GRE PSR-310, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

[Oldglide]

The Good: The display is killer. The best I've ever seen on a scanner. Object memory OK. Not that much better but better than banks and channels. More software to buy
The Bad: Performance not that good. Side by side with my 300 with the same stock antenna, 300 gets 3 hits for every one on the 310. I even switched antennas, no difference. Antenna fit so tight when I took it off I had to press down so hard I thought I was going to crack the case. Heavier than my 300, not much but noticeable.
The Ugly: I do mean ugly. What we saw in the beginning is not what we got. White 5 way rocker button, not black.GRE said they were afraid people wouldn't be able to see it but said the black would probably be OK on the 410. Standard GRE amber back-light for the keypad, I know they make white SM LEDs. So, we have a black scanner with a white display, amber back lit keypad and a white 5 way button.:roll:
Conclusion, my 300 smokes it, sent it back.

 

[Jakemcgraw]

Sorry to hear yours didnt work out for you, Ive owned mine now since the beginning of december ,,my experience has been just the opposite...i have the psr-310,,the 300, and the uniden bc346xt,,,all do well for me, but im receiving more on my PSR-310 overall,,and alot more range...we dont have trunking here...but just scanning the conventional channels, im averaging up to 75 miles with the stock antenna...and im in between the mountains here. Battery life is very good also, im averaging 15 1/2 hrs continuous run time on a set of 2000 mah sanyo eneloops..Ive also tried it with the backlight on half the time, and full time,,and it doesnt seem to come out to more than 20 minutes difference on the batteries..But overall im very satisfied with the performance so far with the PSR-310

 

[KB4REA]

That's too bad.

I have my 310 paired with a Watson W-889 tele gainer and it's a noticeable improvement over my Pro-106, particularly on vhf air (using the same antenna). And my 106 has performed so much better on vhf air than my previous 396xt did with a RH77CA. So as you can imagine, I am very pleased with the performance of this scanner.

But if I had the same circumstances as you and it wasn't receiving the same or better than what I'm used to, yeah, I would send it back too.

I perceived a weight difference as well compared with the 106 (feels heavier than the 106) but I think it just has to do with the different placement of things, for example, the speaker. So it feels different in the hand. If I had a 500 it'd probably feel the same.

 

[N1SQB]

I love mine!

I have had nothing but good experiences with the PSR310. I swore I would never give GRE a chance again not too long ago. This unit has made me change my mind! The display is awesome, no doubt about that. The audio is there and sounds great. There is a little hiss but that is the audio amp on the GRE scanners. Not enough to really bother me. Battery life is ridiculous. I am averaging about 12 hours give or take 15 minutes. The keypad buttons are nice and firm. The rocker switch color was an issue at first for me because it caught me by surprise. But again, not enough of an issue to warrant complaining. The change to object oriented scanning from it's predecessor, is awesome. I highly recommend software like ARC310. Big difference. For the price I paid ($170 delivered from Scanner Master) I really cannot complain. For an analog scanner, with an awesome display, and very good reception with a good antenna and crisp clear audio for under $200, you just cannot go wrong! It's not for everyone, but then again, what radio really is? Someone ALWAYS complains.

Different strokes for different folks!

Manny

 

[Jakemcgraw]

Nice post, Manny,,,Ive become very fond of mine since ive owned it a little over a month now....I really like the top mounted speaker, sounds better to me, and i think it adds more stable balance when sitting. I really like that they put a textured finish on the case with this model too, and the changeable Font size is a nice feature also.

 

[RadioDaze]

Is it possible that the rocker switch is white because a black one would have required a large area of paint, and they felt that it would be more likely to wear off and look crappy, since it's so frequently pressed?

 

[KB4REA]

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Yeah about the font, I thought I would only like the bold setting based on video clips but I really like em both the same now that I have it in person. Just the option to go back & forth is a nice feature.

I also thought I wouldn't like the top icon row because its made up of dots like the rest of display as opposed to the 106/500 that are solid (not dot matrix) but that too went away once I got the scanner, looks good.

The adapter that came with it is 9v 400ma. When I use the GRE II adapter (9v 500ma) with it there are 2 pixels that show up under the first character while in "scanning" mode & only with the normal font setting like a glitch thing. I was relieved when I realized it only happened while using that adapter.

Anyway, you guys think I shouldn't use that adapter? I know it shouldn't matter that its rated 100ma more so...

 

[wrhenker]

Received my 310 two weeks ago from the PSR-300 (Shack Pro97). Seems a lot better than previous models, especially when you take into consideration the added configurable features ie LEDs, bold font, object oriented, alert tones, and configuration options. Receive is a little better with the same stock ant on both. Can pick up 20 miles easily indoors. Went with Win500 from Win97 with the 300. Programming software is a plus, but had to buy a different cable BTW, the 500ma adapter shouldn't matter as long as the voltage doesn't change...

 

[KB4REA]

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Is it possible that the rocker switch is white because a black one would have required a large area of paint, and they felt that it would be more likely to wear off and look crappy, since it's so frequently pressed?

I'll admit that I feel I would like the black rocker more than the white, matching with the other black keys but you bring up a good point. Whether that's the reason why they changed it or not, that paint could wear off from use. That would bug me a lot more if that happened.

 

[Jakemcgraw]

I believe the main issue with the rocker pad, not being made black was , Someone here mentioned that GRE said they thought it would be harder to see such as night time use, with just having the small white arrows , and the rest black. I myself like both font sizes, but prefer the normal, over the bold.

 

[RadioDaze]

Someone here mentioned that GRE said they thought it would be harder to see such as night time use, with just having the small white arrows , and the rest black.

But I'd think that the edge or side would remain unpainted, and therefore be a nice illuminated ring around it.

 

[Jakemcgraw]

But I'd think that the edge or side would remain unpainted, and therefore be a nice illuminated ring around it.

I agree there,,,but if you see the original pics of the psr-310, all the keys on the pad are solid black, with just the white showing through the center of each,,,Even the box wasnt changed, due to the production time,,that mine came in, it has the all black keys,,,All that aside, i think this scanner is a real winner in the analog handheld scanner department,,,i really like most everything about it.

 

[RadioDaze]

,,,All that aside, i think this scanner is a real winner in the analog handheld scanner department,,,i really like most everything about it.

I fully expect the next generation of the PSR-500 to incorporate the display, color scheme, etc. of this scanner. Won't that be sweet?

 

[Jakemcgraw]

I fully expect the next generation of the PSR-500 to incorporate the display, color scheme, etc. of this scanner. Won't that be sweet?

That really would be sweet...The all black textured case and larger size white easy to read display, are very sharp looking.

 

[N1SQB]

The Low Down!

I wrote an email to GRE inquiring about this. I was pleasantly surprised when I received a PHONE CALL instead of an electronic reply from them. I was told that the reason they went with the white over the original black was visibility issues in low light conditions. Initial testing on prototypes showed poor visibility of the rocker switch as originaly designed, black. Unfortunately, the pictures had already gone out and the boxes were already manufatured by the time the design change was implemented. I also learned that the PSR310 is "new technology" in comparison to the older PSR500. When I asked the man to explain, he said that even though the 2 models have almost the same features (minus the obvious digital mode), the technology that went into the 310 is more modern. The newer larger display is a prime example and is going to be the standard for all models like this in the future. So, I HAD to ask, is there an update in the works for the PSR500? He said that right now the hot seller for them is the new PSR800. However, he said the 500 is due for an change and that "in time" it will be replaced. Of course he would NOT elaborate further on the subeject. (DARN!!!) I told him that they have to keep up with their competitor who seems to be coming out with newer models more often. He said they were aware and were working on that. But that is the low down fellas! I couldn't get any more out of him. I am really happy with the fact that I received a phone call and was able to even ask these kinds of questions of a live human being. With Uniden, things are never this personable.

Manny

 

[rdale]

The PSR800 isn't available - how is that their hot seller?

 

[KB4REA]

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I forgot to tell you guys I put up a couple of vids that really show off the display. You can also see that glitch I was talking about earlier (the extra pixels that pop up while scanning & using a 500ma adapter) just to repeat, I KNOW that it shouldn't/doesn't matter, just showing you an obvious side effect.

My youtube username is ScanningJaxFla

 

[rdale]

Do you have a link?

 

[KB4REA]

Link

Do you have a link?

My Channel

(Didn't have access to my PC earlier)

 

[RadioDaze]

I wrote an email to GRE inquiring about this. I was pleasantly surprised when I received a PHONE CALL... The newer larger display is a prime example and is going to be the standard for all models like this in the future. ...the 500 is due for an change and that "in time" it will be replaced.

Good job, Manny!!!