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Hi. I'm currently looking at upgrading my HH scanner. It's analog and I currently use it to listen to the Ipswich QPS, QAS, fire, aviation and some trunking when I can actually receive it ... great that these things have remained analog in my area (at least for now). However, with the slow but inevitable migration towards digital modulation for just about everything except aviation, I'm starting to consider the need for 'future proofing' my next upgrade, ie. biting the bullet and ponying up for a digital scanner. However, digital scanners are substantially more expensive than good analog scanners like the GRE-300 or BCD346XT
My question is: is buying a digital scanner a sensible thing to do at this stage considering where I live and the things I enjoy listening to? I appreciate that this is a decision for me alone, however, it's soooo hard to find any info on the timings of future digital system roll-outs, and where they'll be located. Any info/guidance would be appreciated. Alex
My answer is no. Even if say the police go digital, theres still plenty too listen to. I bought a digital scanner only coz when I travel to sydney it makes monitoring the GRN a lot easier.
Hi Stretch and thanks for the reply. It reminded me that I do travel around the east and south coast of Oz a few times a year, and that listening to the SA GRN and NSW GRN are things that I do when visiting...
Last edited by Doogs38 on Fri May 28, 2010 7:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.
I bought a UBCD996T and so far I havent tested it on the GRN but it got reccommended as being brilliant for the GRN and I saw one really cheap so I bought it.
Probably by the time you actually need digital, there will be better scanners on the market. The Queensland Government has 'pie in the sky' ideas of going digital trunking for ALL the Emergency Services, along the lines of Victoria's MMR, but that's 'just talk' at the moment. Probably by the time anything eventuates in that area, technology will have advanced to APCO25 phase II, and there is currently no scanner available to monitor that technology.
Likewise, Motorola's MOTOTRBO is gaining popularity in Commercial circles, and there is no scanner to monitor that. And the European Digital Mobile Radio (DMR) Standard also fits into this category (MOTOTRBO is based on DMR).
And of course, there is no scanner capable of monitoring TETRA (Terrestrial Trunked Radio), which has a strong presence in the Brisbane and surrounding areas, in the guise of Motorola's Zeon Digital Network, which has the Brisbane City Council as a major user.
Thanks Comint, I appreciated the feedback. I'm amusing myself by how much indecision I have on making the simple decision(!) to stay analog or go digital. There are a number of excellent analog scanners ranging from the ICOM RX7 to the GRE/RS and Uniden scanners. The same again for digital scanners. Not having looked at scanners for a while, I feel spoilt for choice. Like all these things, it will ultimately boil down to $$$, and it seems like it's cheaper to import a new scanner from the US than to buy new in Oz. My research continues...
but thats the thing, most is not digital here but the digital scanner obviously receives analogue as well, so as more and more goes digital u are ready
Hey BG, are u banned from the hitler club over there yet?? those guys are a joke!
jaskel wrote:but thats the thing, most is not digital here but the digital scanner obviously receives analogue as well, so as more and more goes digital u are ready
Hey BG, are u banned from the hitler club over there yet?? those guys are a joke!
but buying analogue scanner is way cheaper than a digital scanner, so in the short term I personally would go analogue.
I just bought a brand new UBCD396T from Dick Smith for $370!!!! Whooohooooo They're are listed as 'quit stock' and DSE are almost throwing them out. I'll start a separate thread in the 'classifieds' forum and explain there. Alex
all I did was advertised a scanner for sale and they didnt like it..then i offered to host his server as he was having trouble with his current host, he took it that I wanted to take over his s*itbox forum..lol what a bunch of tool! Like mini hitlers!
No I suggested in the thread that a Mod should ban you for continuing to talk about doing illegal mods in an open thread would not have been a problem in premium thread.
Last edited by Phil on Sun May 30, 2010 2:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Reason:Fix of Spelling
They're are listed as 'quit stock' and DSE are almost throwing them out. I'll start a separate thread in the 'classifieds' forum and explain there. Alex
