Washington County Florida

[lin263]

Im scanner shopping. too old to put up antenna, there seems to be so many choices, I dont know what to do.

Washington County has a lot of activity, DV, drugs and gun shots heard, seems to be the norm. I have also heard that LE uses 2 way radios. So will a normal scanner also pick that up?

Im open to any and all suggestions. but...nothing over $300-350 would have to be tops. Then I get thinking the little bearcat scanner is only $89. what to do, what to do.

Is there much difference between a hand held and a regular scanner?

My reception for a cell phone is poor, I had to get a better att cell. or does that not make any diff?

 

[ranger821]

There isn't a lot in your county because it's rural. To listen to just your county, a regular scanner will do. To listen to the counties around you, you may need a trunking Scanner. The digital scanners are a bear to program and for your area, it's not needed. Your county Sheriff's office only has one frequency. Go to the database here on RR and look at what is around you. Radio Shack has a sale going now. Unadin's good as well. Outside antenna is better than the one that comes with it. Even if you get it 15 feet up in the air, your reception will be a LOT better. Trust me on that.

 

[lin263]

Thank you for responding Ranger. Thanks to all the great radioreference people, I can get other channels from all over the country, which is great. I spend a lot of time on Websleuths and I like to have the local scanner for what ever state and city where we are looking for someone.

Now, about the antenna......lol, Im not sure what kind to get, as well as it has to be really easy to connect to something. I did find the hole where cable used to come in, and theres still cable wire in it. sorta scared to pull it, Florida has some creepy critters/ Im from Ohio and not used to all this.

I sold my home after my husband passed away. I never thought about all the antennas and stuff he had up. darn it.

I think I should find where the tower is and put the antenna on that side of the house. sound right to you?


Oh...will the basic scanner pick up 2 way conversations? I have been told that Washington County uses 2 ways for the serious stuff.

 

[ranger821]

Hand held you can take in the yard and listen while you are sipping on your iced tea or having your morning coffee. Base radio needs AC to run the scanner. A lot has to do with what features you want. Both have similiar features. It (your scanning interest) also depends on how much you listen. I am completely retired here so I listen quite a bit. There is a scanner on in my house all of our waking hours because I want to know what is happening around me. I have four of them. 3 handhelds and 1 Base radio. I am a ham radio operator as well.

 

[ranger821]

You were typing at the same time I was. Sounds like you could get away with a basic scanner. Antenna on the outside of the house. Radio shack has a discone antenna for 26 bucks. Get it outside the house and up about 10 to 15 feet. When you are talking about the hole where the cable came in, are you talking about TV cable or coax that goes to an antenna for radio's. Was your Husband a ham? There is some creepy critters here. I will program washington county into my scanner down here and let you know what I hear. I hear a lot of stuff from Walton County. Can you describe what kind of antenna's that are on your home now. Are you in Chipley, Bonifay????

 

[lin263]

My husband was into all of it. The roof over our garage looked like somthing from outer space. Only thing I can remember is he went by TraderJohn, then a bunch of numbers and letters. Makes me a bit ill when I look at the prices of this stuff, but that was almost 15 yrs ago.

Im a retired nurse. retirement isnt so bad I find things to keep me busy everyday, yet I get nothing done.

Im not a fiddle in the yard kind of person. I rent, and my yard work is done for me. My landlord is a great guy, Im not allowed to even put in a new lightbulb, he does not want me on a chair or ladder. He had the little back porch railed in for me. I didnt want to tell him Im not the little old lady type, but if he says so, ok.

Can you receive anything from Washington County? I hear they only use 2 way raido. Drug business is good here. lolololol

Im on facebook as Linda L Bolin Angelo incase you are a FB addict like me. I will wait a few days and see what you can pick up, then decide from there. I really really want to listen to the 2 ways, but its prob illegal if I really wanted to know, but I dont. I dont live in the kind of neighborhood that I would want to go running out side to tell my neighbors what I heard. Im beginning to think I live in the 'hood'.

Yes, the hole in the wall was or is for cable. I had tv put in a diff room, so they had to drill another hole. I must have 20 ft of cable stuffed in the wall. I pulled a little bit of it, and seems ok so far. No Boa or giant spider came out..........yet.

There are no antennas, just the direct tv dish. Im in Chipley.

back to you my friend.

 

[ranger821]

I programed your frequencies into one of my scanners and hooked it to my ham radio antenna that will pick up that frequency. There is some one talking but the signal is too weak for me to hear it. That was on the sheriff's channel. My suggestion is for you to go to radio shack and get a regular scanner. don't let them sell you a digital scanner, you can get by with a Pro 164, 107. See if they can program it for you. Some of these scanners are a bear to get programmed.

 

[lin263]

I had a bearcat scanner, and gave it away when I moved here. dumb dumb. Now I go crazy wanting to know whats going on. tx for trying to hear the frequencys. Should I leave you my phone number incase something happens and I wouldnt want to miss it? hahahah

Im sure they will program it for me, the bearcat was easy, so if they give me a hard time ill do it myself.

Chipley is a very odd little town. walmart is the social center. There is no swimming pools or swim areas for miles around here. I sure wont go to the beach. that mess down there is still scary. On certain days of the week, it looks like everyone is gone, Then it becomes rush hour with idiots driving. I love Fl, but its been hard trying to understand things around here.

 

[ranger821]

No. Do not leave your number. Too many things can happen with that. Depending on what you want to listen to, a hand held may be your best bet. You could take it with you when you go to the store and listen on the way. I use a vent cup holder to put mine in when I out in the truck. Until you can get an out side antenna, you need to get the antenna that came with it close to a window. Same with a base unit. I looked on the radio shack site and there is some on there for 99 dollars. Very basic scanner but will do the trick until you can get your feet wet on listening. These are easy to program. Sounds like you would be good to go with how to program it. It takes a little while to get use to life here in Florida. Not like up North, pace of life is slower. It will grow on you. Trust me.

 

[ranger821]

Just heard activity on your county SO frequency 460.1500. Loud and clear here. They were only checking on the officer on patrol but I did hear them good here in FWB.

 

[lin263]

Thank you, Im going to run down to Radio Shack in a little bit.

I have no idea what I was thinking to put my fb info here. I might as well left a map to my house and where I hid the door key. This is the very thing I am fighting on FB and other web sites. ack!!!!!!

National Center for Missing & Exploited Children


I put the addy here for anyone that might want to check it out. Shes only 12, been missing for almost a week. Yes, I know this is not the place for this. But what if.....what if someone looks and says omg, I just saw them at the gas station.

 

[ranger821]

Check out what they have. Let me know what one you buy. My wife and I listen all the time.

 

[WX4JCW]

I had a bearcat scanner, and gave it away when I moved here. dumb dumb. Now I go crazy wanting to know whats going on. tx for trying to hear the frequencys. Should I leave you my phone number incase something happens and I wouldnt want to miss it? hahahah

Im sure they will program it for me, the bearcat was easy, so if they give me a hard time ill do it myself.

Chipley is a very odd little town. walmart is the social center. There is no swimming pools or swim areas for miles around here. I sure wont go to the beach. that mess down there is still scary. On certain days of the week, it looks like everyone is gone, Then it becomes rush hour with idiots driving. I love Fl, but its been hard trying to understand things around here.

LMAO, I went to truck driving school and lived in Chipley with my aunt when i was 5 (Ginger Lewis if You meet her) and yes the walmart is the social center and is relatively new, for real excitement go to Wausau LOL.
the above reccomendations have You all set it seems, i sincerely doubt they will go digital anytime soon.

though there is a restaurant now between the McDonalds and Wal Mart and i had the Catfish which was really good

 

[tampatracker]

To lin263 ; I was just wondering if you did get a scanner from RS and if so what is the status of your situation up there? TT.

 

[lin263]

ok, Im in over my head already. I bought the Uniden BC72XLT. Read the instuctions, which seem to be pretty clear, I just need to learn where they are on it. I am glad it has some preset

So far, I can hear someone, but was on the other side of the room, so I missed it. grr

I dont know how to set this scanner so the Close Call is in the alert mode. On what bank should the SO be put on?

I have Jackson and Holmes County turned on on my computer (thanks to wonderful people like you)
Im not hearing them on the scanner, but Im in a bad area of the house right now.

I didnt realize how much I missed a scanner.

After lots of searching on the computer I found this scanner for $79.23. I found a free next day delivery code, so it was delivered a little bit ago. Price seemed really good to me, and I dont have to go out side in the freeze warning area. lolol

 

[ranger821]

Page 38 in the manual tells about Close call. Read the manual and have the scanner nearby as you read it so you can see where they are talking about. Have you input any frequencies/

 

[lin263]

No, no input yet. thats part of what I dont understand. Should it go on a seperate bank?

 

[ranger821]

Sent you a Private message.

 

[ranger821]

Did you get my private message with the info on the BC72xlt.

 

[lin263]

Yes I received your msg. Thank you. I gave up last night trying to figure out how to program it. I keep getting error for some reason. Maybe need to re-read the whole thing.

Took it to Radio Shack, they dont know how to program it because its not Radio Shack scanner. I held my tongue, but it was not easy. While I was there, they both said that Washington County Sheriffs office went didgetal last night. I argued a tad,but they were certain. So Im kinda up in the air again. Chipley police did not change over. I understand Fl Highway Patrol is also digital. ack!!!!!!

So for now, it will lay on my computer desk.