RS PRO-82 Broken/Recommendations Wanted

Status
Not open for further replies.

mochajet

Member
Joined
Apr 11, 2010
Messages
5
Location
St. Joseph County, IN, U.S.
Hi all, I am a newb to the forums as of today. (I still have that new member smell!) LOL. I found R.R. within the last year or so while searching for frequencies. What a great info-chocked website. Enough with the pleasantries.

On to the issue at hand. I had the pleasure of owning my first scanner within the past year or so. The problem is...it was working and then...boom, no sound. I have been without my heavenly device for a few months now. It just sits in my room sobbing and looking at me with lust...well, not lust, but it misses our outings and/or innings. Without dredging on, with details about this, I'd like to say that I think I am interested enough in the scanning activity/hobby (whatever the proper terminology is) to dust off the fact that it is broken and move on. The next step is where to go from here. I am looking for any suggestions, ideas, or comments that will assist me in a purchase of another scanner. Some basics for reference:

-I currently own a (volume disabled) Radio Shack Pro-82, which I got from a co-worker, who got it from someone, who got it from someone,...etc. I am not looking to get the exact same thing. Just an idea of what I had been using up to this point.

-I want/like to listen to commercial/private aircraft; ATC/A&D/Tower; etc. I guess this would be mostly the air band. On occasion Fire/EMT/Rescue/Police.

-I currently like to monitor KSBN in St. Joseph County (north central Indiana). But I occasionally travel to the KORD/KMDW/KGYY area as well as the KIND and KCVG. These are all Chicago and other midwestern airports for you lay aircraft people. I mean no disrespect, just a clarification. (I am big on details if you haven't noticed already).

-I am looking for a handheld model only, as I like to take it with me.

Able to spend $0 - $200 generally speaking (maybe more).

-Programming software not necessary as I got good enough to be able to program the one I have. Although it would be nice to have some basic software to add areas and such if I am moving around.

-A better antenna than a rubber ducky? I would like one that is practical for use in the car and at the house (i.e. no 10 foot antennae) LOL. When I am monitoring the Apt from the house I am ~3 miles "as the crow flies". I am thinking about a mobile/car antenna too or instead. Are those antennae intended for handheld too or just mobile units? (I don't know).

-Should I look into digital scanners, or even the DMA technology scanners? Is this a waste of time for mostly air traffic?

-I was "scanning" (until my unit broke) several hours on the weekend, and sometimes several times during the week. Just to inform you of my monitoring habits.

If you need any more info, don't hesitate to ask me. Thanks, in advance, for your suggestions. I hope to help (if possible) and be helped in this community as it is pretty sweet being able to "hear" what is actually going on (with a radio) instead of wondering!
 

ERICMYERS

Member
Joined
Jul 8, 2007
Messages
248
Location
Plainfield, IL
Welcome to the forums...yikes, that's a lot of questions! I'll take the first stab.

Handhelds under 200 bucks, will be non-digital. In your county there's not much P25 anyway, and that's not what you cite as your primary interest.

You absolutely can put a different kind of antenna (with the right adapters, pretty much any antenna) on a Handheld, and you will pretty much have to while in a car. Cars attenuate signals inside. Look at some of the dual band 150/450 antennas...they're short, good on the bands you're aiming for, virtually anything in that county is in those 2 ranges. These antennas can be pretty broad bandwidth for general scanning up and down the run, even in 800/900 mhz, depending on terrain and other factors.

figure out your mobile mounting preferences - probably don't want to waste your time with glass mounts. NMO (drill a hole) will be your best bet, and after that maybe a trunklip, then maybe a magnet mount.

digital is a waste of scanner for air traffic, yes. And digital will cost you well north of 500 bucks once you get all the extra stuff like batteries, chargers, antennas, mounts, software, etc.

In your price range, lots of options exist. The discontinued PRO 162 has been said to be very good on airband. I have one in my car, and it's a very good mobile handheld option for me. Pretty much ANY relatively modern scanner will suffice for your stated needs. Anything you can pick up at radioshack that looks a lot like what you have/had the PRO 82 will work.

Choosing a scanner is kind of like choosing a girlfriend. Pick what looks good to you, play with it a while before you decide to keep it, and if you don't like it after a while, trade it in for a different model. Be prepared that while you get older, you'll want (whether you can afford it or not) a newer model, which will cost you a lot more, and have better features, though in the end, you'll pine for the one you had many years back. Unlike girlfriends, it's advisable and commonly accepted to have multiple scanners, and hide those expenses from your significant other. (humor mode on, as OP seems to have a sense of humor)
 

N8IAA

Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2002
Messages
7,240
Location
Fortunately, GA
Just taking a stab at what would be a good ht for your airband scanning pleasure. I would try the Pro-164 from radio shack. I had the older version.....the Pro-97. It was really good on VHF air and the milair bands. It is easy to program by hand, and will with out a doubt, do all your conventional scanning as well. It will also give you five times more frequency space. The only current DMA scanners (Uniden) that will do both VHF/UHF airbands are the $500 digital, P-25 ones. As far as an antenna that will work well in the car and in your apartment; I'm guessing a magmount dualband antenna. I'm sure there will be other suggestions, but, I've been monitoring the HF/VHF/UHF airbands for over 20 years. You don't need to go 'whole hog' in the beginning:) I do understand the loss of a scanner. Got a BC100XLT for $5 years ago, and it scans, but doesn't talk to me anymore. It has been collecting dust, because I can buy a new scanner for what it costs to repair. Oh, the FT-60R makes a really good ham ht and airband scanner. It will cover both the VHF/UHF airbands. I know. I use mine in that capacity.
JMTCW,
Larry
 

mochajet

Member
Joined
Apr 11, 2010
Messages
5
Location
St. Joseph County, IN, U.S.
Eric,
Didn't meant to load up the post, but I had a hemorrhage of info I had to release.

You say drill a hole in my car? Uhm, I think I may opt for one of the other options. I actually had a CB at one time a few years back and had like a 3-4 ft whip magnetmount for my car, so I could take it off when I wasn't using it. That worked pretty well, but of course that was CB and not scanning, but maybe it doesn't matter.

I like the girlfriend spin. Thoughtful. Very true! No significant other yet, so I am safe for now, but I wouldn't be letting her tell me how to run my interest/hobby if I had a g.f. She'd be out the door.

While you addressed the antenna issue, you didn't mention anything about having two antennas? Is that overkill? or would I be using a whip w/a coax for the handheld, mounting it on the car; then using a whip or whatever you mentioned above for the house? I am just trying to get the best reception without breaking the bank LOL.
 

mochajet

Member
Joined
Apr 11, 2010
Messages
5
Location
St. Joseph County, IN, U.S.
Just taking a stab at what would be a good ht for your airband scanning pleasure. I would try the Pro-164 from radio shack. I had the older version.....the Pro-97. It was really good on VHF air and the milair bands. It is easy to program by hand, and will with out a doubt, do all your conventional scanning as well. It will also give you five times more frequency space. The only current DMA scanners (Uniden) that will do both VHF/UHF airbands are the $500 digital, P-25 ones. As far as an antenna that will work well in the car and in your apartment; I'm guessing a magmount dualband antenna. I'm sure there will be other suggestions, but, I've been monitoring the HF/VHF/UHF airbands for over 20 years. You don't need to go 'whole hog' in the beginning:) I do understand the loss of a scanner. Got a BC100XLT for $5 years ago, and it scans, but doesn't talk to me anymore. It has been collecting dust, because I can buy a new scanner for what it costs to repair. Oh, the FT-60R makes a really good ham ht and airband scanner. It will cover both the VHF/UHF airbands. I know. I use mine in that capacity.
JMTCW,
Larry
You were talking about "ht"...is that hand-transceiver?? If so, I am not interested in transmitting, only monitoring/receiving/scanning. I am kind of new to this stuff. I looked up that model you mentioned (FT-60R) but I think that is a transceiver.
 

mochajet

Member
Joined
Apr 11, 2010
Messages
5
Location
St. Joseph County, IN, U.S.
Did you see if it works with headphones connected?
Yep. Several times over a period of a week or two. It is just as inaudible as with no phones (can barely make anything out - and that is the transmissions that were clear before). I didn't elaborate too much on that because I am kind of over it, and ready for a better radio anyway. I already know of a few features that I want in a radio that that one does not have. Thanks though.
 

N8IAA

Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2002
Messages
7,240
Location
Fortunately, GA
You were talking about "ht"...is that hand-transceiver?? If so, I am not interested in transmitting, only monitoring/receiving/scanning. I am kind of new to this stuff. I looked up that model you mentioned (FT-60R) but I think that is a transceiver.

It was my reading error. I was looking at the reply below yours and saw a amateur callsign. It wasn't yours:) I would go with the Pro-164. It will do what you want to in the airbands. Including alphatags and more memory.
Larry
 

ERICMYERS

Member
Joined
Jul 8, 2007
Messages
248
Location
Plainfield, IL
Eric,
Didn't meant to load up the post, but I had a hemorrhage of info I had to release.

You say drill a hole in my car? Uhm, I think I may opt for one of the other options. I actually had a CB at one time a few years back and had like a 3-4 ft whip magnetmount for my car, so I could take it off when I wasn't using it. That worked pretty well, but of course that was CB and not scanning, but maybe it doesn't matter.

I like the girlfriend spin. Thoughtful. Very true! No significant other yet, so I am safe for now, but I wouldn't be letting her tell me how to run my interest/hobby if I had a g.f. She'd be out the door.

While you addressed the antenna issue, you didn't mention anything about having two antennas? Is that overkill? or would I be using a whip w/a coax for the handheld, mounting it on the car; then using a whip or whatever you mentioned above for the house? I am just trying to get the best reception without breaking the bank LOL.

At one point or another, we all go through the fear of drilling holes. It's a bit scary the first time. Some will tell you to 'man up and drill', and it WILL give you the best reception, but another mount may be perfectly OK for you.

. If you don't want to drill, at least consider a semi-permanent trunk lip mount over a magmount for mobile scanning. Magmounts scratch paint, they're not winter friendly, they don't hold up very well, they fly off occasionally, and the coax is never long enough.

Antennas and mounts can be (relatively) cheap. It's coming up on Hamfest season, where you'll find all sorts of choices. Most of us probably have more antennas than radios

Buy a mobile antenna for the car and, if you choose, a second antenna for the house. All that mounting/dismounting would be a real pain for no more money than you'd spend/save. In the house, you might get by just fine on a rubberduck or extendable that will come with your new radio....(for a while at least, until you get the itch to put up one in the attic, another on the roof, another in a window ;-)

One of my in the house scanners is actually connected to a cheapie rare earth magmount mobile dual band antenna I bought at a hamfest a few years back. It sits in a window and does real fine for what that shack's intended to listen to, and it's very low profile to boot. That antenna was a real pain to use mobile in my vehicle and served only one day's mobile use! (short coax) I think I paid 12 bucks for the thing..bought it simply because it was cheap, small and looked cool...a good investment in the end repurposed for base duty! .
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top