Glad that it all ended well, and you are a good person for doing what you did.
I've been to the radio reference website and it's like speaking a different language. I still have no idea what I'd need to scan Oklahoma, McClain and Grady counties. Any suggestions?
Some answers with some translation points for reading Radio Reference:
1) McLain Co. - translation tip: DMR = digital mobile radio, as applied to Blanchard, Washington, & Newcastle, means no commercial scanner can scan that type of digital modulation, usually referred to as MotoTRBO. It is possible to decode with software and your computer soundcard after tapping into the scanner to get the signal direct from the discriminator. Without some knowledge of electronics, it's not a project for the uninitiated. McLain County and Purcell are on the state trunked system, aka OKWIN (Purcell appears to also have some DMR capability so local knowledge would help on this one), and should not be problem to monitor with any trunk-capable scanner. These days, I would recommend any scanner should be P25 capable, along with trunking. More $$$ but also keeps technology from leaving you with a brick.
2) Grady County - Again, local knowledge will trump any info in RR but a lot of people feed that database so it still has value. Local knowledge would let you find out just how much the sheriff's office does on its VHF system in order to use the encryption feature rather than fully transitioning to OKWIN. Chickasha is also on OKWIN with OHP. Tuttle and Bridge Creek are easily monitored on any scanner.
3) Oklahoma County - The previously-mentioned digital-capable trunking scanner would be the way to go here. The main thing you are going to miss out on will be OKC Fire that only operates on ProVoice digital that is not possible to receive on a standard commercial scanner. Also, EMSA is fully encrypted on the OKWIN system so that's not available to you.
OK, that's the best I have for you in a relatively quick post. Any area-specific questions probably ought to go to the RR Oklahoma Forum where locals can give you better guidance. I'll help if I can but my experience is dated by living in Tulsa for the past 7 years.
I had a Uniden and it worked great, but now everything has gone digital TPD and local ones are mostly encripted. I ended up with a cloned TPD radio that had the panic button disabled. I would check and see what they are using in your area and see if the scanners will cover it.
I would think so. But, I could be wrong.
They aren't too much worse but you can also install an external antenna.
Depends on the circuitry but both types are designed to cover a broad band of frequencies at a certain level of sensitivity. The circuitry is where the trade-offs are made and the issue you are concerned about is sensitivity. Check the specs. On most you'll find them to be fairly close between the two.
Nope. They'll both recieve the same. Just get the telescoping antenna if you plan to use it in place of the desktop. That'll help improve reception. I have both a handheld and desktop and notice no difference in reception when I use the telescoping antenna.
Thanks, I did some reading and found that OKCPD uses the trunked system that is impossible to access with any scanner on the market but they also use many other frequencies around the county to get coverage in those areas so a regular scanner should pick up that stuff. I really don't know what all is possible to hear but using my phone app, which basically just listens to other people's "host" scanners, I've heard OKCPD, OHP, OKCFD and several others so they must still be operating on normal frequencies sometimes.
