Want to buy a scanner - totally confused

[klff]

I am looking to buy a scanner - understand that the OPP operate on this "Fleetnet" system. Where I start to lose understanding is in trying to determine which scanners will work to hear the OPP and which won't.

Anyone be able to help and suggest and entry level scanner (ie., low price - I'm new to this and not sure how much I really want to spend) that will allow me to listen to stuff on Fleetnet

 

[pathalogical]

Welcome to RR !

For OPP you will need a digital trunk tracking scanner. Check the Wiki section for various models. Unfortunately, none are in the low price range. If you are interested in previously owned scanners, they are less expensive.

What has made you interested in listening to scanners ?

 

[torontokris]

As pathological has said... you need a digital scanner. Most are not "cheap" even older ones still seem to go for a high value.

Models that work on OPP / Fleetnet (digital scanners)

Uniden
BC250D - (must have optional APCO card in it to work on OPP)
BC785D - (must have optional APCO card in it to work on OPP)
BC296D
BC796D
BCD396T
BCD996T
BCD396XT
BCD996XT

Radio Shacks
Pro-96
Pro-2096
Pro-106
Pro-197

GRE
PSR-500
PSR-600

 

[klff]

Any brand better thne another? More user friendly? Better quality?

I want to scan because I am nosy. I am a volunteer firefighter in a large municipality and can hear everyone get paged out, I cannot hear anything that follows. Generally I want to be in the know....

 

[EJB]

I am looking to buy a scanner - understand that the OPP operate on this "Fleetnet" system. Where I start to lose understanding is in trying to determine which scanners will work to hear the OPP and which won't.

Anyone be able to help and suggest and entry level scanner (ie., low price - I'm new to this and not sure how much I really want to spend) that will allow me to listen to stuff on Fleetnet

Dont be to worried or overwhelmed about the scanner, most if not all are programmable with software and as long as you know how to use simple computer files you will be set.
There are a good group of people here that will more than happy to help you out in pretty much every way possible.

Scanners go from about $200 (hard to find 'ancient digital') to about $800.

 

[brockvillefreq]

I bought mine from Scanner World - The Largest Dealer of Scanning Radios in the World came to all said and done 620$CDN for the bcd396xlt works great I love it

 

[hawkeye32]

Welcome to RR i recommend the pro-2096 or the pro/96 both are cheap can prob pick one up for about 200.00 check e-bay or the classified section here on the website . I have the pro-2096 and i have no probs with the fleetnet system

 

[Keganm]

Ebay is also a great place to look for used equipment. I've purchased a number of used digital units for about half the price of new ones.

 

[EJB]

Any brand better thne another? More user friendly? Better quality?

I want to scan because I am nosy. I am a volunteer firefighter in a large municipality and can hear everyone get paged out, I cannot hear anything that follows. Generally I want to be in the know....

If I may ask where do you live?

One of the gentlemen here TorontoKris has scanners, I have heard good things about him and he has good ratiings with customers on this site. His prices seem fair and it looks like he will even program or at least teach you to program.

As for Brands,,, everyone and their sister has an opinion about what is better and what isnt. I havent owned a RS (GRE) scanner since the analogue Pro93. It suited my needs at the time and wasnt impossible to program by hand.

Since then it has been Uniden's for me, my only trunker is a 396T. I love this scanner, it does everything I need and is easy to program with software.

I have heard that the GRE or RS Digital scanners sound better than Unidens but I have heard that they arent user-friendly... ask people in their respective forums and perhaps fellow Canadians here can give you their 2c worth.

Eric

 

[hawkeye32]

to pipe in on programming the pro-2096, when i got back into scanning this digital stuff was all confusing to me,folks here are great for advice and teachings. TorontoKris is a great guy ,he has helped me a couple of times in resolving programming and referring me to the right place to get eqip. for the scanner. The pro-2096 is not really user friendly as per programming "by hand" but by software its a piece of cake whether its the WIN96 or ARC96, i use ARC96 software, i find it easy and the program is user-friendly

 

[klff]

Thanks for the help. I am now on the hunt (ebay, kijiji, craigslist) for a scanner that fits my desires and budget.

 

[klff]

Again, appreciate everyones help to date.

I've been doing some reading in an attempt to understand the Fleetnet System and the general principles of the trunked systems. I am still left with some questions.

Right now, I am looking at a Uniden 396T or 396XT.

If I program an area into the scanner, can I select which talkgroups I wish to hear? I am primarily interested in OPP and EMS. Don't really care what the roads crews are doing, or the MNR, or.....

When programming the scanner (using MikeOxlong's directions from the sticky), it says to input the two control channels - primary and alternate. I am interested in a couple of areas that are located in Zone 2 of the fleetnet system. In specific, one of the sites I would be interested in is the Fenelon Falls site. What are the other 4 (written in black) frequencies listed for? Do these get programmed in somewhere as well? Trying to figure things out, I looked at other areas of the Fleetnet system, and the northwestern area of Ontario only has a single frequency listed (the control frequency). Is this because of a lesser amount of radio traffic?

Appreciate the help you guys offer, and the patience you offer it with for us "new kids"

 

[mciupa]

Q

What are the other 4 (written in black) frequencies listed for?
Do these get programmed in somewhere as well?

Those are voice channels that are being used as opposed to the control channel that is transmitting data. If you program the scanner in Control Channel Only mode, the black freq's will automatically appear.

I looked at other areas of the Fleetnet system, and the northwestern area of Ontario only has a single frequency listed (the control frequency). Is this because of a lesser amount of radio traffic?

Not necessarily, I think those freq.'s were catalogued back in '08 and no users from that area have made any submissions with the other freq's

Appreciate the help you guys offer, and the patience you offer it with for us "new kids"

It's a pretty good community here and people are happy to share their findings in the database for everyone's benefit.

 

[torontokris]

If you get either a 396 or a396xt I suggest using freescan ScanNow.org - The Home of FreeSCAN! to program. If you upgrade to a premium subscription on this site $7-$15 you can download directly what you aNt from the fleetnet system into freescan then into the scanner. You just choose what area / towers / talkgroups you want.

I also sell the 396XT for $580cdn brand new + shipping.. And can program in fleetnet for you for your whole zone or just your local tower.

Shameless self plug sorry.

 

[klff]

Thanks mciupa. Appreciate the answers.

Torontokris - I've been eying your 396XT ad. We will see. Got a surprise car insurance bill as a result of a bookkeeping error on their end. Working on getting some $$. Definitely thinking about it though.