Please help me identify this scanner

[unixdude]

Hi, all.

I'm trying to locate information about a handheld Radio Shack scanner I owned in the late 1980s or early 1990s.

I seem to recall that:
- it had 200 channels (10 banks of 20)
- it had 3 buttons at the top edge (manual, scan, and something else)
- it tuned up to 512 MHz (did not include 800 MHz band)
- it was silver in color
- the display was a 7-segment type, not a dot addressable pixel grid (e.g., think PRO-82, not PRO-95)

This is probably obvious, but it was not a digital or trunking scanner.

I have looked on the wiki here at all of the Radio Shack scanners, and I've tried Googling for PRO-xx for all xx from 60-99 and I can't find it.

If I had to guess, I'd guess that it was made by GRE.

I might be wrong about the 200 channels, but I'm pretty sure it was 200.

Can anyone identify this one? Thanks.

-----

Edit: nevermind, finally found it. It was a PRO-32.

 

[VE7CFF]

Yup, I still have one

 

[unixdude]

For its day, it was a really nice scanner.

 

[ecps92]

Radio Shack Scanners - The RadioReference Wiki

Hi, all.

I'm trying to locate information about a handheld Radio Shack scanner I owned in the late 1980s or early 1990s.

I seem to recall that:
- it had 200 channels (10 banks of 20)
- it had 3 buttons at the top edge (manual, scan, and something else)
- it tuned up to 512 MHz (did not include 800 MHz band)
- it was silver in color
- the display was a 7-segment type, not a dot addressable pixel grid (e.g., think PRO-82, not PRO-95)

This is probably obvious, but it was not a digital or trunking scanner.

I have looked on the wiki here at all of the Radio Shack scanners, and I've tried Googling for PRO-xx for all xx from 60-99 and I can't find it.

If I had to guess, I'd guess that it was made by GRE.

I might be wrong about the 200 channels, but I'm pretty sure it was 200.

Can anyone identify this one? Thanks.

-----

Edit: nevermind, finally found it. It was a PRO-32.

 

[unixdude]

Radio Shack Scanners - The RadioReference Wiki

Yes, thanks, I had checked that before posting.

 

[QDP2012]

It might be a Radio Shack PRO-32.

RigReference: Pro-32

Radio Shack Support: Pro-32

Edit: Just saw your "nevermind" edit note on your first post. (Posting a new separate message is better for those who read "new posts". Thanks.)

Hope this helps,

 

[K5MPH]

The only scanner i can think of and i own one in 1987 is the Pro-32 i do remember that it had a loud speaker had that scanner for years,then gave it to my dad i took that radio every where i went it was a good and heavy duty radio.........

 

[jaspence]

Old scanner

A good place to look up equipment, both new and old, is Rigpix database.

 

[unixdude]

QDP2012: I've seen it both ways: some people and forums want edits, while others want new comments. I'll try to remember to use new comments here on RR forums.

kb5zcs: Now that you mention the volume, I remember that too!

jaspence: Thanks. I checked here and was looking for rigpix. I knew of it, but couldn't remember the name.

 

[Chris-KH2PM]

Still have mine. Works great, along with my old PRO-34 and PRO-93. Wish I still had my first handheld scanner which was a Realistic crystal controlled. Can't recall the model number. I didn't have it long, as I sold it to buy my first direct-entry non-crystal scanner, a PRO-31.

 

[unixdude]

Still have mine. Works great, along with my old PRO-34 and PRO-93. Wish I still had my first handheld scanner which was a Realistic crystal controlled. Can't recall the model number. I didn't have it long, as I sold it to buy my first direct-entry non-crystal scanner, a PRO-31.

What a great pic! And, wow, PRO-31... 10 channels. It's kind of hard to explain to the iPad generation (my kids) what a crystal radio was. I never had a crystal scanner, but I did have a 3-channel handlheld crystal CB radio from Radio Shack. Mine might have been the TRC-218.

 

[Chris-KH2PM]

Yes, the good 'ol days visiting the local Radio Shack to dig through their tray of crystals. And pick up the latest issue of Police Call. Still have a few of those stashed away somewhere.

 

[unixdude]

ahahaha, Police Call. Yes, I used to buy those too. I bet my mother has some in her attic... and, come to think of it, my old scanners and CB might be there too...

My CB had crystals for channels 9, 14, and 19.

 

[fxdscon]

Here's a description of it from the 1987 Radio Shack catalog.... bottom of this page:

1987 Radio Shack Catalog High-res page 90 of 184

And folks complain about the cost of today's scanners..... In today's dollars the Pro32 would be over $600 !

http://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/cpicalc.pl?cost1=299.95&year1=1987&year2=2015

.
.

 

[Chris-KH2PM]

Here's a description of it from the 1987 Radio Shack catalog.... bottom of this page:

Great find! Wow, $300 back then. But it was great...no more crystals! What a huge technological leap.

For those of you that still have one...my PRO-32 is serial number 563635.

It used to be my 'daily carry' back in the day so the paint is well worn but it was never dropped. The keypad is difficult to use now after all these years. Have to press pretty hard on the buttons.

I might still have my PRO-31 somewhere.

 

[fxdscon]

For those of you that still have one...my PRO-32 is serial number 563635.

Nice PRO-34 in your pic.....

I still use my PRO-34 every day, s/n 893842

.

 

[Chris-KH2PM]

Nice PRO-34 in your pic.....

I still use my PRO-34 every day, s/n 893842

.

I retired mine years ago. It was a daily carry for awhile. Probably
until my first trunk-tracker. It's not 'mint' but is in very good condition.
Keypad and LCD are mint. Still works great and nice audio.

S/N 991138

 

[Chris-KH2PM]

ahahaha, Police Call. Yes, I used to buy those too. I bet my mother has some in her attic... and, come to think of it, my old scanners and CB might be there too...

My CB had crystals for channels 9, 14, and 19.

My first CB, which I still have, is a Realistic TRC-474. Retired it about 20 years ago but it's still
out in a box somewhere.

Here's the Radio Shack catalog showing it.

1987 Radio Shack Catalog High-res page 70 of 184

 

[N4GIX]

And folks complain about the cost of today's scanners..... In today's dollars the Pro32 would be over $600 !

CPI Inflation Calculator.
.

I cannot imagine many people buying very one of the top of the line ham receivers for a modest $14,999 plus tax. Sheesh!

That little calculator page is neat. Did you know that about the time the jingle "Shave and a haircut, two bits!" was popular (1915), that 50 cents is worth $11.77 in today's dollars!

Come to think of it, that's about what my barber does charge... for the haircut. No shaving any longer offered.