I am considering buying a scanning radio but I would like for it to be as cheap as possible and durable. It needs to scan Airband as well as APCO p25 phase 2 frequencies, specifically Alabamas AIRS system. I like the BC125AT. I also like the BCD325P2. I don’t know if the frequencies I am trying to scan are simulcast. Which scanner should I buy? Which antenna should I get? I like the rubber duck style due to its portability.
Which radio should I buy?
- Thread starter lcat06
- Start date
Need your location to see if simulcast might be an issue.
The 125AT is not capable of monitoring your state’s system nor anything that uses digital transmissions.
The 325P2 is capable of receiving your P25 Phase 2 system but is not a good choice if dealing with a simulcast site.
Scanner996p2
Member
so if you are planning to use it mobile i would recommend getting the uniden sds-100. bc 125at doesn’t receive p25. the 325p2 doesn’t deal well with simulcast. but your area seems to have almost nothing encrypted so again i would recommend the sds-100.
doctordialtone
Member
You won't know until you get it.
I suggest you buy from a place with a return policy and see if it works for you.
Mine works great!
Assuming they're carried on the Jefferson County Simulcast you'll likely face a degree of simulcast distortion as was alluded to you in post #2 depending on your location relative to two or more towers on the cell. If an SDS100 is beyond your reach, feel free to try the multipath mitigation suggestions mentioned here, they may or may not work. As another alternative to conquer simulcast issues , a software defined radio can be acquired for a fraction of the price of an SDS100. Only drawback is you'll need a computer & software to drive said SDR so not the best option for mobile applications. If you decide to go the SDR route, I recommend the SDRPlay model line paired with SDRTrunk (free)
Looking at the coverage map I'd say yes. Looks like it might be within range of two maybe three towers on the cell
Again, as I mentioned in post #8 the "cheapest" option to properly mitigate simulcast would be an SDR
One SDRPlay should work just fine as the simulcast encompasses less than a 10MHz spread
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