Time to buy a digitracker

[cellblock776]

It's been a while since my last scanner purchase. My trusty Pro-93 doesn't pick up much of the stuff I like to listen to since the moves to digital. So I'm looking around and have a little money saved up. Now I need suggestions.
I want to hear LSP, Iberville SO, BRPD, EBREMS, BRFD. The stuff around my home and work in St Gabriel and Baton Rouge.
I have a budget of $300. I know the Radio Shack Pro-106 was on sale after Thanksgiving for about that much. Is this probably what I'd be looking for and is there hope of finding it for under $300 anytime in the near future? Should I look for something else? Suggestions and opinions greatly appreciated.

 

[nx_2000]

I got a used Uniden BCD396T on ebay used for $260 a couple months ago. If you want to buy new, though, the Pro-106 is listed for $300 this week.

 

[cellblock776]

Thanks. I didn't know the 106 was back on sale. Now to justify a 300 buck scanner in the family budget.

 

[Landman]

Do an online search for Radio Shack Friends and Family Coupon. I forget how much it saves you but the figure 25% comes to mind. It is a once a year deal they do for a couple of days. Normally they only mail the coupons to certain select individuals but I found one online and printed it. I went to the store with it when they were also having the $100 off sale on the Pro-106 and I got both discounts. I was wondering if my internet printed coupon would work but it was the store manager who rang me up and she didn't even bat an eyelash. She gave me the discounts with no problem.

 

[fourthhorseman]

brother,,
just bite the bullet..

look for a while,,you
will eventually score
a 396T or a Pro106
easily in the 225 to
300 range..
ive nabbed some
great deals on radios
thru the 'Bay..

patience...all it takes!

 

[cellblock776]

I ended up ordering online yesterday morning. Total cost for ground shipping was ~$314. It should be in my mailbox by next week.
Didn't think to look for an online coupon. Darn it!
I've never used Ebay, don't have a Paypal account and didn't want to deal with the hastle of online auctions. Just went ahead, pulled the trigger nad bought it off the Radio Shack online site.

 

[shew]

u gone to like the pro-106....i have 2 of them and the pro-197... got all of them at $300 or less in the last 3 years from the shack....just waited for the sales....bought my last pro-106 about 3 weeks ago when they was on sale for $250...if u still live in st. gabriel....let me know if they moved to lwin are if they still on 800mhz....on weekends while i stay in pierre part i catch iberville s.o ...white castle p.d., plaquemine p.d., all the time...but never hear st. gabriel. p.d...they might be limited to the local tower.....enjoy

 

[cellblock776]

St Gabriel PD is still on the 800TRS. I don't know why they havn't moved with Iberville SO and Plaquemine PD to 700. Maybe the Mayor spent the money on Operation Blighted Official stuff.
The Fedex guy showed up today with my 106. I had been tracking it and was home waiting for it. At about 1pm I went out to check the mail and bring the trach can in from the road. I found a delivery notice stuck to the door. The Fedex guy was there at 10:30am according to the note. So he went to a side door as far from the part of the house we were in and knocked as softley as possible and then took off with my package. Now I have to wait until Friday morning for him to try again. Damn Fedex. I was home, cooking and watching the door and he slips around to the side, leaves a note and leaves. I Am Peeved. Called Fedex to see if he could swing back by here today. No luck. They are willing to route it to a FedEx Office store on Bluebonnet where I will be passing on my way home at about 9am friday but The FedEx person on the phone can't tell me when it will be there. So I might as well wait for it here at the house. I'm putting my one notes on the doors too to tell the jerk I'm home, waiting and to KNOCK like he has a pair.

 

[cellblock776]

I'm loving my 106 so far. I'm a bit disapointed by the range even with the RS 800 antenna attached. I can't pick up BRPD or BRFD reliably from my home in St Gabriel. I get them great in BR at work. I figured I'd be able to hear the BR tower better. My old Pro-93 could hear the old BR 800mhz TRS without a problem.
St Gabriel PD is still on 800 but the freqs in the database are outdated since they rebanded. I found the current 800 freqs and listen to SGPD a little. Iberville SO is a tough one. I have the freqs for the LWIN tower in Plaqumine and have been listening for IPSO talkgroups but about the only time I hear anything is when a deputy is signing off for the end of his shift. I haven't really bothered listening to the Giesmar tower yet. I assume they are using encryption which is limiting what I'm hearing. ????
I havn't spent much time exploring what this scanner can do. I look forward to learning more about it.

 

[charlie12]

I'm loving my 106 so far. I'm a bit disapointed by the range even with the RS 800 antenna attached. I can't pick up BRPD or BRFD reliably from my home in St Gabriel. I get them great in BR at work. I figured I'd be able to hear the BR tower better. My old Pro-93 could hear the old BR 800mhz TRS without a problem.
St Gabriel PD is still on 800 but the freqs in the database are outdated since they rebanded. I found the current 800 freqs and listen to SGPD a little. Iberville SO is a tough one. I have the freqs for the LWIN tower in Plaqumine and have been listening for IPSO talkgroups but about the only time I hear anything is when a deputy is signing off for the end of his shift. I haven't really bothered listening to the Giesmar tower yet. I assume they are using encryption which is limiting what I'm hearing. ????
I havn't spent much time exploring what this scanner can do. I look forward to learning more about it.

If you program the Geismar tower you will probably hear what you want to hear where you live. I have towers programed in mine for the places I go from north EBR down to lower Livingston parish. It will pick up the strongest tower. When I'm in lower LP around Head of Island I get most stuff on the Geismar site

 

[cellblock776]

Charlie,
Thanks for the advice. Been playing with it alot lately and have found ISO dispatch and St Gabriel PD.
They are on LWIN but the database didn't have them.
The Iberville SO seems to be using TG 19002 as their primary dispatch. 19002 is listed as Public Works in the database so thats why I wasn't hearing them. A Wildcard search had them popping right up and after listening for a few minutes I realized I was hearing Deputies, not public works. All comms are in the clear. Also, TG 19003 is not being used by Public Works either. It too is being used by ISO as a Talk channel.

Saint Gabriel PD Dispatch is hiding on TG 19022. Again, a few minutes with Wildcard searching and I have them loud and clear. TG 19022 is not listed in the LWIN Database at all and needs to be added. No encryption noted.
I seen to learn something about the 106 everytime I turn it on and I couldn't be happier.

 

[shew]

19022...st. gabriel p.d.....must not be hitting plaquemine tower.....because i hear iso....w.c.p.d.. p.p.d..all the time when i am in pierre part...but never heard st. gabriel at all.....19022 never popped up as a wildcard...thanks for the find steve....now i need to program in my 197 and 106's....database needs to be updated so i can upgrade the home patrol 1

 

[cellblock776]

19022...st. gabriel p.d.....must not be hitting plaquemine tower.....because i hear iso....w.c.p.d.. p.p.d..all the time when i am in pierre part...but never heard st. gabriel at all.....19022 never popped up as a wildcard...thanks for the find steve....now i need to program in my 197 and 106's....database needs to be updated so i can upgrade the home patrol 1

Try listening to the Giesmar tower. That's where I'm hearing ISO and St Gabriel PD.

 

[shew]

Well last weekend i finally started catching s.g.p.d....in pierre part...so i am hitting a tower...that they are working off of..