cfa/police vhf scanner for rural area's

[sv9946]

Hi Guy's,

I'm wanting to buy a VHF scanner to scan local CFA and police radio's. mainly for the CFA aspect as i'm a volunteer CFA firefighter but i'm not up high enough to be given a radio/listening set.

my mother has a motorola radius ap/cp50 (can't remember which one it was) however since that was programmed for her by her brother who has since passed away, i'm really not keen to even go near that. i've considered buying one the same, but they rarely come up on ebay....

so i've instead started to look at other options. i don't want to spend a great fortune on one, as i realise there's a possiblity they will change over to encrypted digital or something simular very soon.... i've tryed to research what would be good to buy, but i can't really understand or follow these professional's on the radio forums, so i'm asking if anyone here could help me with advice on whats a good one to buy

i've been considering buying this off ebay (motorola gp68). i've looked at mts2000's, but i think they'd be too involved for me to program them etc etc - Motorola GP68 VHF 136-174MHz 2-Way Radio + Accessories (eBay item 270642875404 end time 30-Nov-10 03:11:35 AEDST) : Electronics

a few seem to have bought them, and everybody seem's to think they're ok. just asking if anyone has any better idea's? i probably dont want to spend over $200 or so for something fairly reliable with a bit of range given i'm out in the country a bit.

thanks guys

[-scyth-]

im not sure if you have an iPhone or not but there's a program that you can download called "police scanner" so as a temp thing download that program & have a listen. Just fiddle with the setting to find Victoria & the regions you want.

just out of curiosity, why do you want to listen to the dispatcher?

[sv9946]

hi mate, yeah i have an iphone so i'll search that up - thanks for the advice.

what do you mean by dispatcher? i'm in south west victoria, and just wanna listen to the usual cfa and police transmission's.... see what they're upto and listen to what one of my mates have been pulled up for breatho's/licence checks etc lol

mainly just for upcoming fire season and just the general whats going on in the area, hear of an accident maybe tune in and get some details, see if my local brigade is needed etc... so do you know anything about any good scanner's? gp68 gunna be any good to me?

[vkberlina]

Hi Guy's,

I'm wanting to buy a VHF scanner to scan local CFA and police radio's. mainly for the CFA aspect as i'm a volunteer CFA firefighter but i'm not up high enough to be given a radio/listening set.
thanks guys

does the unit they offer have an external antenna port? What frequencies do they run on?

Just put up a mast and an external antenna and cable it in so you can use the unit they supply

cheers
scott

[VKCOMMO]

iPhone app is called 5-0 Radio

[Vt-Brrrlina]

are ur police not digital over there yet... they are here .. so scanners no good

[-SpydeR-]

are ur police not digital over there yet... they are here .. so scanners no good

As far as I know, Vic Pol uses digital and is encrypted but it seems that Gippsland is still using analogue as I have just installed the above iPhone App and can hear transmissions.

[Vt-Brrrlina]

are there u go ... maybe depends on the terrain or location... analogue still better in some areas

[sv9946]

nah we're still analogue down here, will be for quite some time i'm told. running on frequencies around the 163 band, so need 138-174 or whatever it is to cover that range (vhf). warrnambool, port cambell, codben, hamilton and those surrounding area's for police all seem to run they're comms through ballarat. i think due to the rural area's that cover's, and the hills and general long distances etc etc they havent got any immeadiate plans to change over anytime soon.

vkberlina i havent been supplied or offered a radio of any sort at all, i'm not high enough up in the brigade to receive one. i'm only a normal firefighter, nothing extroadinary. mum was given a motorola radius ap50 or cp50 years and years ago because dad is in the brigade, but as i mentioned earlier her brother programmed it and showedher how to use it, he since passed away, and for that reason i'd prefer to leave it alone....

iphone app isn't any good to me, i've been told it doesn't cover south west vic. thanks for your help so far guys, looks like i'll buy this radio off ebay later today, i think thats the best idea so far - its not alot of outlay to try anyway

[somerandom]

I have a cfa scanner VHF,.. But it's staying with me hehe!! These units get reception where you mobile doesn't, and you can call out on it as. Well, they are expensive but mine was free