Goodbye To The PSR-500
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Unfortunately, my area will switch to a P25 Phase II system, in the coming year or so. I just hope can get my hands on a PSR-800...
It's sad, that GRE is shutting down. I own a Pro-106, and I needed that PSR-800.
Maybe, though, Uniden will introduce a Phase II capable scanner soon!
It's sad, that GRE is shutting down. I own a Pro-106, and I needed that PSR-800.
Maybe, though, Uniden will introduce a Phase II capable scanner soon!
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To listen to some people, Uniden is never going to introduce another new scanner again. I'm waiting for someone to claim that Uniden went out of business just like GRE.
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Representative Gone
When I first bought my PSR 500, I was quite overwhelmed with the task of unlearning older programming skills & learning new ones.
So, I reached out to a GRE representative. He bent over backwards explaining how to program my radio. The other day, I wrote to him at his GRE email address. I received no reply from him.
What a wonderful way for the government to operate in total secrecy. If "they" went to a pure Phase II radio system, nationwide, we would all be in the dark. So much for transparency. I will really start to worry if Uniden stops making scanners.
When I first bought my PSR 500, I was quite overwhelmed with the task of unlearning older programming skills & learning new ones.
So, I reached out to a GRE representative. He bent over backwards explaining how to program my radio. The other day, I wrote to him at his GRE email address. I received no reply from him.
What a wonderful way for the government to operate in total secrecy. If "they" went to a pure Phase II radio system, nationwide, we would all be in the dark. So much for transparency. I will really start to worry if Uniden stops making scanners.
Yeah, someone might just claim Uniden is out too!
There are always some naysayers. I think, that Uniden will introduce a new scanner. After all, they have the WHOLE MARKET, now that GRE is out! Whatever they make, we HAVE to buy.
I think all of us on this thread, though, are hoping for a GRE comeback (However unlikely)! (Or at least some new Uniden Phase II scanners!)
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Fingers Crossed On Both Hands
I tend to be an optimistic person, most of the time. Hopefully, someone will step up & corner the market. I don't know where to look to see how large the scanning industry is in comparison to others.
Perhaps, I will present this question to "Ask Bob" at Monitoring Times. He has never disappointed me when I've asked a question. Most of the time, he gives a detailed response.
Yeah, someone might just claim Uniden is out too!
There are always some naysayers. I think, that Uniden will introduce a new scanner. After all, they have the WHOLE MARKET, now that GRE is out! Whatever they make, we HAVE to buy.
I think all of us on this thread, though, are hoping for a GRE comeback (However unlikely)! (Or at least some new Uniden Phase II scanners!)
I tend to be an optimistic person, most of the time. Hopefully, someone will step up & corner the market. I don't know where to look to see how large the scanning industry is in comparison to others.
Perhaps, I will present this question to "Ask Bob" at Monitoring Times. He has never disappointed me when I've asked a question. Most of the time, he gives a detailed response.
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Everybody just needs to read the beginning of this thread and really seriously understand that the scanner market is dead. The trend is ENCRYPTION and there is going to be no company that can overcome this obstacle at this point. Who in their right mind is going to pay 700 to 800 bucks for a cheap GRE PSR 800 scanner where the company is out of business and is not coming back to play ball.
Also, in the last few months scanner inventories are way down and no new models are on the drawing board. Any supplier that has left over stock is selling these models for high prices and its a scam and you are just throwing your money down the toilet.
And whoever said that you can corner the market on building a radio that you can't receive transmissions anymore because of the big "E" word.
streaming audio and smartphones + Encryption = Dead Scanner Market............................
CRVFC500FF
Member
I'm an electronics engineer and I design consumer products that are manufactured in China. I can tell you if a product, like a digital scanner, does not have the potential to sell 500k or more units a year then it probably won't fly. This is why GRE will not return and why the Uniden scanner offerings have slowed. The fact that these products are firmware intensive is also a problem since the software typically is not developed in China and the cost for developers that can do signal processing apps is very high. This is one of the reasons a Motorola radio is $2000-$4000+ a copy.
How do you know that no new models are on the drawing board? Do you work for Uniden or something? (I'm not being rude, just asking, as I'm curious)
They Once Said There Would Never Be A Digital Scanner
Today, I was catching up on MT reading. I found a letter to the editor talking about GRE being "defunct" & other manufacturers plans to "take up the mantle." The letter was specifically talking about the PSR 800.
The response from the columnist said, "I'm not aware of any forthcoming scanner that will be able to demodulate X2 TDMA. Because it was an interim solution prior to the finalization of the Phase II standard, there was an industry expectation that the X2-TDMA customers would eventually upgrade to Phase II. This expectation, along with the relatively few jurisdictions running X2-TDMA, may have swayed Uniden to skip implementing it.
Unfortunately, due to the expense of upgrading a X2-TDMA system to Phase II, some jurisdictions (including PG county-Prince George) may choose to stay with what they already have. Given the waveform similarities, we can hope that when Uniden finally produces a Phase II compatible scanner that it's easy enough for them to add X2-TDMA as well."
Now, some of you can continue to believe encryption will mimic a bird flu epidemic, but there are some very large jurisdictions that are using common sense, mixing encryption with "D" & "T" modes. If you would like to see this system, you can look at TxWarn P25 in Texas specific to Harris County & Houston talk groups.
In the mean time, I will continue to enjoy my healthy scanning hobby here in Waco & follow my blind optimism with a smile on my face. Life is too short to fret about this.
Today, I was catching up on MT reading. I found a letter to the editor talking about GRE being "defunct" & other manufacturers plans to "take up the mantle." The letter was specifically talking about the PSR 800.
The response from the columnist said, "I'm not aware of any forthcoming scanner that will be able to demodulate X2 TDMA. Because it was an interim solution prior to the finalization of the Phase II standard, there was an industry expectation that the X2-TDMA customers would eventually upgrade to Phase II. This expectation, along with the relatively few jurisdictions running X2-TDMA, may have swayed Uniden to skip implementing it.
Unfortunately, due to the expense of upgrading a X2-TDMA system to Phase II, some jurisdictions (including PG county-Prince George) may choose to stay with what they already have. Given the waveform similarities, we can hope that when Uniden finally produces a Phase II compatible scanner that it's easy enough for them to add X2-TDMA as well."
Now, some of you can continue to believe encryption will mimic a bird flu epidemic, but there are some very large jurisdictions that are using common sense, mixing encryption with "D" & "T" modes. If you would like to see this system, you can look at TxWarn P25 in Texas specific to Harris County & Houston talk groups.
In the mean time, I will continue to enjoy my healthy scanning hobby here in Waco & follow my blind optimism with a smile on my face. Life is too short to fret about this.
MTS2000des
5B2_BEE00 Czar
Exactly what I said.
Firmware is not cheap, especially to do it right. Combine this and the upcoming technologies that require more development (TRBO, NXDN, Phase 2), unless these would be flying off the shelves like MP3 players or cordless phones, it just isn't worth it to develop and market such a complex product to a limited market.
Scanning is going the way of cassette tapes, terrestrial radio, and POTS phones.
From what i've experienced personally and in my little part of the world, its not encyption that is keeping people from buying scanners, its the fact that most people don't the disposable income they once had.
In 2004, when I puchased my PRO-96, I saved up for about 5 months. When I puchased my PSR-500 in late 2007, I had saved up for almost a year. Today, I no longer have the extra money available to save up for any kind of $500 gadget.
In 2004, when I puchased my PRO-96, I saved up for about 5 months. When I puchased my PSR-500 in late 2007, I had saved up for almost a year. Today, I no longer have the extra money available to save up for any kind of $500 gadget.
SquierStrat
Member
Sounds like your post is focused on Public Safety... You do realize there are lots of other things scanners are used for listening to, right?
And in regards to your math, the way i see it is Streaming audio + Smartphones = Encryption.
with that, i guess we'll know who we can thank when scanning public safety becomes impossible
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Apparently no one reads back past one or two posts anymore... sigh. Hey guys that keep popping off about streaming feeds and smartphones... LOOK down! And to reiterate it: Smart phone NO have stream for net if no scanner FEEDING that stream to begin with. No scanner, no audio feed, no feed for smart phone/laptop/PC/iPAD etc, And do you think that will stop encryption from happening.. If so then you also want to invest ing this real cheap bridge......... Anyway, GRE is gone, Uniden slowed down, Sony don't make em anymore, and the Chinese rip off scanners... What are they going to rip off tech from now??? There was also a big time slow down from uniden when P25 first came out... Then the whispers started from GRE and Uniden about an upcomming digital scanner... The race was on, GRE won with the RS Branded PRO-96... Uniden then had to hurry up and put out one. They did. And the competition stayed with GRE in the lead until the "iPod" generation of scanners hit the market. Then Uniden started turning things around with thier tech. Then GRE trumped them with capabilities of the PSR-800/900 (X-2 TDMA, and P25 Phase II TDMA capabilities.... ) GRE dies, no one else is here but Uniden... They will do a P25 Phase II, and possibly X-2 TDMA capable scanner, but can take thier time now, no rush, no competition. There will always be a scanning hobby. Its not just the casual hobbyist that runs scanners guys: EMS uses them in a lot of places, LEA's use them also. Most Taxi Companies have a guy or two running a scanner. Tow companies run them til they explode! A lot of Security Agencies run them. (We definitely ran em at Whackynuts, um I mean Wackenhut)
Since I started this thread days ago the Amazon supply of PSR-500 scanners has been reduced.
"Only 1 left in stock (more on the way)" We'll see about that more on the way claim. I wouldn't want to bet on it.
Who will buy the last PSR-500 from Amazon? It might be someone reading this discussion.
"Only 1 left in stock (more on the way)" We'll see about that more on the way claim. I wouldn't want to bet on it.
Who will buy the last PSR-500 from Amazon? It might be someone reading this discussion.
scosgt
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What seems to be lost in the clutter is that the designs and plans for the PSR-800 already exist.
There is no development needed.
Someone in a land of cheap labor, China, India, Malaysia, whatever can simply take the existing plans and build it for probably under $50 a unit.
All that is required is for GRE to make a deal with someone. Either have someone build it for them, or simply sell the rights and technical plans.
It is an excellent radio and there IS a market for it at a price point of $200 - $300. With no development costs, I think that implies a big profit for someone.
And we all know the Chinese makers don't support what they sell. Worst case, they just replace it. So big USA organization is needed.
Just think about all the Android tablets that are available for $100-150. That HAS to cost more to make than a PSR-800
Touch screen, wifi, bluetooth, 1 GHZ or better or dual or quad core CPU, GPU. Big internal battery.
Sure, they can sell volume. But the point is, there is a big difference between developing a new scanner and simply producing an existing design.
I think a Chinese factory could produce it dirt cheap if they simply duplicate it rather than try to "improve" it.
There is no development needed.
Someone in a land of cheap labor, China, India, Malaysia, whatever can simply take the existing plans and build it for probably under $50 a unit.
All that is required is for GRE to make a deal with someone. Either have someone build it for them, or simply sell the rights and technical plans.
It is an excellent radio and there IS a market for it at a price point of $200 - $300. With no development costs, I think that implies a big profit for someone.
And we all know the Chinese makers don't support what they sell. Worst case, they just replace it. So big USA organization is needed.
Just think about all the Android tablets that are available for $100-150. That HAS to cost more to make than a PSR-800
Touch screen, wifi, bluetooth, 1 GHZ or better or dual or quad core CPU, GPU. Big internal battery.
Sure, they can sell volume. But the point is, there is a big difference between developing a new scanner and simply producing an existing design.
I think a Chinese factory could produce it dirt cheap if they simply duplicate it rather than try to "improve" it.
Again... GRE is dead. Get over it. Thier scanners rocked, thier antennas rocked, thier amps rocked, thier other telecommunications equipment rocked. But they are dead. There is no corporation in existance that is a manufacturer that after over a year of NO production of ANY products survives. Yes there is still data for every product stored on some computer network for now. But even if they were to subcontract out to a manufacturer, it will still cost a LOT of money to pay for the gearing up of a factory, the parts production, manufacture/assembly, packaging etc.... I really doubt they can afford to do that, much less build a whole new plant. The only real options left is to completely sell off the copyrights, trademarks, intellectual rights, and so on, declare bankruptcy/insolvency... And vanish into history. Of course there is the other option: Some billionaire that is eading the forum here feels entrepenural spirit, and fronts the company some land, and facilities, and turns a blind eye for around 2 years til they can turn a profit again.
scosgt
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I am just talking about selling the copyrights, patents and plans to some Chinese electronics maker. The way they pump out tablets and fake ipads and iphones, they certainly have the equipment in place to make the 800 CHEAP. We are not talking about building a factory, we are simply talking about adding a product with no development costs.
GRE may be dead, but some of the products do not have to be dead. They can still be built by someone. NOT here, too expensive.
Although, I would not mind seeing Uniden buy out and produce the 800. It is the best RECEIVER I have ever had, and I have had all of them.
GRE may be dead, but some of the products do not have to be dead. They can still be built by someone. NOT here, too expensive.
Although, I would not mind seeing Uniden buy out and produce the 800. It is the best RECEIVER I have ever had, and I have had all of them.
That's not how they work in that country. They simply start producing something under their own name. Lots and lots of products have been ripped off that are "protected". The owners either don't have the funds to fight them, don't know how or have no interest/energy to do so.
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