comparing a base to a handheld scanner
Greetings friend, I too thought about the differences between a base scanner and a portable scanner of same manufacture/model. I was looking to upgrade from anaolg to digital, so I decided that I wanted to try the Pro-106 handheld scanner. Prior to my purchase, I posted the same question on this site. I was informed that they were of equal operation and ease of use. I was told that no significant differences would be noticed in terms of receive quality, so I wieghed my options. In following with what I had learned, I chose the Pro-106 for its portable useage. After purchasing the 106 handheld unit, I quickly became familiar with it. I studied the owners manual, I read all the RR posts on this model, I experimented with different settings as learned from "The easier to read Pro-106 manual" which is informitive and able to be found on the internet... I even joined blog sites to learn how to ace this scanner and it's capabilities... To make a long story short, a friend came over with his desktop (base) model to the 106, then, I cloned the two units using scanner programming software, and we compaired the two (side by side) with the stock antennas, then compaired recieve using my outdoor mast mounted antenna with a coupler... needless to say, they both performed identicaly, no differences found. A slightly louder volume was noticed on the desktop version, but audio quality remained the same. I was truly pleased to see that they both performed with extreme satidfaction... and then I knew I made the right decision by buying the handheld model... it just made more sense to own a portable type scanner.
Many people new to the hobby try to compare a handheld model to a base desktop model of same model/manufacture. They may assume that since the desktop unit is larger with plentiful room it must accomodate more components or larger electronics made of a better quality... that assumtion is just not correct. I can atest to the comparison, that the two I compared were merely duplicates of each other in different housings. My preference is the handheld style scanner... it always has been. Your needs may differ from mine, and a desktop model might be your final decision, but differences in quality and receive capability do not exist between these two RadioShack models.
