GRE Super Amp

KCChiefs9690 · #1 (**permalink**) 09-03-2009, 11:44 AM

I just bought one and last night i was using it on my PSR-500 and i had the attuenator turned on, and I was pulling in distant signals (getting 4-5 bars on the strength meter). Now today when i do the same thing, I get no bars at all on these same stations. If i turn the amp off, I can slightly hear the distant station, but when i turn it back on, the signal becomes completely silent.

Anyone have one, or have any ideas?

AlabamaRS · #2 (**permalink**) 09-03-2009, 11:55 AM

one is canceling the other out, use one or the other

KCChiefs9690 · #3 (**permalink**) 09-03-2009, 12:08 PM

What do you mean one or the other? Like don't use attuenation?

AlabamaRS · #4 (**permalink**) 09-03-2009, 12:49 PM

dont use both

KC9GLG · #5 (**permalink**) 09-03-2009, 12:58 PM

Dead battery in the Amp ?

KCChiefs9690 · #6 (**permalink**) 09-03-2009, 05:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KC9GLG

Dead battery in the Amp ?

No, i just bought the amp new and I bought a fresh 9-volt with it.

carpetman · #7 (**permalink**) 09-03-2009, 07:30 PM

I had the same issue, so I called GRE and was told both the 500 and 600 have built in amps and you can not use their super amp with these scanners.

khoelldobler · #8 (**permalink**) 09-03-2009, 07:45 PM

what about using the GRE super amplifier on a RS Pro-106? I just bought a GRE super amp last nite on ebay for 60 bucks for my 106 scanner. It hasn't even arrived yet, and now I understand that I may not be able to use it? Heck, I am glad that I didn't spend 200 bucks on the JIM M75 pre amp unit.

judging from post #1 , I just assumed he may have had a dead battery... I heard that the batteries only last around 12 hours on continued useage, and that a plug in wall-wart was most definitely a good option.

Can anyone else confirm that using a GRE super amplifier is NOT a good idea in conjunction with a Radioshack PRO-106 hand-held scanner ? I've never read this before in any other pre amp posts... this is a new one for me. Thanks in advance.

raisindot · #9 (**permalink**) 09-03-2009, 10:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carpetman

I had the same issue, so I called GRE and was told both the 500 and 600 have built in amps and you can not use their super amp with these scanners.

GRE said that? They are SOOOOOOO full ot it!

I'm sitting here right now using my GRE Super Amp with my PSR 500, and it's working great. You may need to attenuate individual frequencies, but if you keep global attentuate off you should excellent results. At least I do.

I think the GRE PSR and Super Amp teams must hate each other, which is why the former are trying to screw over the latter. Maybe their softball teams are super competitive.

Suzie

carpetman · #10 (**permalink**) 09-03-2009, 10:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by raisindot

GRE said that? They are SOOOOOOO full ot it!

I'm sitting here right now using my GRE Super Amp with my PSR 500, and it's working great. You may need to attenuate individual frequencies, but if you keep global attentuate off you should excellent results. At least I do.

I think the GRE PSR and Super Amp teams must hate each other, which is why the former are trying to screw over the latter. Maybe their softball teams are super competitive.

Suzie

Are you running it with an outside antenna, or the rubber ducky?

raisindot · #11 (**permalink**) 09-04-2009, 08:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carpetman

Are you running it with an outside antenna, or the rubber ducky?

With a variety of rubber duckies, including the Diamond, the RS 800Mhz, and the RS "longer duckie". I got the Super Amp because I did not want to set up an outside antenna.

Suzie

kb8rvp · #12 (**permalink**) 09-04-2009, 10:42 AM

The original poster of the message could have been dealing with a band opening and received distant signals and now the band conditions are back to normal. You will have to monitor these signals over time to see if it happens again or it is something else.

Good luck,
Mike

khoelldobler · #13 (**permalink**) 09-05-2009, 01:41 PM

received my new GRE super amplifier today... hooked it up to my PRO-106 and a Yagi to check reception of a distant (next county over) 800 trunked system... got poor results,

tried the GRE super amp on the same scanner using a discone for the same system... same results,

tried it on the same scanner while monitoring VHF... slightly better reception using the super amp,

tried it on my PRO-2006 base scanner... got increased results on VHF transmissions.

All in all, it seems to improve signal reception slightly on VHF and it did not offer me increased results up in the 800 mhz range. I thought I would give it a try, considering I just barely picked up the next county over from me. I figured that if I was receiving that county trunked system (border line reception) it might enhance the received signal for better reception... I was wrong, as the super amp only seems to offer me increase in VHF range.

But I tried... I will keep it, and use it on my PRO-2006 for VHF only.

PS... each attempt with different radios and different antenna systems were all done w/o using the scanners ATT option.

raisindot · #14 (**permalink**) 09-05-2009, 05:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by khoelldobler

All in all, it seems to improve signal reception slightly on VHF and it did not offer me increased results up in the 800 mhz range.

My results were pretty similar. It did the best on VHF, particularly in the aircraft band, pulling in transmissions clearly that it could either not receive or came in as static.

Results were not quite as dramatic on UHF and 800Mhz trunking systems. I was hoping it would pull in some of the trunking systems in Boston (I lived about 15 miles west of the city) and Cambridge, but it hasn't done it yet with either my PSR 500 or Pro 162, Which is surprising, because it definitely does help bring in 800Mhz trunking from Worcester, which is about 25 miles from me. Go figure.

Suzie

sjlamb · #15 (**permalink**) 09-05-2009, 06:06 PM

The GRE Super Amp absolutely can dramatically improve 800 mHz reception..... DEPENDING ON YOUR UNIQUE CIRCUMSTANCES.

There are a great many factors that can impact the results, and many of those factors are not on the scanner's end of the equation and thus are uncontrollable. TRS Tower elevation, power output, environmental factors, etc.

It is also not uncommon for towers to transmit (beam) their signal directionally in such a way that most of their signal may be pointed away from you. They do this because there is little point for them to fire their signal across three counties where they don't even have any mobile units in the field.

If you live in the direct path of their signal.... Bang!! ..... excellent signal reception. If your location is distant and to the rear of their signal path, reception from a considerable distance (for 800 mHz signals) will be marginal at best. It all depends on where you are located in relation to the path of the tower signal along with all those other factors mentioned in the beginning; factors both on your end and those on the tower's end. If you find that the GRE Super Amp doesn't show a significant increase in signal strength in your situation, you can rest pretty assured that it is not because of any fault with the amp... it is usually a combination of external factors beyond your control or influence that results on marginal signal impovement.

Below is a photo showing the impact of the Super Amp being turned "ON" and "OFF" on the same 800 mHz signal at MY location and under MY local reception factors:

sjlamb · #16 (**permalink**) 09-05-2009, 06:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KCChiefs9690

I just bought one and last night i was using it on my PSR-500 and i had the attuenator turned on, and I was pulling in distant signals (getting 4-5 bars on the strength meter). Now today when i do the same thing, I get no bars at all on these same stations. If i turn the amp off, I can slightly hear the distant station, but when i turn it back on, the signal becomes completely silent.

Anyone have one, or have any ideas?

This describes EXACTLY the effect of temperature inversions on signal strength from distant stations. I think you will find that at nightime (especially in the summer months) that you will be able to pull in those signals with regularity. Come sunrise.... POOF!!.... they're gone again til evening.

khoelldobler · #17 (**permalink**) 09-05-2009, 07:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sjlamb

The GRE Super Amp absolutely can dramatically improve 800 mHz reception..... DEPENDING ON YOUR UNIQUE CIRCUMSTANCES.

There are a great many factors that can impact the results, and many of those factors are not on the scanner's end of the equation and thus are uncontrollable. TRS Tower elevation, power output, environmental factors, etc.

It is also not uncommon for towers to transmit (beam) their signal directionally in such a way that most of their signal may be pointed away from you. They do this because there is little point for them to fire their signal across three counties where they don't even have any mobile units in the field.

If you live in the direct path of their signal.... Bang!! ..... excellent signal reception. If your location is distant and to the rear of their signal path, reception from a considerable distance (for 800 mHz signals) will be marginal at best. It all depends on where you are located in relation to the path of the tower signal along with all those other factors mentioned in the beginning; factors both on your end and those on the tower's end. If you find that the GRE Super Amp doesn't show a significant increase in signal strength in your situation, you can rest pretty assured that it is not because of any fault with the amp... it is usually a combination of external factors beyond your control or influence that results on marginal signal impovement.

Below is a photo showing the impact of the Super Amp being turned "ON" and "OFF" on the same 800 mHz signal at MY location and under MY local reception factors:

You are correct in everything you said... many factors are involved, and I do not dispute any one of them. I have also stated (in other posts) that factors including environmental conditions, play a big role in any reception. I thought if I were going to start with anything, I would start with the GRE super amp due to its cost. I would also like to eventually purchase the Jim M75 pre-amp and try IT out. It is more expensive, and seems to be built with good noise filters. But as I said, as far as pre amps, I had to start here and begin my experimintation. The Jim M75 may only offer me similar results... I don't know what to expect, but I am sure I will find out soon. I plan on making that purchase soon.

I also see that you have a different GRE pre amp than mine... I purchased the super amplifier, I guess its the hand-held model, as its a small black box, w/ BNC connectors, that sits comfortably atop my Pro-106. Its basically the same I would guess, as it too offers approx 20 db of gain via a small knob on the rear of the device.

I am not in any way complaining of the performance of my GRE super amplifier, I was just hoping for a bit more reception on the 800 band to pull in the next county.

martin1945 · #18 (**permalink**) 09-05-2009, 08:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carpetman

I had the same issue, so I called GRE and was told both the 500 and 600 have built in amps and you can not use their super amp with these scanners.

I use the super amp with my 500 with excellent results. Just don't use it in a big city.

I also use the Radio Shack A/C adapter (part # 273-027)
to save the battery when listening inside. You must request
the (free) tip to attach to the adapter

sjlamb · #19 (**permalink**) 09-05-2009, 11:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by khoelldobler

I also see that you have a different GRE pre amp than mine... I purchased the super amplifier, I guess its the hand-held model, as its a small black box, w/ BNC connectors, that sits comfortably atop my Pro-106. Its basically the same I would guess, as it too offers approx 20 db of gain via a small knob on the rear of the device.

I am not in any way complaining of the performance of my GRE super amplifier, I was just hoping for a bit more reception on the 800 band to pull in the next county.

The unit in the photo is the discontinued GRE Super Amp 3001 desk model. Electronically identical to the HH version. I've also owned the JIM M-75. Based on my own experience, I suspect you will find it's performance to be on par with the GRE models... no better, no worse.

There are limits to what can be accomplished with a pre-ampflifier, beyond which you reach a point of diminishing returns in terms of signal to noise ratio and overload issues.