Good 800mhz Glass Mount??

[Lincoln3]

Industrial Liquidators (next to So Cal Gun) is an awesome store. Stock is ever-changing.

[astrodanco]

It sounds good but I have no idea what the PRO96 is even like.

I have and use a PRO-96 here. I like it a lot. But then, I use WIN-96 to program it and never do any significant manual programming via the keypad. San Diego RCS came pre-loaded in a V-folder. That was quite handy at the time. I was not only up and running with the scanner within minutes of opening the box, but the pre-loaded folders also provided helpful programming examples sometime later after I downloaded WIN-96 and looked at what the pre-loaded folders consisted of.

I also have a PRO-83 which I recently picked up on sale. It's not good for much though. I took advantage of that recent offer of a free copy of Scancat Lite to program it.

I had an ICR5 for a brief time about two years ago now. Man was that one a bitch to manually program. And the software to program it was just as much a bitch to use as programming it manually.

Anyone want to buy an old PRO-2006? Just kidding. That one's a keeper. You'll have to pry it out of my cold dead hands when the time comes.

[w6pix]

[/quote]Anyone want to buy an old PRO-2006? Just kidding. That one's a keeper. You'll have to pry it out of my cold dead hands when the time comes.[/quote]

You got that right! The Pro2006 is one of the finest receivers ever made at the scanner level. I feel the same way about mine!

[fotoguy]

I called a few people and went the the other store in Miramar and bought ALL of them. I have 2 or 3 left but ....

[El Pablo]

As far as glass mount, I think I found what I am looking for from AS at a local shop in KM. It has a range or 806-894 I believe. They make one that has a more limited range (806-869). Does anyone know if I'd get more interference with a larger range. The shop didn't stock this one.

Sean, your mounts for your Undien 780, 785 or 796, did you have those made or buy them? I have a pretty deep center concole and something like that my work in my rig which would allow me to go the 796D route vs. 2096 or sticking with 2066.

Thanks!

[Guest]

Hi i was just wondering if it is legal to have a scanner setup in your car and also does any one know how i can get my hands on a Motorola ASTRO Spectra radio. also how much do they cost also do u have to have a special licsen to get one or even a radio that operates on the VHF or UHF band. Because im looking to install a couple of radios in my truck to monitor a couple of differnt bands. mostly interested in the 800 mhz.

thank you

[w6pix]

As far as glass mount, I think I found what I am looking for from AS at a local shop in KM. It has a range or 806-894 I believe. They make one that has a more limited range (806-869). Does anyone know if I'd get more interference with a larger range. The shop didn't stock this one.

Sean, your mounts for your Undien 780, 785 or 796, did you have those made or buy them? I have a pretty deep center concole and something like that my work in my rig which would allow me to go the 796D route vs. 2096 or sticking with 2066.

Thanks!

The mount for all the radios is a universal mount with adjustable arms. It fits any radio size. Under the radios is a bolt. you just losen it and slide the arms in or out to accomodate the radio size. That is an "open" design. No box. If you go the box console route you need to get face places for each radio. The face plates are made for each type of radio/scanner.

The antenna range is not of a big concern for receiving. The range they list on those two antennas is just showing where the antenna is resonant with an acceptable SWR. You can stick a paper clip in an 800 radio and get excellent results. I have a switch box on my 800 radio that switches between 800 and VHF antennas. You can hardly tell the difference on the RCS on either antennna. For receive only you can run with an antenna cut for the range you want to hear or anything lower and still come up with pretty decent results. On the other hand, you can't get good results receiving on an antenna that is cut for a HIGHER frequency. VHF will suck on an 800 antenna. Yeah, it'll work when your in a high place, but maybe down in a valley it will be scratch or nothing.

Speaking of RX only, you won't notice any difference between either of those 800 antennas.

The biggest factor you have to worry about in 800 is line loss. Run them as short as possible. If you have a 15 foot feed on the glass mount and only need 5 feet to get to your scanner, cut off the excess and put a new connector on it. That will give you the most benefit over anything else.

[w6pix]

Hi i was just wondering if it is legal to have a scanner setup in your car and also does any one know how i can get my hands on a Motorola ASTRO Spectra radio. also how much do they cost also do u have to have a special licsen to get one or even a radio that operates on the VHF or UHF band. Because im looking to install a couple of radios in my truck to monitor a couple of differnt bands. mostly interested in the 800 mhz.

thank you

In California, you can have a mobile scanner in your car. There is an old "blue law" on the books in LA that seemingly prohibits it with out a permit from the chief of police. I personally wouldn't worry about that if you're in LA.

Several states do prohibit scanners in vehicles however. Most do exempt licensed HAM's however.

You can buy ASTRO radios all day long on EBAY. You can also pick them up at government auctions. I'd say you will pay on average of about $1000-1300 on EBAY for them. You also have to be very knowledgeable about Motorola radios and most specifically the FLASH CODES. Motorola radio flash codes indicate what the radio is capable of, kind of like a version number in software. If you buy a radio on EBAY it may not have the proper firmware to operate on the system you want to listen to. I recommend becoming an expert on SPECTRAS before you buy one or you will end up with an expensive doorstop.

Your biggest hurdle in programming a radio on a trunked radio system will be getting it programmed. Since you don't have the SYSTEM KEY, you won't be able to make it work. You would have to have a legit need and permission from the agency to do it. For example, the RCS allows the media to have RCS radios. The system key is closely guarded to prevent anyone who wants to from programming a radio on a system. Did I mention you will need to spend about another $500 on programming software and hardware from Motorola?

You can learn EVERYTHING you want about Motorola radios on www.batlabs.com Make sure you also visit the DISCUSSION FORUMS on Batlabs.

Another note, you will probably be disappointed with a Motorola Astro radio. They are not designed for scanning. They are really restrictive in how many talkgroups you can scan and basically a pain in the butt compared to your scanner. The average trunk scanner is 100x more versatile.

As for your question regarding UHF and VHF radios. sure you can buy them from a two way shop or on ebay. Once again, you also have to consider programming software and hardware. If you buy from a shop, they can program it for you. Most legit shops may program RECEIVE ONLY on any channel you can't provide a license for or a letter of authorization. If you do end up doing your own programming, I recommend programming any government channels in RECEIVE ONLY. This way no one can accuse you of unauthorized use.

Once again, carefully investigate the radio you are considering before you buy it. Two way radios generally do not operate like scanners. The versatility of a scanner cannot be found in a two way radio.

[Guest]

I agree with the post above completely. I have done the research and getting a digital scanner is much more versatile, than a Spectra or Saber. The reception may be better but for what it takes to get one to work, and the limited usage out of it, the digital scanners from Undine or Radio Shack will basically allow you to listen to much more than the Motorola radios for at least half the price.

And Batlabs is great site much like this one.