Concerning _Newbie wants advice_, Rich Willbanks said to Drew Fecco in 
SCANRADIO:
 RW> Now you have a freq range and a basic number of channels you'll need.
 RW> With these two you can decide what you need in a scanner, for now.  I
 RW> say for now because if you get involved you'll find that you always
 RW> need more .
And don't forget what happens when you visit somebody in another town, and 
realize that they have interesting scanning over there, too.  Then you get to 
decide if it's worth the trouble of reprogramming everytime you hit the road, 
or whether it's better to buy a scanner with more channels/banks.
 RW> If you are going to be in you car then the mobile is
 RW> for you.  Of course you have to mount it and all that.
 RW> Then again it's a pain to park your car in the living
 RW> room when you want to listen.
I bought one of those mounts that straddles the transmission hump.  My base 
station's legs straddle the mount, leaving it very secure yet it can still be 
taken inside at home or work.  I just have to unhook the DC adapter, antenna, 
and speaker wires.
 RW> If you are going to be on the move then go for the
 RW> handheld.  But be ready to have your batteries die
 RW> right in the middle of something really exciting.
Be ready to have your batteries die just as you barely beat a major 
thunderstorm home, only to find the AC power has already died.  Then, a week 
later, have it happen again.
 RW> Also for straining to hear what's being said when you are in
 RW> a noisy environment.
And suffering from ringing ears by using cheap earphones...
... All rising to a great place is by a winding stair.
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