Got a GRE digital scanner for christmas, had to send it back

[Viper652]

I couldnt believe how horribly it was set up, not to mention the 10,000 page instruction manual that came with it on CD.

It had THREE function keys, THREE. The thing I couldnt get over is that the simplest thing to do (Just putting in conventional frequencies) was the hardest thing to do.

I then looked up the Uniden 396t and instantly knew it would be easier with far fewer buttons on it. I received it a few weeks later and I figured out how to program it with barely looking at the instruction manual. Pretty amazing.

GRE needs to do something in order to simplify their digital scanners, or Uniden will leave them in the dust.

 

[russellmaher]

Hi Viper652, and what you said is right on! In my opinion, Uniden already has left them in the dust.

The 396T is one sweet unit, and I love mine.

Russell

 

[SquierStrat]

quite a few people would disagree that uniden has left them in the dust, considering GRE has the only scanner on the market that can do TDMA. (i would be one of those people). What GRE scanner only has 3 keys?? Unless your talking about the multi function keys on the psr500? if thats the case then heck, the 396t doesnt even have 1 multi-function key.... In my opinion, having more keys makes it much easier to program. Not to mention that no matter how many hundreds of firmware updates uniden puts out, the GRE scanners continue to decode digital better.. I understand everyone will have their own opinions and preferences, but to say uniden will leave them in the dust is a bit of a stretch

 

[mcsewnab]

I own a PSR800 and my personal opinion is that its a great scanner.

 

[troymail]

Three keys? Must be the keys g, f, and d

I like Uniden too.... but I love GRE.... once things went digital in the area, Uniden couldn't touch the performance of GRE radios (as far back as the PRO-96).

Having said that - if Uniden would come out with a radio that cane do X2 and Phase 2 (TDMA) and includes out-of-the-box digital decoding and reception like the GREs, I'd give it a shot...

Someday I suppose - until then, I'll stick with my GRE

 

[tomk62]

I could not disagree more. I had mine scanning my 3 local counties all within 30 mins of opening the box, all setup through the keypad. The next day when I took some time to look to look at the PC software, I had it fully customized in another 30 mins with multiple scanlists, alerts, and 3 trunked systems. Today I finally browsed through the manual to learn how to view radio IDs.

Clearly this scanner is not for everyone, but for those with an open mind it's a great tool with many amazing features. I could not be happier. (I have over 25 years in emergency services so maybe that helped me). Who wants to key everything in on the keypad anyway?

 

[Boatanchor]

If you think the 396t works well, you should try the 996xt mobile/base version.
Better sensitivity, better selectivity and much better analogue and digital audio.

It's a shame really. The 396xt really does have good RF performance and it is a solid and compact design even by today's standards, but it is let down by a horrible audio amp circuit that introduces weird burps, clicks and other audible artifacts and distortion. Listening to a 996xt and a 396xt scanner side by side and you wouldn't pick that they were from the same manufacturer.. The 996xt is by far the best performing (RF and audio performance) scanner that I own. And I do have most of them..
I'm not bashing GRE here either, I also own several of their scanners too. The PSR500 for example does have better audio than the 396 series. My main issue with the PSR500, is the physical size of the thing!
The PSR500 is a dated design, that really is just too big to lug around discretely, so the 396xt still gets the bulk of the 'portable' work, despite it's shortcomings.

As for the PSR800 and the HP-1, I'm not a real fan of 'MP3' scanners, as I like to be the one in control over which frequencies are programmed in, be able to quickly field program on the fly and have immediate control of various scan groups.. Others of course, will disagree and say that they have all the control they need with half a dozen buttons or a touch screen. Each to their own..

 

[ScanFanWV]

I got a GRE PSR-500 for Christmas too, and I love it! I also love its three function keys (F1, F2, F3)! They're lined up directly under the currently available commands displayed on the screen, so I don't have to remember which one does what, and when.

The worst part for me was trying to get my analog/bank/channel brain wrapped around digital/list/object programming and trunked systems, but that was just me, not a problem with the scanner.

Yes, it could have come with a printed manual. Trying to deal with a PDF file is the pits - and what happens if you need to look up something during a major power failure? I was without power for 4 days the last time we had a major storm in my area!

I made up for it by buying a copy of Mark Lauretta's Easier to Read Manual.

Hello GRE - are you listening?

Anyhow, I think the GRE PSR-500 is a great scanner, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it, especially if you live in an area where you want to monitor an APCO P25 digital trunking system.

 

[cherubim]

I'm always amused by these ill-informed rants. Clearly, the OP is either trying to get a rise out of people or is just hopelessly clueless.

Furthermore, anyone who thinks Uniden leaves GRE "in the dust" with regards to radio scanners has never actually used and programmed a GRE scanner. The GRE programming model, sensitivity, P25 decoding performance, audio quality and ease of customization is far beyond what Uniden offers.

 

[Drafin]

And the scanner wars continue...

This is such a tired argument.

The Uniden people will never persuade the GRE people and GRE people will never persuade the Uniden guys.

The mere fact that the OP posted this in the GRE section proves it was to get a rise out of folks, to which he has succeeded. I own both and am actually quite happy that I have different choices but I guess some folks just want one scanner from one manufacturer and no choices, letting the singularity dictate what we HAVE to buy.

Nice job of trolling the forum Viper652, well played...

Draf

 

[RadioDaze]

A premonition of mine: Lockdown coming in 3... 2... 1...

 

[jk111]

I LOVE my PSR 500. I think they are pretty easy to program once you get the hang of it. I have never heard a Uniden radio decode a p25 transmission as well as a GRE. Hands down GRE for me.

 

[MisterK33]

I dig my 500. Got it Wednesday and while it was initially daunting, "playing" with the radio for a while has helped me understand it a lot better. This is coming from a guy who was all analog until my PRO-whatever was stolen out of my truck a couple years ago. Finally got some $$ to go digital

 

[usswood]

thats almost a "troll" post! Viper652 r u trolling??

 

[SquierStrat]

I have never heard a Uniden radio decode a p25 transmission as well as a GRE. Hands down GRE for me.

ill 2nd that. no matter how many firmware updates uniden puts out, the psr 500 continues to do better in that regard.(from my experience) And on the simulcast system i listen to the most, the psr 800 does even better then the 500.

 

[SCPD]

I love my PSR500 .. it is an excellent scanner. Combined with some descent software .. I am hard pressed to ask for more, it does as advertised.

 

[dvendt]

I have had my 500 for about a month now and so far am very pleased with it. I don't understand why the size of the radio is such a big deal. I like the size because it leaves more room for the buttons. I don't have any experiance with Uniden/Bearcat radios so I won't comment on the one way pr the other. Maybe Gre and Uniden should collaborate and take the best parts of both radios and make one really great one. Still some would complain anyway, some people just are not happy unless they are cokplaining.

 

[GrumpyAeroGuy]

what he said ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

[KE4ZNR]

And the scanner wars continue...

This is such a tired argument.

The Uniden people will never persuade the GRE people and GRE people will never persuade the Uniden guys.

The mere fact that the OP posted this in the GRE section proves it was to get a rise out of folks, to which he has succeeded. I own both and am actually quite happy that I have different choices but I guess some folks just want one scanner from one manufacturer and no choices, letting the singularity dictate what we HAVE to buy.

Nice job of trolling the forum Viper652, well played...

Draf

/Thread.

"VIPER652" has a history of posting inflammatory "troll" posts in the NC forum. In fact I have had to lock several of his threads there because they provided nothing of substance.
I am gonna put in a request to have this one closed as it falls into his
usual M.O.
Marshall KE4ZNR

 

[RadioDaze]

A premonition of mine: Lockdown coming in 3... 2... 1...

I never said I wasn't counting SLOWLY...