Do you happen to know an equivalent handheld model to that one? 

> On Aug 16, 2014, at 7:10 PM, Colin McDonald <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> 
> while I haven't programmed it myself, I know quite a few guys who use the 
> bct15x...great little scanner...does what it should, sounds good and has a 
> good receiver.
> Mobile/bass unit though so not a hand held for those who are wondering.
> and like all the uniden/rad shack style scanners, pretty easy to program as 
> well.
> 
> 73
> Colin, V A6BKX
> 
> 
> 
> --------------------------------------------------
> From: "Buddy Brannan" <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Saturday, August 16, 2014 3:34 PM
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Re: Comments on trunked systems
> 
>> Just found stuff on a Uniden BCT15X. Under $200 and supports some =
>> digital trunking systems and analog. Desktop model, and computer =
>> programmable. Anyone know anything about that one?
>>> On Aug 16, 2014, at 5:10 PM, Lou Kolb <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>>> =20
>>> Here in Williamsport Pa, a fairly small city in a largely rural area, =
>> they=20
>>> had an analog trunking system back in the 90s. They were so =
>> disapointed with=20
>>> it that, ten years later, they went back to open analog repeater =
>> systems in=20
>>> the 150 megahertz range. Plus, we have a couple uHF systems as well. =
>> My=20
>>> question is what is a good analog scanner for those frequencies that =
>> has a=20
>>> decent front end. We have a couple cheap ones that are sensitive =
>> enough but=20
>>> the intermod and mixing is just aweful. Suggestions apreciated. Thanks =
>> and=20
>>> 73. Lou  WA3MIX
>>> Lou Kolb
>>> Voice-over Artist:
>>> Radio/TV Ads, Video narrations
>>> Messages On-hold:
>>> www.loukolb.com
>>> ----- Original Message -----=20
>>> From: "John Miller" <[log in to unmask]>
>>> To: <[log in to unmask]>
>>> Sent: Saturday, August 16, 2014 2:43 PM
>>> Subject: Re: Comments on trunked systems
>>> =20
>>> =20
>>>> A few communities near me and on cape cod actually went back to=20
>>>> conventional
>>>> because of all the problems with the trunking systems.
>>>> ----- Original Message -----=20
>>>> From: "Jim Gammon" <[log in to unmask]>
>>>> To: <[log in to unmask]>
>>>> Sent: Saturday, August 16, 2014 1:37 PM
>>>> Subject: Comments on trunked systems
>>>> =20
>>>> =20
>>>>> I think that in general, counties and states have been sold a
>>>>> pipe dream when it comes to the new digital trunked systems.
>>>>> They are very complex.  A few years ago, I heard Richmond CA's
>>>>> trunked system go down and in a few hours when it became evident
>>>>> that there were some serious issues, the county sheriff folks
>>>>> came out with a truck load of handheld radios for the local cops
>>>>> to use while they were fixing the Edacs trunked system.  More
>>>>> recently, Oakland's problem-ridden trunked system went down when
>>>>> the POTUS was in town and I think Oakland has recently decided to
>>>>> scrap their hugely expensive system and join the EBRCS system
>>>>> used by Alameda and Contra Costa County that has come online over
>>>>> the past couple years.  In all fairness, that EBRCS p25
>>>>> system seems to work alright but for the kind of garbled sound
>>>>> you sometimes hear but maybe that's just on kind of cheap
>>>>> scanners.  Actually one of the reasons for trunking namely
>>>>> sharing frequencies, is a very sound one when you think of say a
>>>>> conventional frequency used by a fire department that may only be
>>>>> used a few times each hour, but my opinion still hasn't changed
>>>>> about the hype and complexity that has gone into the new systems.
>>>>> I really do hope that many agencies hold on to their old
>>>>> conventional frequencies for a long time.  I could go on about
>>>>> this but will not.  Jim WA6EKS
>>>>> =20
>>>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>>>> From: Butch Bussen <[log in to unmask]
>>>>>> To: [log in to unmask]
>>>>>> Date sent: Sat, 16 Aug 2014 07:38:05 -0700
>>>>>> Subject: Re: Programming a PSR500?
>>>>> =20
>>>>>> THis is I think their third attempt.  When I first moved there,
>>>>> the
>>>>>> state blew 20 million or so on a vhf system fro motorola and had
>>>>> to
>>>>>> scrap that one as they weren't licensed.  Of course, the guy who
>>>>> was in
>>>>>> charge of that had just retired.  hmmmmm.  They then spent
>>>>> another twenty
>>>>>> mil on something else which didn't work, and now they're messing
>>>>> with
>>>>>> this desert sky system.  When I left in 2010, one of the main
>>>>> techs was
>>>>>> in our ham club and he said it wasn't any good.  Audio sounded
>>>>> like you
>>>>>> were blowing bubbles througha straw.
>>>>>> 73
>>>>>> Butch
>>>>>> WA0VJR
>>>>>> Node 3148
>>>>>> Wallace, ks.
>>>>> =20
>>>>> =20
>>>>>> On Fri, 15 Aug 2014, Ron Miller
>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>> =20
>>>>>>> Hi Butch,
>>>>>>> Yes, LV has gone to Open Sky (called desert sky for their
>>>>> system) but are
>>>>>>> extremely dissatisfied with it.  They proposed switching to a
>>>>> P25 system but
>>>>>>> have not yet done so.  I suspect budget constraints are holding
>>>>> them back.
>>>>>>> The article I read indicated they invested a lot in the desert
>>>>> sky system.
>>>>> =20
>>>>>>> Ron Miller
>>>>> =20
>>>>> =20
>>>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>>>> From: For blind ham radio operators
>>>>> [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
>>>>>>> On Behalf Of Butch Bussen
>>>>>>> Sent: Thursday, August 14, 2014 11:00 PM
>>>>>>> To: [log in to unmask]
>>>>>>> Subject: Re: Programming a PSR500?
>>>>> =20
>>>>>>> I have a rat shack pro 433 and a hand held 528, take the same
>>>>> programming
>>>>>>> software.  This software doesn't talk at all.  I did get it
>>>>> programmed when
>>>>>>> I lived in Vegas, I subscribed to some data base and finally
>>>>> figured how to
>>>>>>> have it download the file to the scanner, but it wasn't very
>>>>> speech friendly
>>>>>>> either, and I haven't even unpacked the thing since I moved back
>>>>> to Kansas.
>>>>>>> I think h p has gone trunking and some cities have gone to some
>>>>> sort of
>>>>>>> digital that can't be received by any scanner.  I'm told Vegas
>>>>> has since
>>>>>>> gone to blue sky or something like that which can't be monitored
>>>>> either.
>>>>>>> 73
>>>>>>> Butch
>>>>>>> WA0VJR
>>>>>>> Node 3148
>>>>>>> Wallace, ks.
>>>>> =20
>>>>> =20
>>>>>>> On Thu, 14 Aug 2014, Jim
>>>>>>> Gammon wrote:
>>>>> =20
>>>>>>>> Colin, have you been able to manually program a PSR500? You have
>>>>> much
>>>>>>>> more knowledge or patience than I do.  Jim WA6EKS
>>>>> =20
>>>>>>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>>>>>>> From: Colin McDonald <[log in to unmask]
>>>>>>>>> To: [log in to unmask]
>>>>>>>>> Date sent: Thu, 14 Aug 2014 19:13:10 -0600
>>>>>>>>> Subject: Re: accessible scanners
>>>>> =20
>>>>>>>>> that is a pretty subjective question...
>>>>>>>>> It really depends on how familiar you are with programming
>>>>> logic,
>>>>>>>> and how
>>>>>>>>> trunked systems are programmed, or if you use radio reference
>>>>> and
>>>>>>>> that sort
>>>>>>>>> of thing.
>>>>>>>>> These days, using radio reference to program your scanner makes
>>>>>>>> them nearly
>>>>>>>>> plug and play devices...but for those of us who have used
>>>>>>>> scanners for many
>>>>>>>>> years had to deal with manual programming on radios that didn't
>>>>>>>> offer any
>>>>>>>>> sort of real accessible feedback...but were also all
>>>>> programmable
>>>>>>>> via the
>>>>>>>>> keypad...so as long as you can work out a key chart for a
>>>>>>>> particular
>>>>>>>>> scanner, most of them are usable, though not to the point where
>>>>>>>> you can
>>>>>>>>> always be sure of a particular state, IE, which banks or groups
>>>>>>>> are turned
>>>>>>>>> on or off at any given point etc, or what the display shows and
>>>>>>>> so on.
>>>>>>>>> Anyway, out of the box, with a little learning, you should be
>>>>>>>> fine.
>>>>>>>>> The manuals are online and the best way to learn any new piece
>>>>> of
>>>>>>>> gear is
>>>>>>>>> through trial and error...you really can't screw anything up
>>>>>>>> beyond what a
>>>>>>>>> reset can fix.
>>>>>>>>> I usually learn the programming by entering a system in a few
>>>>>>>> times and
>>>>>>>>> resetting so I can get the hang of it before entering a whole
>>>>>>>> bunch of
>>>>>>>>> systems and frequencies in, just to find out after that I did
>>>>>>>> something
>>>>>>>>> wrong.
>>>>>>>>> Plugging into radio reference will program the scanner for you
>>>>>>>> and set
>>>>>>>>> everything up in a nice easy to use manner...but I believe there
>>>>>>>> is a
>>>>>>>>> fee...but it works well if you travel or go between counties or
>>>>>>>> cities where
>>>>>>>>> there are allot of systems.
>>>>>>>>> Upgrade to the psr800 and you get an SD card that you can load
>>>>>>>> all your
>>>>>>>>> systems on to, and record scanner audio as well.
>>>>> =20
>>>>>>>>> 73
>>>>>>>>> Colin, V A6BKX
>>>>>>>>> --------------------------------------------------
>>>>>>>>> From: "Matthew Chao" <[log in to unmask]
>>>>>>>>> Sent: Thursday, August 14, 2014 6:20 PM
>>>>>>>>> To: <[log in to unmask]
>>>>>>>>> Subject: Re: accessible scanners
>>>>> =20
>>>>>>>>>> How easy is it to program out of the box?--Matt, N1IBB.
>>>>> =20
>>>>>>>>>> At 05:23 PM 8/14/2014, you wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>> I highly recommend the PSR-500...on tests with very high end
>>>>> test
>>>>>>>>>>> equipment the GRE PSR-500 has measurably better receiver
>>>>>>>>>>> sensativity.
>>>>>>>>>>> The audio is excellent as well and very easy to hear even in
>>>>>>>> noisy
>>>>>>>>>>> environments.
>>>>> =20
>>>>>>>>>>> 73
>>>>>>>>>>> Colin, V A6BKX
>>>>>>>>>>> --------------------------------------------------
>>>>>>>>>>> From: "Matthew Chao" <[log in to unmask]
>>>>>>>>>>> Sent: Thursday, August 14, 2014 2:43 PM
>>>>>>>>>>> To: <[log in to unmask]
>>>>>>>>>>> Subject: Re: accessible scanners
>>>>> =20
>>>>>>>>>>>> Which one would you guys recommend:  the bcd396, or this
>>>>>>>> one?--Matt,
>>>>>>>>>>>> N1IBB.
>>>>> =20
>>>>>>>>>>>> At 02:33 PM 8/14/2014, you wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>> Russ, It's a handheld scanner.  Jim WA6EKS
>>>>> =20
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> From: Russ Kiehne <[log in to unmask]
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> To: [log in to unmask] Date sent: Thu, 14 Aug =
>> 2014
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 08:37:24 -0700
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Subject: Re: accessible scanners
>>>>> =20
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>     Is the psr500 a base or handheld scanner?
>>>>> =20
>>>>>>>>>>>>>> On 8/14/2014 8:27 AM, Ron Miller wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Hi  ,
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Yes it does decode P25.
>>>>> =20
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Also, Jim, I am most definitely not saying that we should
>>>>>>>>>>>>> discourage Whistle=3D
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> r from designing accessibility features into their scanner
>>>>>>>>>>>>> receivers.  Quite t=3D
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> he contrary, I am all for it.  In fact, I had begun a =
>> dialog
>>>>>>>>>>>>> with the folks a=3D
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> t GRE America on this very subject.
>>>>> =20
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> The intent of my post was simply to respond to a previous
>>>>>>>>>>>>> message about Whis=3D
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> tler's current scanner line and to say that I'm =
>> successfully
>>>>>>>>>>>>> using the PSR-5=3D
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 00 along with PSREdit and the Whistler version of this =
>> scanner
>>>>>>>>>>>>> should be equ=3D
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> ally usable.
>>>>> =20
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> BTW, Russ, if we can work out a time, I would be glad to =
>> chat
>>>>>>>>>>>>> with you about=3D
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> how I use PSREdit.
>>>>> =20
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 73,
>>>>> =20
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Ron Miller
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> N6MSA
>>>>> =20
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Ron Miller
>>>>> =20
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> On Aug 14, 2014, at 10:11 AM, Russ Kiehne =
>> <[log in to unmask]
>>>>>>>>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> =3D20
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Does the psr500 do p25?
>>>> =20