Looking to purchase a digital handheld.

[fishermanscan]

Hello all, it’s been a while since I logged on! I find myself getting back into the scanner world. I’m living down in Fairhaven these days. New Bedford and Fairhaven PD’s are both digital. I am looking to get a handheld and was wondering if you guys had any recommendations. Currently I am looking into the Uniden BCD325P2. I like the price point as I am not looking to break the bank on a scanner. Any and all advice from the pro’s out there?

Thanks!
Jeremy

 

[garys]

That's a good pick. I have one as my secondary scanner on my desk. I will put in the obligatory comment about the CoMIRS (MSP) trunk being upgraded to a P25 simulcast trunk at some point in the future. When exactly that will happen I have no idea. Supposedly this year, but I don't believe that construction has actually started yet. Southeast MA and the Cape are supposed to be the first part of the state built out.

The BCD325P2 will receive it, but due to the simulcast nature of the system it can have difficulty reliably receiving signal all the time. I live in an area with multiple simulcast systems and it can be finicky to get the 325 to receive. that applies to both trunk and conventional digital systems.

I know NBPD is digital, I don't know if it's a simulcast system.

Depending on what else you may want to listen to consider adding DMR and/or NXDN. New Bedford has a MotoTrbo trunk system for public works and other non public safety agencies. Fairhaven DPW is analog.

 

[fishermanscan]

That's a good pick. I have one as my secondary scanner on my desk. I will put in the obligatory comment about the CoMIRS (MSP) trunk being upgraded to a P25 simulcast trunk at some point in the future. When exactly that will happen I have no idea. Supposedly this year, but I don't believe that construction has actually started yet. Southeast MA and the Cape are supposed to be the first part of the state built out.

The BCD325P2 will receive it, but due to the simulcast nature of the system it can have difficulty reliably receiving signal all the time. I live in an area with multiple simulcast systems and it can be finicky to get the 325 to receive. that applies to both trunk and conventional digital systems.

I know NBPD is digital, I don't know if it's a simulcast system.

Depending on what else you may want to listen to consider adding DMR and/or NXDN. New Bedford has a MotoTrbo trunk system for public works and other non public safety agencies. Fairhaven DPW is analog.

I mostly listen to FD and PD. Some marine traffic. Obviously I’ll be listening to the MSP trucked system. I’ve got to be honest with you the digital side of things will be completely new to me. I have no idea what DMR or NXDN is!

 

[Scott]

Hi,

Here's some light reading regarding simulcast: https://www.snewiki.com/wiki/index.php/Simulcast ...actually and viewing as well, as the YouTube video that's linked there offers a simple but thorough explanation of the effects of simulcast distortion.

If you are going to be a serious listener to the aforementioned new MSP system, when it arrives, the SDS models will be your best approach. Also as mentioned there are numerous conventional P25 departments that are using simulcast as well, and if you're smack in the middle of those tower sites you'll have problems with anything but the SDS in most cases.

New Bedford PD to my knowledge is NOT using simulcast. That system has been online for a long time. Departments that are switching from analog to P25 conventional operation as often as not seem to be using simulcast systems now.

Also, you have the Rhode Island statewide system reasonably near to you (aka RISCON). All of its sites use simulcast technology and this is another consideration.

DMR and NXDN are alternate digital radio protocols. In these parts they are primarily used by businesses, school buses, occasionally hospital security, and as Gary mentioned, some public works departments. If your primary monitoring targets are public safety there is pretty much no need for them for the most part. One good things with Uniden scanners is that these optional upgrades are priced the same regardless of when they are applied, and do not require the user to send them either to the point of purchase or Uniden for them to be done. Instead, a serial # and checksum # are obtained from within the scanner's menu, provided to the point of purchase, and in turn a key that unlocks the feature is generated that is unique to the scanner. It is then entered by hand which unlocks the feature. We have a multitude of information here regarding usage of both DMR and NXDN in the New England area, and the Radio Reference website, which is the source of the database used for Uniden's SD card based scanners (and third party software with a subscription to them) is another very good source of information.

 

[W1KNE]

New Bedford PD to my knowledge is NOT using simulcast. That system has been online for a long time. Departments that are switching from analog to P25 conventional operation as often as not seem to be using simulcast systems now.

Correct. And the Acushnet/Fairhaven/Mattapoisett shared P25 are not simulcast either. YET.

 

[garys]

New Bedford PD gets every ounce of use out of it's radio gear. Or did the 30 years ago that I worked down there for St. Luke's Hospital. That was about the time, if my memory is correct, that they went P25. Probably towards the end of the 1990s.

Anyway, I agree about not needing DMR or NXDN unless he is really interested in school departments and public works.

 

[AJ1L]

Correct. And the Acushnet/Fairhaven/Mattapoisett shared P25 are not simulcast either. YET.

Actually they are LSM/CQPSK modulation, though I don't know if they actually have multiple transmitters currently. New Bedford is not LSM/CQPSK.

 

[W1KNE]

Actually they are LSM/CQPSK modulation, though I don't know if they actually have multiple transmitters currently. New Bedford is not LSM/CQPSK.

One or two of the transmitters in their simulcast are outside of the range of T16, and they had to request a waiver. Not sure I ever saw it go through or not.

 

[W1KNE]

So I just found the order, and it was granted. They also filed for the construction on the license. So without an on site check to see if the simulcasts are up, or if someone with inside knowledge knows, it isn't easy to tell.