advice on Police-Fire Department home scanner

[Rodger 527]

Hi Friends ,

What home scanner should I buy for my Mom & anybody know a better place to buy it ? Going to be used in a rural area where signal is an issue , so I'll be getting some sort of antennae . I don't want to overbuy & get a complicated model if that would make it harder for to to operate/understand .

  Thanks in advance , Rodger

[Benr98 40]

Rodger!!! I was thinking about you the other day....glad to see ya around!

I think we bought ours at Radio Shack, it wasn't that much either and works great!

Jenny

[ff-extreme 6]

The scanners from Radio Shack are fine, got mine from there around 13 years ago and no trouble. I haven't turned it on in 5 years........

[Jay2703 704]

Is the digital TV thing going to affect radio also? I heard at work we will need to purchase all new radio equipment next year because of the switch. Everything is going digital. Don't know if it is true or not.

[Rodger 527]

Hi Jenny ,

Been at the farm with SLOW dial up . Fighting frozen natural gas lines , tending the fences & putting hay out to the Horses & Donkeys ( my idea of fun ) . Local Radio Shack has Triple Trunking ( relabeled Uniden according to the salesliar , I mean salesman scanners on sale = $119 . Probably buy that after some comparing . Scanners arounf here are BIG-Time entertainment .

Thanks 4 the advice Double F & thanks Jay for thinking of that issue , I'll make sure about that before I buy .

  Rodger

[Benr98 40]

Glad to hear you are doing what you love Rodger...when you are done I have a few that need some hay & straw!! 

Are you saying salepeople lie??      unbelievable!! 

[Rodger 527]

  I love the farm & wish I could pay my bills living at the farm , but thats a long way off . I don't do straw , what is left out of the hay serves that purpose . What hay & corn destroyers do you have Jenny ? I have mini-Horses & mini-Donkeys ... my avatar is the man of the herd . Anytime you want to pet my Ass , you can . I am told that I have a cute Ass ....

  Salespeople .. I respect those who know what they are selling , but alot don't know as much as most potential customers . 1 of the more successfull salesmen at the local Honda motorcycle shop is also the one who knows little more than that they have 2 wheels . Hard to figure . 

[Benr98 40]

I use to have a small hobby farm.....had rabbits, chickens, goats, horses (large & mini) and a couple cows.......

Now I'm down to just a couple goats.  I use to have mini horses...and had a blast...they were so fun, even had a couple foals born here in the past...great experience.

LOL...hay & corn destroyers...lol..to funny.....Hey I've heard rumor about that 'ass' before!!   

I agree with you regarding salespeople....but is there such a thing as an HONEST salesperson?  I'm sure there are some select few out there.

867-5309

[Rodger 527]

Most of my animals try to sit in our laps . That & enjoying the babies being born & growing up is what my wife & me really enjoy . I have had about every farm animal ( had some Emu's & they were not fun , dumber than a chicken & didn't taste as good . ) , the Tn fainting goat was the funniest , but most people like petting my Ass the best ;D

I failed in my quest .. I looked for MC Hammer pants to send to Levi for Christmas ( earlier thread ) & couldn't find any ... .. at least I can be happy with the 867-5309 tune playing in my head 

[Benr98 40]

WOW I thought Emu's were suppose to be nice?  Thanks for the eye opener!  You had fainting goats? I've never had them..but seen some on tv...they are funny!

Jenny

PS.  you and that a$$!! 

[haumana 1,220]

Rodger - Nice ass!

Goats sounds like fun, but I don't think our property is big enough and I fear that it would scare my yellow lab - sinces he's already afraid of my youngest mini-schnauzer mix and the sun conure we have. Not a brave dog at all.

[Rodger 527]

  Hello & Thanks Haumana , I have never met a person who didn't like my Ass  . I have 15 of them ... Imagine what i have to do when people say to " Haul ASS " 

Goats babies are the funniest babies in the world , Acrobats for sure . I have a goat that acts like the mountain goats head butting when a stranger comes around . Never butts , but stands on the back feet with head cocked . It is hilarious , especially when adults get scared .

[kctrader 10]

On your scanner, think about getting a battery operated model.  You can always use a power supply at home.  If you lose power, it's nice to be able to know what is going on.  That's especially important in a rural are during bad weather.  Most have the weather frequency. 

If it's a rural area, ask around what frequencies are used most in that area.  There's no need for a lot of extra frequencies (it slows down the scanning time) if there isn't anybody using them. 

[Rodger 527]

Thanks KC , I have a handheld I gave My Mom which she is using . I was thinking about getting an antennae to help with the reception . There is a TV antennae on the roof .. would that work on scanner frequencys ?

  Rodger

[haumana 1,220]

tangent question ... why are scanners so expensive?

[nbeaton 1]

Rodger,,,,I have a scanner and I will have to get a new one to pick up the police here in Texas. they all went digital. I can pick up the county but not the police. I have had my scanner for more than 19 years. I want a new one but they will cost out of this world for it will have to be digital.

It is nice to have one I can still pick up the fire department and county police.

Nancy

[Benr98 40]

Rodger I believe if its' UHF or VHF it should work.

[kctrader 10]

Rodger I believe if its' UHF or VHF it should work.

Give it a try.

There are some frequencies that a scanner picks up that a TV antenna won't, so you might not get much of a boost for some frequencies.  Due to the difference in polarization, the TV antenna should actually work better placed on it's side, but the TV viewing would suffer.  Finally, a TV antenna is pretty directional.  You might miss calls coming from the off element side of the antenna.

[Rodger 527]

Thanks for the reply . The ant. hasn't been used for a couple years . I was thinking of going to radio shack & see if they carry a scanner specific ant. & got the brain-storm about the tv ant .

How would I find out if the frequencies are digitial around Weston , WV 26452 ?

[KE5AFU 0]

Below are some basic frequencies, but it looks like most of the state is on a trunked system.

If your scanner can do trunking, look here http://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?sid=4076

As far as antennas go, here is the best one RadioShack offers, http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2103160

Second best - http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2103641

And, if you want a good one, but don't want to install something outside, try this one. http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2103159

Freqs are below.

Public Safety

Law Enforcement

Frequency  Input    License  Type  Tone  Alpha Tag  Description  Mode  Tag 

155.56500  159.07500  WQFJ515  RM  151.4 PL  Lewis County Sheriff  FM  Law Dispatch 

150.99500  151.07000  WPZV307  RM  179.9 PL  Weston City PD Dispatch  FM  Law Dispatch 

Fire Departments

Frequency  Input    License  Type  Tone  Alpha Tag  Description  Mode  Tag 

158.80500  153.99500  WPMN956  RM  162.2 PL  Company 1 & 3 (Weston & Princeton)  FM   

154.35500  158.95500  WPVK752  RM  146.2 PL  Company 2 & 5 (Jane Lew & Jacksons Mill)  FM   

155.01000  159.16500  KKV331  RM  110.9 PL  Company 4 (Walkersville)  FM   

155.77500  150.77500  WPMZ961  RM  141.3 PL  Company 6 (Midway)  FM   

EMS Agencies

Frequency  Input    License  Type  Tone  Alpha Tag  Description  Mode  Tag 

155.23500  155.23500  KFE218  BM  103.5 PL  Lewis County EMS  FM  EMS Dispatch 

Other Government

Frequency  Input    Type  Tone  Alpha Tag  Description  Mode  Tag 

154.05500  155.95500  RM  103.5 PL  Lewis County OES  FM   

Hope that helps.

[Rodger 527]

WOW , Thanks K !!! That is VERY impressive  .

Do you know how to find out about the digitial issue ? How to tell if a scanner is digitial & if/when those frequencies are or going to be digitial ?

Thanks for doing that research & typing that much . I'm indebted to you .

[KE5AFU 0]

Lol, np.

I used to be a RadioShack manager so, it's all pretty commonplace to me.

What type scanner do you have? That will let me know if it is compatible or not.

The freqs posted are not and won't be digital. The link I provided is digital. Basically while an analog scanner can pick up the basic freqs posted you will hear very little chatter on them as opposed to the digital freqs. With a digital unit you can specify exactly what you do and don't want to hear. E.g. if you want police but not fire, or even if you want police but only car-to-car and not tactical you can do that as well.

[Rodger 527]

The scanner is at my Mom's house in Weston & I'm in Maryland now . it is a BearCat that is 1 or 2 years old . I'll get the model #. Do you recommend a radio shack scanner ? I was told that they are relabeled Unidens . Is the most expensive also the best ?

thanks again & Welcome to the forum . You are a great addition 

[KE5AFU 0]

Yes, the RadioShack ones usually are rebadged Unidens. I've had several since I'm am/was a ham radio operator, (hence KE5AFU)  Right now the digital ones are a pretty good deal, they were $500, but RS has them clearanced out for $350. Check with your local store though, a lesser model might still work, they should be able to program it for you. If they won't ask for the manager (since sometimes employees don't know how, if he doesn't know how ask what store in the area does, and buy it from that store, don't take the scanner from one store and have another store do all the work. It used to happen to us all the time, until we started charging the other stores for us programming the scanners that they were too lazy to do.)

Thanks on the welcome, I'm sure I'll be having lots of questions in the coming days, especially on pricing.

[Rodger 527]

Thanks for the info & advice K !

  Its a fun group here with no bad attitudes . GREAT administrators & Mods . Many nice people like yourself 

  Rodger