GRE PSR-500 and UHF Sensitivity

[jimg]

I just read in a review of the PSR-500, (March, 2008 issue of "Scanning USA",) the following statement: "However UHF sensitivity is a disappointment." I am thinking of getting one of these scanners, but most of what I listen to is on UHF. Can those who have this scanner let me know what your experience has been?

 

[DaveIN]

Wow, really? No diissapointment here. I've not had any problems with UHf or VHf. Actually I've had to use the attenuator on some frequencies. Is that really the "March 2008" issue?

 

[FrankJ]

I'm interested on how it performs on the 225-400 Mhz UHF Milair band as well....

Frank

 

[LEH]

Yep, I bought one the other day myself. They seem to be very 'far seeing'.

 

[Tom_G]

I have not seen any issues on UHF at all.
I'll have to take a look at that review.....
I have no complaints at all with the PSR-500.

 

[DaveIN]

Maybe in March it will be a problem.

 

[Swipesy]

Exact same results as DaveIn. That review is just plain wrong.

 

[ech1253]

I have had my PSR-500 for about 3 weeks and I have noticed that (analog) sensitivity of reception between 460-490 MHz is just ever so slightly less than the Pro-97 I owned for the past 3 years... For example, an analog 480 MHz frequency I could receive from 20 miles away on my Pro-97, I can get on my PSR-500 when I am about 17 miles away...

Sensitivity on EVERY other band on the PSR-500 I have listened to is simply stellar compared to any other scanner I have owned. Based on my experience the UHF-Low/T band is still very good, just not exceptional compared to performance of the other bands. However, I am in no way disappointed by performance in that band in any way...

Don Starr has a live PSR-500 audio feed which includes (what he deemed) a "distant" 400MHz P25 system and he seems to have no problem receiving it...

If you want to hear a sample of the PSR-500's digital....

Don's PSR

You should hear various audio types:
* Conventional (150 MHz) analog
* Conventional (150 MHz) P25 digital
* Trunked (800 MHz) analog
* Trunked (400 MHz) digital (I'm quite a ways from these systems, though)

 

[Landman]

The following is not really a sensitivity comment but a selectivity one.

I am impressed! I just did a test with an FRS radio set to channel 7 (462.7125 MHz) to find out if the scanner also stopped on the adjacent GMRS channels 462.7 and 462.725 like all my other scanners do when the transmitting radio is within a few feet of the scanner. I keyed up on channel 7 with the scanner less that 3 feet from the transmitting radio and the scanner would only stop on the correct frequency, 462.7125. I then manually went to 462.7 and then 462.725 and the scanner showed three bars on the s meter but would not break squelch. Any other scanner I have owned would stop on any one of these three frequencies at this close distance.

 

[jimg]

Wow, really? No diissapointment here. I've not had any problems with UHf or VHf. Actually I've had to use the attenuator on some frequencies. Is that really the "March 2008" issue?

Yep, it really is the March 2008 issue, with a picture of the PSR-500 on the front cover.

 

[DonS]

Don Starr has a live PSR-500 audio feed which includes (what he deemed) a "distant" 400MHz P25 system and he seems to have no problem receiving it...

That would be the Marin County system. I've programmed the CCs for site 003. The lat/lon in the RR DB for that "site" is 77 miles from my house. The closest part of Marin county (the north end of the Golden Gate Bridge) is 43 miles from me.