Simple scanner for simple listener....

[gumshoe4]

Greetings. I live in northeast Texas, about 1 1/2 hours east of the DFW Metroplex. I use a Whistler 1025 analog scanner, which works for the local PD, Fire and airport, but does not work for Texas DPS, the local Sheriff's Department and other entities...most of whom, I believe, are P25 based.

I'd like to find a home-based scanner which is capable of receiving and decoding digital transmissions and which will not require a degree in electrical engineering to program and use here in the sticks. Simple, easy to use trunk tracking capabilities would be a plus, but my past experience some years ago attempting to program a Uniden trunk tracking scanner were frustrating and I finally gave up and sent the radio back.

There is obviously a lot of knowledge and experience in this group, but I'm asking for simple solutions for simple people like me. The technical aspects are not that interesting to me, except to get the radio working and receiving the frequencies in which I am interested.

Thanks in advance for your input. Most appreciated.

 

[edweirdFL]

Some of the newer Unidens let you simply enter a zipcode for your location and they know what to scan. The only work left is hitting the AVOID button to lockout the things you don't want to hear, and get those you are left scanning down to something manageable where you can follow the conversations that interest you.

 

[RaleighGuy]

The newer/EZ Scan Whistler scanners let you program by county and select the services you want (PD FD EMS etc)

 

[hiegtx]

Greetings. I live in northeast Texas, about 1 1/2 hours east of the DFW Metroplex. I use a Whistler 1025 analog scanner, which works for the local PD, Fire and airport, but does not work for Texas DPS, the local Sheriff's Department and other entities...most of whom, I believe, are P25 based.

I'd like to find a home-based scanner which is capable of receiving and decoding digital transmissions and which will not require a degree in electrical engineering to program and use here in the sticks. Simple, easy to use trunk tracking capabilities would be a plus, but my past experience some years ago attempting to program a Uniden trunk tracking scanner were frustrating and I finally gave up and sent the radio back.

There is obviously a lot of knowledge and experience in this group, but I'm asking for simple solutions for simple people like me. The technical aspects are not that interesting to me, except to get the radio working and receiving the frequencies in which I am interested.

Thanks in advance for your input. Most appreciated.

Without knowing which county you are referring to, making a specific suggestion would be simply a guess. The database scanners, as suggested by edweirfFL & N1GAW are probably your best choice. Some of the counties in your area are using the TxWARN trunked system, including Tyler & Smith County. In Gregg County, Longview & Kilgore also use TxWARN. Other counties use conventional channels (not a trunked system), but using P25 (digital) voice. Kaufman County has it's own trunked system, and Canton, in Van Zandt County, also has their own system.

With the database scanners, you update the main database (which is free, with access provided by the scanner manufacturer), then enter your location & the scanner will load systems as determined by their range.

If your county is on a trunked system, it's likely to be either a P25 Phase II system, or one that is likely to convert to that type, so don't look for a scanner that is only capable of P25 Phase 1.

In Uniden scanners, for base/mobile use at home, you would be considering the Home Patrol-2, BCD536HP, or SDS200. Compatible Whistler models include the WS1095 & WS1098 (both are discontinued but can be found either previously owned, or perhaps leftover stock at a dealer), or the TRX-2. (All of these models, except the HP-2, have a portable version, but you specified 'use at home' so I'm suggesting base/mobile versions. The HP-2 is a small size, and can easily be carried around, either around your house, or in your vehicle.)

Specify your county so that we can verify whether or not DMR is also used in your area. If so, you would need to either purchase the upgrade for Uniden Scanners (the HP-2 cannot do DMR), or one of the Whistler models.

 

[WB9YBM]

I'd like to find a home-based scanner which is capable of receiving and decoding digital transmissions and which will not require a degree in electrical engineering to program and use here in the sticks. Simple, easy to use trunk tracking capabilities would be a plus, but my past experience some years ago attempting to program a Uniden trunk tracking scanner were frustrating and I finally gave up and sent the radio back.

I've had positive experiences with Uniden.

 

[marksmith]

As most people have indicated, the newest most technically capable scanners are the easiest to scan any more, as long as you can work a windows pc at even a low level.

Base your purchase on the capability of the radio and not perceived difficulty to program

The radio you are using is one of the more complicated to program.

 

[gumshoe4]

"The radio you are using is one of the more complicated to program. " OK, good to know. I didn't experience much difficulty programming it, and I regularly use CHIRP to program 2/70 amateur HTs and mobiles, so maybe things would be better now.

Steve, thank you for the detailed information. I was kind of vague, wasn't I? I live in Wood County, just north of Smith County/Tyler, just east of Van Zandt County and just west of Upshur County. I have reviewed the RR database for Wood County and plugged frequencies into my analog receiver. I've found that Mineola PD and Fire are analog and can be received without difficulty. Wood County Sheriff appears to be P25, as does TX DPS and TX DOT. As my scanner does not receive trunked systems, there's no point in programming the TxWARN system, which is why I'd like to find a scanner which can be used for this system.

Anyway, thanks to all for the information you provided. I think I'll start shopping for some of the scanners mentioned by Steve and others which are pre-loaded by zip code...might be the best way to proceed. I'll figure out the TxWARN system later, or maybe it will already be loaded in.

You guys are very helpful. Thank you.

 

[hiegtx]

Several of the counties near you use P25 (digital) for their Sheriff's departments. Besides Wood, that also applies to Upshur, Hopkins, Camp, and Rains counties. Titus (Mt. Pleasant area) is on TxWARN. In Gregg County, the S.O. is on analog conventional channels, but Gladewater & a couple of other cities use P25. As already noted, Longview & Kilgore are on TxWARN. Texas DPS uses conventional P25 (like your county) but also uses talkgroups on TxWARN in your area.

While Smith County has a simulcast site on TxWARN as does Longview, I suspect that will not affect you since you are some distance away. I have a number of simulcast systems here in the DFW area, but in almost all cases, I am far enough outside of their immediate area that simulcast is not a problem. (I purchased the SDS series scanners to add to my collection since Dallas, city & county, will transition to a P25 Phase II simulcast system in the next year or so.) While I can't "guarantee it" from a hundred miles away, I suspect that the SDS100 or -200 would be overkill for you. Instead, I would recommend either the 436HP (handheld) or 536HP (base/mobile). Both are "database scanners", so you can update the database using the Sentinel software from Uniden, then enter your location, range, and selected Service Types and start scanning.

If, instead of a database scanner, you wanted a scanner that you would need to program (not that hard using software, especially if you become a Premium subscriber as well), then the 325P2 (hand-held) or 996P2 should work as well.

 

[ad5km]

Hello from Tyler, TX
K5BDL

 

[mass-man]

Try the Uniden Homepatrol II...I gave on to my brother who is east of Mineola, and it does all he wants. You only have to program 6 or so freq for TX DPS to hear what is going on out there. Sadly, unlike the past, they must be using the MDT more and more! I like the Homepatrol cuz you make you own list of favorites and skip the other stuff.

 

[hiegtx]

Try the Uniden Homepatrol II...I gave on to my brother who is east of Mineola, and it does all he wants. You only have to program 6 or so freq for TX DPS to hear what is going on out there. Sadly, unlike the past, they must be using the MDT more and more! I like the Homepatrol cuz you make you own list of favorites and skip the other stuff.

The touch screen on the HP-2 is nice (I have one as well), though 'programming' the HP-2 or 436HP (or 536HP) is the same. You can create a favorites list, or update the database on the scanner & then use location & range.

Periodically, I hear TxDPS/Tyler units on TxWARN, if they get far enough west hit the Kaufman County site. DPS Dallas, unless talking to a unit in Kaufman or Hunt County is pretty much silent. Not even hering much from those two counties either, so tehy're using the MDTs almost exclusively, or one of the mobile repeaters that is out of range for me.

 

[gumshoe4]

K5BDL 73 de K5LPH Mineola.

I ended up getting the Uniden HP2 and downloaded the Sentinel software. Very happy with it. Easy to program with the Sentinel software...very similar to CHIRP programming.

Nice to finally be able to hear Wood Co SO and a bunch of other things as well.

Thanks to all for the help!

 

[zenomorf]

Greetings. I live in northeast Texas, about 1 1/2 hours east of the DFW Metroplex. I use a Whistler 1025 analog scanner, which works for the local PD, Fire and airport, but does not work for Texas DPS, the local Sheriff's Department and other entities...most of whom, I believe, are P25 based.

I'd like to find a home-based scanner which is capable of receiving and decoding digital transmissions and which will not require a degree in electrical engineering to program and use here in the sticks. Simple, easy to use trunk tracking capabilities would be a plus, but my past experience some years ago attempting to program a Uniden trunk tracking scanner were frustrating and I finally gave up and sent the radio back.

There is obviously a lot of knowledge and experience in this group, but I'm asking for simple solutions for simple people like me. The technical aspects are not that interesting to me, except to get the radio working and receiving the frequencies in which I am interested.

Thanks in advance for your input. Most appreciated.

TX DPS uses P-25 PHASE-1 and analog state wide, trooppers and others. a pro-106 or psr-500 is great for this.

 

[crossdw]

If you're listening from home (ie not using a handheld), I would suggest a computer setup utilizing a USB receiver dongle like the RTL-SDR. I live in Southeast Texas, near Beaumont, and it is a very inexpensive solution which works great. Depending on which dongle you buy, they range from $25-$100 and the software is free. I have a Windows 10 laptop and use UniTrunker which allows you to enter a control channel frequency and it does the rest. I also use DSDPlus which can decode P25 Phase II - it's a little more difficult to set up initially but after you work with it a bit it's not bad. I've not tried it yet, but you could make this a more portable setup by using an Android tablet or an old phone as well.

 

[gumshoe4]

Thank you for that, crossdw! Looks interesting, although a little complicated. I'll look into it. Looks like the cost of entry is pretty reasonable...

 

[Ensnared]

Thank you for that, crossdw! Looks interesting, although a little complicated. I'll look into it. Looks like the cost of entry is pretty reasonable...

I am uncertain about conventional frequencies, but if you are monitoring a trunking system, the dongle route is limited to one system.

 

[crossdw]

I am uncertain about conventional frequencies, but if you are monitoring a trunking system, the dongle route is limited to one system.

For conventional you only need one dongle. For trunking it depends - if you're using UniTrunker you can monitor more than one control channel but they have to be within a certain bandwidth from each other. I use two - one for control channel and one for voice. For DSDPlus, I use one dongle per system/control channel. Fortunately, where I live, everyone I want to listen to is on the same system.

Most setups use multiple dongles anyway but they're inexpensive