Scanner Help Please

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wrinkle425

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Hi, I am looking for guidance on a scanner purchace. I currently have a "low tech" older bearcat scanner and am looking to upgrade. I will be looking to monitor the following counties in Pennsylvania, Cambria, Somerset, Blair, Westmoreland, Indiana, Bedford, and hopefully Clearfield and Fayette if I am in range. I know I want to get and Austin Spectra antenna and mount it on the outside of my truck. I know I need a digital trunk scanner for Westmoreland, Fayette, and Bedford. So what would be the best scanner for my money, the radioshack pro 197, the gre psr 600, or the uniden bearcat bcd996xt? Also which would be the easiest to program? And would anyone recieve further way signals better than another or is that antenna dependant? Any help would be greatly appriciated.
 

N0WEF

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Welcome to RR!

As for what's easiest to program, I'd say the 996XT

Best deal, I'd go with the 197 or 600 (Depending on sales)

Signals-wise, probably the 600. It would depend on the range of the freq's though. (The 197 and 600 can be deaf in some ranges.) Of course, the antenna would matter too.

These questions/answers are all opinion-based though, so I expect you to get a wide range of answers.
 

SlipNutz15

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Central PA
I agree with N0WEF's post. I'd go for the GRS PSR-600 scanner. Due to the range of systems you will be scanning. Westmoreland is a P25 800Mhz Trunked system and the PSR-600 shines on decoding and is upgradable and very user friendly from my experiences with it. The price is a little salty but look online to find better deals including eBay. Make sure to buy the programming software so you can access the RadioReference database and update your scanner whenever needed with just a few clicks and keystrokes.

GRE America, Inc. - grecom scanner receiver, lcd modules, spread spectrum radio, wireless bridge, scanner antenna, scanner pre-amps. is the website to look at details but again, look elsewhere online for a cheaper price.

It appears you'll be scanning mostly 400Mhz and 800Mhz systems so make sure you pick a good quality antenna that does well in those ranges. Also, if you're installing this in your personal vehicle, make sure (if you want the best signal quality) you do a true through the roof (or trunk) install and use good quality coax/mount and shield your coax as best as possible through your vehicle.

PM me with any questions.
 

talviar

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Dec 22, 2002
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Location
Uniontown, PA
Correction to your post. . . . Fayette County is --not-- digital
We are still Motorola Smartnet Type II Analog 800. . . .

While we are in the planning stages for digital, it is just that-planning . . . . .

Tony
 

Stardogg

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Fall River,Ma
+1 for PSR-600. I have a 500 now and absolutely love it. I will be purchasing a 600 myself, very soon. . .:)
 
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