Page 1 of 1

Handheld digi scanner?

Posted: 18 Jun 2019, 11:25
by Andy
Here we are again.
Hoping someone can help me. I've been into scanning and general listening since Adam were a lad, but as the analogue channels disappeared and the various Shopwatches etc moved to digital (mainly DMR around here), I took action and treated myself to the AOR AR-DV1. And very nice too, although I tend to use only the basic features in an old school way. Works a treat.
But now I find my old faithful Icom r5 is no longer any good for taking on holiday as it has no digital capability - so I'm thinking about getting a handheld digi scanner.
I was very interested in the Whistler TRX1, especially the Moonraker one which is pre-installed with a UK-based bandplan. Almost pulled the trigger until I started reading the reviews, many of which complained about the complexity of even entering a frequency, mode etc.
The Unidens seem very US-based and I must say I've never got on very well with Unidens, even analogue ones.
Icom don't have DMR, so no good around here.
There are several DMR transceivers, but all I hear is people going on about mysterious things like 'codeplugs' whatever they are.
Are there any that can be unpacked, switched on and have frequencies keyed in and be tuned around like a proper radio? Perhaps with auto mode detection?
Sorry to sound like a Luddite, but radio used to be simple..... {bnghd}

Re: Handheld digi scanner?

Posted: 18 Jun 2019, 18:25
by Metradio
Glad to see someone doing some research before buying a digital radio..
I have the Whistler, Uniden 3600 and AOR DV1, for me between the portables the Whistler I find the easiest to get my head around the programming... It has the facility to search between 2 frequencies and automaticaly recognising the mode - same as the DV1..

A codeplug nowadays is the programmed contents of a radio that can be transferred between computer and radio, the computer can be used to modify the codeplug..

Mike

Re: Handheld digi scanner?

Posted: 19 Jun 2019, 11:03
by Andy
Ah, thanks for the info Mike.
I may hold my horses and see what's next in the pipeline. I've heard about the cancelled TRX-100/200 that were due for launch about now but are no longer planned - I wonder what happened to those? Maybe something else will come along. In the meantime I'll content myself with listening at home on the excellent DV-1.

Re: Handheld digi scanner?

Posted: 19 Jun 2019, 16:54
by Metradio
I think any new models will be the same as what we have now with redesigned cases and small tweeks..
99% of what is receivable is covered by current models. Folks chop and change digital scanners because they think they are missing something - they are not..

Reading between the lines, Whistler decided not to go ahead with development of the TRX100/200 because they had little new or extra to bring to the table.

Mike

Re: Handheld digi scanner?

Posted: 08 Jul 2019, 16:57
by sidsabbath
I've got a Uniden 3600 and get on great with it. Admittedly, it took some getting my head around. From reading other forums, most people tend to find the Whistler easier to get on with.

Re: Handheld digi scanner?

Posted: 31 Aug 2019, 02:15
by timberwolf
I'm the grumpy old man on a limited budget who's moaning about the cost of a postage stamp while waiting for the price of a Whistler to come down! However, a budget price solution is available to the scanner enthusiast! I bought a new Baofeng 1801 (new) from eBay for about £42. Using my Uniden 230, I can find the machine gun sound of the nearby dmr user. Input that on the 1801, switch to digital mode and press the monitor side key. All you have to do is go through the colour codes (0-15) manually until you hear the crystal clear audio of the shopping centre security officer. The Talk Groups magically appear on screen at that point too. To be honest, it's still the same boring chatter about needing a cleaner to mop up the broken jar of Nutella in Aisle 7. And, of course, the sports shop staff asking for a Size 12 in an Adidas retro trainer. At £42 (for the Baofeng, not the trainer) I feel that I can cope with the disappointment of just hearing the usual banal radio traffic that was once on analogue uhf!

Re: Handheld digi scanner?

Posted: 31 Aug 2019, 09:45
by 2E0UCW
The Whistler range now has a firmware upgrade which add's a band plan for several countries including the UK [Moonraker have this published on their website]. Moonraker Whistler radios also include a preloaded microSD card with the likes of airband, amateur and PMR446. Another popular option is the Anytone range of DMR transceivers - if you only have a frequency, you can set it to decode it if it's either analogue or DMR and if it's DMR, it will decode regardless of the colour code or talk group using a digi moni feature. I use one for amateur radio and also include PMR446, London Fire and local frequencies - both set to decode analogue and DMR - no need to load a set of channels for both modes. You can also set channels to Tx Prohibit so you don't accidentally transmit on a channel you are "scanning".

Re: Handheld digi scanner?

Posted: 31 Aug 2019, 16:23
by Metradio
If the monitored system is RAS (Restricted Access to System) enabled, on the Baofeng you will get silence..
Only scanners and dongles ignore RAS..

Mike

Re: Handheld digi scanner?

Posted: 01 Sep 2019, 06:49
by thelad
As DMR handys get cheaper and easier for the muppets to work we will see more and more of RAS and Encryption. Its happened in my area already.

Re: Handheld digi scanner?

Posted: 04 Sep 2019, 00:09
by timberwolf
I'm not as pessimistic! Bizarrely, nearly every dmr commercial user in Edinburgh has kept the same cc & tg despite having this info published in several on-line forums. No evidence of any user attempting to use encrypted comms or RaS. I honestly think that the muppets who bought a cheap UV5R would find using a typical Chinese DMR tier I & II radio far too challenging to use (unless they had the funds to afford a Whistler or similar.). And equally strangely, analogue transmissions from Shopwatch to Security are on the increase in my area! Mind you, PMR 446 is now exclusively used by crane operators and ground crew : "down... down... right a fraction... hold it there... no, up a bit more...". Hours & hours of fun listening!

Re: Handheld digi scanner?

Posted: 13 Sep 2019, 00:24
by Goffy
I'm using a Radioditty GD-77 (Chinese transciever) as a cheap way of monitoring dmr but its not easy to use and seems to suffer from intermittent deafness (maybe a squelch issue) and other weird bugs. Got a Retevis RT3S (similar to the TYT) on order so hoping that will be less buggy and a bit easier to program. And when the Whistler gets down to £300 I'll get one.

I agree its unlikely that the numpties who might be inclined to key up on commercial dmr channels would ever be able to fathom out how to use these bloody things. Its had me tearing my hair out! Sometimes despite being down in a dip surrounded by buildings I will get a nice clear burst of audio but then it goes deaf again. So i went up to the top of the local hill and it was still deaf......back home down in the dip it sprang to life again....its buggy junk imho.

Re: Handheld digi scanner?

Posted: 14 Sep 2019, 07:56
by neil57uk1
Talking to one of the suppliers recently and the big issue currently is numpties videoing their scanner receiving private conversations and posting them on FB. A large retail centre in the north has recently encrypted because private coms were put on line for all to hear. Sad blokes going for 15 mins of fame?

Re: Handheld digi scanner?

Posted: 15 Sep 2019, 12:05
by Goffy
I've seem such posts on FB Neil. I agree its best not to post such stuff lest it spoil the hobby for everyone.