New to Scanning - Need Recommendation on Equipment/Method

[Anderson]

Hey Everyone,

I am fairly new to scanning and need some advise on the appropriate equipment to purchase. I own an old school EDACS scanner from RadioShack, but I have never been able to really use it due to its poor documentation. I am looking to purchase new equipment that is fairly easy to learn/use and is of good quality.

I will be traveling in early January and would like my equipment to be able to listen in on the following:

Type: Motorola Type II Smartnet System
Voice: Analog
Primary Freqs: 855.06250 857.88750 858.88750 859.88750 860.88750

DEC HEX Description
32 002 Ski Patrol HQ 1A
64 004 Medical 2A
96 006 Ski School B
etc....

1. What equipment would be best for this environment? (Ease of use is most important to me, followed by durability and features)

2. Are there any good references that will help me program it (tutorials, on-line guides)?

3. Can any of you more advanced user anticpate any problems with listening in on the above system?

Any suggestions would be greatly appreicated! Thanks!
-D

[APCO 25 Encrypted]

You cant go past a Uniden UBC780XLT 500 Channel Trunk Tracker if you want a mobile scanner. However, this is not digital but is regarded world wide as the best analogue scanner in the world. If you want digital, for a handheld go a UBC396T digital handheld scanner of for a mobile digital scanner, a UBC996T desktop scanner.

The digital scanners new are around $700-$1000 depending on where you buy but if u want the 780XLT, they are around $250-$400 on the second hand market.

Uniden do not make any analgue trunking scanners as they have been phased out so to monitor the smartnet system, the main thing you need is a TRUNKED scanner or you will not hear the whole conversation.

Hope this helps.