Hey ExSmokey

[fireinoc]

Which scanner have you had the best performance with in listening to USFS, CALFIRE, Park Service, BLM, Eastern Sierra Fire departments, etc.

I want to use the same scanner to listen to LA and Orange County Fire as well.

I am thinking of purchasing a Uniden 386XT or a GRE PSR500...any experience there?

Fireinoc

 

[SCPD]

I live in a rural area and I've been using GRE products for about 10 years now. My last two Unidens were a disappointment for me. The BC-785 and the PRO-2051 are the models I didn't like. I like the Starrsoft software and can interchange data from my PRO-92, PRO-96, a friends PRO-97, and the GRE-600s I have.

I mention that I live in a rural area and have a GRE-600 because I've seen comments that the GRE-600 is too sensitive. In an urban area that might be true, but where I live I need all the sensitivity I can get. I'm also using an amplified antenna mounted on the roof peak of my condo about 35 feet above the ground.. I don't really live in a remote location as I'm right in the town of Mammoth Lakes. I do have a 900 MHz FM broadcast station link with the path nearly overhead, so I have a couple of federal VHF High frequencies attenuated to solve the problems I have with the link.

I pick up 800 MHz from 60 miles out with two major summits in the path. Interestingly enough I pick up one repeater from the Sierra National Forest to the west through Mammoth Pass over the Sierra about 40 miles away. I can sometimes pick up CDF traffic from the Joaquin Ridge electronic site located near Colinga. When I'm driving north of Bishop up the Sherwin Grade I pick up all three of the repeaters on the Death Valley National Park radio system. These repeaters are about 80 miles plus distance from my mobile with the Inyo Mountains in between. I run a Larsen scanner antenna on Comet mounts (attaches on the window seams on my Subaru wagon. I'm planning on drilling into my roof next summer and expect to have a dramatic improvement in my mobile reception.

If you are in an urban area you may find the GRE-600 won't work for you. When I'm down in L.A. I pick up an enormous amount of intermod on the federal VHF high band. I've got most of the frequencies attenuated but sometimes have to deselect my natural resources/wildland fire scan list as the intermod becomes overwhelming. There are similar models made by Uniden that are not as sensitive. When I'm driving in rural areas I can pick up some distant repeaters on the federal VHF High band. I'm basically a "stay out of the city" type of guy so I love the PSR-600. I've seen comments from several urban dwellers that intermod on the federal frequencies (162 to 174 MHz) is not an issue with their PSR-600s.

I've not given you anything definitive here but I still hope this helps in some way.

 

[W6KRU]

I wasn't asked but I'll put in my 2cents worth. I have a PSR-500, 396T, and 396XT. I live on the coast in Oceanside and I have a modest outside antenna that is barely above the eaves. I much prefer the PSR-500 to the Unidens and it is my main scanner. I hear CDF and USFS all over SD county, up into OC , and out into SB and Riverside counties. The unidens work but they are not as sensitive as the PSR-500. I don't have any issues with intermod or images.

On the local 800 moto system the PSR-500 is far better than the unidens at decoding the P25.

 

[fireinoc]

Thanks Ex Smokey and DDan. I will order the GRE PSR500 since mine is mostly mobile use. Appreciate the feedback!!!

Fireinoc