Nostalgia

[epbernstein]

While looking in my basement for something totally unrelated, I came across my old scanners, some of which date back to the mid-70's when I first got into scanning. I got a kick out of some of them.

Anyone remember the Bearcat BC Four-Six TS? 6 crystal-controlled channels. I also found my old Bearcat 210, which was a high school graduation present. Then there was my BC 220XLT.

My lone Radio Shack scanner is a Pro-90, which I used up until I got my 396T. Finally, still on my desk is my BC 9000XLT, which will be replaced by the 996T next year, I hope.

Ah, the good old days, when there was VHF and UHF...

 

[northzone]

Nostalgia scanning in Alameda County

I remember sometime around 1970 I paid $350 for a Bearcat 210. Yes, 10 channels on low, high, and uhf. But it was one of the first truely programable scanners and I had to have one. I had been using crystal controlled units (Regency, Sonar, Johnson) prior to that. I think the Regecy Whamo was out about the same time and that used programable "combs" which you programmed into a certain pattern and inserted into the radio.

I was also using some surplus Motorola mobiles, I think they were the twin-V series. I also had a couple of lowband RCA carphones which I used to monitor the CHP, one on the S channel and one on the C channel for Oakland/Hayward (42.12 at that time). For a portable a had a Motorola "pocket receiver" which was kinda like a large pager, it was on Alameda County sheriff Yellow channel, 155.250 at that time I believe.

Even the crystal scanners were not cheap, the Sonar FR-something was $300 for 10 channels, 2 bands. One of the highlights was when Alameda Sheriff called me on their main channel once and asked me to phone the station (ETS). I thought I was in trouble, but it turns out they heard I had a recording of a shootout they were in and wanted to hear it (they did not have logging recorders). They sent a deputy to my house and took me up to the station to play it for them. Pretty cool for a 15 year old kid.

 

[GTO_04]

How about the Bearcat III, with slide switches to lock out the individual crystal controlled channels? When I got the 210 I thought I died and went to Heaven!

GTO_04

 

[epbernstein]

How about the Bearcat III, with slide switches to lock out the individual crystal controlled channels? When I got the 210 I thought I died and went to Heaven!

GTO_04

The 21 has the slide switches, too. I carried it at least into 1983 when I was working hospital security.

 

[Tsch6373]

You sure do bring back memories! I had 3 or 4 chrystal scanners before I got my first programmable BearCat 10 channel. My father has it now but the technology has changed so much, it's no good to him anymore. I must have had 30 scanners over the years, I started scanning in 1975. One of my first scanners was a PRO base model I think 8 channels UHF/VHF, with the slide switches, then most of what I got next were hand-helds since I used them on the road. I still have a PRO-6 4-chrystal portable (non-working) it had the submini plug-in antenna, the 4 tiny LEDs on top (I'm looking at it now) a VHF HI/LO. Those were the simpler times, scanners have certainly come a long way! Among them, I've owned PRO-2004 a reall winner in its day, Regency, and of course Uniden products which I have had many of. Currently use about 4 or 5 hand-helds but mostly the 396T.

 

[N8RUS]

You guys must be young bucks...I started with a Lafayette (spelling) tunable desk model. It had Hi-band 150-174 and low-band 30-50. It also had a spot inside the cabinet for 2 crystals--1 for hi and one for lo. Scanning was done by constantly turning the tuning knob (quite the workout after a while). The ant connections were screw terminals. I dont remember the name of the model or the price.

 

[Al42]

Sounds a lot like the Hallicrafters S-102 and whatever the other one was (S-104?) - one for VHF-lo, the other for VHF-hi. Funny, I lived in Lafayette on Saturdays for a few years (like being in Disneyland back then), but I don't remember any house brand monitor receivers. And I used to know half the catalog by page and part number. Either I missed that one or it came out after I started high school (and had a Saturday job that, unfortunately, wasn't at Lafayette.)

 

[K5MAR]

That tunable receiver sounds more like the Realistic Patrolman PRO-2B, VHF Dual Band receiver, had two crystal slots plus tuneable VHF-Low and High. I've still got one, it ceased to operate many years ago, put I've kept it out of nostolgia. Okay, just looked (see link below) and the PRO-1(B) is a single band receiver, as opposed to the PRO-2(B) dual band.

BTW, that programable Bearcat 210 is newer than 1970, as that's about when the first crystal scanning receivers came out. My first scanner was the original Bearcat, VHF-High, that I bought in late '71 while I was in college. But I really wanted the Regency TMR-8H, VHF-high, which I first saw in 1970. I finally got one of those in the fall of '72. The first programmables came out in '75 or maybe '76, I believe, and were nothing like the 210 (which had three different versions, the 210, the 210 XL, and the 210 XLT). Look up the Bearcat 101, the Regency Whamo and the SBE OptiScan (wanted one of those real bad!).

Some scanner pics can be seen here. See the Radio Shack pics and look at the "Patrolman", that was my first police receiver, got it in high school

Mark S.