Educate me on police scanners :)

NOLArat · #1 11-08-2009, 08:16 PM

So I commute about an hour a day and go on a 3 hour drive one way at least once every couple of months. I figure listening to a police scanner is a good way to pass the time and also be warned about traffic/accidents. Perhaps I can also find one that will allow me to listen in on CB?

Now the confusing part is what kind of scanner do I need? Most of my commute is in this parish: http://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?ctid=1160

From what I'm reading there just your basic analog scanner will work right? However I also see this: http://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?sid=4347 which makes me think I need a digital scanner if i want to listen to the state police? also the orleans parish link looks like there's not much on analog at all: http://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?ctid=1144

So yea please help my confusion a little and tell me what I need and what I should expect to spend

I did some searches but the best I can find is data that's several years old.

2001xlt4d · #2 11-08-2009, 08:20 PM

most l/e are going to digital.. so analog will no longer work.. i may suggest that it might be illeagle to have a scanner in your truck.. not real sure.. but cb and scanners are nothing alike..

NOLArat · #3 11-08-2009, 08:29 PM

yea i'm kind of a dummy when it comes to this kind of thing. i'm just getting bored with the radio and tired of audio books. figure it'd be nice to listen to something else during my daily commute.

just noticed in that first link i posted that the sheriff uses "ProVoice EDACS" and a google search shows there's no scanner for that

FireRanger · #4 11-08-2009, 08:33 PM

You're most likely screwed. St. Tammany has an EDACS trunking system which is not scannable. They have a lot of analog frequencies but I'm not sure how many they still use since they have that EDACS system. The analog channels can be received on any inexpensive scanner. Same with CB channels.

The LWIN trunking system which is much bigger wide-area system used by lots of agencies. It is a P25 digital trunking system. You can scan it with a $500 digital scanner.

FireRanger · #5 11-08-2009, 08:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2001xlt4d

most l/e are going to digital.. so analog will no longer work.. i may suggest that it might be illeagle to have a scanner in your truck.. not real sure.. but cb and scanners are nothing alike..

Some states make it illegal to have a scanner in a motor vehicle. Louisianna is not one of them. Also, most LE agencies are not going digital. Only some and only those with the budget to do so because it is an expensive waste of money.

2001xlt4d · #6 11-08-2009, 08:51 PM

all the ones that are in the metro atlanta area are all going digital to communicate with each other.. there is like 12 countys that are all going to be able to talk with each other. its part of a state wide digitization. the states paying for it all so we dont care.. lol

FireRanger · #7 11-08-2009, 08:56 PM

An example of an extravagantly large waste of money....

2001xlt4d · #8 11-08-2009, 09:01 PM

Motorola is giving them a good deal.. under 100k for the whole project.. which is a hell of a deal

NOLArat · #9 11-08-2009, 09:02 PM

well then since that's out, educate me on CB radio

i don't plan on talking, just want to listen so i guess i'll need an antenna, radio, and speaker right?

2001xlt4d · #10 11-08-2009, 09:03 PM

antenna, radio and speaker if you want it..

where do u want urs mounted.. i have a "cop like" mobile ant...

NOLArat · #11 11-08-2009, 09:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2001xlt4d

antenna, radio and speaker if you want it..

where do u want urs mounted.. i have a "cop like" mobile ant...

well i have a toolbox, can't i get something to mount it there?

2001xlt4d · #12 11-08-2009, 09:11 PM

sure can.. go look on amazon for box mounted cb mounts.. you can run your cable through your 3rd brake light.. if you want

blueovelboy · #13 11-08-2009, 10:29 PM

walcott has a big selection. and you will want to find the hot channels for your area.
like here in the valley truckers going north and south use ch19 and east and west use ch21. and the better the radio the better you can talk or hear.

blueovelboy · #14 11-08-2009, 10:31 PM

ps dont for get to set your radio to the antenna so not to burn out the finals in the radio