Pro-106 Is A Superb Scanner.....but (quality Opinion)

[pontiac-tim]

I work for a manufacturing company and the following are just my opinion / observations of the PRO-106
PRO'S
excellent feel / look
nice satin finish resists scratching / scuffing
nice keypad layout
easy to read / understand display
fantastic options to customize the scanner the way you like
Cons (quality issues that need to be improved)
backlight color varies too much (from bright yellow on some to dark orange on others)
display lens has tic's / polishing swirls / light scratches / from the factory.
no protective film over the display from the factory (for $500 it should have one like the unidens)
keypad feel inconsistent from one radio to another...some are a nice crisp firm detent when buttons
are pushed....some are much less crisp and detent is almost un-detectible especially the up arrow
key.
Observations come from using several new pro-106 scanners.
Don't get me wrong.....I love the pro-106,it is a fantastic scanner but if radioshack wants to retail it for
$500 the above issues should really be addressed....heck even for $300 they should be.

Tim

 

[N1SQB]

I was lucky!

I have to say that I am very happy with the radio as well. I went down the list of cons you mentioned. I'm happy to report that mine does not suffer from any of the short comings that you mentioned. Maybe I got really lucky. My display is really bright yellow. However, if there are varying differences as you say, then there IS a quality control issue. What I do hate about Ratshack is that they do not include the adapter for the house or at least the car since it is a portable. I also do not believe they will make a carrying case. They didnt for the pro-162 that I love so much. We dont have the option of getting a GRE one either because of the different speaker locations. Those are MY gripes anyway....I love the radio otherwise. Tough learning curve and a HELL of a lot of options to customize the radio to your liking. I'm still discovering different things. The "pros" certainly out weigh the "cons" by a large margin...

Manny

 

[DaveIN]

IMHO, being a user of many scanners from Radio Shack over the years, I have no problems with the quality or ergonomics of the PRO-106. I think it is a much needed replacement to the PRO-96 with the option of easy operation and expert settings, memory management with a multiple choice of programs, and a multitude of display and alert settings. :twisted:

 

[mancow]

I have to disagree. The finish is horrible. The second you touch it the satiny finish is disrupted and it starts to show wear. It's a very soft and pliable plastic that doesn't resist wear at all. The 396 has the Motorola type of roughed up finish that takes a beating without showing it.

 

[k5xs]

I gently disagree as well...

I think the plastic that was chosen for the case is far too soft, particularly when compared to the BCD-396T, which is far more durable. The 106 shows wear very quickly. Uniden has it beat by far.

Its performance is good, and it is sensitive. But the front end was blown out when I was in downtown San Diego a couple of weeks ago. In fairness, I didn't have the 396 with me to compare, but the 106 just died, and I am eager to compare how the 396 will do in the same setting.

I like its scan speed better than the 396, also.

I have no issue with the display, which I like very much. And the controls and keypad are very much to my liking.

 

[NYRHKY94]

Just a thought: At $279 during the F&F blowout sale a few months ago, or $299 now until 12/25......it's really hard not to like this scanner (even with it's few faults)

 

[walter900]

I did happen to already find a bug that I am going to have to report to GRE. I just hope they will take support emails/calls for the 106, and not say go through RS. The quality of the audio is very good, and the audio boost makes it super loud. I couldn't even hear my uniden in a side by side when I set it on. The display is very well laid out, clear to see, and shows alot of information. Scan speed is fine, 5khz search speed could have been better. Overall it's a champ of a scanner! I would like to see the following addressed though. An option under global for backlight on for active objects in scanlist as well as for the pre-programmed search or both. The way it is now you can have the backlight come on only for objects in a scanlist only. Also, you have to set it per channel (it is currently not global), and you can't set it for the pre-programmed search. There should also be a tagged search frequencie listing like the pro-92 had where you could grab and edit your own pre-rogrammed list. Sure, you can make your own search list now and save it in a scanlist, but why have a quick search button? Especially when the quick search button doesn't covers your area. To date, uniden's pre-programmed police/ fire search blows away the GRE 106's pre-programmed list. I know these are minor gripes, but it seems that you need to program everything in as a scanlist as the solution, and you shouldn't have to. Still, the 106 is one of the best scanners I have owned.

 

[mtindor]

I don't know if GRE would take your "bug" report or not. But I wouldn't expect them to. You didn't buy a $500 GRE scanner, you bought most likely a $200 rebadged Radio Shack scanner. I'd expect you to have to go through Radio Shack. Otherwise, you would have bought a $500 dollar PSR and could expect great quality support.

If they support you, kudos to GRE - If they don't, don't hold it against them. After all, you bought an RS.

Mike

I did happen to already find a bug that I am going to have to report to GRE. I just hope they will take support emails/calls for the 106, and not say go through RS. The quality of the audio is very good, and the audio boost makes it super loud. I couldn't even hear my uniden in a side by side when I set it on. The display is very well laid out, clear to see, and shows alot of information. Scan speed is fine, 5khz search speed could have been better. Overall it's a champ of a scanner! I would like to see the following addressed though. An option under global for backlight on for active objects in scanlist as well as for the pre-programmed search or both. The way it is now you can have the backlight come on only for objects in a scanlist only. Also, you have to set it per channel (it is currently not global), and you can't set it for the pre-programmed search. There should also be a tagged search frequencie listing like the pro-92 had where you could grab and edit your own pre-rogrammed list. Sure, you can make your own search list now and save it in a scanlist, but why have a quick search button? Especially when the quick search button doesn't covers your area. To date, uniden's pre-programmed police/ fire search blows away the GRE 106's pre-programmed list. I know these are minor gripes, but it seems that you need to program everything in as a scanlist as the solution, and you shouldn't have to. Still, the 106 is one of the best scanners I have owned.

 

[pontiac-tim]

Wow...lots of opinions / observations ........guess that's a good thing !!
Maybe I am being too critical about the clear display lens....you really need to be in the right light / angle
to see the minor things I observed (or magnifying glass)
I do however think the finish is an improvement over my pro-96 that is too glossy and shows every mark.

I think we all agree on one thing though....The pro-106 is a great scanner and radioshack / gre hit a home-run with this radio !!!!!!!!!!!!! ??

 

[pitbulvig]

I just got through useing a piece of a "body guardz" protective film that I use to cover my iphones glass scren and so far seems to working well on the plastic, Once dry it will stick clear for a very long time and will keep the display from getting scratched, I just cut a piece to fit and put it in place same as if on the phone because like the author of this thread I too am critical of the small things like scratches especially on an expensive piece of equipment and I also think this is somthing that should be covered by the company new? As far as the cases go I did ask about this via email at ScannerMaster and they told me they are working on a case as we speak for the 106 that "SHOULD BE READY" by mid January? Keep your fingers crossed .I think if anyone would come through it would be ScannerMaster long before Radioshack.

 

[walter900]

You didn't buy a $500 GRE scanner, you bought most likely a $200 rebadged Radio Shack scanner.

Mike

Not sure where your going with that $200 comment, i'lI buy another one if thats the price! I was under the impression that the 106/500 shared the exact same internals with nearly identical firmware. The 106 normaly retails for $499.99. I'd say that qualifies as a $500.00 scanner. Are you trying to say that the 106 is of lesser quality due to RS badging? They probaly come out of the same factory.

 

[uspatriot1975]

Pitbulvig:
Stellar news from ScannerMaster about the case. That will fly off their shelves!

 

[mikey60]

I did happen to already find a bug that I am going to have to report to GRE. I just hope they will take support emails/calls for the 106, and not say go through RS.

What bug did you find? I don't think GRE will really take the support call for the Pro-106, however if there's a bug in the firmware, it would exist in the PSR-500 as well.

Post the info, I'm sure it will get back to the people that need it to fix the bug...

Mike

 

[walter900]

What bug did you find? I don't think GRE will really take the support call for the Pro-106, however if there's a bug in the firmware, it would exist in the PSR-500 as well.

Post the info, I'm sure it will get back to the people that need it to fix the bug...

Mike

I will mike as soon as I figure out what is going on. I have the led and baclikght set to come on for every channel in a scan list that goes active. When a channel gets active they both light up as normal. When the activity stops they both go out as normal. But once it stops on this one UHF-low fire that is also programmed into the same bank along with others, the led hangs on after the backlight goes out, and does not go out, it just stays lit. Only happens after the radio stops on this one frequency. The frequency's all have pl tones attatched to them. The scanner resumes scanning but the led stays on. Again, all is well, then once it stops on this conventional frequency it hangs the led. Happens every time. There is a conflict/bug somewhere. The radio is not with me at this time but I think the pol and fire share the same pl. I need to gather more information.

 

[mikey60]

I will mike as soon as I figure out what is going on. I have the led and baclikght set to come on for every channel in a scan list that goes active. When a channel gets active they both light up as normal. When the activity stops they both go out as normal. But once it stops on yhis one UHF-low fire that is also programmed into the same bank, the led hangs on after the backlight goes out, and does not go out, it just stays lit. Only happens after the radio stops on this one frequency. The frequency's all have pl tones attatched to them. The scanner resumes scanning but the led stays on. Again, all is well, then once it stops on this conventional frequency it hangs the led. Happens every time. There is a conflict somewhere. The radio is not with me at this time but I think the pol and fire share the same pl. I need to gather more information.

Look at that object, and make sure the LED Latch setting isn't active. That would do what you're describing.

Mike

 

[walter900]

Look at that object, and make sure the LED Latch setting isn't active. That would do what you're describing.

Mike

Ok, the radio is not with me, but I am pretty sure that setting is on/off for all of the channels, as I think that seemed to be the only way to switch on the led attatchement to a specific assigned channel. I will look into this later to verify if led attatchment is on or off.. Thanks, but if It is on and I shut it off, then what other specific setting turns the led on per channel?

 

[mikey60]

Ok, the radio is not with me, but I am pretty sure that setting is on for all of the channels, as that seemed to be the only way to switch on the led attatchement to a specific assigned channel. I will look into this later to verify if led attatchment is on or off.. Thanks, but if It is on and I shut it off, then what other specific setting turns the led on?

There are four modes to the LED...

Off (All Colors at 0 intensity)
On
On + Flash
On (+Flash) + Latch

The last mode is most likely how that one particular object is probably programmed. In that the On + Latch mode, the LED will stay on until you press a key. The flash attribute can be set as well in that mode.

Mike

 

[thewenk]

I will mike as soon as I figure out what is going on. I have the led and baclikght set to come on for every channel in a scan list that goes active. When a channel gets active they both light up as normal. When the activity stops they both go out as normal. But once it stops on this one UHF-low fire that is also programmed into the same bank along with others, the led hangs on after the backlight goes out, and does not go out, it just stays lit. Only happens after the radio stops on this one frequency. The frequency's all have pl tones attatched to them. The scanner resumes scanning but the led stays on. Again, all is well, then once it stops on this conventional frequency it hangs the led. Happens every time. There is a conflict/bug somewhere. The radio is not with me at this time but I think the pol and fire share the same pl. I need to gather more information.

Next time perhaps you need to "gather more information" before you post a non-specific comment about a bug that needs to be reported to GRE.

Dave

 

[walter900]

Thanks alot mike, that didi it..

Some channels had latch led on and some had latch led off.

Bug fixed! lol

 

[mikey60]

Thanks alot mike, that didi it..

Some channels had latch led on and some had latch led off.

Bug fixed! lol

Good. Glad to hear it..

Mike