Can someone tell me if this scanner is right?

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cfrills

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I am looking for a police scanner so I can listen to the Roseville Police. The feed provider here on this site no longer provides, and I am shopping for a handheld. I have read several forum posts and I think I am on the right track, but just want to be sure. Here is the link:

Radioshack PRO-164 Trunking Scanner | eBay
 

morrisr3nd

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As of right now that scanner will work. However, if there is any chance of them going digital the 163/164 will not work. Being new at this and making the mistake of getting an analog only scanner I wish I had gone with digital in the beginning. Just my two cents.
 

gmclam

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Roseville ... or perhaps Placer in the future

The Radio Shack PRO-164 is made by GRE. The equivalent GRE model is PSR-300. The PSR-300 has been replaced by the PSR-310, and that's the analog model I would recommend. It does a fine job in scanning the present Roseville system. I got mine from ScannerMaster (see link at top of this page).

However, Placer County has been working on a digital trunked system on VHF that only a few scanners can handle. While you can program the PSR-310 to receive it, you will not be able to hear any audio from that system since the PSR-310 doesn't decode P25 digital. If you plan to monitor Placer County a few years from now, and don't want a second scanner, you'd need a digital model.

I personally decided to get one of each and got the PSR-310 and the similar but digital model, PSR-500. Those two models use the same programming software (WIN500) and operate in a similar manner. But you can certainly pick up Placer County on the '310 now and the foreseeable future. Perhaps by the time digital is required, an even better model will be out.
 

cfrills

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The Radio Shack PRO-164 is made by GRE. The equivalent GRE model is PSR-300. The PSR-300 has been replaced by the PSR-310, and that's the analog model I would recommend. It does a fine job in scanning the present Roseville system. I got mine from ScannerMaster (see link at top of this page).

However, Placer County has been working on a digital trunked system on VHF that only a few scanners can handle. While you can program the PSR-310 to receive it, you will not be able to hear any audio from that system since the PSR-310 doesn't decode P25 digital. If you plan to monitor Placer County a few years from now, and don't want a second scanner, you'd need a digital model.

I personally decided to get one of each and got the PSR-310 and the similar but digital model, PSR-500. Those two models use the same programming software (WIN500) and operate in a similar manner. But you can certainly pick up Placer County on the '310 now and the foreseeable future. Perhaps by the time digital is required, an even better model will be out.
I can't thank you enough for the info and detailed answer to my question. I am ON IT!
 

morrisr3nd

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I can't thank you enough for the info and detailed answer to my question. I am ON IT!

I agree here. I own the PRO-106 which is Radio Shacks model of GRE's 500. I use this scanner most of the time because I travel a lot. Both the 500 and the 106 are handheld units so to me that's a plus. If you plan on any of these make sure you get a programming software and the premium membership to RR. It makes programming soooooo much easier. I use WIN500 for my 106. It will also work on the 197 as suggested earlier.
 

gmclam

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Add accessories then check total prices

The PRO-197 is a base model, in which the PSR-400 is the equivalent model. I'd suggest getting the PSR-410 over the older models.

While the PRO-106 and PSR-500 are equivalent models, they are not identical. The arrangement of speaker and display are reversed. Also each comes with different accessories. Since this is your first scanner you will probably need the programming cable. The going rate for the cable is $35. Also consider the power adapter and printed manual.
 

aps_ak

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The PRO-197 is a base model, in which the PSR-400 is the equivalent model. I'd suggest getting the PSR-410 over the older models.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I was under the impression PSR-600 was the equivalent of PRO-197
 

vindictive42

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scanner

First of all I would consider that Radioshack handheld scanners have a problem with the antenna connection. This is not a problem with Uniden. Then I would consider support. Uniden has Upman here and he answers most questions if not all questions. So if you have a problem I am sure UPMAN will be here to help. Then I wouldn't even consider an analog scanner. Most everything will eventually be digital. Even if you travel to another community, digital will allow you more frequencies to listen to. Resale value on a digital is better than analog scanner. Programming a digital scanner is easy when you download frequencies from R/R. My Uniden 396xt practically programs itself.My last scanner before this was a bc9000xlt- nice for its time...but it was a uniden and they have never steered me wrong. My first scanner was a pro 34 a radioshack product and had no support with it and it broke down alot. Anyway this is a few reasons why I choose Uniden as my first choice in scanners.
 

gmclam

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Correct me if I'm wrong, but I was under the impression PSR-600 was the equivalent of PRO-197
Thank you for catching that! You are correct. The PSR-400 is the base version of the PRO-164.

The PRO-106/PSR-500 are the hand-held models and PRO-197/PRO-600 are the base equivalents.
 

gmclam

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... Then I wouldn't even consider an analog scanner. Most everything will eventually be digital. Even if you travel to another community, digital will allow you more frequencies to listen to. Resale value on a digital is better than analog scanner...
I agree that if you want ONE scanner and are not limited to listening to just a local system, go digital.

But many of us have several scanners, let alone just two. And I can see someone getting an analog scanner now that suits their needs just fine and then adding a digital scanner later. In the case of this OP, the system he wants to monitor (Roseville) rebanded not all that long ago and is analog. The county has a digital system running in parallel with their conventional VHF but it could be years before that is in use. By then, there will surely be better digital scanners available.
 

rylvir

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I agree that if you want ONE scanner and are not limited to listening to just a local system, go digital.

But many of us have several scanners, let alone just two. And I can see someone getting an analog scanner now that suits their needs just fine and then adding a digital scanner later. In the case of this OP, the system he wants to monitor (Roseville) rebanded not all that long ago and is analog. The county has a digital system running in parallel with their conventional VHF but it could be years before that is in use. By then, there will surely be better digital scanners available.

Thanks, very helpful! I just purchased my first scanner, a PSR-310 --

Hopefully it's a couple years before they completely switch to digital :D
 

SCPD

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GRE(Mfr. For Radio Shack) is out of business but may start back up soon. I would buy a Uniden Bearcat over GRE until the dust settles sir. You can see the press release on this site now.
Hope this helps you out. I don't like hearing any company going out of business in today's economy. I hope GRE can come back under a different name as it means jobs for this country and that is what we need.

73's
 

russianspd

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Aside from having a desktop scanner as my first scanner. The pro164 was my FIRST official hand held. And I upgraded to pro106 because my local PD switched to Digital P25 and I was stuck only listening to my local SO. I don't know about your surrounding areas but if you have substantial analog agencies still around including Roseville I don't see why that won't work. But get it cheaply, as stated before, if the switch does happen you don't want to have too much invested when you need to move on.
 

russianspd

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I agree here. I own the PRO-106 which is Radio Shacks model of GRE's 500. I use this scanner most of the time because I travel a lot. Both the 500 and the 106 are handheld units so to me that's a plus. If you plan on any of these make sure you get a programming software and the premium membership to RR. It makes programming soooooo much easier. I use WIN500 for my 106. It will also work on the 197 as suggested earlier.

How much would a premium membership to RR and WIN500 come out to be roughly?
 
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russianspd

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30 isn't too bad. I have a pro 106 but have an Uniden Bearcat BCD996XT on the way. Will I need a specific cable for the RS and Uniden or will one generally work for both?
 

NWtoSFO

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I've been using 2 analog scanners in this area for a while now. I'm not in a hurry to buy a digital scanner yet. I'll wait until someone I listen to regularly goes full digital, then I'll entertain the idea. If I was getting into scanning right now, I'd probably buy digital. But since my wife knows my analog scanners work just fine for all agencies around Sacramento, it would be a tough sell for me.
 
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