Best in car and portable/handheld scanner?

[Bruce M. Sumner]

Many that are making the transition to digital are also encrypting, making even digital scanners useless for the most part.

 

[rdale]

The digital ones operate both analog and digital which gives you a versatile useage and the generation II will be available with a decoder for encrypted comms(on some models).

Arghh...

ABSOLUTELY WRONG. No scanner now, or ever, will have the ability to decode encrypted communications. 1) It's illegal to listen to 2) It's illegal to make a scanner that can and 3) all but the very oldest encryption is impossible to decode. Impossible + Illegal = Never.

They will allow for firmware updates so you can keep it up to date when new systems come online.

Current scanners already allow for firmware updates.

Back to my original point. If you need a digital scanner now, get it and you'll be happy. If the agencies you want to scan are analog, get an analog scanner now and be happy.

Many that are making the transition to digital are also encrypting, making even digital scanners useless for the most part.

Actual no, most digital systems are NOT encrypted. Many use encryption on vice channels or special ops or the like, but the number of systems in the country that are completely encrypted could be counted on one hand.

The post above about integrating GPS is a good thing for the Uniden line. You can preset the scanner to switch as you move about, and if you have a GPS with RS232 out you can connect it to the scanner and it will automatically select/deselect systems as you drive.

 

[Jason Foster]

http://www.popular-communications.com/

http://www.scannerworld.com/

If you want anything Motorola (the real stuff), I've got a connection...no need to pay $3500 for a XTS 3000.

 

[Ryan McGinnis]

Absolutely wrong. They have to upgrade to "narrowband" but they do not have to update to digital, let alone trunked.



Again - incorrect. Only the mid-sized and larger communities are going to digital, but even that isn't widespread. Even the most basic of scanners these days used trunking technology, so only buy digital if you need to.

Check http://radioreference.com and in the database for your county of interest, there's a link to "best scanner for this area" and plenty of computer software packages to help you instantly program your radio.

All of this is interesting, but it's important to note that nearly all chaser freqs (standard chaser channels, spotter networks, research group channels (i.e., CSWR, NSSL, TWISTEX, etc., if you can find them)) are analog and non-trunked. So if you're on a budget, you don't need to worry about trunking or digital.

I do really like some of the 2xx and 3xx Bearcat scanners, though. They're cheap, and with an inexpensive subscription (like $20 a year), you can get free software (FreeScan) that will download and program freqs into your scanner for you. It makes programming go from a multi-day project to around 5 minutes of point and click.

 

[rdale]

They're cheap, and with an inexpensive subscription (like $20 a year), you can get free software (FreeScan) that will download and program freqs into your scanner for you.

If you're really cheap you don't need the subscription. Freescan has a neat copy-n-paste feature, not as nice as downloading but it's free...

 

[W. Johansen]

Didn't mean to stir it up!!!

If I can catch Dr.Josh or Reed or any of the regular chasers that will be fine with me.....just want a good scanner so I can listen in next spring. Plan on a couple of weeks chasing in May and maybe June.Thanks for all the info. I already have enough money invested in daylight to dawn Ham radios don't want to put a lot more in chase equipment.

 

[David Schuttler]

Many that are making the transition to digital are also encrypting, making even digital scanners useless for the most part.

The use of cell phones are more of a hinderance now. Many cities are in a budget crunch and spending money to go digital would be foolish spending. I would imagine many timelines ( if there are any) would be getting pushed back or abandoned. I remember this "going digital" talk on the web going on more than 5 years ago and still nothing around here ( that I know of).

 

[Ryan McGinnis]

If I can catch Dr.Josh or Reed or any of the regular chasers that will be fine with me.....just want a good scanner so I can listen in next spring. Plan on a couple of weeks chasing in May and maybe June.Thanks for all the info. I already have enough money invested in daylight to dawn Ham radios don't want to put a lot more in chase equipment.

Another fun feature of some of the BC scanners I was talking about was the "Close Call" feature. That is, the scanner can pick up close transmissions and take you to them (or store them in memory) even if you don't know those freqs ahead of time.

 

[Jesse Risley]

If you go here and complete the appropriate information, the site will give you a list of marketable scanners that will suit your needs and fit your price range: http://www.policescanners.net/shop/select/

Also, remember that some states have laws that govern the use of mobile scanners. In most states that currently have some sort of restriction(s) you either need a ham license or a permit to have a scanner in your vehicle. You should review this website, as several states that are in areas that receive frequent severe weather episodes do have restrictions on mobile scanner usage: http://www.afn.org/~afn09444/scanlaws/scanner5.html

 

[Brett Adair]

Absolutely wrong. They have to upgrade to "narrowband" but they do not have to update to digital, let alone trunked.



Again - incorrect. Only the mid-sized and larger communities are going to digital, but even that isn't widespread. Even the most basic of scanners these days used trunking technology, so only buy digital if you need to.

Check http://radioreference.com and in the database for your county of interest, there's a link to "best scanner for this area" and plenty of computer software packages to help you instantly program your radio.

We are digital and trunked here in our county. Word around here is that there are many more to come as well. So, I believe that it's coming whether it's a requirement or not. Sure, our county has the Talladega SuperSpeedway, but we aren't that large by far.

 

[rdale]

I believe that it's coming whether it's a requirement or not.

The economy might be different in your area as opposed to the rest of the US, but most governments are seriously hurting. The big Federal grants to do this no longer exist and/or have been significantly reduced. A few years ago, the Feds paid almost all so many jumped in. Now they don't - they pay 75% but that 25% match is still out of the reach of most.

Sure, our county has the Talladega SuperSpeedway, but we aren't that large by far.

Ding ding ding The Speedway infuses money into your economy, even in bad times. That's probably a swing vote.

But if counties don't have a major source of income right now, they aren't going to switch to digital just for the fun of it.

And if they do - just buy a digital scanner and you'll be fine.

 

[John Erwin]

Regardless of what handheld scanner you buy I would recommend installing an external speaker in your vehicle for it.. perhaps even an amplified one. In my experience I've found most handhelds simply do not have the volume to overcome typical noise found in the interior of a car.