Help choosing a scanner..

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N4JNW

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Looking at three different scanners.

RadioShack Pro 106

GRE PSR 500

RadioShack Pro 96


The 106 and 500 are still around the $500.00 range, but I can score a Pro 96 for around $300. I used to have a Pro 96 and I really liked it's reception, and how easy it was to use. My question is, do the Pro 106 and PSR 500 have any better features that I would actually find useful, or do they perform any better than the Pro 96 to justify spending an additional $200? Or should I just go with the trusty Pro-96?

Thanks
 

lowboy654

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Hi, I own the 500 and the 96, the 96 has not been on in over a year, the 500 is better by miles, and I do mean miles my 500 can pull in stuff from 60 miles out where my 96 cannot with the same antenna. its over all a better reciver,
 

cbro298

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Choosing a scanner

I have a PSR-500 and love it.You can get a new one in 450.00 range.Radio Shack may have a sale soon and you may get a PRO-106 hopefully for about 400.00.If it is about money the 96 may work for you.I am also looking for an older model base PRO-2096 as a base and i can get one for about 300.00.The 106 and the 500 are the same scanner.I like the 500 mainly because the speaker is at the top instead of the bottom
 

N4JNW

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You could pick up a Pro-96 on Ebay pretty much any day between $195-$250.
I still like the 96 and 2096 models the best, but that is my own opinion.

See that's what I'm saying..

I can't justify $200 more for a scanner that essentially does the same thing the Pro96 will do. The Pro-96 may be somewhat primitive in the P25 world now, but it still does recieve P25 well. If it wasn't such a good scanner, it would have died off with those very first digital models that Uniden came out with that had the metallic looking speaker.

Like I said, I had a 96, and it was a hotrod of a scanner. I owned the 396T at the same time, and for performance, the 96 blew it out of the water.

Granted the 96 didn't have features like the 396T did, but features are just that. I didn't use half of them. I want a scanner that I can turn on and scan and not have to select a bunch of groups and systems.
 
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rmiller818

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If the 96 worked that well for you I would say go for it. My 96 doesn't work nearly as well monitoring my county's digital trunk system as my 106 does.
 

bama9999

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I think one of the biggest drawbacks regarding the Pro 96 is the lack of coverage in the 700 mhz band. A number of agencies have switched or are switching to a 700 mhz P25 system, and in order to receive that you'll need either the GRE 500/600, RS Pro 106/197 or one of the Uniden radios that's capable of receiving it.

No idea if anything in your area uses, or is planning to use 700 mhz, so it might not be something that concerns you.
 

N4JNW

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I'm leaning towards the PSR 500. Just because it includes the $50 worth of accessories RadiOShack left out of the 106.
 

torontokris

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The newer models add a lot of features, here are a couple that I would mention
NAC codes, multi-site trunking, 700mhz
500 channels vs 1800 objects
LED alert

Assuming the price is close (no friends and family discount) then I agree go with the GRE you get AC adapter USB cable, much more usefull then a manual

that being said .. I still use a 96 & 2096 daily (even though I own every other model of digital scanner on the market - and one not on the market =) )...

the 96/2096 have been reliable daily performers if you dont need the above features
 

N4JNW

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Well I went with the PSR 500. I got it, all of it's original accessories, plus some rechargeable batteries for $410 shipped. The accessories and the bigger display were really the deciding factors in the purchase. Plus I done some researching and found that most people report the PSR-500 trunks a bit better than the Pro-96 did, which is important to me since a neighboring county will be P25 trunked soon.

I got to thinking about the Pro-96, and figured, yeah, I can get one for $275, but by the time I buy a USB cable, and an adapter and some rechargeables, I'd be looking at $350+ and still have an "older" model scanner. I guess this dosen't belong in this section anymore since I've went GRE now.

I hope I made a wise choice.
 
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hoser147

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Cant look back now, I think you will be happy with the 500. For one thing it mutes encrypted traffic which the 96 series scanners didnt. More capacity as far as channels go. Who knows how long parts will be available for the 96s. Lots more bells and whistles on the 500. Enjoy your new toy, best of luck.
 

InlandAZ

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Cant look back now, I think you will be happy with the 500. For one thing it mutes encrypted traffic which the 96 series scanners didnt.

I had seen some discussion of this, but didn't realize it was implemented yet - does the latest firmware for the 106 do the same? If so, doesn't this imply that I can code every talk group ID and not worry about the encrypted transmissions?

And for what it's worth - I own a Pro 96 and 106, I purchased the 106 because one of the local cities decided to go to 700MHz. Both are fairly good scanners (I just wish Digital had the same range as Analog).
 

DonS

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hoser147 said:
Cant look back now, I think you will be happy with the 500. For one thing it mutes encrypted traffic which the 96 series scanners didnt.
I had seen some discussion of this, but didn't realize it was implemented yet - does the latest firmware for the 106 do the same? If so, doesn't this imply that I can code every talk group ID and not worry about the encrypted transmissions?

The PSR-500 family (which includes the PRO-106) mutes encryption on Motorola systems (3600bps control channel) where the CC data indicates that the transmission is encrypted.

It does not mute encryption on P25 systems.
 

hoser147

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Thanks for the clarification Don. InlandAZ im just curious about your ending statement, could it be the system your monitoring? As far as the range? For me I get great coverage all the way around on Digital as far as portable radio's its alot better.
 

qlajlu

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... (I just wish Digital had the same range as Analog).

As far as the range? For me I get great coverage all the way around on Digital as far as portable radio's its alot better.

I gotta go with hoser147 on this one. If the public safety units in your area are receiving digital transmissions, then your scanner should also pick them up without any trouble.
 
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