Just bought a PSR-300

[iabowhunter]

Hi! This is my first post here at radio reference.com. I found this place a couple weeks ago when I started looking for a scanner. I found it too, there is allot of good info here.

A little over 10 years ago I bought my first scanner. It was a Uniden Bearcat model from Wal-Mart. I lived in a mobile home at the time and I wanted as much notice as I could get when a big storm came through. Well, that happened. We heard one day that someone had spotted a funnel cloud and had called into the local law center to report it. We jumpped into the car and headed across town to my in-laws since they had a basement. Half way across town the tornado sirens went off. I knew right then that I had made a good buy in that bearcat scanner. That scanner no longer works and I have been wanting to buy a new one for some time now.

I have been lurking here for a couple weeks now doing research on different handheld scanners. After reading and reading and reading I decided to buy the GRE PSR-300. I found it on ebay with some help from the people on radio reference. I just bought it today and hope to have it late next week. I was looking at a radio shack pro-164 but went with the PSR-300 because it was cheaper and the fact that it came with a power cord.

I plan to mostly listen to local PD/FD but I also want to see what else this scanner will pick up. I will be getting the Win97 software and USB cable to program it soon. Is there anything else that I should look into buying for the scanner? A better antenna maybe? Maybe a roof mount antenna is in my future. Who knows.

Thank you for all your help so far.
Phil

 

[CStarr59]

Welcome Phil, the PSR 300 is a great choice in a radio. Do you have trunked systems in your area that you listem to? The PSR 300 will pull in both conventional and trunked systems so it is a nice choice for areas that are upgrading thier radio systems. The stock antenna is good and will get the job done, but there are better antennas depending on your needs. Good luck with it and let us know how you like it.

 

[n2mdk]

Hi Phil
All I can think of right now is a subscription to this website so the software can download directly from the database.
Good to see another Iowan on the group.

 

[iabowhunter]

Welcome Phil, the PSR 300 is a great choice in a radio. Do you have trunked systems in your area that you listem to? The PSR 300 will pull in both conventional and trunked systems so it is a nice choice for areas that are upgrading thier radio systems. The stock antenna is good and will get the job done, but there are better antennas depending on your needs. Good luck with it and let us know how you like it.

It has been so long since I had a scanner that I don't know if we are trunked or not. I do not think that police or fire are trunked as my dad listens to them with an old crystal scanner. How would I find out if this area is trunked?

Hi Phil
All I can think of right now is a subscription to this website so the software can download directly from the database.
Good to see another Iowan on the group.

So if I subscribe to this site I can download frequencies from here onto say Win97? That would be great!

I have alot of learning to do!

 

[n2mdk]

It would help to know exactly where you are, you can check the database and see what types of systems are being used in your area.
Yes having the subscription makes things much easier, especially if there are lots things that need or you want to add alpha tags to.

 

[iabowhunter]

I checked in the database for Jefferson county, I live in Fairfield, and the only trunked systems are Alliant Energy, Basin Electric Power and RACOM...whatever that is.

I will get a subscription then. From the sounds of things a subscription and software are money well spent.

What are alpha tags?

 

[n2mdk]

Only RACOM might have a site you might be able to listen to. Take a look at it it's a very large multisite networked trunked system. There are lots of areas who's Police/Sheriff FD EMS and other services use. It actually cover multiple States but each site generally covers a specific local area. The site by me in Ames carries the Polk County systems on it, so I can monitor whats going on 30 miles south of me.

 

[emscapt9816]

Nobody spoil the surprise!!!

What are alpha tags?

When you get your radio, plug it in, and turn it on. Say "OH WOW! THAT'S COOL!" Then let us know how you like the radio. Congrats on your new purchase.

 

[iabowhunter]

I bought a Radio Shack USB cable for programming the scanner today. Now all I have to do is wait on my scanner to get here. I hate waiting for things to arive in the mail. Drives me nuts!

I have been reading some good stuff about antennas over on the antenna thread...go figure. There's some pretty good info over there.

 

[iabowhunter]

When you get your radio, plug it in, and turn it on. Say "OH WOW! THAT'S COOL!" Then let us know how you like the radio. Congrats on your new purchase.

Yes it is!!!

I downloaded Win 97, bought a Radio Shack USB cable, bought a premium subscription to Radio Reference (money well spent) and loaded my new scanner with everything I needed. I found Win97 easy to use after reading the help section.

Since I was going to Des Moines Saturday I downloaded frequencies for the area. It didn't take 5 minutes to do. While in Des Moines I picked up all kinds of stuff including a call to the police to respond to a school where a couple were "fornicating." ROFLMAO!!!

I also bought a new antenna at Radio Shack that works pretty good. I still want to buy a Diamond antenna. I'm sure I will.

Thank you all for all your help!

Phil

 

[Zaratsu]

Good choice!

The weather alert functions on the 300 are a novelty to me, but are a lifesaver for you.

I tell you, this scanner has EARS. it can really pull in distant signals just fine. If you can find a better scanner for under $200, buy six of them.

I have the Diamond antenna on mine, and it does work "better" than the stock one, but I am sure that a bigger difference would be seen in an area like yours. My maximum recieve range is largely due to Connecticut being a state of hills and valleys. Flatter, twister-prone states where the geography does not limit radio transmission will probably produce a much stronger signal than stock with the gain I am seeing, but for $20 the Diamond is a good choice for anyone. The only problem I have with it, is that with the Diamond, the scanner becomes very top-heavy and makes placing it vertical anywhere a pain. I improvised by building a "go anywhere" stand that is wide and bottom-heavy out of a small metal-wire basket from a $1-store. A polished geode weighs it down and the scanner clips to the side-wall of the basket. No tipping over now! even works while reclining in bed while I read at night.