[Scan-DC] Scanner Recomendations

Mon Jun 8 20:10:41 EDT 2009

Andy,

I would guess you are probably right, it would be worth it to at least have someone take a look at it. Does anyone know if you can just take it back into your local radio shack and have them send it off or is there information available on their web site. Or do I have to somehow get in touch with GRE because it's their base product?

-----Original Message-----
From: "Andrew Clegg" <w4jecom at w4je.com>

Date: Mon, 8 Jun 2009 16:59:06 
To: <scan-dc at mailman.qth.net>
Subject: Re: [Scan-DC] Scanner Recomendations

For what it's worth, my BC246T went pretty deaf after a while. At first I
thought I was imagining it, then when I compared side-by-side with another
older scanner, it was like night and day. So I sent the 246T to Uniden, and
sure enough, there was a blown transistor (or something) in the front end,
which they repaired for $50. Since then it's been great. So, something
similar may have happened to your Pro-96. You may want to check into repair
options. My opinion is that it was worth $50 to bring a $200 scanner back to
life. Since the Pro-96 is more expensive, I would think it's definitely
worth saving.

Andy

-----Original Message-----
From: scan-dc-bounces at mailman.qth.net
[mailto:scan-dc-bounces at mailman.qth.net]On Behalf Of ltbrown122 at aol.com
Sent: Monday, June 08, 2009 4:40 PM
To: Doug Kitchener; scan-dc-bounces at mailman.qth.net; fxpd614 at gmail.com;
scan-dc at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Scan-DC] Scanner Recomendations

I really wanted to get in on this discussion sooner but I got busy over the
weekend.

I really liked my Pro-96 when I first got it, but like so many people I feel
that it has gone deaf to so many things. It's not nearly the scanner it used
to be. So much so that I would actually rather get an old saber astro
portable to listen from rather than to try and see what it will hear today.

But then by chance I got a Unidern 92xlt scanner in a box of other stuff. I
really like the close call feature and I really feel it's so much more
sensitive than the pro-96. In the car I have the radio shack glass mount all
band scanner antenna and I can hear sooo much more on the 92 than I ever
heard with the pro 96. Things like MSP on low band, and NIH on the 410
federal band. So I just wonder if the new portable scanner the 396xt is as
good as the 92 and so it would be worth it to spend the money and have the
added features of the GPS attachment option.

Or will it be like buying an old black and white tv (the 92) that receives
better than any new color tv (396) ever will?

That's what is holding me back. Would the newer uniden be as sensitive as my
92?

Joe B
-----Original Message-----
From: Doug Kitchener <oldsdoug at hotmail.com>

Date: Sun, 7 Jun 2009 11:28:28
To: <fxpd614 at gmail.com>; <scan-dc at mailman.qth.net>
Subject: Re: [Scan-DC] Scanner Recomendations

I have both Uniden (BC-396, not the XT, and BC-796) and PRO-197 (RS, of
course) and like both... I tend to go in the direction of base/mobile radios
rather than portables but the electronics are the same.  Mike has probably
covered better what I'm going to say next, I just skimmed his message, but
FWIW... the audio quality of the RS unit is far superior to the Unidens.  I
believe the GRE/RS receiver itself is a little better ("hotter") than
Uniden.  I_think_ the Uniden covers one milair band that the RS/GRE does
not (I listen mainly to public safety and haven't gotten dragged into milair
scanning yet!)  I understand that the GRE radios come with the programming
cable (but don't hold me to that).  The RS and Uniden ones do not.  For my
taste, the display characters are a little too small on the PRO and it
provides too much information that cannot be controlled through the menu
(minor!).  And finally, the Radio Shack ones occasionally go on sale - they
were $200 off at Xmas and $100 off at Memorial Day... so watch and see if
they go on sale over 4th of July or holidays after that and be ready to
strike.

I used to throw the 796 in the car whenever I went anywhere, but have
switched over to the PRO, because the audio is so much better, esp in the
vehicle application (road/wind noise and so forth).

Plan on possible added expenses for programming cable and/or software.

Soooo... I don't dislike any of the ones I have... you pays your money and
you takes your choice!  Having said that, I think the RS one_on sale_ is the
best value if the lack of that one milair band isn't an issue for you.
Money talks!

By the way - forget hand programming and I highly recommend the BuTel
software - have not tried anything else tho so others may be just as good.
And I learned to program the Uniden radios first, so I find those a bit
easier to program than the RS/GRE.  Also, you will have a significant
learning curve for both using and programming - I found this very daunting
at first.

Good luck - let us know what you decide!

Doug

----------------------------------------
> Date: Sat, 6 Jun 2009 22:52:17 -0400
> From: fxpd614 at gmail.com
> To: scan-dc at mailman.qth.net
> Subject: [Scan-DC] Scanner Recomendations
>
> What do you recomend? PSR-500, Uniden 396xt, or the Pro106?
>
> --
> Kenneth Fowler
> AIM: fxpd614
> fxpd614.blogspot.com
> http://www.facebook.com/people/Kenneth-Fowler/1524131853
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