GRE PSR-500 Post Release Thread

[radionut44]

wildcard

I don't have my radio yet...it comes Monday. But from reading the manual I think you need to set up the widcard TGRP for that system in order to get the OPEN operation. You can then LOCKOUT that wildcard TG to go to CLOSED for that system. You would just need to know the ID for the wildcard object to quickly access it to change lockout status.
Ron

 

[DaveIN]

Received today VIA UPS direct from GRE in California (ordered through HamStation).

Interesting, direct from the factory to your door. I think your the first to report that.

In the same case as the PRO-97. Volume and squelch knobs are larger and easier to use.

I just want to point out, I was quickly corrected when I made this statement too. The case is the same "size" as the PRO-97 but is a totally different radio.

Scanner came in small black box with a USB cable, wall wart, black and yellow 4 AA battery cases, and short User's Guide which has instructions on how to get started quickly and lists the V-Folders installed.

Another first, you mentioned that there is a User's Guide included beyond the CDROM, I assume on paper?

Nice short review Mark. Come back and give us more details when you get settled in with thre radio

 

[rckydenver]

Anyone try the weather alerts test yet, like the Pro 96 press the weather key then Function weather and hold weather for a few seconds and then all the test alerts come in?

 

[LEH]

Ron,

That is what I am afraid of. Not the easiest method of doing this. Especially if you have several systems. Keeping the object number in mind.

Hopefully there is an easier solution.

That is what I had done and what brought up the question.

 

[DaveIN]

I don't have my radio yet...it comes Monday. But from reading the manual I think you need to set up the widcard TGRP for that system in order to get the OPEN operation. You can then LOCKOUT that wildcard TG to go to CLOSED for that system. You would just ned to know the ID for the wildcard object to quickly access it to change lockout status.
Ron

I get what you are saying, but there is no "open" or "closed" on this radio, but it is similar. Any talkgroup locked out will not be scanned again with the wildcard.

You can review the locked out objects by pressing PGM, GLOB, scroll down to the SRCH L/O item, press select and scroll through the locked out objects one by one and delete them from the lockout list using the CL or Func + CL to remove the whole list of lockouts. Pretty cool, I think.

You can also go directly to the object if you know its number, MAN (or PGM)#object number# E, and scroll down unlock it.

"Applying wildcard lockout to an undesired talkgroup creates a
new TGRP object in the same Scan List as the wildcard TGRP,
then applies permanent lockout to the new TGRP object, so that
will be ignored in the future by the scanner when scanning the
wildcard talkgroup. To unlock or edit talkgroups locked out using
the wildcard lockout feature, press PGM, then navigate to the
object using the 5-way pushbutton pad. Press FUNC, then L/OUT
to remove permanent lockout from the talkgroup. Press FUNC,
then CL to delete the TGRP object from the scanner. Press the
EDIT, then the CURR softkey to edit and save the TGRP object."

 

[mancow]

Mine came from Hamstation. I too have the small user guide but I didn't get any batteries.

strange

Interesting, direct from the factory to your door. I think your the first to report that.



I just want to point out, I was quickly corrected when I made this statement too. The case is the same "size" as the PRO-97 but is a totally different radio.



Another first, you mentioned that there is a User's Guide included beyond the CDROM, I assume on paper?

Nice short review Mark. Come back and give us more details when you get settled in with thre radio

 

[DaveIN]

Mine came from Hamstation. I too have the small user guide but I didn't get any batteries.

strange

No, I think he said two "AA" battery "cases", one yellow, one black, but that would be great to get batteries too.

Did yours come from Hamstation in IN or from the factory at GRE in CA?

 

[DaveIN]

Got the Monitoring Times for November. Larry "Chief" Van Horn gives the PSR-500 a 4-3/4 stars in his "GRE Raises The Bar" review.

 

[Wayne]

Demo programming CD ?

OK, I have loaded the drivers for XP and verified communications between my PC and the PSR-500. I want to READ the working memory, save the file to my PC (which I have done) and then modify the file using the PC and then send the changes to the radio.

It would seem the program only works if the radio is ON and connected to the PC. I have tried to run the program and file that I saved to the PC with the RADIO NOT CONNECTED and it keeps looking for the com port handshake.

So, unless I am doing something wrong, you must have the radio on and connected to a PC to program a new *bin file using this software.

Wayne

 

[cliffcor]

I've been reading through the manual looking for something and I just don't see it. But then, I'm blind in one ey and can't see out the other.

What I am looking for is how to fairly easily switch from scanning a trunked system with established talk group IDs (TGRP with specific TSYS) to scanning for all talk groups (the WILDCARD).

I know I need to have a wildcard TSYS, but I don't want this on all the time.

In radios like the 96, this would be an open or closed bank. Pressing Func-5 was the toggle.

Is there something similar, that I have missed in the manual, for the 500?

You can try putting the wild card in one Scan List and your established ones in another. That's what I'm doing.

 

[DaveIN]

OK, I have loaded the drivers for XP and verified communications between my PC and the PSR-500. I want to READ the working memory, save the file to my PC (which I have done) and then modify the file using the PC and then send the changes to the radio.

It would seem the program only works if the radio is ON and connected to the PC. I have tried to run the program and file that I saved to the PC with the RADIO NOT CONNECTED and it keeps looking for the com port handshake.

So, unless I am doing something wrong, you must have the radio on and connected to a PC to program a new *bin file using this software.

Wayne

Wayne, I don't think the demo software will do anything other than save your radio contents, or reload them. You have to do all the programing on the keypad or use the graphic user interface to emulate the keypad.

 

[LEH]

cliffcor,

Well I guess I won't do any wildcard scans. When I get the scanner fully loaded, I'll have 19 of the scan lists going (well at least containing data)

If this is the worst thing I have to deal with for the 500, I'll live with it. I can always use another scanner with an easier 'open'/'closed' interface.

 

[jpryor]

Just got my PSR-500 via UPS delivery. I do not have a CD in the box, anybody else had one missing? From what I can determine I can get the drivers from their website once I need them, and I already have their latest copy of the PDF manual. But I guess I'll be missing out of the demo software, is anybody aware if that is available online somwhere? I really can't wait to try out the PSRedit and Win500 software to see how those work, so maybe I'm not missing out on that much yet.

Jeff

 

[fmon]

Jeff, what OS are you using. The CD is for 2000, xp or vista? I can attach the software exe in a zip and drivers in a second zip.

 

[jpryor]

Jeff, what OS are you using. The CD is for 2000, xp or vista? I can attach the software exe in a zip and drivers in a second zip.

I am using Windows XP. That would be great, thanks!

 

[troymail]

For those of us with large fingers and/or who's eyeballs have trouble reading/seeing the labels on the buttons....

Load the software on the CD and punch in things from your PC screen. You still need to now what steps to take but at least entering the information is alot easier than hitting the tiny keys....

 

[SCPD]

I'm not finding the numeric keypad to be the most responsive ever. Am I just being too gentle with my new $500 investment or is anyone besides me finding that on occasion there is no response when pushing one of them.
.

There are a rare couple of cases where the CPU has to catch up a bit with the keypad. Once case is when you switch from SCAN to PGM or MAN mode and you initially press the L or R arrow keys. This is not a keypad problem, but the CPU has to look into the data and build a list to know what is the next ScanList that has something in it. Subsequent L/R arrow key presses will give an instant response. Is that what you are seeing?

Craig

 

[scnnr]

I sure wish we could hear a little more on the audio performance of this new scanner rather than about this button is stiff or the antenna is loose, or how do you program this thing. I am thinking of ordering one but I am more interested in what the scanner was created for, monitoring and how it performs on various digital systems.

Sorry if I sound kind of annoyed, but I am...

 

[SCPD]

What I am looking for is how to fairly easily switch from scanning a trunked system with established talk group IDs (TGRP with specific TSYS) to scanning for all talk groups (the WILDCARD).

I know I need to have a wildcard TSYS, but I don't want this on all the time.

In radios like the 96, this would be an open or closed bank. Pressing Func-5 was the toggle.

Is there something similar, that I have missed in the manual, for the 500?

This is actually pretty easy....

Option #1:

The TSYS is neither open or closed and the TSYS itself can not be scanned. However you can make a Wildcard use the TSYS, and as you noted you can make a set of TGRPs that use the TSYS. What you need to do to emulate the Pro-96 open/close method....

Set the Wildcard object to a ScanList (for example sake, lets say ScanList 1), and then set all of the TGRP objects to a different ScanList (for example sake, lets say ScanList 2).

Then if you want to hear just the entered TGRPs (aka Pro-96 closed mode) listen to ScanList #2. If you want to hear all IDs on the system (aks Pro-96 open mode) listen to Scan List #1 and #2.

Option #2:

Set the Wildcard object and the TGRP objects to the same ScanList. When when the Wildcard objest hits press the L/O key (temporarily lock out) which will lock out the Wildcard for the rest of your scanning session. How to get the Wildcard back scanning? It is easy, just power cycle your radio off then then back on (clears the temporary lockouts).

I hope the above helps


P.S. It is possible to make the L/O key a permanent LockOut just like the Pro-96. This is a global menu item. However I like the default setting where the L/O key only temporarily locks out an object until the next radio power off/on cycle.

 

[SCPD]

Mine came from Hamstation. I too have the small user guide but I didn't get any batteries.

strange

The small printed "user guide" that is included is for the preloaded data. This guide has step by step instructions on how to load the preloaded data for your area and then how to scan it.

The full up user manual is on the CD-ROM, and also (with updates) on the GRE-A web site.

Craig