Psr-500

[Curfew]

I was considering buying one of these but i would like to know some details first from someone who has one of these- and a pro-96 both.

The object is not a comparison thread of the two in great detail, just a rundown of how well it receives and performs. I was wondering about the RAA function and what purpose it serves, in my mind a tool to ID a radio of another entity using someone elses talkgroup?

I currently use a 96 and from what i have read so far it's similar to one, but with some different features. If the unit has the reception of a pro-97 (which is better than a 96 with the rubber duck on) i may highly consider one.

How sturdy is the casing? More sturdy than a 96?

Basically the nitty on what a 500 will do that a 96 can't. Thanks, Curfew

 

[n4jri]

For starters, it'll do all the stuff a PRO-97 does that a PRO-96 can't, like signal stalker (GRE calls it Spectrum Sweeper) and LTR--plus the PSR500 will put your LTR freqs in LCN order for you.

700 MHz and 380 MHz trunks are something else it'll do that the PRO-96 won't.

One thing I'm really enjoying is its ability to decode NAC codes from P25 audio and use them for selective squelch.

And the whole OOUI thing allows you to enter search/sweeper ranges in with the normal scan.

Just a small sampling. I'll let someone else take over from here.

73/Allen (N4JRI)

 

[scanfan03]

Don't forget the 22 scanlists in which you can stick any combination of talkgroups and conventional frequencies. Multi-site for MOT trunked systems. All the things you can change from the expert menu. The list goes on and on. The always on discriminator tap from the PC/IF port.

 

[Swipesy]

I have had a Pro-96 since they first came out and now a PSR 500 since it came out. I never thought that anything could beat the Pro-96, which I still use, but the PSR500 is significantly improved and is truly the next generation scanner

 

[Curfew]

Got one more question. Will it automatically figure the tables for base ,offset, and spacing for the 9600 P-25's with the crazy configs the techs apply to them? In the pro-96 they did not put all the tables in the thing, and you can run some systems- and not others without figuring out all of this (channels, tables, base, offset etc...). The unidens do it all automatic no matter what it is, does this thing now do the same?

Many thanks for the rundowns here, sounds as if it may be the best one out there now. C

 

[pointy]

The tables and base/offset feature is one I want to know too. I believe that you still have to use Win500 to get access to add 3 base/offsets.

It would be great if it is done automatically as per the 396/996.


Greg.

 

[mikey60]

Got one more question. Will it automatically figure the tables for base ,offset, and spacing for the 9600 P-25's with the crazy configs the techs apply to them? In the pro-96 they did not put all the tables in the thing, and you can run some systems- and not others without figuring out all of this (channels, tables, base, offset etc...). The unidens do it all automatic no matter what it is, does this thing now do the same?

Many thanks for the rundowns here, sounds as if it may be the best one out there now. C

Yes, when set to P25 Auto, the radio will read the tables from the control channel and use them.

If the Control channel doesn't transmit the tables, you can enter all 16 of them in the PSR-500.

Mike

 

[Curfew]

Mike, this can be done by hand without buying extra garb? Do you have to do it with the figuring as the 96? Thanks.

 

[kikito]

Mike, this can be done by hand without buying extra garb? Do you have to do it with the figuring as the 96? Thanks.

Yes, it works just like in the Unidens. Enter the control channels, set it to Auto and go.

 

[Curfew]

Thanks, Curfew.

 

[hoser147]

There ya go with the last upgrade it made the scanner that much better. I was at a toss up on the 996 or the 600 and Im glad I made the decision to go with the 600. Hoser

 

[Curfew]

sweeper

Will the sweeper decode p-25 automatically as it's functioning? This is one thing i wished the Signal Stalker would do in the 97. So far from what i have read overall the 500 has the most advancements in one place. If i do get one i want a good receive front end.

Nothing neg, but it seems like a fight with the triple conversions until the right antenna match. This may sound nuts, remember the old pro 38 and the antenna on those?

I stuck one on this 97 i have and i can say it will out shoot the stock antenna!


Thanks.

 

[kikito]

Will the sweeper decode p-25 automatically as it's functioning? This is one thing i wished the Signal Stalker would do in the 97.

The PSR-500 will decode P25 digital transmissions it captures in Sweeper mode.

The Pro-97 won't do it because it's an analog-only scanner and it doesn't decode P25 *digital*.

 

[Curfew]

Kikito, is the unit just as sensitive as a 97 with the sweep function. The SS2 isn't too bad once it's used correct, more hits at further distance but not a long way away. Lets say 2-3 miles. The more im hearing the more the 500 sounds appealing.

If it will out perform a Uniden and Pro-96 the idea is getting warm. I have not been listening for quite some time and not following much. I do appreciate everyone's patience with my questions.

It's all about a well informed buy and what one wants to see. It's about time someone started putting options spread out all over different models into one place. C.

 

[brutalpilot514]

I don't blame you a bit. I'm glad you asked the questions cause I was fixing to ask some of the same questions myself. saves me having to start a thread.

 

[scanfan03]

I don't know if the Signal Stalker is better then the Pro-97's because I don't have one to compare it with. I do know that it will pick up signals from a farther range then the BC 246T's close call. This is a good thing and a bad thing. The PSR-500 is more prone to stalking a pager than the BC 246T (which has never gotten a pager hit), but the 500 can also hit on radios from further away than the close call function. So it's kind of a tie between the two for me.

 

[kikito]

Kikito, is the unit just as sensitive as a 97 with the sweep function.

I have both (97 & 500) and they seem to have about the same sensitivity.

 

[kikito]

The PSR-500 is more prone to stalking a pager than the BC 246T (which has never gotten a pager hit), but the 500 can also hit on radios from further away than the close call function. So it's kind of a tie between the two for me.

I haven't used my BC246 in a while but doesn't it have a feature that you can turn on to ignore the usual "annoyance bands" like pagers?

On the GRE, once I get a hit from a pager I just lock it out and it never bothers me again.