Hey GRE, UNIDEN, where are the new RS scanners!!

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walter900

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RS use to have the best selection of scanners. Some made by GRE, some made by Uniden, and usualy they had a mixed bag of features tweaked to RS specifications.... Like the monitor channels etc.

Now nothing!! Same old (non signal stalking) pro-96 as their top digital HH. RS needs a newer 700mhz capable, digiatl HH that can recieve I-CALLS, Mil Air, and has signal stalker.... and is also smaller in size than the pro-96... If they want to stay as a major competitor in the scanner market.
 
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xevious

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walter900 said:
RS use to have the best selection of scanners. Some made by GRE, some made by Uniden, and usualy they had a mixed bag of features tweaked to RS specifications.... Like the monitor channels etc.

Now nothing!! Same old (non signal stalking) pro-96 as their top digital HH. RS needs a newer digiatl HH that can recieve I-CALLS and has signal stalker.... and is a smaller size than the pro-96... If they want to stay as a major competitor in the scanner market.


I couldnt have said it better!!!!!!!!!!!:wink:
 

RoninJoliet

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I agree 100%, here in ILL we have 700mgz rolling on a State system =Starcom 800/700 and i cannot trunk it on my PRO96/2096 and it looks like i have to turn to Uniden....
 

eyes00only

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I don't know about your area, but here in Colorado Radio Shack has closed a lot of stores. That's usually a sign of a company going out of buisness in the near future.

Jerry
 

John_M

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Jerry, RS is restructuring. They aren't going out of business. If they kept doing business in the usual manner they would keep being in the red. Well, you know how it goes.
I think some new RS scanners are in the works between GRE and RS. Dynamic memory should be in the new scanners. I don't think they have a choice. Milair, LTR, 700mhz P25, and signal stalker II should be in their next generation of digital scanners. They also will probably put a whole lot of features in them. They be be putting things onhold until after rebanding.
 

redhelmet13

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Not holdng my breath on new stuff from RS, I might turn blue... Once they get a handle on the poor performance and get the ship turned around - I hope and expect something from them. Good luck to RS - Go back to what made you a player before cell phones.
 

eyes00only

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John_M said:
Jerry, RS is restructuring. They aren't going out of business. If they kept doing business in the usual manner they would keep being in the red. Well, you know how it goes.
I think some new RS scanners are in the works between GRE and RS. Dynamic memory should be in the new scanners. I don't think they have a choice. Milair, LTR, 700mhz P25, and signal stalker II should be in their next generation of digital scanners. They also will probably put a whole lot of features in them. They be be putting things onhold until after rebanding.

John / You sound like you're well informed! I have always been a RS fan. My first purchase may have have been a 'tube' for a radio :wink: . I actually saved for 6 months to get a digital scanner, but then Colorado started using 700 MHZ so I did not get one. Gee, right now I can't remember why I don't want a 396. It may be an I-Call issue, or ?. I sure hope your right about GRE & RS.

Jerry
 

scanjunkie

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This issue has been discussed several times. The general consensus is that RS/GRE is waiting for rebanding to happen to make sure the new scanner they put out will definitely work with the rebanded systems. Maybe not a smart move, but if for some reason no other scanner works and theirs does, they may be making a good move. Just be patient...I'm sure the next unit will be something unbelievable!!
 

DaveIN

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John_M said:
Jerry, RS is restructuring. They aren't going out of business. If they kept doing business in the usual manner they would keep being in the red. Well, you know how it goes.
I think some new RS scanners are in the works between GRE and RS. Dynamic memory should be in the new scanners. I don't think they have a choice. Milair, LTR, 700mhz P25, and signal stalker II should be in their next generation of digital scanners. They also will probably put a whole lot of features in them. They be be putting things onhold until after rebanding.

Dynamic memory, I'll beleave it when I see it, V-scanner option is more like it. Mil-air is iffy. The PRO-97/2055 was te first GRE to include thins in a long time, as is the proper step size and mode. Would RadioShack request GRE to build the next digital trunking scanner to include those features? Look at the PRO-96, doesn't look like it to me. Then maybe you would not buy the next radio.

I just read a Mil-air/fed scanning article in Scaning USA Sept. 06 about the PRO-96/2096 expanded coverage via Win96. The opinion of the review was that the radio was nearly deaf at an airshow next to a dedicated receiver with Mil-air.

How about including Mil-air again RadioShack?
 

acetech

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From what I have heard from someone higher up in rs. Uniden will be the only company they are using for scanners anymore. RS pretty much uses uniden for a lot of products now. Gre will not be making any new scanners.. Just what I was told. True or not true? I do not know for sure but just what I was told.
 

buffalogoat

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Actually, you can now buy Uniden branded scanners directly from Radio Shack. Personally, I prefer the GRE made models but I don't know what GRE is doing with RS on the new stuff.
 

DaveIN

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acetech said:
From what I have heard from someone higher up in rs. Uniden will be the only company they are using for scanners anymore. RS pretty much uses uniden for a lot of products now. Gre will not be making any new scanners.. Just what I was told. True or not true? I do not know for sure but just what I was told.

If you noticed, RadioShack did this with the BC796D at about MSRP until the PRO-96 and 2096 came out. The Uniden scanners have only been on the Web site, not in stores (so far).

The only new scanners from RadioShack that have received FCC certification of late have been Uniden OEM. Interesting too that the model numbers mentioned are the same as the catalog number, no PRO-98 in sight. So far only a analog triple trunking handheld (PRO-528; AMWUB344) and mobile/base ( PRO-433; AMWUB345) with signal stalker I, aka Uniden close call. Let's see if these models come out before re-banding?

These two analog trunking models mention Mil-air in the preliminary FCC manuals, lets see if Mil-air is in the next digital trunking scanner, or regular LTR tracking.

Someone had reported seeing the shelf/catalog tags for these two models about a month ago, but no mention of them in stores yet.
 
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csuh13

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acetech said:
From what I have heard from someone higher up in rs. Uniden will be the only company they are using for scanners anymore. RS pretty much uses uniden for a lot of products now. Gre will not be making any new scanners.. Just what I was told. True or not true? I do not know for sure but just what I was told.

That's a load of crap. Who's your source? The guy delivering your Sunday Paper with the RS ad in it?

Let's look at this from a business perspective (which is how the world works...)

Uniden has been providing a bunch of models lately just because they've got a ton of unused capacity they need to unload... They are making some sweet deals to RS, and RS is finding ways to move Unidens dogs... Like bundling that Uniden with some nice headphones and practically giving them away to the NASCAR drones... Great idea. Easy money for the Shack. Why couldn't Uniden do that themselves? They don't have the sheer size and market presence, not to mention distribution channels. (Heck, you practically have to go to Uniden headquarters in person to buy a Uniden scanner anymore... How'd that work out for the folks at Drake?) That should not be construed as anything other than a sign of trouble for Uniden.

Uniden keeps losing market share to RS/GRE. RS scanners (the GRE ones, not the rebadged Uniden ones) have %60 of the market, and it keeps going up. Being that scanners are a fairly tiny market, and are horribly expensive to develop, Uniden may just abandon the market altogether. (Seen any Uniden radar detectors lately?)

Given that RS (despite its recent troubles) still has $4 Billion in annual sales, while Uniden only has around $800 Million, and Uniden's earnings (and stock price) are down about 30% in the last year, what division do you think might get the axe next?

Uniden makes a LOT more profit off of cordless phone and FRS radio sales...

GRE has plenty of stuff in the pipelines, they just have tighter lips about future products... RS wants to be #1 in any category they are selling, even if it is a piddly one like scanners (sorry, but scanners probably bring in about $2 Million annually to RS while Cell Phones bring in around $1.5 Billion...) and that's why they have gotten out of many categories lately in which they did not dominate (car audio, wired security systems, bulk wire, etc...). Uniden's probably looking to do the same, as all successful companies should.

Oops... Didn't mean to lapse into a business lecture there ;)
 

DaveIN

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Radar detectors are out of date, you need a laser detector now and by the time it's detected the ticket is written. I don't see any sign that Uniden is doing too bad at all under the current market circumstances. Automotive is down, housing is down, and oil prices are up. Scanners are really aimed at the professional market. News crews, Public Service agencies, and Government make up a large share, not scanner nuts. Take a look at the Grove, Communicatins Electronics, or ScannerMaster web sites and who they sell to.

A much smaller share is marketed to the NASCAR crowd such as the PRO-84 (83 FCC ID) BC350C, BCT8, SC230, and BR330T, but just because they have a NASCAR logo doesn't mean the radio is just for listening at the track.

True when you start trimming product lines or OEM product cost compared to what sells, something is going to go, but the only FCC certification I've seen in the past few months has been Icom, a little bit of Alinco, and Uniden.
 
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cristisphoto

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ShawnCowden said:
Well i hope GRE ROLLS out more scanners. Even if RS doesnt sale them Im sure gre america could online :)

Yeah I kind of hope so!!! to
I just hope they get rid oif the toyish looks
I feel SO ashamed holdng a Rat shack scanner
But wehn I have My Uniden BCD396T and My ICom IC R3
I have pride LOL
SO yeah get rid of the toy look and feel...

Anyways
Crista
 

DaveIN

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cristisphoto said:
Yeah I kind of hope so!!! to
I just hope they get rid oif the toyish looks
I feel SO ashamed holdng a Rat shack scanner
But wehn I have My Uniden BCD396T and My ICom IC R3
I have pride LOL
SO yeah get rid of the toy look and feel...

Anyways
Crista

You don't like the 70's retro look of the PRO-96?
 
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