pro-51....am I sunk or what?

[kdizzle]

I purchased a pro-51 from radioshack about 5 years ago (maybe 7) and it seemed like within a year or so Oceanside and the sherrif in vista went to a trunked system. Am I right in assuming the main public safety in the North county that I can scan is the chp at 39.8000?

If I wanted to get a scanner which is handheld to scan trunked systems like oceanside PD, Oceanside Fire, Vista Sherrif and other trunked systems do you have a suggested entry level scanner? For those systems do iNEED A DIGITAL TRUNKING SCANNER OR (oop) an analog scanner?

Thanks for your help.

BTW those installs look so nice in the install forum.

[Mikey]

Correct - you need a digital-capable trunking scanner if you want to monitor any of the SO channels, any of the local PDs (except San Diego and National City), or Oceanside Fire ... As far as a scanner recommendation, I can't speak highly enough about the Bearcat 296 I vastly prefer Uniden's implementation of trunk tracking (with the 10 groups of talkgroups per system and the ease of manually stopping on a talkgroup) over Radio Shack's.

If you can wait a bit, watch for the Bearcat 396 coming out later this year. If it's truly a digital implementation of the 246T, then THAT is the scanner you want to have (dynamic-sized banks and scan lists and whatnot)

- Mike

[astrodanco]

If I wanted to get a scanner which is handheld to scan trunked systems like oceanside PD, Oceanside Fire, Vista Sherrif and other trunked systems do you have a suggested entry level scanner? For those systems do iNEED A DIGITAL TRUNKING SCANNER OR (oop) an analog scanner?

Yes, you'll need a digital scanner to monitor any of the digital talkgroups on the San Diego county regional communications system (RCS). At the moment, that means a BC-250D, BC-296 or the Radio Shack PRO-96. If you get a PRO-96, be sure to purchase a programming cable and a copy of Don Starr's WIN96 program. Just about every agency in the county is on the RCS. Over here in Escondido and San Marcos, the RCS comes in like gangbusters -- even with no antenna at all.

[kdizzle]

Thank you guys.

It seems that scanning has become an expensive hobby to get into in San Diego.

I will look into that bearcat 396 when it comes out.

[astrodanco]

I will look into that bearcat 396 when it comes out.

Sure, if you're in no hurry. It might not come out until this summer?

[kdizzle]

I have 6 month old twins....I need to save money anyway.

Formula sure is expensive!

[Rescue Pooh]

I hear that kdizzle. Our daughter is almost 2 so no more formula, but now were trying to get her off the bottle. I'm still waiting to get a digital scanner.

[Batman2150]

You think you're shelling out a lot for scanners these days, think what your city and county governments are shelling out for Motorola radios these days!