Pro-197 Frustration Cant Program

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ranwilli

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Just got a Pro-197. Entered some local freq. and could get sheriff, some PD, fire etc. but not as much traffic as I know is available. Took to local Radio Shack and they hooked up to computer and said I now had all of county. While listening I realized I only had one freq. scanning. I have now been trying to enter info myself and am getting very frustrated. Almost to the point of taking back. HELP
 

iMONITOR

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If you're programming manually you might want to seriously consider picking up a USB programing cable and try some of the software available. It will make your life much easier!

There are three programs available, ARC500, PSREdit-500, and WIN-500. They all offer a free 30-day trial download. Registration is about $30.00. I chose PSREdit-500.

These new radios program differently than what you're used to. You program conventional objects, and/or trunked objects. Then you assign those objects to Scan List numbers.
 

Bote

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I just got my PRO-197 the other day. I've been a Uniden man for about 10 years; the last GRE scanner I used was the awesome PRO-2006 back in the day.

The PRO-197 (and I assume the PSR-600) has a user-hostile interface. When you enter a new talkgroup you have to explicitly assign it to a scan list. If you don't, you'll be sitting there like I was yesterday wondering why my other scanners were chattering away while the 197 did nothing. While editing the talkgroup (or conventional freq I guess) the Scan Lists entry is the first one, you start right there. Look for an asterisk ( * ) immediately to the left of your desired scan list number to which you want this object to belong.

There is quite a bit to which you must become accustomed and it will take some time. I agree that a computer is the only way to program this thing beyond the basics. Programming a 197 by hand is a little easier than programming a Uniden by hand, though.
 

letarotor

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I resisted the urge to buy the 197 when they were on sale. If the Radio Shack re-write of the manual is anything like their previous models throw away their manual and get an electronic copy of the manual for the PSR-500/600 and print it out. I also recommend you spend the $30 on one of the three software programs for the radio, it will prevent you from pulling out handfulls of your hair!
 
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Download the free trials for PSREdit and WIN500 to see which you like. Buy the cable of course. Try finding a local buddy too who has a program for that radio or the 600 who is willing to share the file. Join your local yahoo group, as this would give you a great start and help you see in black and white how certain things are done.

Do not give up, it's worth the investment of time to figure this thing out.
 

Bote

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Get the GRE manual

... If the Radio Shack re-write of the manual is anything like their previous models throw away their manual and get an electronic copy of the manual for the PSR-500/600 and print it out.

I second that motion! I just downloaded the PSR-600 manual from the GRE web site and it starts out with a great introduction that eases the reader into the changes in this scanner. I highly recommend it.

Most companies treat manuals and documentation as a dreaded "extra" but it looks like GRE took their manual writing seriously. Kudos!
 

Michael-SATX

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Pontiac-Tim - thanks for posting your Pro-106 cheat-sheet - I will refer to it in a little bit :
In my new Pro-106, I programmed my first EDACS TRS by hand and then
it scanned GREat :) Then I entered a 2nd EDACS TRS and guess what ?
I have NOT gotten it to scan that 2nd TRS because I haven't yet figured out
how to associate it to say scanlist #2 yet ? I guess I had it easy with my first
TRS automatically associating to Scanlist #1 ...(pausing to read cheat-sheet)
Update-Now I just associated my TRS#2 to SL#2 ... ah problem solved :~))

ps ~ Is it just me or are lots of people grovin' to the color LED feature ? (PD=Blue, FD=RED, Mil=? )


Phoenix Scanner - btw ~ I just have to ask ... I see in your "past scanners" PSR-500 & 600 " models ...
and now you have Pro-106 & 197 scanners ... whats up with that ? I'm curious :)
Sure seems like the new GRE's and BCT-15's are on fire and HQT right now !!!
I have a friend who Uniden all the way and rejected his new Pro-106 all because
he tells me that he cannot find a way to toggle on & off "sub-banks" if you will
inside his TRS that covers 5 cites, all sharing LCN's and different TG's. He cannot
just live will taking up 5 separate Scanlists, etc. He thinks GRE blew it by not having
sub-banks of TG's like on the Pro-96 etc. So can the Pro-106 be programmed to
toggle say 5 diff sub-groups (ie cities) of TG's on and off "INSIDE" just ONE ScanList ?
 
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Phoenix Scanner - btw ~ I just have to ask ... I see in your "past scanners" PSR-500 & 600 " models ...
and now you have Pro-106 & 197 scanners ... whats up with that ? I'm curious :)
Sure seems like the new GRE's and BCT-15's are on fire and HQT right now !!!
I have a friend who Uniden all the way and rejected his new Pro-106 all because
he tells me that he cannot find a way to toggle on & off "sub-banks" if you will
inside his TRS that covers 5 cites, all sharing LCN's and different TG's. He cannot
just live will taking up 5 separate Scanlists, etc. He thinks GRE blew it by not having
sub-banks of TG's like on the Pro-96 etc. So can the Pro-106 be programmed to
toggle say 5 diff sub-groups (ie cities) of TG's on and off "INSIDE" just ONE ScanList ?

Great questions.

First, on the 500 vs. 106, I MUCH prefer the display up at the top, closer to me, and I much prefer the keys in the middle, which I find easier to reach in a hurry. I hate radios and remote controls with buttons all the way down at the bottom corner.

As for 600 vs. 197, call me crazy from years of scanning, but I find that the 197 is more sensitive overall, or at least does a better job of stopping scanning on weak analog signals, and I find it does a bit better job on the Phoenix Simulcast system (I.E. - handles it with less "cut-outs" than the 600). No dramatic difference in either area, but just enough to notice. Same scanners, but different firmware and DSP. I don't know how else to explain it. But I have done many hours of testing the 600 side by side with identical antennas, and the 197 had an edge time after time. So it now fills my "Phoenix Police" slot on the shelf.

As far as your friends issue, I agree with him. GRE would have been FAR better served with the "quick key" setup that uniden uses, with up to 100 "quick keys". I EASILY use up all my scan lists for local stuff in my primary V Scanner bank, and wish there were more scanlists. The way I deal with it is like this; North Valley is V Scanner 0, and when I travel to the SE Valley, I load up V Scanner 1, and for other areas of the state I again switch V Scanners, and with each switch eliminate the systems out of range, and include the ones in range. It is a bit of a pain, but really only takes a few seconds.

In all honesty, I give Uniden major kudos for the quick key concept, better intermod rejection, and better displays. But overall, he is missing out if he monitors a lot of digital, because my experience is that side by side, the GRE units decode better than the uniden units, and handle simulcast better. Plus, for the true control freak (myself included), the GRE scanners have more options and can be "tweaked" more, and you don't have to go through a silly "procedure" to get the scanner to decode p25 properly, GRE scanners do it on their own (what was uniden thinking on that fiasco anyway?).
 
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helijeff

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THROW OUT THE RADIO SHACK MANUAL as stated above. I downloaded the GRE-600 manual. The difference is like night and day especially for newbies like me. RS manual is written by someone who knows what they are talking about but leaves new users out in the cold, as so many manuals do. THANKS LETAROTOR & GRE.
 

ranwilli

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Thanks all for the info. Thanks to PONTIAC-TIMs cheat sheet I did get some channels programed. I think I will try the software as suggested. I am also going to look at the other electronic manual as suggested. New to all of this so I have a lot to learn. All of your suggestions are greatly appreciated.
 

Michael-SATX

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Phoenix-Scanner - Thanks for the reply and the comparisons ! So you sold your 500/600/996/396?
Or are they "helping" to hold down a closet shelf somewhere in your house ?
I agree about the Pro-106 ergonomics .... but believe it or not ... when I go mobile
and plop my Pro-106 in my slide-out drink holder in my Suburban, the bottom
mounted speaker actually gets blocked and thus muted a bunch. My Pro-96 speaker
was higher and clears my cup holder.... I know a stupid thing ... rarely go mobile
so not even a big deal to me and the PSR-500's higher speaker would have had a lot
higher price besides ... that Pro-106/197 RS Christmas sale just couldn't be beat !!!!!
 
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Yep, sold 'em. Currently just run a 197, a 106, and a BCT15.

I would have a mobile rig if I had a vehicle with the space to put it in, but I don't. Besides, picking up my local p25 simulcast system while moving is awful with a scanner. That is where I really miss the analog only days.

When I scan in the car it is with my 106, and luckily I have an AUX audio input in my car stereo (a real bonus for scanner people), allowing me to hear my scanner through all my stereo speakers. This way when I am rolling through a rough neighborhood now and then, and I see some thugs standing around watching me, I can roll my windows down, crank up PD dispatch, and watch them squirm. LOL, only done that a few times but it is funny.

As far as the cupholder issue, even with the speaker on the bottom I don't lose much volume while in the cupholder if only using the built-in speaker. I guess it is a pretty large cupholder space. But I can see how this could be an issue for some, so if you DO love to use your portable in a cupholder with the built-in speaker, maybe get the PSR500 instead.

I couldn't beat it either (the pricing during Christmas), so I bought every 106 in Arizona (except one someone beat me to early in the morning), and a few 197s from the online site (one was gifted). I am keeping a few extra 106's for the future (yeah, that makes me a complete scanner-horder), but am selling one on ebay right now just to see what it will fetch. It has 62 watchers at last count (lol) and is ending in less than a day. So this scanner has developed quite a following it seems.
 

SOFA_KING

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I saw those "flippers" on e-Bay who hoarded the RS GRE scanners so they could make a quick buck after the sale was over. I would not buy from one of them! Even if I had to pay more at the store. The idea just makes me sick. Nothing but greed. Something for nothing! :roll:
 

iMONITOR

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I saw those "flippers" on e-Bay who hoarded the RS GRE scanners so they could make a quick buck after the sale was over. I would not buy from one of them! Even if I had to pay more at the store. The idea just makes me sick. Nothing but greed. Something for nothing! :roll:


I don't think it's greed at all. In the US it's called capitalism. It's definitely not something for nothing! Here is my example. I offered 5 PRO-106's here on RR for $375.00 including shipping vis US Priority Mail. Do the math:

I spent time searching and finding them, and gas to drive and pick them up from the few stores that had them. I had to invest $1,590.00 my own money to purchase them. I spent time to post an ad and answer numerous questions via PM's and emails. I had to make payment arrangements, obtain shipping info, package the radio (tape, packing material). I paid for US Priority Mail shipping, plus Insurance, I paid the PayPal fees. After the sale I had to answer numerous questions from some buyers, gave programming assistance, and in one instance actually spent almost two hours on actual programming.

PRO-106 on sale: $299.99
I paid 6% MI sales tax: $17.99
Average shipping + insurance: $13.00
PayPal Fee: $18.00

My total cost, not counting my time, packing materials, gas to drive to all the stores, and the Post Office, was $348.98. So I earned (not made money for nothing), $26.02 per scanner. That's nothing when you think about it.

I live in Michigan. I'm currently out of work, my wife is out of work, and one of my sons is out of work. Is it greed when you offer value-added service and try to earn a few bucks for my family when an opportunity presents itself?
 
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hoser147

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I don't think it's greed at all. In the US it's called capitalism. It's definitely not something for nothing! Here is my example. I offered 5 PRO-106's here on RR for $375.00 including shipping vis US Priority Mail. Do the math:

I spent time searching and finding them, and gas to drive and pick them up from the few stores that had them. I had to invest $1,590.00 my own money to purchase them. I spent time to post an ad and answer numerous questions via PM's and emails. I had to make payment arrangements, obtain shipping info, package the radio (tape, packing material). I paid for US Priority Mail shipping, plus Insurance, I paid the PayPal fees. After the sale I had to answer numerous questions from some buyers, gave programming assistance, and in one instance actually spent almost two hours on actual programming.

PRO-106 on sale: $299.99
I paid 6% MI sales tax: $17.99
Average shipping + insurance: $13.00
PayPal Fee: $18.00

My total cost, not counting my time, packing materials, gas to drive to all the stores, and the Post Office, was $348.98. So I earned (not made money for nothing), $26.02 per scanner. That's nothing when you think about it.

I live in Michigan. I'm currently out of work, my wife is out of work, and one of my sons is out of work. Is it greed when offer value-added service and try to earn a few bucks for my family when an opportunity presents itself?

SIG-INT is right on with his estimation and figures. Its not like you could sit back and do it, you had to go out there and find them, Its not like at the price offered anyone is getting Money for nothing or a huge Mark up is made. Do the Math as SiG Did. To the original Poster Get the USB cable and try the various software, there are free 30 day trials. Its the best way to program your scanner.
 
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SOFA_KING

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SIG-INT is a straight shooter. I believe his points are valid.

Sorry to hear you are out of work! That is a scarry thing.

Peace!

Phil :cool:
 

Michael-SATX

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SIG-INT - Too bad that you couldn't have gotten a little more for all your trouble. I think I heard on the news that the Un-Employement rate in either Detroit ( or maybe the entire MI state ) is over 38 % Ouch!
Did you work in the Automotive Industry ? I hear UAW union members still get 4 years pay if their plant closes ... is that right from what you have heard ? GQQd luck in you all finding some new jobs ASAP :)

ps ~ Did you sell them all yet ?
 

iMONITOR

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SIG-INT - Too bad that you couldn't have gotten a little more for all your trouble. I think I heard on the news that the Un-Employement rate in either Detroit ( or maybe the entire MI state ) is over 38 % Ouch!
Did you work in the Automotive Industry ? I hear UAW union members still get 4 years pay if their plant closes ... is that right from what you have heard ? GQQd luck in you all finding some new jobs ASAP :)

ps ~ Did you sell them all yet ?

I worked in IT/computers for a large corp. I have a lot of white collar friends in the automotive industry (Engineering) that are still hanging on by a thread. Most are a few years from retirement. Some stand to loose about half of what they worked all their life for! My son worked in industrial sales for hydraulic fittings and hoses, selling to OEM's. The wife was working as an administrative assistant for a director at a large corp.

What's really bad about Michigan right now is that our income levels used to be very good, but our cost of living was proportionately higher. Now that all the good paying jobs are going away, yet the cost of living remains high, it's a double whammy!

Yes I was able to sell the five that I purchased. Thanks.
 
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