Which one should I get? GRE, Uniden?
Based on some input I've heard or read on this site, it sounds like GRE is the way to go because they have pretty good updates on their firmware. I would appreciate any input I can get from you folks.
Also, if I go with GRE, should I go with the PSR500 or PSR600? Is there any real difference other then one is handheld and one is desktop/mobile?
I think a lot of the decision depends on where you are and what you want to monitor.
The GRE digital scanners have very sensitive front ends that are susceptible to overload. I have been testing a PSR-600 with an 800MHz mobile antenna sitting on top of a bookcase in my den. I can see a cell phone site from the window of that den. I have to use the GRE's attenuator in order for it to decode trunked system control channels (SAFE-T or MECA) even though the signal strength meter is full scale. This is an example of the overload problem the GRE's have. I'm also testing a Uniden BCD996T with the same antenna and it does not have this overload problem.
Another thing about the GRE that has frustrated me was the limitation of only 20 scan lists. I like to organize my scanning along functional lines. So, if I have Hendricks Police Dispatch, Hendricks Police Ops, Hendricks Police Admin, Hendricks Fire Dispatch, Hendricks Fire Ops, Hendricks Fire Admin, Hendricks Conventional, Mutual Aid, ISP District 52, ISP District 53, INDOT, IMPD Northwest, IMPD Southwest, Marion Co Fire, Marion Co EMS, Airport, Speedway, Air, and Railroads all as separate scan lists, I've used up 19 and only have one left. Yes, you can set up different V-folders to help divide things, but only one V-folder can be active at a time.
On the other hand, with the Uniden DMA scanners, I can have 100 systems and each system can have 10 groups. And they can all be active at the same time (though it will slow down the scanning speed). It's personal preference, but I feel that the Uniden memory management gives me more flexibility than GRE's systems, objects, and scanlists.
One feature on the PSR-600 that is a bit of a novelty, but could be very useful is the programmable multi-color LED on the front panel. You can make it glow blue for police, red for fire, green for EMS, or whatever you like. Makes it easy to see from across the room what's going on.
I'm not sure why Uniden gets a bad rap for not releasing firmware updates. In the time I've had my BCD396T (18 months), I think Uniden has released two firmware updates. The GRE PSR-500 has been on the market for only about a year and I think they've had two firmware updates, but I'm not certain about that. Yes, you can argue that GRE is being more responsive. On the other hand, you can argue that Uniden's software is more stable.
I do like the fact that a Uniden rep, Paul Optiz "UPMan", is a regular participant in the forums. He also writes an occasional article for the scanning magazines. I suppose there is a GRE rep lurking in the forums, but I've never seen him or her identify themselves.
The real test for any of these digital scanners is how well they decode digital radio transmissions. I still get occasional "machine gunning" at the beginning of P25 transmissions on SAFE-T with my Uniden scanners even with the latest publicly-released firmware. I have the beta firmware from Uniden which may fix this problem, but I haven't tried it yet. When MECA goes to their new P25 system, I think a lot of Central Indiana scanner listeners will be scrambling. The reason I'm still "testing" both a BCD996T and a PSR-600 is that MECA hasn't made the switch and I want to hear for myself how well each scanner performs with the new system.
That's my perspective. Both GRE and Uniden are making great scanners. Heck, I remember the days when those of us in the scanning community thought trunking was going to be the end of the world. We've come a long way since then.