I've got the PSR-700.
Lessee... Where to begin...
I guess I'll start with the `overall impression'... When I initially received it and saw the size of the box I was a bit surprised at just how small it looked and wondered if there really was a scanner there. Upon opening it and finally getting the scanner in my hand I was pleasantly surprised by the tactile `feel' and the overall heft. About the only initial `dismay' was the antenna and lack of beltclip.
After looking at what was on the included CD and then installing the software some doubts arose. They could have used one of those 3" CDs and still have had lots of space left over. The software install went OK but, on the initial running and playing around with it I was quite underwhelmed. While it was `capable' of putting together files for running the scanner it was a `feature desert'. Even if one takes one's time to carefully assemble one's scanlists it seems that they end up mangled and very hard to do `run through checks' if one finds that things are not happening the way one initially wanted them to run. But, I perservered and went ahead and went ahead and ran the scanner with the initial `test' programming I'd assembled.
The scanner itself does a quite credible job of scanning analog conventional and trunking systems. With a RS `800MHz' antenna instead of the supplied one I've been able to pretty much receive almost everything I've thrown at it. About the only thing I've had any problems with was trying to follow what was going on during the Boulder, CO "4-mile fire" and for that I found that switching to an Austin Condor antenna things improved quite a bit. I have also managed to get in a little train chasing and, again, the `stock' antenna fell down and the RS `800MHz' was what `did the job'.
Back to the `software'... After spending a whole bunch more time with it I managed to assemble several different `configurations' and put them in the scanner as `V-Scanners' and have been switching between them quite easily as I have need them. Whilst it is `possible?' to program the scanner manually even as hobbled it may be the software and the `V-Scanners' that really make using this scanner easy. *I* would really like to see the software have the ability to `sort' the freqs by at least `first scanlist', which would make the `Scan Lists' and `Conventional Frequencies' tabs a lot easier to go through when ones needs to do any checking. And, speaking of the `Scan Lists'... It would be nice for them to show the same information that one sees in both the `conventional Frequencies' listing and the `Trunked Radio Systems' TG listing. It would make making changes of various parameters that one only wants to change for a particular scanlist without having to scroll through ALL of the overall listings. (Yeah, I know that there will be some things one might be using in multiple scan lists and may not want them changed in all of them but, those are usually only a few and it would still be a lot easier that having to run through everything all the time.)
Speaking to the `complaint?' about not being able to store different configurations on the computer... The `V-Scanners' *are* where one stores one's different `configurations' and they *are* stored on *both* the SD `card'/`chip' and the computer. Also, at least for `backup' purposes, one can easily make a copy of the EZSCAN directory someplace else than where the software initially installs it. (Though *I* *do* wish that one had the ability to place the EZSCAN directory, and all the other directories it contains, someplace else than in `My Documents'! *Maybe?* GRECOM *might* eventually let the `indy' programmers get a shot at writing software and we will see this scanner really `take off'?)
Back to the software again... Whilst one can easily switch between the `main?' configuration and the `V-Scanners' one cannot easily move things around between them. If one has a `base' set of frequencies and systems they use but want to take and make another `V-Scanner' file using data from other `V-Scanner' files and the main configuration it takes a lot of different `fudges' like making up spreadsheets of each setup, either pulling off the info `straight' or as a .CSV file, and then hoping that doing a `clipboard' `cut-n-paste' will go through *or* making a new `V-Scanner' file and going through the `Library' picking and chosing everything or entering everything `by hand'. And when it comes to trying to move something from *another* scanner... Whilst *I* have *some* `luck' at doing so the `pass/fail' `ratio is currently heavily on the `fail' side even with the latest-n-greatest version of the software. (One of the reasons *I* bought this scanner was that I wanted a scanner that I could use with the `local' assorted EDACS systems and would not overly `bulk-up' what I carried, wouldn't be distracting to `switch' around, or make me have to pull off and stop to load up a different configuration `V-Scanner' into my PSR-500/600 whilst driving from place to place. [There are lots of times when either one isn't riding in the `second seat' or one doesn't *have* someone riding `second seat' where it would be nice to have 2 scanners going and only just have to make a `scan list' change rather than a `V-Scanner' change. And while adding a third scanner would be nice the majority of the vehicles I have access to really only have room, in some cases barely, for 2 `accessable' scanners.])
As for `switching' SD `cards'/`chips' I have to wonder *why* one would have to do that? I've got 91.5% of a 2G SD `card'/`chip' left and I've got 7 `archives' of the `library' *and* the current `library' (Soon to be 8 archives as soon as I dnld Library #50.), a dozen `V-Scanners', `main' programming, and all the `extra' stuff the scanner itself loads on it! Now... *If* one were using 2 cards `in rotation' because they were almost `living' on the computer making up different `V-Scanner' files and also wanted to be listening to the scanner at the same time I *might* `see' that. But, given that there are times when one has to replace the batteries now and then, what is wrong with just changing the SD at that time?
Oh, well... Just an `Olde Fart's' 2¢ worth, for now... {VB GRIN!}
