New vs Older Scanners

[lars128]

I have noticed in a few of the scanners reviewed by Rich Wells that some scanners - notably the pro 43 and to a lesser degree the 60, 62, 64, 26, and 51 - were great scanners and bested models produced years later. Does that still hold true today? Is there any reason why?

I ask this as I'm looking for a scanner strictly for VHF-hi use, which most of the aforementioned models are still appropriate. So do some of the old models still compare to the new ones? Is a Pro 43 "better" than a BC95XLT, Pro 82 or 164 on VHF/UHF? Or has technology made even the least expensive models comparable to scanners that were top of the line in their day? I have yet to pick up anything older but the collecting bug might be biting me.

 

[SAR923]

Rich Wells' reviews are years old. The Pro-43 is still a great milair scanner but it is no more than average for other frequencies compared to today's scanners. The Pro-51 was awful. The only advantage was you could use a programming trick to get into the cellphone frequency range. The front end was so sloppy that I could hear cell phone images without ever doing anything special. Some of these older scanners have a mystique that was developed by people like Wells and they bring outrageous prices on e-bay. One of the most sensitive scanners I have in the VHF-FM range is Pro-137 I got it on sale for $99 at Radio Shack. 1000 channels, text tags, and I can pick up trains from 60 miles away using a Comet SMA-3 antenna. Even the stock long antenna is pretty good. I'd spend the money and get a Pro-182 or Pro-164. The VHF sensitivity if great on both radios and you have tone decode, text tags, and the ability to listen to analog trunk systems, which are becoming common everywhere.

 

[lars128]

Thanks for the advice. I guess there is a bit too much hype in the older scanners. I see that there is a Pro 43 on ebay that is over $100 with more than a day left. I bought my Pro 97 for less than that. I will keep a look out for the 137 next time it goes on sale as well. I have a Pro 89 that is pretty sensitive and has great audio, but it a little too sloppy on VHF, and I'm hoping to find something simple to replace it.

 

[Nasby]

Not to mention that the PRO-43 has lots of well documented "technical issues." The keypads and speakers are both known to fail. Good luck finding parts.

 

[DPD1]

The one thing I'd say about the older radios is that a lot of them had better and louder audio, and seemed more solid. Other than that I don't think they were much better performance-wise.

Dave
www.DPDProductions.com
Antennas & Accessories for the RF Professional & Radio Hobbyist