SDS200 DMR, NXDN, ProVoice upgrades?

trx680

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Joined
Jul 19, 2013
Messages
150
Location
Petersburg, Virginia USA
looking at several scanner websites, they offer the following upgrades.
Whats your guys opinion on them? I’m in Petersburg Virginia and have the surrounding counties/cities where I’d program the radio to listen in on all available police, fire, ems, etc…. Colonial Heights, Chesterfield, Dinwiddie, Prince George, and State Police.
thanks!!
 

ka3jjz

Wiki Admin Emeritus
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Jul 22, 2002
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Bowie, Md.
You can do the upgrades yourself and save some cash. I wouldn't bother with ProVoice unless it's in your area; it's pretty much a dead duck. Do your research in the database and see whether you would need either DMR or NXDN or perhaps both first

Mike
 

Whiskey3JMC

Formerly known as the Delco Scan Man
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Philly burbs 🇺🇸
None of the paid upgrades will do you any good if you're focused solely on emergency services in those counties. Consult the database and see what's documented as DMR/MotoTRBO or NXDN. Don't bother with ProVoice, only about 20 known systems still online, none in VA. Mostly businesses & non-public safety users (yes there are exceptions to the rule) operate on DMR or NXDN. Search the database for your counties of interest and make an informed decision on your own if any of the upgrades are worth it to you
 

richardbritt

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Northeastern NC
Also check the systems you want to receive, lots of agencies on Virginia STARS have recently gone encrypted. Virginia State Police for one. If the database listing says DE or TE they are encrypted. No upgrade will allow you to receive those.
 

richardbritt

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I was curious about your area frequencies (I used to hang out in Henrico County many years ago with friends in the rescue squad) and Richmond Police, Henrico County Police, Chesterfield County Police, Chesterfield County Sheriff, and Coloniel Heights Police are all full time encrypted.
 

n1chu

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Farmington, Connecticut
Also check the systems you want to receive, lots of agencies on Virginia STARS have recently gone encrypted. Virginia State Police for one. If the database listing says DE or TE they are encrypted. No upgrade will allow you to receive those.
The DE & TE are listing two modes of operation each. The D equals Digital, the T equals trunked. It’s the E that, if included, designates encryption. An upper case “E” equals full time encryption and a lower case “e” equals part time encryption. (The agency may manually turn on full encryption when necessary or have just one side encrypted all the time.)
 

N9JIG

Sheriff
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Far NW Valley
The DE & TE are listing two modes of operation each. The D equals Digital, the T equals trunked. It’s the E that, if included, designates encryption. An upper case “E” equals full time encryption and a lower case “e” equals part time encryption. (The agency may manually turn on full encryption when necessary or have just one side encrypted all the time.)
Actually "D" indicates single path Digital, the "T" indicates (TDMA) (Phase 2 on P25 systems) with the "E" and "e" indicating the encryption status.

Trunking is indicated by the system type, not the Mode column.
 
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