Scanning in Fairfax Co.

[lmiller778]

Just looking to confirm a couple of things:

Anyone in Fairfax Co. on this forum...?

I live in Fairfax Co., and am looking at scanners. I am interested in Fairfax Co. Public Safety and the talkgroups for FD, PD & Sheriff (to start). Looks like I can go with the Bearcat BCD396T. (I've only seen\heard good things about it.)

I bought the 246T by mistake - missed that one little word: digital. With the Butel software it was a snap to program.

I have researched, but don't want to make the same mistake again.

1. The 396T should work for the above systems, correct?
2. Programming 396T about the same level of difficulty as the 246T?

I solve web\tech issues all day, so I am not afraid of a challange. Well, not too much of a challange!

Many Thanks!
Lisa

 

[Jonesym20]

welcome

There are plenty of people who monitor fairfax in these forums. As for the 396T that will pick up just about anything in the D.C. Region, including Fairfax PD, FD, Sheriff.

I have owned the 996t (base model, whereas the 396t is hand held) for about a year now and love it. I owned a older scanner about 10 years ago which was much easier to program, but it didn't take long at all for me to figure out how to work the 996t. so if you work with web/tech issues it shouldn't be a problem for you.

I have never used a 246t, but I assume the 396t is not that much more difficult.

good luck

 

[lmiller778]

Thanks!

I've actually joked that some of my issues with getting the scanner (back order, dulicates, cable) made all the issues with my company's web solution look easy!

Programming was the easy part. I think that I would tell anyone new to all of this: don't try to do everything in one night. Take your time, and don't rush. (That is how I missed needing a digital scanner.)

The June 4th weather is what really put me on the path of a scanner - or I should say all of the incidents (police, fire) in my neighborhood.

 

[ka3jjz]

Lisa since you mentioned the 396, here is the article from our wiki (note that anything in blue or underlined is a link)

http://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/BCD396T

and since you were talking handhelds here, many say that the PSR500 has better digital audio then the 396.

http://wiki.radioreference.com/index.php/PSR-500

You should be reasonably comfortable with DMA concepts from programming the 246; getting the 396 should be a short step, learning wise. Depending on the software, you might even be able to migrate the data from the 246 into the 396 (I think - I don't know this for sure - that both freeware packages BcTool and FreeScan can do this. I know Scan Control for sure can). It would save you some work from having to reimport (or retype) all that data. Alternately these programs can use UASD files as a data source.

73 Mike

 

[KF4ZTO]

I'm living in both the City of Richmond and Fairfax County. Their system is amazing to listen to...leaves Richmond's in the dust.

Welcome to the forum.

 

[nicdoot]

I got a Pro 96 and programed in the frequency for Fairfax County Fire/EMT and it came it great. In fact every couple minutes there was something going on. It's great. I'm wondering why I only hear that channel and not the other ones I programed. Maybe I did it wrong.

 

[lmiller778]

I got my digital scanner today.

(And the refund on the first one. yeah!!)

I used the Butel demo software to load Fairfax Co. Public Safety. I did not have much time tonight, so I just loaded PD, FD & Sheriff's Dept. Started getting stuff right away. (I used the webcatch feature.)

Busy night too. AND when the FD came down my street, I knew what it was all about. Very cool.

Lisa

 

[KF4ZTO]

Its a pretty active system. Make sure to program in the COORD talkgroups as well. Sometimes some interesting stuff comes up on there.