police scanners

[luckyc]

My mothers 85th birthday is coming up in Jan and what do you think she wants, you have it, a new scanner, her programmable one is outdated and she's not able to pick up much anymore. I went to look at new one's and they have two. They have one that's triple trunk and digital anolog I believe. Now what's the difference and will she get the new channels with the cheaper triple trunk? Or is the triple trunk just like her programmable one. The kid at the store couldn't tell me anything about them except I should buy the most expensive one.

[Powerstroke]

Don't know where your mom lives, but with digital frequencies and trunkated signals you need a pretty expensive scanner to keep up with whats happening in the area. I know someone who paid over $500 for a portable trunkating scanner and we are on a analog signal still.

I hope someone here knows more about this cause I'm mildly interested. I know what you mean about your folks. My grandpa loved his scanner. Mu grandparents never owned a TV so that was his entertainment.

[luckyc]

Yes, the triple trunk was in the $180 range and the digital was about $450 but I feel she is worth every penny. I just don't want to get one that doesn't get her Ramsey county sheriff and Roseville police department. This is her enjoyment as she don't like all the junk on TV except for COPS and all the different police shows of course. That's my mother.

[TJFISHER]

You need to do some checking on this. With the new 900 megahertz(?) radios in Mn it is very difiuclt to pick up the police radios anymore. I would do some good checking before you spend lots of money.

[cliffy]

I am with TJ on this one. A lot of departments in MN, like the one I work for, have gone to high end digital radios with rolling encryption signals...or something like that . I am by no means an expert but our department just switched over to this new system about a year ago...and from what the experts told us, it would take 1000s of dollars of equipment to get our signals. It might be worth you time to contact those departments you are interested in...and ask about their radios..etc....just to make sure you don’t spend all that money for nothing. Good luck and happy holidays.

[Sarpy Creek Boy]

Do a search for Bearcat or Uniden scanners, you will find the information you need, I also checked at Radio Shack in Chanhassen a while back and they said there is something available

[Whoaru99]

You need to find out if the signals are scrambled/encrypted.

If it's digital encryption (becoming more and more common) all you are going to get is what sounds like static each time there is a transmission. You will not be able to defeat that system with anything short of a miracle...

The time of wide open scanner fun has really dwindled over the last 10 years or so.

I've got a nice Realistic PRO-2006 modified to incorporate a computer interface and some scanning/frequency logging software set up on an old laptop. All of that pretty much gathers dust these days. The city police here are digital so all I get is the static, the county Sheriff is still open, but about all you get is the initial call and then they go to cell phones for all the "good stuff".

[harvey lee]

My scanner use to work for every police sheriff etc. Now with thier new stuff, I only pick up a few and the rest are static.

[knoppers]

still pick up most calls with my uniden here in sherburne county. the problem is most squad cars have computors now, and the dispatch can just send it to there computor. also some frequencies change, you may have to just find the new one.

the best action that I have heard, was a high speed chase that was going for about 100 miles from brainerd, I followed along as the local sheriffs dept took over, and heard the chase was heading in my direction. you could see all the flicking lites from miles away, since there were about 10 cars in pursuit. they finally ran him off the rode on highway 10 in big lake, but he ran and got away, stealing a paddle boat on mitchel lake, over to within one block of my house and stealing another car. he was caught in Iowa about 2 weeks later. well worth the price of the scanner.

[HaywardBound]

The metro area is switching to the ARMER digital system as we speak.

From what I have researched, there are only a couple of scanners that will work in our area. Mom's scanner can still pick up Roseville and RCS dispatch right now, but she is unable to hear the car to car talk along with the Ramsey Co. fire frequencies and everything in between.

Below is a quote from another site on scanners..(edited slightly):

-------------------------------------------

Re: purchasing a scanner for new regional system

You have only a few choices, all of them over $500.

Radio Shack has 2 models, the Pro 96 portable and the Pro 2096 base. You can get all the technical details on the Radio Shack models at w.radioshack.c

Uniden has 3 to choose from, the BC296D portable, the BC796D base and their new BC396DT portable. On-line discounters like w.usascan.c have tons of info on the Uniden models.

Good luck and welcome to the interesting, frustrating and expensive world of digital scanning.

-------------------------------------------------

I don't think I can link the site, but Google 'scan fan message board'.

Hope that helps.

[Slyster]

GO HERE!

Here are the forum pages.. this is where you will get it ALL! Great site for sanners.

http://www.strongsignals.net/access/forums/

[nytelyter]

see chris at the radio shack in chanhassen he is one of radioshack's most knowadgeble employees. the man has an answer for everything. tell him pyro paul sent ya. ... paul

[Huskiedevle]

As was already mentioned, with most agencies in the metro area switching over to the ARMER/APCO 25 digital system, you will have to fork over the cash for appropriate equipment. One online forum to check out for good scanner info., which incidentally is run by a Minnesota guy, is scanfan.com.Many posts regarding ARMER/APCO 25 there, plus stuff on ham radio as well.