Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Check before entering the world of digital communications

From: Marcel <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 12 Feb 2003 11:53:02 -0500

Check before entering the world of digital communications

By: Alex Lloyd Gross / Senior Correspondent 01/29/2003

They said it couldn't be done.
They said it would be illegal.
They said the FBI would never allow this to happen.
Well, they were wrong.

The folks who have been anxiously waiting for Uniden to release for sale to the general
public their new digital scanners have gotten their wish. The radios allow people to
monitor digital police and fire calls where those departments use something called APCO 25
technology. The city of Philadelphia is an example.

If you want to purchase one of these ($650, with the digital card you must have to decode
the signals), the first thing you must do is go to www.phillyscanner.com and order the
Philadelphia Area Communications Guide. This compendium will make your life easier when
you first attempt to operate the radio.

Next, you should take the software and frequency literature that comes with the radio and
. . . toss it into the nearest trash receptacle. It does not allow you to do properly set
up the system for the Philadelphia area.

The radio is menu-driven, which means that continual use of the menu button is the focal
point of the radio. To program the Philadelphia system you will need to know what kind of
system it is and which "talkgroup" is which. The communications guide will give you this
information, however it does not divulge any sensitive talkgroups which may be encrypted.
When you get the radio working you may notice the audio is scratchy or rough-sounding.

Welcome to the world of digital communications.
Some transmissions are loud and some are not audible. That is the problem with the radio
system here; it is not the fault of the scanner.

In fact, simple software remedies exist to fix that problem, however the police and
municipal radio system have not done this yet.

As you navigate through banks and scan lists, you are listening to both analog and
digital, trunked and non-trunked. As long as the digital card is in the scanner you should
have no problem picking up a transmission.

If you hear different talkgroups where they should not be, (for example, the 25th Police
District on the Far Northeast band) the radio is picking up bleed-over which is the source
of consternation for many police officers. Again, the scanner is not malfunctioning.

The radio can handle all of the frequencies in the Philadelphia area, such as Bucks,
Montgomery County, and most of South Jersey. It will enable you to monitor airplanes,
railroads, marine traffic, military, citizens band radio, even business radio. Frankly,
there is a lot to listen to besides Philadelphia police and fire. You can Alpha Tag each
frequency so you'll know exactly what you are listening to.

Critics believe the scanner should never have been made available to the general public,
and police communications should always be private. However, despite these protestations,
most folks who monitor police radios are hobbyists, not wreck-chasers, as critics have
unfairly tagged them. In fact, for some, listening to police calls is a hobby that dates
back many years. Today's Uniden model simply continues that tradition . . . albeit, at a
much higher price.

For many, this scanner is their first foray into the world of trunked radio systems.
Unfortunately, the 250D and 785D models are not the best choices to learn on. One has to
know the difference between a program bank (where you put frequencies) and a scan list (
you put these inside the bank). Moreover, the instruction booklet is not as user- friendly
as it could be.

News groups on the Web are filled with people asking questions. The digital fine tuning is
not fully explained in the manual. Others offer tips , such as Press the "." button to
toggle between scan banks and scan lists. This helps alleviate headaches for users.

There is also the issue of the meter to show when the battery is charging.

It doesn't exist.
Users have no idea if the battery is fully charged.

Another concern is the operation of the unit while it is charging. The components and the
case get warm. Many people have expressed concern that this heat might cause some of the
electronics to malfunction.
The bottom line, however, is this: overall, the radio is a breath of fresh air for those
who want to continue to listen to Philadelphia city services.
Here's a few more tips: If you intend to use this scanner as a base unit, you should
purchase the 785D. If you want to carry a scanner with you, buy the 250D. At this time
they are the only two scanners in the entire world that will decipher the digital system.
Places like Radio Shack currently stock a great line of scanners, but none of them will
work with the new Philadelphia radio system.
Should you hear warbling or variations in voice quality, remember, that is the same thing
the officers on the streets are hearing. It takes some getting used to. As Motorola
improves the city's system, audio quality should improve.

http://www.newsgleaner.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=6862681&BRD=2340&PAG=461&dept_id=488595&rfi=6

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