Jesse wrote in
:

IMO, a BC895XLT. Good coverage. Excellent performance. Basic
TrunkTracking, and CTCSS for $189 new, and about $125 used. You can
also find a BC780XLT for around $225 used, which makes the 2006
really look like a toy.

Fair enough - I know nothing of their capabilities,so will give you
the benifit of the doubt.
Quick question - Do either or both of them cover mil air ?

The 780 does, don't know about 895.

Trunktracking is a feature that has so far not grabbed my
interest - Is it really that useful ?

In areas where police, fire and other services have gone to trunked
systems, it's pretty essential, otherwise calls are almost impossible to
follow. Trunked systems change frequencies multiple times during a call.

CTCSS too - Really,have you actually garnered any use out of knowing
what numbers the little squeals represent ?

Yes, one of the state patrol channels in the area where I live has so
much noise that without the ability to filter using CTCSS the frequency
would unscannable.

Being able to use CTCSS tones is also handy for filtering out unwanted
signals in areas where different agencies use the same frequency and you
don't want to listen to one of them.

--
You are a fluke of the Universe
You have no right to be here
And whether you can hear it or not,
the Universe is laughing behind your back