Pro-106 VS GRE PSR 500

[N4RDX]

I am interested in buying a Pro-106 and i already have PSR500 but would like a 2nd digital scanner and i would like to know if there is much difference between the 2 scanners? i know the RS is made by GRE but have seen in the past some issues with firmware updates being a little behind GRE. So I guess which is the best scanner to buy?. I am going to be travelling alot and i will be programming it when i get to a city every day or two. Thanks for any feed back you can give me on this.

 

[joetnymedic]

i happen to like my pro 106. just remember, with the 106 you have to buy the wall wart seperate. not sure what else isnt included. For me that wasnt an issue as I always charge my batteries in an external charger since frying a set internally a long time ago. didnt hurt the scanner but wasnt wasting the cash anymore. more importantly, having fried that set when I really needed it, I didnt have the scanner. now I always have plenty of spares on hand too.

joe

 

[KB4REA]

He already has the AC adapter and USB cable Joe from the 500 he owns (assuming he bought it new) :wink:

N4RDX, I say get the 106 at $250+tx (vs another 500 at $360)

If you already have the cable for programming, that's a 100 bucks in your pocket.

Whatever differences there might be, it won't be worth $100 IMO.

Besides, if you search the threads, the radios are said to be exactly the same expect for the looks. Audio will sound different due to the different speaker locations. All preference really when it comes to that, but performance is the same so I read...

Hope that helps a little

 

[rtharmon1]

Does anyone know if Win 96 can be used to program the Pro106? I'm hoping that I don't have to buy new software to program the Pro 106. I already have the cable

 

[04Z1V6]

You will need to get Win500 or its equal.

 

[iMONITOR]

I am interested in buying a Pro-106 and i already have PSR500 but would like a 2nd digital scanner and i would like to know if there is much difference between the 2 scanners? i know the RS is made by GRE but have seen in the past some issues with firmware updates being a little behind GRE. So I guess which is the best scanner to buy?. I am going to be travelling alot and i will be programming it when i get to a city every day or two. Thanks for any feed back you can give me on this.

The primary differences between GRE's PSR-500, and Radio Shack's (manufactured by GRE) PRO-106 is:

Firmware, minor difference basically to show the Radio Shack name during power up.

Front panel layout:

 

[rtharmon1]

Thank you

 

[Ensnared]

Well, some may differ with me on this issue; however, I have been a customer of Radio Shack & GRE. To me, service and assistance are two of the most important issues to deal with in purchasing and operating a police scanner. The representatives at GRE have bent over backwards assisting me in the programming process. They have always answered my pleas when difficulty was encountered. I own a GRE PSR 500 and would not trade for anything. It is a work horse indeed.

 

[RadioDaze]

The primary differences between GRE's PSR-500, and Radio Shack's (manufactured by GRE) PRO-106 is:

Firmware, minor difference basically to show the Radio Shack name during power up.

Front panel layout:

Wow, I had no Idea the Pro-106 was so much smaller. I really like the form factor, although the buttons look fairly hard to press.

 

[N1BHH]

The two are identical except that picture tries to make the GRE look bigger. The two radios are just packaged differently but the same size. The picture lies.

 

[iMONITOR]

wow, i had no idea the pro-106 was so much smaller. I really like the form factor, although the buttons look fairly hard to press.

rotflmao!!!

 

[RadioDaze]

Thank you, iMONITOR. You'd think N1BHH would be familiar with my work around here by now. That being said, kudos to him for being very polite and tactful to someone who may have been an idiot. (Actually, the jury's still out on that question.)

 

[N4RDX]

thanks

thanks to everyone that replied i just cut to the chase and got the GRE-PSR-500 and 600 this way i dont have any problems in the future if RS goes away and GRE doesnt support the scanner.

 

[Ensnared]

Sensitivity

If the Pro 106 & PSR 500 are basically the same radio chassis, then does that mean the sensitivity ratings ar identical? Furthermore, are the volumes levels consistent with one another?

 

[ratboy]

I had both a PSR-500 and a 106 and they seemed identical as far as RF performance goes, they did sound slightly different though, just due to speaker location. It wasn't enough to worry about, IMHO. I ended up selling the 106, but I may buy another one soon.

 

[ampulman]

Wow, I had no Idea the Pro-106 was so much smaller. I really like the form factor, although the buttons look fairly hard to press.

Yes, the buttons are small. Having the buttons positioned starting abut 1.5 inches from the bottom makes it easier when using one-handed operation. Er, should I say, one-thumbed operation?

 

[cozmosis]

Okay, so I'm almost positive that I'll end up with one of these two scanners when I make my foray into the world of digital scanning... What sorts of tips & suggestions do you guys have for programming? Am I to assume it comes with some sort of stock software? Or is there something else I should buy to make it as easy and painless as possible?

 

[hiegtx]

Okay, so I'm almost positive that I'll end up with one of these two scanners when I make my foray into the world of digital scanning... What sorts of tips & suggestions do you guys have for programming? Am I to assume it comes with some sort of stock software? Or is there something else I should buy to make it as easy and painless as possible?

Neither scanner comes with any "stock" software for programming. The PSR-500 has a program, on the cd-rom, for data backup, I believe, but that's it. Not sure if the Pro-106 has that. Radio Shack does have a program where you get a trial version of ARC-500, with a limited number of uses, along with a trial membership to Radio Reference, when you buy the programming cable from them, but both the cable and ac adapter are extra cost options. Both are included with the PSR-500.

For software, the three main choices are Win500, PSREdit500, and ARC500. More details can be found here. All three do have a thirty day free trial period, before you have to either go ahead and purchase a license for the software, or it will quit functioning. I would suggest trying all three. You may find you like one more than the others, or that it's interface is easier for you to grasp. All will program your scanner. A premium subscription will make that much easier, but is not required.

There is a user developed online guide for Win500. The user guide for ARC500 can be found in the Wiki here on RadioReference. PSREdit500 has a built-in help file. The authors of all three programs often answer questions direct in threads posted in the software forum. You might also check down in the Arkansas state forum, for other users near you. One of them may be able to provide a file, from one of these programs, to give you a "jump start" to get up & scanning, as you begin to learn the new scanner.

 

[Urshyyy]

Neither scanner comes with any "stock" software for programming. The PSR-500 has a program, on the cd-rom, for data backup, I believe, but that's it. Not sure if the Pro-106 has that. Radio Shack does have a program where you get a trial version of ARC-500, with a limited number of uses, along with a trial membership to Radio Reference, when you buy the programming cable from them, but both the cable and ac adapter are extra cost options. Both are included with the PSR-500.

For software, the three main choices are Win500, PSREdit500, and ARC500. More details can be found here. All three do have a thirty day free trial period, before you have to either go ahead and purchase a license for the software, or it will quit functioning. I would suggest trying all three. You may find you like one more than the others, or that it's interface is easier for you to grasp. All will program your scanner. A premium subscription will make that much easier, but is not required.

There is a user developed online guide for Win500. The user guide for ARC500 can be found in the Wiki here on RadioReference. PSREdit500 has a built-in help file. The authors of all three programs often answer questions direct in threads posted in the software forum. You might also check down in the Arkansas state forum, for other users near you. One of them may be able to provide a file, from one of these programs, to give you a "jump start" to get up & scanning, as you begin to learn the new scanner.

Hiegtx,
here's a somewhat stupid question: Bought the psr-500, to be able to program it I need one of the three programs...the question is, do I also need to upgrade my account to premium or will I get unlimited downloads with the software I purchase? Maaaaaaaaany thaaaaaaaanks from Slovenia ;-)