Vintage Scanner Collection

kc4wwu · #1 (**permalink**) 09-14-2009, 11:59 AM

This is a shot of my vintage scanners... I miss the old crystal scanner days.
Back when you could carry a 4 channel crystal scanner, and here everything in the city!

Portables pictured are:
Sharp FZ-400
Realistic Pro-83 (I know.. it's not a vintage scanner)
Uniden Sportcat SC150

Mobiles pictured are:
Realistic Patrolman Pro 77A VHF Hi/Lo
Realistic Patrolman Pro 45 VHF Hi/Lo
Sears VHF Hi/Lo
Bearcat III VHF Hi/UHF

I wish I would have kept the other scanners I had. I am slowly building up my vintage scanner collection.

The Bearcat III was new in the box, came with the bracket, AC & DC power cords, and the original manual.

The Pro 77A was used, but in great condition, and came with the original manual.

The Sharp FZ-400 (I didn't even know Sharp made scanners) was brand new in the box. Still was in the plastic wrapper, as well as the antenna, and owners manual. That was a recent purchase at the Shelby/Dallas hamfest for $10. I was happy!

The Sears scanner, seems to be identical to the Bearcat III series. Scans the same speed, sounds the same, looks the same inside! Intersting. I forgot where I picked this one up.

Also have a Uniden BCT-15, and a Uniden 396XT. Next will be a Uniden 996XT!

73, Pete
K4QHR

kirka127 · #2 (**permalink**) 09-14-2009, 12:16 PM

cool collection of vintage scanners.

n7lxi · #3 (**permalink**) 09-14-2009, 12:24 PM

Hey Pete, You, me and Joe all had some cool scanners back in the day. Remember my Fannon-Courier VHF-Lo pocket scanner? That radio had amazing sensitivity.

Looks like you're rebuilding a nice collection. Do you have crystals for those? Is there anything on V/U worth listening to, or is it all trunked/encrypted where you are?

Thayne · #4 (**permalink**) 09-14-2009, 12:45 PM

I have a old scanner that looks exactly the same as the Sharp but it is branded Montgomery Wards

Interesting

wb3j · #5 (**permalink**) 09-14-2009, 03:58 PM

I have the radio shack scanner pictured & the Bearcat as well. Something about the audio quality of the crystal scanners. I also have a vintage Plectron scanner....brand new...box & manual. Plectron was around since the 60's (I think) and they manufactured tone alerting radios for fire departments, etc.

Jim
wb3j

KC2OBW · #6 (**permalink**) 09-14-2009, 04:10 PM

I have a PRO-47 kicking around..have a few crystals for my area in it..Think im gonna go and plug it in.

tonyclark · #7 (**permalink**) 09-14-2009, 04:47 PM

Very nice collection. Really like the Bearcat.
Way back (20 years)I had a Regency ACT-10R and a Pace 4 ch.
Sadly no pictures.

NYRHKY94 · #8 (**permalink**) 09-15-2009, 11:57 AM

Very nice collection Pete! Like you, I also missed the old days of crystal-based scanning and decided to start a vintage collection myself. Here's my current collection:

Bearcat 1 Electra
Bearcat 8 Electra
Pro-7B
Pro-48A
Pro-52
Pro-53
Pro-16A
Regency ACT R10 H-L-U
Regency Executive 10
Bearcat BC-E (8 Track Scanner)
Patrolman 6 (my first police radio/non crystal)
Patrolman 3A

kc4wwu · #9 (**permalink**) 09-15-2009, 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by n7lxi

Hey Pete, You, me and Joe all had some cool scanners back in the day. Remember my Fannon-Courier VHF-Lo pocket scanner? That radio had amazing sensitivity.

Looks like you're rebuilding a nice collection. Do you have crystals for those? Is there anything on V/U worth listening to, or is it all trunked/encrypted where you are?

Yes Rob, I remember the Fannon Courier.. I was watching one on EBAY a couple years ago but was working a job at work, and wasn't able to bid on it. Great scanner. I think the best one I ever had was the Bearcat ThinScan. Was a 6 channel crystal scanner, had great Low and High band sensitivity!

I do have crystals for themm, though I do need more. I am going to dedicate one of the scanners to Low Band, with all the Fire Frequencies for up in CT. Low band skip comes in alot here, so I will have it on an outdoor antenna scanning for when an opening opens up!

My County is still on VHF so yes, I have one scanner, the Sears one, with all my county stuff on it. Pretty funny though, I don't even need an antenna on it, it picks up the repeaters just fine!

I am mainly trying to collect scanners in mint condition, and with the manual if possible.

73, Pete
K4QHR

khoelldobler · #10 (**permalink**) 09-15-2009, 12:14 PM

hey check this out VINTAGE - and brand new w/ box and manuals!!! its on ebay

Vintage REALISTIC PRO-2020 SCANNER NEW IN BOX WOW - eBay (item 260474514460 end time Oct-08-09 21:55:17 PDT)

rcvmo · #11 (**permalink**) 09-15-2009, 01:09 PM

Plectron was around since the 60's (I think) and they manufactured tone alerting radios for fire departments, etc.

Hey, guess what? Many dept.s still use them around here. When the coils break on the original 2 tone decoders, we just slap an aftermarket decoder in and let it fly. Can't beat the sensitivity of the receiver with the back of set antenna. Even better if you connect to the outside.
rcvmo

wb3j · #12 (**permalink**) 09-15-2009, 04:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rcvmo

Plectron was around since the 60's (I think) and they manufactured tone alerting radios for fire departments, etc.

Hey, guess what? Many dept.s still use them around here. When the coils break on the original 2 tone decoders, we just slap an aftermarket decoder in and let it fly. Can't beat the sensitivity of the receiver with the back of set antenna. Even better if you connect to the outside.
rcvmo

I still have a Plectron...use it daily... great stuff. Shame they went belly up.

maxim5522 · #13 (**permalink**) 09-15-2009, 04:23 PM

I ALSO HAVE SOME VINTAGE SCANNERS TOO !!! AN BELIVE IT OR NOT THEY STILL WORK !!!! I HAVE A BEARCATIII an a SCANFIRE SCANNER ,A REGENCY HANDHELD AN a ten-ele ms3 AN I NEED A POWER CORD FOR IT HAVENT USED IT FOR MANY YEARS!!! I AM thinking about selling them but nobody may be insterd in them!!! an i have crystals too but dont know what they are!!! an i also like to get crystals also but dont know where too get them anymore!!! the GOOD OLD DAYS !!! ARE LONG GONE !!!!!

maxim5522 · #14 (**permalink**) 09-15-2009, 04:27 PM

AN DONT FOEGET MY TWO REGANCY Tone boxes !!!THE BLACK BOX WITH THE ORANGE LITE!!! THAT WOULD BLARE WHEN A CALL WOULD COME IN !!!! VERY POPLAR IN MY AREA IN THE 1960s and 1970s an 1980s !!!! ANYONE REMBER THOSE DAYS TOO!!!

OZ_Redneck · #15 (**permalink**) 09-25-2009, 02:55 AM

Very nice

dannyhusk · #16 (**permalink**) 09-25-2009, 12:13 PM

Nice collection,Thanks for sharing !

EJM · #17 (**permalink**) 09-26-2009, 09:40 AM

Maxim5522, I have Bearcat crystals. Let me know what you need, I'll look and see what I have.

xr4ti · #18 (**permalink**) 10-20-2009, 04:02 PM

I'm starting to acquire a vintage scanner collection. One I'd like to find is something my grandfather had. I want to say it was a 1970's era Bearcat. It was crystal controlled, 4 channels, and each channel had a large white slide switch for on'off, and the channel number was illuminated by a small incandescent bulb. Any ideas?

gmclam · #19 (**permalink**) 10-20-2009, 06:00 PM

I laugh when I see a picture of a stock PRO-77/etc. I might have some pictures like that around here but they'd be on 35mm slides.

Anyway, pictures of my PRO-77s and one of my PRO-10s are here: Customized PRO-77 & PRO-10

I love to see others' old scanners.

Skypilot007 · #20 (**permalink**) 10-20-2009, 08:49 PM

Nice...gota love the crystal scanners. I have more than a few RCA crystal scanners lingering in a closet and a bunch of RCA CB radios and swr meters too.