Not hearing anything unknown if gone to Digital

If your locals went digital they are probably using trunked systems as well. Sorry, but there is no way to convert or modify your scanner to let you monitor the new systems. You'll need to pick up a trunking/digital scanner such as the Uniden BCD996XT. Programming the trunked systems is a real task, so I recommend that you purchase the Butel ARC XT PRO software and a subscription to RadioReference.com. The combination will let you research the systems in your area, decide which ones you want to monitor, and download them straight to your scanner.

Bill B.
Listening in since the 60's

if the frequencies you had before were police, ambulance, fire ect. then they have all gone onto the new tetra digital system and so you will not be able to pick them up.

if its things like the coastguard, airband, amateur radio that you caan no longer pick up, then the scanner may be faulty.

From memory the pro 97 used to scan fairly slowly anyway, but if its scanning like REALLY slowly, say a channel every couple of seconds, then check the Squelch setting on the scanner

is it a digital scanner? You know that everyone has gone digital there fore making that kind of scanner outdated and if you are trying to listen to police u wont pick anything up. I was told that some raido shacks will re program it for you.

They may have switched over to the trunk system, so the regular freqs wont work anymore. All city police departments are switching over, fed requirement.

You need police scanner programming software and a cable before your computer will talk to your scanner.
Do a google or yahoo search for police scanner software. About $25 and a cable from radioshack for about the same. The disk that comes with the cable will only let your computer recognize the cable not program the scanner.
Good luck. Waste of money in my opinion but it may be easier then manual programming the radio.

the manual at "http://support.radioshack.com/manuals/ome20-525.pdf" (if you don't have it)
says that you may be in manual mode OR that the channel at 3 might be a "trunk guide", that means that the channel is used to send out digital permissions to the system for each radio in the unit(s) to use a certain freq. when they transmit. good luck!

I know that if you turn your scanner off over a few days you can loose your frequency # or it will lock the channels out. if they or l/o just unlock then. I also know that all police and ect. went digital, you would to have a scanner that is digital. When they changed to digital some for the frequency # have changed. I had to get the new ones and put them in.

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Here is the online programming tutorial:
http://support.radioshack.com/support_tutorials/communications/200-0523/67345.htm

Here is the full manual Should include Quick guide:
http://support.radioshack.com/manuals/ome20-525.pdf

Here is FREE programming software for the PC:
Includes hardware info. You can buy programming cable at Radio Shack to connect to your PC.
http://www.starrsoft.com/freeware/win95/default.asp

Here is the online programming tutorial:
http://support.radioshack.com/support_tutorials/communications/200-0523/67345.htm

Here is the full manual Should include Quick guide:
http://support.radioshack.com/manuals/ome20-525.pdf

Here is FREE programming software for the PC:
Includes hardware info. You can buy programming cable at Radio Shack to connect to your PC.
http://www.starrsoft.com/freeware/win95/default.asp

the beep are known as "over beeps", they are generated at the end of a transmission by the transmitting raido to signal that the user has taken his or her finger off the transmit button and has ended transmission, like how they used to say "over". as for the hissing, have you tried adjusting the squelch?