Wow! I'm overwhelmed......Help?

[tareva]

So 20 years ago I got into scanning and been listening to Yuba & Sutter County Sheriffs, and Yuba City & Marysville PD ever since. My 15-year old Uniden desktop is dying on me and I found your forum, thinking I could get a hint as to a good replacement.

But the more I searched here, the less I realize I know. You guys are way over my head. Trunked, digital vs. analogue, and OMG all the acronyms!

I'm not a bells & whistles scanner guy. Just want to be able to listen to what I've been listening to, maybe pick up some new city/county frequencies I may have been missing out on, and buy a new unit that won't be outdated soon.

:Budget? About $200 or so. Any suggestions would really be appreciated.

 

[Sac916]

Greetings and welcome!

With a $200 budget, I suggest the BCT15X
BCT15X - The RadioReference Wiki
This scanner will not be able to hear digital transmissions such as some of the CHP channels.
More and more departments are switching to digital, even smaller departments.

or

Save $450 for a BCD996XT BCD996XT - The RadioReference Wiki
This scanner can handle digital and will relevant for several years.

For purchases, I recommend Scanner Master - Police Scanners by Uniden Bearcat, AOR and Radio Shack.
Once you get a scanner, you've got a lot of help at your disposal on these forums.

Will Yuba/Sutter County departments go digital? I have no idea, but it's highly possible as the years tick by.

 

[mkewman]

Welcome to the forums Tereva!

I'll echo exactly what AntFreq is saying on here (he's the best expert we've got!) I'd recommend saving a few more bucks and going with a Digital scanner. It'll be worth the money and won't become obsolete in 10 years. Not saying that analog scanners will be obsolete, but you'll be able to hear almost everything in 10 years when most, everyone is digital.

Looking at the RadioReference Database, it looks like Yuba City Police is currently mixed-mode digital, so if you're going to want to monitor them, you'll need that $400 scanner.

In the meantime, while you save, you can get a cheaper Analog Conventional scanner (doesn't do digital or trunking) for around $20-40 bucks on ebay. Of course with ebay you are taking a small risk, but for $20 bucks, you'll probably be ok. Most of the stuff up there is analog right now, but CHP is using digital for their vehicle extenders, Yuba City PD is beginning to go digital, Beale is all digital, and you'll start seeing digital up there pretty quick.

That said, if you'd like to spend the $200 right now, the BCT15x is a GREAT scanner. The best part is, you can get a paid membership here for a few bucks, download a program called FreeScan and you can program it with your computer, and automatically download ALL the frequencies from RadioReference's HUGE database, and with a few clicks, program the scanner to your liking.

The one problem you might run into it does have quite a few bells and whistles, and it takes a little getting used to. It's not like your current scanner, it's a little more complex. You won't need a PhD to figure it out, but it may take an hour or two for you to really get going with it. In a couple days, you'll be a pro. I know it sounds like a big time investment, but it's not. If you take your time, be patient, and ask lots of questions (you can always feel free to PM me and I'll do my best to help) you'll be operating that 15X like a pro, and you'll be even more addicted to Monitoring.

Hollar if you need any help, we're always happy to assist. You're lucky enough to be in a GREAT location for monitoring.

EDIT: Oops! Almost forgot. Up at the top of all the RadioReference pages, there's a menu that says "Wiki" it's got a GREAT glossary for learning about all the different acronyms, digital/analog/trunking - all that good stuff is explained in the Wiki. The search feature for the website up at the top can navigate you to those sections as well. I learned A LOT from that Wiki since joining RR back in the summer of '05. Now I'm a licensed Amateur Radio operator and I'm about to go get my General Radio Operators License (basically a license radio technicians get that many radio shops require) and it alllllll started by buying a cheap scanner on ebay, and joining this site.

 

[tareva]

Thanks, antfreq and mkewman. I felt calm enough readying your advice that I told my wife a lot has happened over the past 15 years, and it looks like digital is the smart route for the next 15. She likes listening just as much as I do* so she chimed in that she would add her own $200 into the scanner pot! Not bad.

And it's nice knowing both of you live in the same area, so you know what's happening with the agencies. Great advice. Much thanks.

*(Back in the 80s, when business was bad, I ended up dispatching for YCPD for a while. Great adventure, that was. Got me hooked on the real-time goings on around here, and my wife too, since she listened while I was on shift.)

 

[gmclam]

Trunking digital

Hello neighbor and welcome to RadioReference. I wouldn't get anything less than a trunking digital scanner these days. It seems like agencies are switching channels one by one to digital overnight. I'd hate to see you get a new analog scanner then wake up tomorrow with several channels you want to hear having gone digital.

Personally I like the GRE-made PSR-500 hand-held or its base cousin PSR-600. Radio shack sells those as models PRO-106 and PRO-197 respectively. But GRE is presently (for who knows how long) not manufacturing radios (there's a thread here on that) and so they've gotten tough, or more expensive, to find. But that's what I use and would suggest.

Don't forget that regardless of the scanner model you purchase, these days you really need software that is compatible with that scanner as well to program it. And the USB/serial cable. And if you really want good reception consider an outside antenna or mobile antenna for your vehicle.

A couple of nights ago there was a chase that started in Sacramento county, went to Yolo county, then Sutter county, then Yuba county and then ended just back over the line in Sutter near East Nicholas. I was able to follow it regardless of channel/etc from here because of an outside antenna. Some of the traffic was also on digital channels (such as CHP extenders), and that's a very minor example.

 

[tareva]

gmclam.........Yes, that would have been a good chase to listen to. I was in Oakland that day, but read about it in the local rag. Question for you: without an outside antenna, with the Pro-106 and the Pro-107 sitting next to each other, which one would have the best reception? Or would they be equal?

 

[russianspd]

gmclam.........Yes, that would have been a good chase to listen to. I was in Oakland that day, but read about it in the local rag. Question for you: without an outside antenna, with the Pro-106 and the Pro-107 sitting next to each other, which one would have the best reception? Or would they be equal?

Reception is all antenna based. How well the signal can be decoded would be radio based. I had an issue awhile back where my PRO106 and BCD996XT were using the same antenna, got the same signal, but one was able to decode the transmission better than the other. Drove me nuts.

EDIT: Some antennas can handle different reception ranges than other. A longwhip antenna can handle a lower freq channel better than a normal 800mhz antenna. Some antennas are made for certain ranges. I have a TRI-Band on my vehicle. I can get everything up high (manily PD's) to the middle (PD's and some smaller agencies) to the low (CHP) all on one antenna. Gotta get what fits your needs.

 

[gmclam]

without an outside antenna, with the Pro-106 and the Pro-107 sitting next to each other, which one would have the best reception? Or would they be equal?

I'd expect them to be equal. But I've seen two radios that are the same model sitting side by side not perform equally, especially with rubber/stock antennas.

If you're interested in good reception, pay more attention to your antenna system. Those stock antennas are fine for short ranges, so don't expect stellar reception with one.

 

[tareva]

I'd expect them to be equal. But I've seen two radios that are the same model sitting side by side not perform equally, especially with rubber/stock antennas.

If you're interested in good reception, pay more attention to your antenna system. Those stock antennas are fine for short ranges, so don't expect stellar reception with one.

Thanks.....a fine point, admittedly, but interesting just the same.