Vintage Bearcat III Info Needed

[RF23]

I traded for this radio when it was used in 1973.
Anyone remember if the Retail price of the Bearcat III 8 channel crystal control scanner included the cost of the needed 8 crystals?

 

[doctordialtone]

I traded for this radio when it was used in 1973.
Anyone remember if the Retail price of the Bearcat III 8 channel crystal control scanner included the cost of the needed 8 crystals?

Bearcat III

CRYSTALS were always sold separately. I don't remember the price but I'll guess around $300.

 

[mule1075]

CEI was selling it cheap in 1978 with one module. I have one here with 2 modules uhf and vhf hi. Crystals as stated were always sold separately unless they had a package deal on.

 

[mule1075]

Here is a picture with the modules installed.

 

[RF23]

Thank you very much Mule1075 this is what I needed to know!

 

[VASCAR2]

When I was in high school I bought my First Bearcat III in Evansville, Indiana at Ohio Valley sound. I thought the Scanner was $159 and the Crystals were $8-$10 (8 capacity) each IIRC. I think this was in 1973 or 1974. I bought a second Bearcat III later for about the same price. There used to be a radio shop on Main Street in Evansville where I bought a few Crystals but I can’t remember the name of the shop. My Bearcat III’s were both VHF Hi-Lo band but I think you could get a Bearcat III in UHF. I guess the above picture of the modules verify my memory, lol.

I had one scanner setting on top of the other and used an out side Hi-Lo band antennae. Those were the good old days. EPD KSA931was pretty active in those days on VHF high Band.

 

[W4KRR]

I paid $119.95 for the Bearcat III new, in 1973. Plus $5 each for crystals. Mine was VHF hi / UHF. From a local Lafayette Electronics.

 

[RF23]

Sorry for the belated Thanks to all who replied to my question but I am still trying to get use to running my browser at 150% of normal. It seems Microsoft’s “vertical and horizontal image positions adjust bars (at the right side & bottom of the screen) have insufficient contrast for me to see them now after my eye surgeries. Therefore, I had more replies than I thought.

Thanks again for the helpful and interesting comments they are very much appreciated!

My Bearcat III (my first scanning radio) had the low & high band VHF modules and was fully populated with 8 crystals when I traded for it in 1973. I used it for a few years (a very good scanner) until the first programmable scanners arrived and I sold it to my brother to raise the money for the 16 channel Tennelec MS-1 (silver front), then I got a MS-2 (gold front) which was given to me by Tennelec in place of the MS-1 that they lost track of at their repair facility for almost 4 months. My brother eventually gave the BC III to our father and he had it for more than 20+ years. He passed away a couple of years ago and I recently discovered it a closet. It still works but with a bit of hum in the audio no doubt due to the drying out of the electrolytic capacitors.

How lucky can one be to find the actual scanner that was their first scanner and one of the crystals in it is the exact same as I had in it when I got it.

As a side note, I replaced the Tennelec with the 16 channel programmable Bearcat 101 the day it arrived at the dealers. It was a superior radio in every respect to the Tennelec but I have owned almost every major or top end scanner from Regency, Radio Shack, Electra, & Uniden and they were all special in my life at the time I owned them, but then again what would you expect from someone who really likes scanners.

 

[chill30240]

Best scanner I ever owned. Wish I still had it.

 

[Bob1955]

I traded for this radio when it was used in 1973.
Anyone remember if the Retail price of the Bearcat III 8 channel crystal control scanner included the cost of the needed 8 crystals?

No, it did not.

 

[Bob1955]

Best scanner I ever owned. Wish I still had it.

Chill30240, I agree with you 100%. That scanner has some LOUD audio. I just sold one to a customer last year. These Electra Bearcat scanners were all hand assembled in Cumberland, IN way back. The BC-lV was good too.
Private message me and we can talk.
Have a good Weekend.

 

[Bob1955]

[QUOTE="Bob1955, post: 3097985, member: 1036164"
You can still purchase Crystals from Monitor Crystal Service at 1-815-432-5296 and Cliff owns this company.

 

[Bob1955]

I paid $119.95 for the Bearcat III new, in 1973. Plus $5 each for crystals. Mine was VHF hi / UHF. From a local Lafayette Electronics.

Wow, who can't forget Lafayette! I used to work there during the holidays to make extra money before going into work at the City Of New Rochelle Police. I remember our Electra Bearcat BC-210XL at the front desk too.

 

[RF23]

Interesting, Lafayette Electronics & Smith’s Two-Way Repair Service was the store in Fayetteville, AR that my friend bought the BC III from that I traded for in 1973 and where I went to exchange several crystals of local businesses for public safety crystals. I think Smith’s Two-Way Repair Service is still in the tri-city area (Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers, AR) today.

 

[dlhess]

Scanner aficionados ……

Early (maybe the first) handheld scanners from Radio Shack.

1977 catalog link

https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Catalogs/Consumer/Radio-Shack-1977.pdf

We've come a long way...