means I can operate my scanners without looking at the display while driving.

That's all fine for that scenario, but does not work for me (and I suspect many others). I usually drive at night when radio traffic is light. And as I move from one jurisdiction to another I want to turn off one list and turn on another. I found this to be very unfriendly to do (on something like a BCD396T) w/o looking at the display and often required I have both hands on the scanner.

My point is no radio is perfect and if you were to give current Uniden radios a chance instead of basing your statements on old and inaccurate info you might find that they are pretty darn good.

You are certainly correct when you say no radio is perfect, if you read all of my posts here, you'll know I have a long list of complaints about GRE radios as well, but that usually does not include sensitivity. And my comments are based on several models of Unidens, including newer digital models.

I always say I own both GRE & Uniden scanners. Both have pluses and minuses and I use them for different uses. Hopefully someday you can be open minded enough to enjoy having a "mixed radio" collection as well.

It might surprise you to know the number of Unidens I have here right now. Two of them are streaming my feeds to RR. Something I don't use personally, in part for the reasons I have stated. I am not just out to bash Unidens; I report what I experience.

The OP here asked about scanners to use on a trip. I provided my two choices. I will stand by those choices for the reasons I have stated. I did not come out and say others' choices were bad, other than the comment that a radio called "Home Patrol" does not have the proper name for "The Traveler". And for the record, I have not had one in my possession (yet).