Will Non Digital Scanners Stop Working?

[Bent24]

Im in muncie indiana and have listened to the scanner for a while now using one of the older radio shack models but it doesnt work quite as good any more and noticed they now have the pro-96 that is a digital trunking scanner and the pro-97 is triple trunking but not digital.

Is the digital important enough to spend $200 more? What is the difference?

 

[K9GTJ]

You asked if digital is worth $200 more. Don’t confuse digital on a scanner with digital in other areas like audio. A digital scanner will not make an improvement in overall sound quality like a CD did over a cassette tape.

However, that cassette tape and CD analogy does still work. Imagine if all radio communications were on cassettes and then one day, some communications were CD. Your working cassette player won’t play CDs so you need to by a new piece of equipment.

Digital communications just requires another type of hardware to hear those types of communications over the old conventional analog signals. It also is like how scanner that didn’t trunk track but new ones can and need to in many areas.

So…

You should be getting a digital scanner to hear more of the available communications including in Delaware County. Otherwise you will be missing the action on your old scanner.

 

[Bent24]

Is there a scanner I can buy that will work for less than $400?

 

[DaveIN]

Check the classifieds and ebay.

 

[K9GTJ]

Is there a scanner I can buy that will work for less than $400?

Usually the Pro-96 can be found on sale for $399 but recently I saw an ad from Scanners Unlimited thas said if you mention Radio Reference you could pick it up for even less...

http://scannersunlimited.com/

The Pro-96 gets great reviews. Otherwise look for a used one here or on eBay.

 

[DaveIN]

Usually the Pro-96 can be found on sale for $399 but recently I saw an ad from Scanners Unlimited thas said if you mention Radio Reference you could pick it up for even less...

http://scannersunlimited.com/

The Pro-96 gets great reviews. Otherwise look for a used one here or on eBay.

That's a great price, and Glenn is one of the best radio dealers in the business.

 

[mcema699]

Deleware County does have some digital talk groups and if you want to hear Redkey post of ISP you will need a scanner capable of digital decoding, Muncie seems to be using analog. Just a reminder and in case you're new here... for Indiana you must look both in your individual county and under Safe-T to see what is used in your county. The older frequencies under the individual counties may still be licensed but unused, especially if they have recently switched to some form of 800mhz radio system.

There was a thread on here specifically dealing with Delaware C. and Muncie use of 800, but it must have expired.

 

[mcema699]

Ok, found the thread here....
http://www.radioreference.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29674

 

[Bent24]

I got a pro 96 but I have a feeling that getting this thing programmed will be as hard as making the decision on rather or not to buy it. I looked at the manual online and it looks DIFFICULT.

Anyone have opinions or tips on how to make this go smooth so that I will be able to hear everything??

 

[K9GTJ]

I got a pro 96 but I have a feeling that getting this thing programmed will be as hard as making the decision on rather or not to buy it. I looked at the manual online and it looks DIFFICULT.

Anyone have opinions or tips on how to make this go smooth so that I will be able to hear everything??

You made a great purchase. However, you are right when you say it is complicated. Of course you want to listen right away all while learning more about your scanner.

So what to do...

You need software and the programming cable. When you can import data directly from the DB here at RR, it makes things much simpler. You can also look at what is working, tweak it, and learn from it.

http://www.starrsoft.com/software/win96/default.asp

The cable is at RS.

 

[Bent24]

Thanks for the link. Will I be able to import the info from here or is it limited to certain people?

 

[mcema699]

You have to donate to import.
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