Need help picking a digital scanner

[VaMountainMan89]

Hey everyone, I'm Tyler, forgot I made an account here back last fall it looks like but this is my first post.

I guess I'm still somewhat new to scanning, I've used the site to get frequencies for police/fire/rescue for my Uniden BCT244CLT and BCT560 in my truck. These are old radios of my grampa's that I found in the last year or so. I'm interested in getting into the digital/trunking stuff to be able to hear the VSP, but not interested enough to drop $400+ on a scanner to do it. So with all the Radioshacks closing I stopped in today to see if they had any scanners at their 50% markdown and found they have a BCT396XT ($469)and their Radioshack Pro 651 ($399).

Usually I'd do a lot of research on them both but I don't know how much time I've got before the store closes, so I'll get right to it. Will either of these get me listening to VSP, and which would be the better option? I've read a little about getting software and paying to join the site here to get programs, and I'd definitely be willing to do that.

 

[reconrider8]

Me personally I like the 651 not hard to program once you learn how to

 

[shumadine]

Welcome, Mountain Man. Either one of those two models should work fine. But if it were my money, I'd get a used Pro-106 (same model I have, and same as the Pro 651). There are several on eBay right now for around $200 that appear to be in great condition. That's what I would do.

 

[VaMountainMan89]

Any major differences in the 106 and the 651?

 

[Ghstwolf62]

Any major differences in the 106 and the 651?

As far as I know just the name.

GRE made the PSR 500. They made the same scanner for Radio Shack and called it the 106. Since that time Whistler has bought GRE and now renamed it the WS-1040 and like GRE makes a version for RS which is the 651.

Same radio. So if you want portable then the 106 is a great radio.

Also applies to PSR 800/RS Pro-18/WS-1080/RS-668
PSR 600/RS Pro-197/Whistler WS-1065/RS 652

Hope that helps a bit. Confusing as heck but basically all the same radio with different names.

 

[VaMountainMan89]

Ah ok. The 651 is 50% off so I would be getting it new for the same price as used on ebay it sounds like. I will mainly keep it in my truck. The portability is not a factor as much as the price.

 

[VaMountainMan89]

Also in my searching now I'm seeing talk of trouble with firmware with the 651, is that something to be of concern? Talking about Whistler not supporting the radioshack models even though its the same thing?

 

[Ghstwolf62]

That is the current thought. Radio Shack is going out of business and what it will end up being may or may not sell scanners. (Sprint Phone co)
In another thread elsewhere on this forum it is being talked about incessantly. Basically the gist of it is that RS is not supporting the scanners they've sold and supposedly aren't going to.

Also supposedly Whistler has stated they won't support the scanners they made for RS because its RS's problem to do so and RS hasn't paid them umteen millions of dollars they owe Whistler.

So if you buy any product of GRE/RS don't count on any firmware/software updates/upgrades. That may change as Don S did updates/upgrades for some of the GRE stuff after it went belly up but don't depend on it. (He wrote the firmware/software for all these scanners)

That being said most if not all these radios work great IMO and really don't need any updates/upgrades and at most any done would be minor tweaks of this or that.

Add to getting $500 dollar radios for $200 or less and I think its a great deal. I can live with no updates or upgrades and with the radios as is because they are so good now.

In the last month I picked up one 652 and two 668 radios and once I got over the new layout on the 668 and how to deal with the bloody SD Card issues it works great and I'm quite happy.

So you take the low price but know what you get is what you've got forever most likely and if that changes you can count on it as an unexpected bonus. Otherwise if its a big issue for you get the Whistler model of the same scanner which will be supported.

That's the best advice I can give you. You're going to give up support but get a cheap radio or pay more and have the support. I bought three top of the line radios for the price of one new supported one.

I'll take the risk.

 

[ranger821]

I got the 651 about 6 months ago. The store about 40 miles from here was closing. I love it. I also normally do a lot of research before purchasing. Been looking at the 651 for a while before they put it as half price. Even got a little more off because I am retired military. I have a pro 197 base unit that i purchased the same way on sale.

 

[quick67coupe]

Did you end up buying anything or are you still in the process of making a decision?