psr 500 vs 800

[jaspence]

Perhaps you are thinking of the PSR-700 on this issue? On the 800, you do have to remove the battery cover, but the microSD card slot is then on the side of the radio. The SD card being under the batteries on the 700 is about the only thing I don't like about that model.

I meant to say the battery cover, not batteries. I had a PRO-107 but sold it as soon as I found an 800 available.

To krokus, who apparently doesn't read very well, I specified that I had the PRO-106 and if he went that route, those were add on costs. Additionally, I think the ARC500 software is worth the cost for either radio.

To the others who have turned this question into a separate discussion of another problem, take your argument to another forum.

 

[n4jri]

If your listening is really cut-and-dried, the 800 is pretty good. If you are the kind of person who is looking for new frequencies, the 800 is a lower. This is too bad because its construction and feature set is fantastic. The involvement with and dependency on the RR database makes it extremely cumbersome. I have one, which I use primarily as a multi freq recorder.

When trying to move knowledge forward, the 500/600 is a much better choice.

73/Allen (N4JRI)

 

[Arizona_Scanner]

I finally bit the bullet and get a permanent PSR-800 and after years with the PRO-106 I can say a few things. If your scanning is pretty "locked down" in terms of knowing exactly what is out there, and how you want it organized, and you aren't doing a lot of searching, the 800 has my nod.

First off, and this is a huge thing, the audio on the 800 is far better, and louder. For those who use their scanner in a car, it matters big time.

Secondly, the display is better (though this is WITH a back light which is pretty much mandantory), and shows more information on RID, and things like when a TG is patched. You can control what happens with the display more too.

Third, the scanlist / scanset combination gives more flexibility of scanning combinations. You can turn off not just talk groups within systems, but systems within scanlists, and scanlists within scan groups. For the more advanced user in a large metro area, this is important.

Once you learn where the buttons are by memory, things like pausing and resuming, skipping, etc., are easier to do on the fly, in the dark on the 800. And this is an important practical point for every day scanner use.

Aesthetically, it doesn't look like something from the 90's as the 106/500 does. Not a big deal to some I suppose, but I was tired of the outdated clunky look of the old scanners and welcome a more modern looking unit.

The power / data connection is FINALLY USB, a common and now nearly universal interface. A "data cable" can be had on ebay for a buck, not $30 dollars as a 500/106 cable cost, and a car charger is just a mini usb charger that many phones in recent years have used. Anything that supplies USB power supplies power. Having an SD card for data mean you can have a backup card for under $10, and you can back the files up to your computer with eaze. As a side note, if you buy a larger card, but a CLASS 10 card as it really helps with boot / transfer times.

Recording on the device in a common file format is awesome, and not something the older units can do.

Having the ability to decode the new system types will be huge for those who get these systems, obviously.

The 500/106 do have advantages for advanced users that I miss and they are worth noting. You can control them with a computer and stream them over the internet.You can control how the signal bars relate to actual signal strength. You can tune a given frequency directly and quickly. The display was good without a back, light, party contributing to the fact that these older units are better on batteries. Digital decoding is a bit better on these older units in fringe areas, though by playing with thresholds on the 800 and ditching the provided stubby antenna and installing a standard length model, this issue can be minimized greatly. The squelch circuit is a bit better on these radios.

 

[torontokris]

the 800 is the newer of the 2 radios... you may even see the 500 replaced with a 510 but who knows when

the 800 has all north america pre-programmed including all the fleetnet ontario system that the OP is looking to monitor. Comes with EZ scan software. However its not the best scanner for new frequencies or things outside the typical RR database. Comes with USB cable belt clip and antenna only. charged only via USB, no general home adapter plug is available (ipod type usb chargers only). Its about half the width of the 500. 200 scan lists + scansets. Not easy to change on the go.

the 500 comes with a home adapter for charging. only has 20 scan lists but then many V-folders. scanlists can be turned on and off easily.


As a side note I sell the psr-800 for $450 new no tax
and the psr-500/600 for $400 new no tax
the uniden 396/996 are $500 new no tax

any shipping is extra

 

[a388sig2]

500 -vs- 800

Here's my take..

I'm a total mark out #1 fan of the 500, but there's naturally limitations. The memory capacity of the 800 is a huge selling point, but I find when scanning side-by-side where I've programmed both radios with identical talk groups and systems that the 800's speed severely lacks when compared with the 500.

It's sad because I notice I'm losing a lot of traffic on the 800 that he 500 is picking up very quickly.

 

[Arizona_Scanner]

Here's my take..

I'm a total mark out #1 fan of the 500, but there's naturally limitations. The memory capacity of the 800 is a huge selling point, but I find when scanning side-by-side where I've programmed both radios with identical talk groups and systems that the 800's speed severely lacks when compared with the 500.

It's sad because I notice I'm losing a lot of traffic on the 800 that he 500 is picking up very quickly.

Check your programming, the PSR-800 scans at 15 CPS faster than the PSR-500. I find the PSR-800 to be faster and own both radios. Also, for access speed to the data, I use a CLASS 10 micros SDHC card, not the stock card.

As far as what you pick up, every PSR-800 owner needs to ditch that stubby stock antenna and get a better antenna. I like the PSR-500 antenna personally, though some like the 800mhz antennas.

And to the earlier posters who keep saying the PSR-500 is easier to control on the go....

Maybe if you can fit everything into 20 scan lists. I have almost 100 scan lists on my PSR-800 and though I can't turn them off with a push of a button I CAN have 200 scan lists unlike the limited PSR-500. I am pretty good now at navigating with the menu and four-way key and can quickly set up any combination of my nearly 100 scan lists. Try that with a PSR-500. ALSO. The 500 has tons of keys and unless you use the key light (battery hog and not needed during the day), at night time or in poorly lit situations, or even on the go, finding which key you need is a pain in the rear. With the PSR-800 I can literally do EVERYTHING by FEEL, with just a few keys that have unique shapes. I don't have to see what I am touching, I can feel it. With practice navigation is slower than the 500, but in my opinion it is easier and more versatile for sure.

The audio on the PSR-800 is louder than the PSR-500.

The 800 is smaller and more compact.

Though minor or non-important to some, the PSR-500 looks dated, like something out of the 90's. The 800 is more modern looking.

The 800 decodes type 2 P25 which the 500 doesn't, and indicates patched channels also, and of course records audio.

The 800 comes with software to download for free, and the cable is the common USB mini format that can be had for $1 on ebay.

My CLASS 10 card cost me $10, so having a fully ready to go backup is cheap and simple.

My 500 is now a secodary radio that sits on a desk.

 

[JoeyC]

...I find when scanning side-by-side where I've programmed both radios with identical talk groups and systems that the 800's speed severely lacks when compared with the 500.

It's sad because I notice I'm losing a lot of traffic on the 800 that he 500 is picking up very quickly.

I've found the 800 requires lots of programming tinkering. By default, for trunking the 800 loads up everything as a multi-site roaming scanner. This can cause excessively long delays and undesirable results as the scanner samples control channels that may not be desired or even receivable. For this reason I've found it necessary in my area to edit each trunked system to eliminate the roaming by duplicating the systems and editing them so that they are each only single site systems. Then I put the known talkgroups for each site in their respective scanlists. Then when I bring up a scanlist/talkgroup only the correct site is used.