Is The PSR 800 a Good Radio?

Status
Not open for further replies.

SCPD

QRT
Joined
Feb 24, 2001
Messages
0
Location
Virginia
Good Morning folks!

Since I own a PSR 800 (Which is now Currently being fixed) and never scanned Phase ll properly is it worth upgrading to something new like the 436HP?

I've read a lot of mixed reviews in the forums and really haven't come to solid conclusion....

So what do you guys think?
 

KeyWest35

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Feb 22, 2010
Messages
136
Location
St Louis County Missouri
Good Morning folks!

Since I own a PSR 800 (Which is now Currently being fixed) and never scanned Phase ll properly is it worth upgrading to something new like the 436HP?

I've read a lot of mixed reviews in the forums and really haven't come to solid conclusion....

So what do you guys think?

I did a lot of reading and researching before I bought my first 800 a couple of years ago. It was between a Uniden Home Patrol or a GRE 800 and after comparing including putting them side by side I prefer the GRE which pulled in a system the Home Patrol couldn't. I later bought 2 more new and use them mostly as a base and have amplified speakers attached.. They monitor several P25 systems and will soon monitor a new system which is a X2TDMA one. Never had a problem with them except one that has a part of the display blocked at the bottom and can be fixed if I take it apart and remove the piece of material that came loose and is partially blocking it.
 

tumegpc

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Oct 6, 2003
Messages
1,032
Location
Southern Oregon
I had the 436HP and sold it. I prefer the PSR-800. When comparing side by side the 436HP would miss active channels or the beginning of conversations. The programmable LED on the PSR-800 is placed where you have a visual of it from just about any view and it is active for the entire conversation. There are many comparisons here on RR that go into great detail on the pros and cons. Good Luck
 

LIScanner101

Completely Banned for the Greater Good
Joined
Feb 12, 2013
Messages
1,433
Location
Palm City FL
I know it's purely anecdotal, but so many more people like the PSR-800 over the 436HP. Mainly due to missed transmissions and reduced sensitivity of the 436HP. I would MUCH rather have a brand new Uniden over a used GRE, but I'm seriously considering shelling out the bucks for a PSR-800. I don't know how much longer I can hold out for the new Whistlers.
 

SCPD

QRT
Joined
Feb 24, 2001
Messages
0
Location
Virginia
PSR-800

The PSR-800 is much faster scanner,clearer,and to me blows away the 536HP Uniden,I had and sold due to the fact I bought the 536HP to use in place of a Home Patrol and a 996XT and I think Im gonna go backwards on my decision! I like the 996XT better for Phase 1 systems.I wouldnt bother replacing the PSR-800,try different firmwares or get a better antenna,700Mhz is a big pain in the can to receive and if reception is not perfect the PSR-800 may not decode it well.I saw zero difference in the way the 536 worked aside from the 536 is muffly,even on Phase 1 systems.Yeah it lacks a keypad but you can still get frequencies in it with the buttons.In my opinion the Uniden's were rushed to market and not perfected.Oh yeah the portable PSR-800 actually picked up the aircraft band better!Less Fuzz,no muffle,I could barely understand anything coming out of the 536,with headphones on it wasnt bad...the speaker in the 536 was meh.Til they come up with something better,I'll keep my PSR-800.The reason the PSR-800 pulls in stuff the home patrol doesnt is because its more sensitive.I found myself trying to make my 536Hp setup like the GRE,then I was like why the heck am I doing this?
 
Last edited:

sibbley

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Feb 18, 2013
Messages
1,528
Location
Nazareth, Pennsylvania
I have a PSR-800 and a BCD436HP. I certainly would not give up the 800, I like it too much. I'm still not sure about the 436HP.
 

n5ims

Member
Joined
Jul 25, 2004
Messages
3,993
PSR 800 has NO technical or repair service now since GRE is longer around?

If this is a serious issue to you the solution is quite simple. Wait a month or two until Whistler releases their rebadged version and get theirs for the support you desire. You should also have a choice between the standard PSR-800 and the base/mobile version (what would've been the PSR-900).
 

AA6IO

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
May 10, 2007
Messages
1,511
Location
Cerritos, CA (LA County)
I regret never having bought a PSR-800. Like the 436HP but would like to add the PSR-800 to my collection. A lot of you rave about the PSR-800. If anyone has one to sell, or knows where I can buy one, let me know. Otherwise, I will wait and see what Whistler does.
Steve AA6IO
 

jackj

Member
Joined
Jul 19, 2007
Messages
1,548
Location
NW Ohio
I've owned Bearcat scanners almost exclusively and I really liked them. So when it was time to buy a digital scanner, Bearcat/Uniden was my scanner of choice. Or so I thought. I bought a 996T and it didn't work on digital, you couldn't understand 90% of the traffic. Uniden came out with a Firmware update and the received crap went from 90% down to about 60%. A second update and now it is comparable to my 800 except on simulcast systems, still around 90% crap. Uniden marketed a scanner that they knew didn't work and they didn't fix it until over a year later. I swore then that I would never buy another Uniden product. Screw me once, shame on you. Screw my twice, shame on me.

I bought a new PSR 800 a couple of years ago and I have never regretted it. The 996T is upstairs in my wife's sewing room and isn't used much. Reading the reviews of Uniden's newest scanners shows that nothing has changed at Uniden. I really don't believe that they even bother to turn on their new scanners much less do any testing.

My advice is to wait another couple of months for Whistler to market their scanners, don't spend an exorbitant amount to buy a 'new' PSR 800 that won't have any warranty support.
 

SCPD

QRT
Joined
Feb 24, 2001
Messages
0
Location
Virginia
I just don't want to end up getting a 436 and having problems with it....because I had so many problems with the 800 it wasn't funny. So now with the 436 on the market I will be seriously consider getting one unless with I get my 800 fixed someone could trade there 800 with me that does TDMA properly....
 

SCPD

QRT
Joined
Feb 24, 2001
Messages
0
Location
Virginia
and it seems to be a mixed bag of reviews with the 800 and the 436. Some people love the 436 and some people just hate it!!
 

SCPD

QRT
Joined
Feb 24, 2001
Messages
0
Location
Virginia
why

and it seems to be a mixed bag of reviews with the 800 and the 436. Some people love the 436 and some people just hate it!!

Thats because everyone listens to different systems,some dont even listen to Phase 2 ,so their argument would be null in my opinion.I would listen to someone who has or had both the 436/536 and the GRE PSR-800 and actually listens to DIGITAL.The 536 to me,was great on ANALOG,it worked loud and clear.On digital though it had issues....So it really depends on what you will use it for.Phase 1 or 2 digital or analog reception.If I was going for just analog my BR-330T is a just fine,yep and its old school Uniden.(but for digital its a brick)too bad.
 

troymail

Silent Key
Joined
Dec 19, 2002
Messages
9,981
Location
Supply (Lockwood Inlet area), NC
Unless/until you hear 100% satisfaction from existing owners about any one given radio (ain't gonna happen) and through your own research you know that radio handles everything you need with the features you desire, you're never going to know for sure short of buying one.

There is just too much variation in systems and user's needs that you're going to get any certainty by asking others.

Make a list of what you think you need in a radio:
- system types (analog, digital, Phase 1, Phase 2, NDXN, TURBO, etc.)
- features (keypad, recording, etc.)
- your willingness to "tweak" systems vs. working out of the box
- handheld vs. mobile/base

Also, identify specific systems you want to listen to. Then do your research.

Other peoples opinions short of 100% agreement of satisfaction) shouldn't be the major factor in your decision - particularly if they aren't in your local area listening to the same things you want to listen to.

I will say this (and I've said this many times before) - GREs radios far outperform Uniden radios when it comes to digital decoding (but remember what I said above - that's just my opinion). Hopefully Whistler will uphold this history.

Ultimately, you'll need to decide what is "good enough". You are the only one that can do that.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top