Comparing Receive - 396XT & PRO-197

[sphipps]

Hi all,

I've had a 396XT for awhile now and really enjoy it... and just came across a nice used PRO-197 this weekend.

There is a P25 system about 40 miles away that the 396XT has no problems receiving... but the PRO-197 can't lock on the control channel. I can't even hear the control channel above the static on the PRO-197 in manual mode. I'm using the same antenna for both tests.

I also have a PRO-164 and can't hear the control channel above the static on that radio either.

The PRO-197 does a fine job receiving and decoding everything else around the area... so I don't think there's anything defective.

Just wondering... is the 396XT known for better receive over its Radio Shack / GRE counterparts?

Thanks much!

 

[SCPD]

idea

really? Did you try the attenuator on and off on the Pro-197?What i found is the Pro-197 is super sensitive ,so if you are in a city I would get a variable attenuator for it.If you are out in the sticks in the middle of nowhere the Pro-197 will receive better than any 996XT or 396XT.


ATT-20 Variable Attenuator

 

[productionguy85]

Hi all,

Just wondering... is the 396XT known for better receive over its Radio Shack / GRE counterparts?

Thanks much!

I concur with that statement, it has always been that Radio Shack equipment is lower quality. I can attest to not RXing the same on a Uniden and a RS. Even thow Radio shack (was) made by GRE does NOT mean the same quality of GRE went into RS manufacturing. Same look and design, cheaper parts, ect. Compare the price of a RS model (Pro-197) to the equivalent GRE model (PSR-600). And there you have it.

Happy New year

 

[sphipps]

really? Did you try the attenuator on and off on the Pro-197?What i found is the Pro-197 is super sensitive ,so if you are in a city I would get a variable attenuator for it.If you are out in the sticks in the middle of nowhere the Pro-197 will receive better than any 996XT or 396XT.

Ah Ha! I set the attenuator for that particular P25 system in Win500... uploaded the programming... and it's coming in just fine now. Thanks much for the tip!

 

[jaspence]

I have RS,GRE, and Uniden scanners. In the case of my PSR 800, it was less $$ than the RS Pro 18 radio. They perform equally, but the GRE has several more features such as V folders and recording, so final cost is not necessarily a factor. I also have a Pro 106 (handheld version of the 197) and a 396xt, and the 106 is more sensitive, which is not always a plus. Unlike the Pro 18 and PSR 800, the features in the 197 and PSR 600 are the same. As has been pointed out in many previous posts, the GRE comes wth a programming cable and the RS does not. That is the only real difference other than cosmetic.