The PSR-500

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rafale01010

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I am curious on its status. Its a relatively new scanner and was wondering if it is well worth the $500 price tag. ive heard some pretty good stuff and am curious on its "Object Orientated" function(cant remeber what it said after that). It seems to be a pretty good scanner but was wondering if its all its out to be. I own a Pro96 and was thinking upgrading in the future if money allows.
 

mtindor

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rafale01010 said:
I am curious on its status. Its a relatively new scanner and was wondering if it is well worth the $500 price tag. ive heard some pretty good stuff and am curious on its "Object Orientated" function(cant remeber what it said after that). It seems to be a pretty good scanner but was wondering if its all its out to be. I own a Pro96 and was thinking upgrading in the future if money allows.

Everyone will tell a different story.

I'll tell mine - It took some getting used to it, but I'm very happy wtih it. It's more sensitive on VHF and on 800 Mhz than any scanner I've ever owned. IT accels at decoding many trunked systems that other scanners have trouble with. I think it's a stellar performer. If a PRO-96/2096, a BCD396/996T or one of the early digital scanner was ever worth $500, then the GRE PSR-500/600 are worth at least that much.

There is no way for me to say whether you'd be 100% satisfied with it, but I don't think anybody could go wrong buying a PSR-500/600 if they are looking for a new scanner.

Mike
 

phantom1131

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mtindor said:
Everyone will tell a different story.

I'll tell mine - It took some getting used to it, but I'm very happy wtih it. It's more sensitive on VHF and on 800 Mhz than any scanner I've ever owned. IT accels at decoding many trunked systems that other scanners have trouble with. I think it's a stellar performer. If a PRO-96/2096, a BCD396/996T or one of the early digital scanner was ever worth $500, then the GRE PSR-500/600 are worth at least that much.

There is no way for me to say whether you'd be 100% satisfied with it, but I don't think anybody could go wrong buying a PSR-500/600 if they are looking for a new scanner.

Mike

i agree..IMO the best $500 investment in scanners today
 

raisindot

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phantom1131 said:
i agree..IMO the best $500 investment in scanners today

I think that quote summarizes our very strange and very expensive hobby quite succintly...I try not to think about all the things I could have bought with the five clams I put out for my PSR500...oil for the furnace, braces for little Joey, that operation for my mother... :)

Suzie
 

gusbuster1217

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I'm still relatively a new owner of the 500.

Some food for thought....
A big learning curve is needed on organizing the scanner, especially if you like to break things down by geographic area, then whether you want to separate different agencies and then whether its LE, Fire or Ems. I'm not to happy about not being able to toggle at my choice(like the 396) what I'm listening for. Also, disappointed in having to do a lot of editing when importing from RR. Size wise, it's a lot taller and thicker size scanner than the 396.

Sensitivity wise, Its just as good as my 396. It's nice to have NAC decoding(2 LE agencies by my area, though with 1 it doesn't matter since most of the time it's encrypted) I also like the ability to color code a frequency (flashing or solid LED light,wish it was a little bigger). It does have a better speaker than the 396 that I have, though a mute point when I run it through my speakers in the truck.

What it really boils down to is what you're scanning on a regular basis. I think the 500 is a good scanner and well worth the price if you choose to go that route. However, if you're use to the bank\group system, there's a steep learning curve on organizing your frequencies the way you wish. A good way to see what you're getting into is download any of the trial programming software and input your information. If you're content with the organization, then I think you'll be happy with you purchase.

Me, I'm going to fool around some more and see if I can organize it the way I like. I'm not ready to turn around and say I don't like it, Do you want to buy it routine. There's always a learning curve when trying something new.
 

Tom_G

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Thumbs Up

Yes, I give the PSR-500 the thumbs up.
It is the best scanner I have ever bought.

If you listen to a lot of digital systems, the 500 is fantastic.
The digital audio is enjoyable to listen too.

I listen to all 3 types of trunking systems and they all work excellent.
I do not hesitate in recommending the PSR-500 to anyone.
 

bneilson

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I almost returned mine within the first 2 weeks.

Spent a bit more time with it and now I love it.

The main feature for me was the memory. The primary system I listen to is large and is used by 99% of agencies in and around my area. With well over 600 talk groups on the system, what other scanner could allow me to program all of them in only once and have the ability to group them as I please?

I love it. The only negative I have at this time is the form factor. I come from the Uniden side and the PSR-500 is a bit bulky...
 

scannersnstuff

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had mine for 2 week's.so far pretty happy.sensitivity wise it's hard to beat.the digital decoding of the one digital signal i've listened too is also very good.could not get the same signal from home on my bcd396t.audio,backlighting,feature's are very good.another vote for this one.
 

Chicago13

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My primary scanner was the PRO-96, but since it chokes on Illinois' new Starcom21 sites that are simulcast systems, and won't trunk 700mhz, I started looking to upgrade. I looked at both the GRE and the Uniden. I settled for the GRE mainly because the PRO-96 was a GRE and always had good luck with it.

I think I made a very wise choice. True, programming it takes much getting used to, but I downloaded Don Star's WIN500 and the owner's manual before I even got the scanner to get a handle of some of the programming issues. It's not as scary as you might think if you just take your time and carefully read the manual. I love it because it allows me a ton of flexibilty in how I set up what I want to hear.

I've had mine for almost 3 weeks now and I definitely think it's worth the $500 investment. Especially when you factor in the support GRE has been giving it with it's firmware updates.
 

N9JIG

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I have been a loyal Uniden guy for the last few years, since the 780 came out. I have a Pro96 and 2096 and preferred the Unidens to them mostly for ease of programming and that Uniden's feature sets fit my needs. (I still have a 96 and a pair of 2096's but use them mostly for Pro96Com these days)

When the GRE PSR's became available I had already been using several 996's, a 396 and other current Unidens. The Unidens all worked great for me, the only complaint was the digital decoding on StarCom21 simulcast sites. The recent firmware update helped that markedly on my 996's and 396 but it still isn't where it should be.

I then bought a PSR500 and later a PSR600. They seem to be decent radios but in comparing them to the Unidens they seem to have varying results. I have found the Unidens to be better on VHF and UHF, the PSR's tend to be less sensitive and overload quicker in an urban environment on VHF and UHF. The PSR seems to be more sensitive on 800 however.

I have also found that the PSR's handle simulcast digital audio on APCO25 systems like StarCom21 better than the Unidens. The PSR500 has much better audio than the 396 on analog signals too, probably due to a larger speaker. The Uniden seems to handle AM Aircraft much better than the GRE.

What really turned me off on PSR scanners however is the programming. For an old scanner guy like me learning the new Unidens was a real experience. Learning the GRE method of Objects etc. requires the patience of a saint, and I just can not devote that kind of effort right now. Using one of the computer packages seemed to make it easier of course, but now the radio reports that the memory is filled and I only have a few dozen talkgroups and sites programmed in. I don't have the time to go back and figure out what I did wrong...

In addition I have found the feature set of the Unidens right up my alley. I use the Fire Tone out feature all the time, as well as the GPS on my 996. The 396, with it's tiny form factor, is with me all the time. The PSR500 is bulky.

While the PSR's are great radios, there are some of us who still prefer the Unidens, even after buying both. I am sure that if I worked at it a bit I could master the GRE programming but I really don't want to work at a scanner, I want to listen to it.
 

scannersnstuff

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and after reading what rich said.that's why this hobby is so great.and frustrating,and some time's it cause's me to want to rip my hair out <the little bit i have left>.and another reason i'm friggin' broke !. LOL......
 
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