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With a focus on Kitsap/Pierce county: Is the premium being charged for digital scanners today worth it? How many analog systems are likely to be replaced over the next five years with digital systems, and how many digital systems will go encrypted, negating the use of a scanner at all? Your thoughts?

I live in south Kitsap County. My scanners (BC-860XLT; PRO-71) are several years old and I'm considering adding new gear primarily to add trunking capability but also for increased memory storage. The question I face is whether to pay the premium for a digital scanner (say the BCD996T) or stay with analog (say the BCT15). Will the analog become largely obsolete anytime soon, thus offering false economy now? Will the digital become irrelevant due to increased use of encryption, thus representing "wasted" money?

Opinions are welcome!

With regards to rebanding, I'm going to wait until the first system is tested with a newer scanner before I decide on a digital pro-96 or BC396T. I hear different answers from the mfgs about upgrades, some say the newer scanners will have no problems following the upgrades as it's more logical. As far as a P25 capable scanner, its probably not a bad idea to buy one since the users have invested a lot of money in their systems and are not likely to change for awhile. I don't live in a trunked or digital system so I'm not worried but I travel to places with 800 or some other newer product and would like to hear what's going on. It seems most systems have encryption selectable on some of the more sensitive talk groups anyway.

Some areas have still kept the older 'legacy' system repeaters licensed and powered up for whatever reason ;)

Don't spend the money on the P25 stuff just yet. I think you can buy a scanner that will accept a P25 card later. Just about anything P25 you hear on the King, Sno or Tacoma 800 systems is encrypted anyway at this point. I don't think you'll see a large migration to P25 from the big 3 anytime soon. Save your $$$.

_________________
I generate Board Warnings

Thanks for asking the question so clearly. If you plan to travel - get the P25. In some big cities (LA...) your coverage would be less.

-m

I second that last comment

Get a trunktracking scanner with p25 digital if you travel to other parts
of the US or Canada, the money spent will be worth it to follow the action
while your on vacation or business.
found that one year when I went to disneyland.

One of the years I went I could listen to lapd while there.
the next year they went to P25 and I was left in the cold using my icom r-2 to listen to thier digital sqeel.
The next time I went I was prepared with my new bc296d even tho thier
digitized audio sounded quite bad at times it was still worth the $$$$ :)

again... dish out the $$$$ if its really nessary
if not save your money

xjf79
bc296d
bcd396t
bcd996t

Speaking of P25, is the Justice Integrated Network encrypted as well? Has anyone had any luck monitoring this?

IWN is all encrypted.

Wiz