What type of scanner do I need for my area?

[berksguy]

This is my area

Berks County, Pennsylvania (PA) Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference

but this page says they are considering a new system:

http://www.radioreference.com/forum...-700-800mhz-digital-trunked-radio-system.html

so i have several questions:

1 On the current system, assuming I dont care about the trunked ones at the bottom of the page, will pretty much any scanner get me the rest? (something like BC92XLT)

2. On the trunked Reading signals, would i need a digital scanner or just one like the PRO 164? I know all digital scanners can get analog trunked but I'm not sure from the description if the Reading dept is digital or not, it says Motorola Type II SmartZone
System Voice: Analog and APCO-25 Common Air Interface

3. if the system in my above link does get installed some day, does that mean i need a digital scanner or just a regular scanner that handles 800? (ie what would be a good type of scanner to future proof myself)

And if anyone has any recommendations on their fav scanners, of course i'm all ears.
thanks

 

[BaLa]

A Digital Scanner

# BCD396T
# BCD396XT
# BCD996T
# PSR-500
# PSR-600
# Pro-106
# Pro-197
Categoryigital Scanners - The RadioReference Wiki


1.) Currently If you don't care about the Trunk System(s). that almost any scanner will do even an older ones, but I would strongly recommend one that has at least Text Tags.

2.) For the Reading System you would need a Trunking Capable Scanner that survives Rebanding.
If you wanted to listen to the EMS you need to get a Digital Scanner also.
Reading PD is all encrypted (according to the DB) except for the patch, so you wont be able to monitor them.
Fire is Analog except for Admin Channels.
EMS Dispatch and HEAR is Analog.
Raading PD Mount Penn is ANalog
All the Services except Park Security

3.) If the system above gets installed, you will need a digital scanner that does 700mhz.

 

[berksguy]

Thanks for the response. I wish i had the funds for digital but dont. So sounds like just a cheaper one will have to do for now. I was just confused about scanners such as the Pro 164 that said triple trunking. I knew i wasnt getting digital at that price though

I did count up the older signals in my area and it's approaching 100 so I guess it's wise to get more than 100 channels though, right? something like the BC-92XLT or PRO 135 is in my price range.

and i noticed the pro 137 has alpha tagging but it seems to be geared towards racing. Does that alpha tagging mean i can tag my local police depts etc too? (no interest in racing here) Just making sure. And it says 25-1300MHz as well as 1000 channels. All for $130 bucks. So i dont get why someone would buy the 135 when for 30 bucks more you can have all this

Thanks again for your help.

 

[kayi4cle]

Welcome to Radio Reference! On the Radio Shack website, when you click on each radio there are tabs that come up. The one on the right is Product Support, and clicking on that takes you to the user's guides (manuals). That should help you evaluate each radio more thoroughly before deciding. My advice is to get the most channels possible and be sure and get text tags. That means you can label each frequency whatever you want (such as "Fire Dispatch"). Triple trunking means the radio receives Motorola, EDACS, and LTR (all types of trunked systems). Hope this helps, and happy scanning!

 

[BaLa]

You might be able to find a used Uniden BC246t for a decent price.

 

[berksguy]

Scanner Frequencies: Reading Trunking System, Reading, Pennsylvania

Thanks for the additional info but now this is where i was confused about trunking. But i think i get it now:

If the only trunked system i'd be interested in is the Reading link above (but it's not critical to my decision). i need a scanner like the pro 164 or BC246T. Per post 2 point 2 above, i'd get everything he said was analog with one of these 2 scanners. And under mode on the web page I now see analog is A so would i get all the "A"s if i got one of these two scanners?

And of course if i dont care about Reading or any trunked, then the Pro 137 would be fine and I'm not missing out on any other features that make it worth spending the extra money for the BC246T?

EDIT to add: I've begun looking more deeply at manuals and setups. One thing I notice is something like the pro 137 vs 164 you get a much larger assortment of buttons including a separate up/down etc on the 164. So would you guys say that's a big factor having separate buttons to do things with like program etc? Or since setup is pretty much once and done it's not a big deal how many buttons are on the front. I also see even with the 246T there arent as many buttons.

also i saw a comment about the pro 164 "This is on OK scanner but it won't track trunked radios in the 800 MHz range because of rebanding issues. GRE (who makes this scanner) is working on a firmware fix. Hopefully RS makes the fix available soon"

Does that mean it's pointless for me to even consider the 164 if i have trucked 800s i want to listen to ?

 

[BaLa]

Accroding to the Wiki the Pro-164 should work rebanded systems

Pro-164 - The RadioReference Wiki

 

[kayi4cle]

Your location-specific questions might be better addressed in the state forums (located toward the bottom of the forums page). Someone there may have more up-to-date info on the systems in your area and what changes those systems have undergone or be about to undergo (such as going digital). Sometimes the database has outdated info and such, so I wouldn't rely totally on what's there, but rather use it as a starting point in gathering info. Also, if you can locate any local hams or attend a local ham meeting they could surely help you. Best of luck!

 

[berksguy]

thanks for the trunking advice. Now to figure out which one to get More buttons looks prettier lol