PRO-106 vs PSR500

[DickH]

Since the new digital scanner at Radio Shack, the PRO-106?, seems to be a PSR500 in a Radio Shack package, I prefer to buy one at RS for these reasons:
1) Ready availability - there are 8 or 10 stores in my area.
2) Radio Shack return/exchange policy.
3) They often have a sale price when introducing a new product and sales at other times.

 

[Stick0413]

To me either way it is the same radio on the inside, cases are slightly different but thats it. Ease of getting was no problem for me, I had mine the day after it came out, drop shipped from GRE.

 

[Russell]

I actually prefer the speaker on top. Other than that the radios appear the same.

Russell

 

[emscapt9816]

Pro-106?

Got a picture or something? The only search result is this thread, and RS doesn't have it on their site as of this posting. Thanks.

 

[rdale]

The FCC announcement thread here has pics, manual and more.

 

[emscapt9816]

Never mind. Found it...

 

[smokeyjones666]

I guess I would be wary of purchasing the RS version because of one thing: Support. GRE has released several firmware updates for the PSR-500/600 since the product was launched. They seem to actually listen to their customers, and have fixed many problems along with adding functionality with their firmware updates - not something the RS versions have a glowing history of. RS also doesn't like to tell you what they've changed in their firmware updates.

If you do get it, I'm sure the local RS guy will be happy to help you program it - sometime in the next decade when they get the most recent version of Scancrap software rolled out to all the stores.

They may be the same scanner, but unless you find a way to flash a PSR-500 firmware on it I predict that firmware updates will be few and far between.

 

[trixwagen]

I wouldn't be too wary, though maybe a little patient.

Take the Radio Shack Pro-164 and it's semi-twin the PSR-300. Radio Shack DOES issue firmware updates, just a little later than GRE. The latest Pro-164 firmware is 1.02 and it was released in March of this year, about three weeks after the GRE firmware 1.02 release.

GRE is now up to firmware 1.5 for the PSR-300, since they've gone a little update happy, releasing a new update every month.

I figure Radio Shack will release it's firmware update once GRE settles down and stops giving us so many improvements and refinements so often.

For some of us, waiting a few weeks or months for an update that is available elsewhere could be torturous. But if I can pick up a Pro-106 for $349.95 during one of those monthly sales at Radio Shack, I might be able to overlook leisurely firmware updates.

I guess I would be wary of purchasing the RS version because of one thing: Support.
They may be the same scanner, but unless you find a way to flash a PSR-500 firmware on it I predict that firmware updates will be few and far between.

 

[Russell]

GRE is now up to firmware 1.5 for the PSR-300, since they've gone a little update happy, releasing a new update every month.

The rest have been so great that I can't wait for the August release. Every one has been an improvement. Waiting for Cell Phone shack to get their crap together while I'm experiencing a problem that GRE has already addressed is completely unacceptable.

Russell

 

[hiegtx]

The rest have been so great that I can't wait for the August release. Every one has been an improvement. Waiting for Cell Phone shack to get their crap together while I'm experiencing a problem that GRE has already addressed is completely unacceptable.

Russell

Russell,
Wonder if one of the sales whiz kids at Cell Phone Shack will try to sell a 'text messaging' plan with their first PRO-106 transaction.

 

[Russell]

Russell,
Wonder if one of the sales whiz kids at Cell Phone Shack will try to sell a 'text messaging' plan with their first PRO-106 transaction.

The Amway of the cell phone business. Do you wanna buy some soap?

 

[Russell]

Sorry, I didn't mean to insult Amway.

Russell

 

[CWR]

I wonder IF the Radio Shack version will have a paper owners manual ? ? ?