First Impressions of the PRO-106

[freqhopping]

Compared to my 250D, 396 and 996.

1. This method of storage really sucks. I feel really limited. Essentially 21 banks available to scan at anyone time vs 100 (or more if I assign a quickkey to multiple groups.) With my Unidens I can scan any combination of the 6000 channels I have programmed. The 106 is limited to whatever is in the V-folder that is loaded. What if I want my county plus one stored in another V-folder. SOL.

This may work for you if don't mind listening to dozens of different entities all at once. But where I live there are lots of systems within range. I can't program my primary 10 systems in it unless I want to group a lot of things together vs having a group for each PD district for example. I can use up the 20 scanlists with just my county, the neighboring one and one more of many other systems and conventional groupings I have. I can forget putting in my milair stuff unless I plan on using it just for that at the time. That would use all the scanlists.

2. Gets overloaded even worse than my 396 and 996.

3. People think the audio on a PSR500/106 is better? It sounds like it's sitting in box or something. It makes my 396 sound good. I always thought my 396 sounded shrill, it's really not so bad afterall. None are as good as the 250D.


Pros for the 106, i.e. things I would add to my 396 and it would be perfect.
1. I can tune directly to a frequency.
2. NAC decode
3. Favorites is useful.

I don't know how people can prefer a PSR-500/PRO-106 to a BCD396T.

 

[freqhunter]

I could not disagree more!

396 is more versatile in its memory management and it is small. That’s where the advantage ends.

The 500/106 works much better on the Ohio MARCS system. The 396 hears one tower from my location, 500 six towers. The 396 sounds horrible on MARCS. Nothing but motor boating. 500 never experience this.

The 396 display just plain stinks. It cannot be seen at an angle. 500 can be seen on an angle and is easier to read head on.

I feel it is easier to navigate GRE systems rather than Uniden quick keys.

Audio from the 396 is poor at best. I had to use an amplified speaker in my truck. Not so with the 500. The 500 sounds much better in loud environments

There are a handful of other tiny things as well.

I won’t sell my 396 but it is not my daily carry either. As with anything, opinions are like…….. Well you know, we all have one. Including me!

 

[UPMan]

1. I can tune directly to a frequency.

On the 396: HOLD, freq, HOLD

 

[SCPD]

SO take it back & get something you wanT?????

 

[freqhopping]

On the 396: HOLD, freq, HOLD

HOLD+freq= Quick Freq Save?
HOLD again does nothing. I don't want to save the freq.

 

[UPMan]

HOLD+freq+E does quick save.
HOLD+freq+HOLD holds on the entered frequency.

 

[freqhopping]

HOLD+freq+E does quick save.
HOLD+freq+HOLD holds on the entered frequency.

OK, got it now. Habits are hard to break.

 

[Statevillian]

Different strokes for different folks...I love both my 396 and 500. Both serve me well in many ways. The 396 is small & serves me well for discreet listening and other ways that would be too numerous to get into and the 500 decodes the local statewide digital system here in Illinois FAR better than the 396. I have the best of both worlds. I work around the overload. I know what to expect. Just be happy we have trunking, 2 companies trying to put out products to keep up with the demand and Jack from GRE and UPMan from Uniden. However, if you want to sell your 106 at a *pre owned* price, let me know.

 

[geoff5093]

I had the PRO-96, PRO-106, PSR-500, and 396T. I could not get the 396 to pickup and decode anything digital, it would show a strong signal strength and show that it's P25 but that's it (FM worked fine). I gave up and sold it, I hated the way the memory layout was, and the programming software was horrible. The PRO-96 was my favorite radio until I bought the 106, which picks up soooo many more frequencies using the same antenna, it is now my favorite scanner of all time!

 

[Forts]

I love the performance of my Pro-106 so far, although I admit I do really like Unidens memory structure better. I liked that I could program a system, assign it a quick key, then break that system down into sub-banks (PD, Fire, EMS etc). With the 106 I need the same system programmed to 3 scan lists which chews thru the 22 available pretty quickly. Still a big improvement over the available space my Pro-96 has.

Other than that, I love it.... I thought the LED would be kind of gimmicky but it's really kind of handy.

 

[NYRHKY94]

Here's another way of looking at this thread. Its very, very hard to find fault with a high-end, state of the art digital scanner for $279 ;-) Thank you RS for the 1-day sale of all sales!!!

 

[Forts]

Here's another way of looking at this thread. Its very, very hard to find fault with a high-end, state of the art digital scanner for $279 ;-) Thank you RS for the 1-day sale of all sales!!!

Amen to that! Heck I paid almost as much for my 246T.