New scanner user question

[dukey]

G'day guys, NSWFB RFF and scanner novice,
Recently picked up a Uniden 396T, am slowly learning how to work it. I live on the South Coast (PMR) and I want to program it into the Wollongong 300 talk group. Can anybody give me any help with that?

Thanks,
Dukey

[Wonky]

Welcome Dukey,

Do you have any software to program it - what type if you do?

[Hoodwinked]

Hi and welcome to the group Dukey,

There is a good list of the country PMR frequencies on this website, if you can let us know where you live we can perhaps pick the best one(s) for you.
I believe they are all linked together so if you monitor one you should hear all the activity from Wollongong Comms, someone correct me if I am wrong.

Cheers
Andrew H

[richardc]

Hi Dukey,

I assume you want to program talkgroup 301 in to your scanner for use in the GRN footprint? Currently you will hear 301 from the Illawarra down to about Nowra, but being analogue you will not hear it south of there. Go in to the data section & you will find talkgroup & PMR channel (800 & 900 channels) information. If you are south of Nowra you will need to use the PMR channels- and these are normally patched to the GRN so you will hear everything anyway.

Cheers,


Richard

[dukey]

Thanks everyone, I dialled in the numbers from the PMR page and I'm picking up plenty of stuff north of here.

My second question is, does anybody know what type of antenna I should buy to improve the reception? Not worried about the size of it, but el cheapo would be favoured.

Thanks again

[Hoodwinked]

Hi Dukey,

The main point about antennas is to get it outside and up in the air as much as possible. It will depend on your situation, are you down in a gully for instance.
The ulimate scanner antenna is probably a discone mounted on a tall tower or mast and connected with low loss coax cable, and possibly also a mast head mounted pre amp. But.....such an installation will cost you $$$ and scanners being very broad band devices will probably leave you open to interference from strong unwanted signals.

For my money an el cheapo solution is a simple whip connected in some way to the gutter of the house and then you have the shortest run of thin (RG58) coax possible through a window opening. I used this for a few years when living in a rented flat where I could not do anything permanent and it was even magnetically mounted so I could remove it when the landlord came inspecting.
It is far from ideal but will probably be a vast improvement on the scanners built in antenna.

Hope this helps
AndrewH

[dukey]

Interesting idea. When I get around to it I'll let you know how it goes. Thanks!