"ChristyLynn" wrote in message
...
I have been wanting an emergency scanner for some time, but have not
purchased one mainly because of cost, and not really knowing what is a good
scanner that won't cost much.

I have the opportunity to buy a scanner from a friend and would like an
opinion on if it is good or not. I live in a small rural Wisconsin town
so I'm not sure if that matters with quality of scanner vs. frequencies.
That said, the scanner my friend has is a UNIDEN BEARCAT 855XLT SCANNER
for $49.95. Should I, or shouldn't I buy it?




Most likely it is a bad choice, depending on what you want to listen to, and
where you're located.

The BC855-XLT is a basic scanner for conventional analog systems. Most
public safety has at the very least upgraded to what is called trunking
systems, which require a trunktracking type scanner. The current trend is
APCO-25, which means it is a digital system, and requires a scanner that is
capable of receiving a digital system. (Not to be confused with a "Digital
Scanner", which can mean only that the scanner has a digital display, vs.
the older dial type tuner).

So to start with, what County/City/State are you in?

Bill Crocker