Hiya CXO

Welcome to the site.

The only experience I have with digitals is with the Uniden brand. The current Law Enforcement Feed #1 is run with a Uniden 996t. I also have a handheld version the 396t.

Unfortunately, the new digital system that the sheriff chose is what they call a simulcast system. I have been told that currently there is not a consumer radio that has been specifically designed to monitor a system of this type.

I have talked with the product manager at Uniden about the choppy/poor reception issues and he basically said the only suggestion he had to try to solve the issues was to use a directional antenna to try to weed out some of the other signals inherent in the simulcast system. I have tried to do this on Law Enforcement Feed #1 with limited results.

I have not personally used either Radio Shack or GRE radios, although I have talked to those that are using them on the new system. It seems those radios are having the same issues as the Uniden.

There are other non simulcast towers in the area that do broadcast some of the radio traffic from the simulcast system. When you are able to receive these broadcasts they are clear and very intelligible. However, I do not believe all the simulcast traffic is being redirected through these other towers, thus you will miss some traffic using this method.

With the current equipment available, the new system is a step backwards in monitoring for the general public.

New digital scanners run around $500 a piece. If you are used to listening to law enforcement on the old EDACS system you are going to be disappointed and frustrated trying to listen to law enforcement on the new system, especially after spending $500 to do so.

There is always hope that someone will design a consumer radio that will be able to adequately handle a simulcast system. However, after talking to the Uniden product manager it appears that they do not even have such a unit on the drawing board at present.

That is my current understanding of the situation at this time. If any radio gurus have any input or corrections please jump in.

If you want some feedback from others in the area who have used other radios on this system I suggest you go to http://www.radioreference.com and ask there.