I am just getting started on my new hobby. I found this site to be very informative and thought I would ask a question that I am sure has been asked many many times before. Any and all replies would be greatly appreciated as there is a wealth of information here by seasoned members, thank you for your time to get me going in the right direction. I had thought maybe a handheld would be starting off on the right foot.
Glenn
First of all, welcome to RadioReference. You can be assured that anything related to radio communications can be handled here. Great resource with fantastic members.
Now, regarding your initial inquiry. Unfortunately, without additional information such as where you live, what various agencies your interested in monitoring, and of course, what is it are you willing to spend on the radio.
With that said, I can only offer you general guidelines. First of all, we need to determine what it is you wish to monitor. Once that has been determined, you will then need to find out if what it is your interested in monitoring is analog, digital, or a combination of the two. Also, are any of the agencies using trunking systems. Lastly, assuming the agencies you wish to monitor are all using conventional analog systems, you will want to do some research or ask members of RadioReference who monitor agencies in your area, if whether or not there are any plans to upgrade to trunking and or digital modes.
There is a plethora of handheld scanners on the market ranging from the very basic conventional analog scanner, to the most exotic digital scanner.
The entry level scanners on the market are conventional analog only. Meaning these scanners do not support trunking systems, nor digital. These model scanners also do not support alpha tagging, which allows you to enter a description of what it is your monitoring. Finally, these scanners have very limited frequency coverage. On the plus side however, these basic scanners are very easy to operate, have the ability to be programmed via a computer, and are more than adequate if you monitor conventional analog only. GRE America manufactures the PSR-100 as well as the Radio Shack PRO-404 model. They both sell for around $100 dollars.
The middle level scanner is essentially the same as the entry level scanner, but with the added support of analog trunking systems.. These scanners cover both conventional analog frequencies as well trunked analog systems. The frequency coverage of this level scanner are better, but still limited. Depending on the model, these scanners may or may not support alpha tagging, however programming these units via a PC is possible, so programming trunking systems will be easier to deal with.
The top of the line level of scanners are pretty self explanatory. Not only do they scan your typical conventional analog systems, and trunking systems, they support digital modes, such as P-25 etc. These scanners do support alpha tagging making what your listening to much easier. Of course these scanners also support programming via the PC, as manually programming these units are very difficult. These are sophisticated pieces of equipment. Depending on the model, the frequency coverage is superior. Some may have small gaps between various bands, while others will not, save for various exclusions such as cell etc.
With all that said and done, and to better understand your wants, we need to know what area you intend to listen to. Such as your state and city. Next we will want to know what agencies interest you. Such as Police, Fire, EMT, Amateur Radio, Aircraft, Military, etc. Once you provide us with that information, we can figure out what scanning equipment supports your interests, and proceed from there.
I hope the basic information I gave you will help in some capacity. Again welcome to RadioReference. By all means, please feel free to ask additional questions if needed. Someone will be happy to address them, and help you.
-Rylak