Need a new scanner!

[csbjr16]

Hello to all. It has been a long time since I have been here, but I am back. I have an old pro-95. i live in the Los Angeles area. I would like to open a can of worms and ask for some sugesstions as to what is a good all around digital/analog scanner? Clarity, range, frequencies, backlighting of keypad, ect. I will not be purchasing one real soon, but soon. I would like to be able to hear the space station and a variety of law enforcement agencies. With the way the world is going, I want to be able to stay tuned to the events!
Blessings to all and thank you in advance!
Chuck Butler Jr.

 

[Eng74]

Well go with one of these 3 the Uniden 396, GRE PSR-500, or the Radio Shack version of the 500 which will be out soon the Pro-106. The 396 and 500 are great radios, each one dose something that the other will not. Since you are in the L.A. area I would go to Ham Radio Outlet and give both of them a spin with their demo's that they have in the case. You can hear the sound for each alone and then together. Once you make a choice then search the net for the best price.

 

[csbjr16]

Thank you!

I do know where a HRO is in Burbank. I will give the a shout "when the ducks are in a row"!

 

[peepoop]

Like Eng said - if you need it now, the Uniden 396 or GRE PSR-500 are your best bets.

Uniden's announcing new products on the 29th. The two that we know of are the BC346XT and the BCD396XT, but there are no specs yet for either. Might be worth it to just wait ten days to see what's coming.

 

[DrDenny1]

I went to HRO in Burbank today. Those guys seem to have a bit of a tude. I had to beat info out of them, they were not to forth comming with info. But they had good prices.

 

[Eng74]

There is another HRO in OC off of the 5 on Euclid also. Some of the guys who work there do seem to kinda look down on scanner users who are not hams. I have seen that at both stores so it is a hit and miss on who you deal with there. I don't think all hams are like that not the ones who post on this site anyway.

 

[kma371]

I went to HRO in Burbank today. Those guys seem to have a bit of a tude. I had to beat info out of them, they were not to forth comming with info. But they had good prices.

they are usually that way if ur not buying ham gear, HRO is expensive IMHO, try online somewhere.

 

[RobertW1]

I went to HRO in Burbank today. Those guys seem to have a bit of a tude. I had to beat info out of them, they were not to forth comming with info. But they had good prices.

This is a very common complaint. I live three blocks from the Burbank HRO and won't shop there. I didn't like their attitude the last time I was in there, and it had nothing to do with scanners as I am a HAM and was buying some antenna adapters. Friends of mine that have been Amatuer Radio Operators for Decades or hold Extra Class Licenses tell me that depending on who is behind the counter you'll often get someone that doesn't know they are talking about and that will give you bad information.

I choose to drive all the way to Culver City from Burbank and do my radio business with Jun's on Sepulveda Blvd. Really nice and helpful people there. Of course when it comes to buying a scanner I've always bought "online" as you can't beat the price. I've done business with Communications Electronics for almost 30 years. Best prices I've seen, no sales tax, shipped to your doorstep with 5 days.

I purchased my most recent handheld scanner, a BCD 396T, from them as well. I've owned dozens of scanners in my 40 plus years of Radio Monitoring and have to say the 396 is the best handheld scanner I've ever owned.

Check out Communications Electronics:
http://www.usascan.com/

 

[cousinkix1953]

There is another HRO in OC off of the 5 on Euclid also. Some of the guys who work there do seem to kinda look down on scanner users who are not hams.

I have never had any problems with smart asses; when ordering scanners, antennas or anything else from Amateur Electronic Supply in Las Vegas! There used to be a place on Bascom Avenue in San Jose with the same snot nosed attitude. QUEMENT ELECTRONICS is long gone now. A clerk named Manny acted like he was Mr. bigshot FCC agent in person, often providing BS to customers, that weren't members of his elite ARRL club. In fact he was more full of ---- than the real feds.

Read my story about the jerks with a tude if you like...

I still can't forget the moron who cussed like a drunken sailor on the Children's Band; when he wasn't complaining about them on two meters. One day, a friend of mine decided to rebroadcast one of "VIP #1's" obscene tirades (on channel 37 LSB) on the 146.760 repeater in San Jose too. We ROFLOAO. That's all it took for the Santa Clara Valley Repeater Society officers to kick an a--hole out of their club and off of their repeaters.

It wasn't exactly legal but the FCC would have dragged their feet until Hell froze over. Nobody is gonna listen to one of those self-righteous ARRL potty mouths threaten people in the area with his guns for very long. The last I heard, VIP #1 and his gang of idiots have their own repeater on 1296 mhz licensed under the callsign N6EEZ.

Nothing whizzes those jerks off, more than reminding them that outdander groups like HF International (call frequency 27.870 mhz) and the National Association of Whiskey Clubs; were started by renegade licensed hams, who were sick of the over regulated stuffy atmosphere on their own bands. And that is exactly how thousands of 10-4 Good Buddies acquired their ILLEGAL modified YAESU, KENWOOD and ICOM transceivers. I knew a couple of bootleggers who who used vintage SWAN and COLLINS gear.

I'm not on 11 meters any more; but it was a lot eaier to get a rig with a decent receiver, (legal or not) run a clean transmitter (10-20 watts) instead of listening to a deluge of garbage forever...