[ScanIndiana] To Whom It May Not...

[Matthew C. Payne]

David L Norris wrote:
> Downsides: They decide which talkgroups you can receive, dispatch can
> trivially see when you are listening, who you are listening to at any
> point in time, roughly where you are listening to it from (on a
> multi-site system), and can lock out your specific radio at the drop of
> hat.

Major downside: Most professional radios have a VERY LIMITED number of
scan memories for talkgroups.  The MCS-2000 has ten.  The XTS-3000 I have
been assigned also has ten.  With a scanner, you have fifty to hundreds of
talkgroups.

I'm required to monitor five or six talkgroups.  So that leaves me five or
six to play with in the XTS-3000.  Sometimes that's a bit of a challenge
;-)

Also, as Dave said, when you rely on a professional radio, you are mostly
at the mercy of the system administrators.  This isn't always a tenable
position for the media (or especially the hobbyist).

But pick what you will, each has its advantages.  Weigh each one, and make
as informed a decision as you can.  But be wary of those who attempt to
sell you on a particular product with exaggerated claims of their own
infallibility.

Matt