I've not used the sport track before.
I've still got the old uniden BC245xlt trunk tracker...the first uniden to
track EDACS trunk systems.
I had to repare it recently as the jumper wire from the center pin of the
BNC connecter to the PCB inside had come off the center pin....so I
resoldered that...and of course while I was dismantling the scanner, I
managed to break one of the small wires off the internal
speaker...thankfully not off the board itself but the speaker only...so I
had to resolder that too...which was a bit of a chore since it was
exceedingly small.
Anyway got everything back together and my good old scanner has come right
back to life. I thought it had out lived it's usefulness to me as I was
having allot of trouble receiving signals, even the super strong 800 meg
edacs system, using an outdoor antenna, with any reliability.
Now I receive VHF and even air craft communications from the international
airport, about 35K away, with ease using a little MFJ quarter wave dual
bander magnet mount on the truck.
At any rate, I find the layout might be a little confusing for the first
little while to a new person, but you get a good idea of which are the main
buttons you need to use all the time and ignore the rest.
The BC 245XLT just has 4 columns wide, by 6 rows down the front. The bottom
row and second row from the bottom have some square buttons that allow one
to find them a little faster sometimes.
Out of those 24 individual buttons I use the search and hold buttons which
are side by side on the second row from the bottom. The search is a nice
square button so it is easy to locate quickly. I use the scan button, top
left button, and the keypad for both entering a frequency into memory, and
for turning banks on and off.
I use the trunk key to take the scanner in and out of trunk mode...this
makes it a bit easier to listen to conventional stuff and just turn off the
bank containing the trunk system.
I use the manual button to stop scan or cycle up through memory channels and
occasionally the lockout button. All of these buttons, though all grouped
together along with the rest of the buttons, are either on or very near the
edge of the keypad.
I think with the sport track, after initial programming, you would only need
to use the scan button, the hold or manual button to stop on a conversation,
and perhaps some of the number pad to turn banks on and off when you didn't
want to listen to certain groups of frequencies.
The uniden scanners really are easy to use for a blind person for both
programming and regular operation...you just have to want to do it and spend
a little time with it.
Get someone to help with the keypad layout so you know what each button is
for...including its secondary functions.
Get the manual online...PDF yes but there are easy ways around that as well.
That way you can learn and understand what each button does and how it
relates to what you wish to do with the scanner.
Your a licensed ham operator, you can't let a wimpy little scanner
intimidate your intelect or ability. can you?
73
Colin, V A6BKX
----- Original Message -----
From: "Gary Tillinghast" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, February 20, 2011 11:32 PM
Subject: Re: hand held scanners
> Thanks Colin,
> Region Communications Rep. want to sell local governments on Trunk
> Tracking,
> but the terrain will not support it. What they have now is working fine.
> Would not need to have HF scanning capabilities. Basically to scan
> VHF/UHF
> and 800 MHZ. I have a Bearcat "Sport trac, but it has so many buttons to
> remember. Not laid out in a user friendly pattern. 73 Gary KB2YAA
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "colin McDonald" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Monday, February 21, 2011 12:20 AM
> Subject: Re: hand held scanners
>
>
> any of the uniden/bearcat/rad shack scanners are exceedingly easy to
> program...with the acception of the new touch screen model.
> Do you require the ability to trunk track? and if so, what types of
> systems?
> What sort of coin are you looking to spend? One of the best scanners on
> the
> market right now is the GRE PSR-500 trunk track capable scanner. It's
> receive is top of the line and it's not difficult to program using the
> software or direct entry. they go for between 2 and 300 used, and are
> around the $500 mark new I think...
> other than that, the newest uniden hand held scanners are pretty good as
> well...the 396T I think it is.
> also, are you looking to scan mostly VHF/UHF and 800 meg stuff? or are you
> looking for HF capability as well. It's very difficult to find a scanner,
> or wide band hand held receiver that will receive HF well, as well as
> trunk
> track and the rest of it...in fact, I'm not sure one is made yet that will
> do that.
> The Icom line of hand held wide band receivers are great units if you are
> looking for HF receive capability.
> No scanner on the market, that will trunk track or that is a typical hand
> held has voice readout yet either.
> In fact, I don't think any hand held receiver has voice readout yet.
>
> There are a tonne of options availible to you depending on what your
> requirements are.
> regards
> Colin
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Gary Tillinghast" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Sunday, February 20, 2011 9:52 PM
> Subject: hand held scanners
>
>
>> Hi All, With some of us starting out as SWLs, Have anyone used a simple
>> handheld scanner? One that will be easy to program. Gary KB2YAA
|
