Pro-18 Digital Trunking Scanner - Post release Thread

[LostnFound]

I've been reading about the Pro-18 eats batteries but I installed some Duracell rechargeables when I got it Thursday night, and have been playing with it for hours every day and its showing 1/2 battery life left. Screen LCD and keypad have been on the entire time as well.

 

[LostnFound]

Oh man I love this scanner, being my first, its awesome. Since programming it with my local area I had my very first outdoor test run today, fantastic. I ended up walking along the water across from Detroit and put it in Signal Stalker All Band mode and just let it pick up, when I hit something I liked just paused it there. Having on my belt loop on my side and the way the buttons are designed it made it very easy to get the feel and just walk and hit the buttons, very easy. I picked up Police dispatch, ems on the Detroit side, loud and clear, one I listened to for hours had a call name NAC, not sure exactly what that one is but it was either police or ems dispatch. Really loving this thing now that I have stuff to listen too. Had a lot of motor boating in the 400 freqs but the 800's were awesome.

 

[bravo14]

Does this radio do TDMA-X2?

I was wondering the same thing? I saw on a shelf in Jacksonville FL store. I thought of it.....

 

[scannerfreak]

No, it does not.

 

[bravo14]

You can not use the scanner while charging? Screw that. On Page 7

 

[JustLou]

You can not use the scanner while charging? Screw that. On Page 7

The radio does not charge if turned on and connected to USB, but you can listen to it while powered by USB. As soon as you turn it off, charging continues.

 

[bravo14]

They way I read it sound like you can not use scanner while on when charging I like to have charge while listening. I am waiting on a new radio I don't like the psr-800 too much I like to have a keypad.

 

[JustLou]

They way I read it sound like you can not use scanner while on when charging I like to have charge while listening. I am waiting on a new radio I don't like the psr-800 too much I like to have a keypad.

I use the Pro-18 connected to USB for power regularly, and have never had an issue. It just doesn't charge which I actually don't mind because I can charge the batteries only when needed.

 

[gewecke]

Someone wants a pro-18 "modded" with the LED of the psr-800. Has anyone done this?

Thanks for the pictures Les. I thought this was interesting.
Looks like the same case used on the PSR-800 with an insert where the LED would be. It must just have the rubberized coating applied. Do you have the PSR-800 also Les or just the 18?

This is a old thread, but a guy at work approached me with a question if the pro-18 can be fitted with the LED that the psr 800 is designed with?
Well this got me thinking...maybe.
His pro-18 is out of warranty so if the pcb has the lands for the LED then it might be possible if the same pcb is used in the psr800 and has the associated components needed. There may even be other improvements that can be made, so we'll see what some more research yields.
I will post updates here on RR for us, " tech and hobbyist types".
Feel free to chime in, if anyone else has toyed with this idea?


73,
n9zas

 

[DaveIN]

Interesting idea. It may have the location, but I suspect the code is also missing from the firmware, so just adding the LED may be a futile effort.You would also need to come up with a light pipe or modify the case for the LED light output, but if you find a way to make it work, I'd applaud you.

 

[jblake76]

Will this radio pick up the New type 2 systems everyone is talking about and also the 700mhz system that camden county nj is switching too?

 

[fredva]

Will this radio pick up the New type 2 systems everyone is talking about and also the 700mhz system that camden county nj is switching too?

It will not pick up P25 Phase II, but it would pick up a 700 mhz Phase I system. You would need its cousin, the PSR-800, for Phase II. Please refer to Pro-18 - The RadioReference Wiki for a list of features the PSR-800 has that the PRO-18 does not.

 

[captmud]

Did they stop selling the Pro-18. RS does not list it on thier website anymore

 

[fredva]

Did they stop selling the Pro-18. RS does not list it on thier website anymore

The PRO-18 was made by GRE. GRE is not currently producing scanners because their factory in China was shut down, so there is a shortage of new scanners carrying the Radio Shack and the GRE names. It is unknown whether production will resume in another factory.

There is lots of discussion in the Radio Reference forums about GRE's troubles if you are interested in searching. Most of it is probably in the GRE forum, and the GRE announcement announcing the halt in production is probably in the community news forum.

 

[Michael-SATX]

I noticed in the RS Product Portal just the other day that the Pro-18 officially went "DISCO" status
in early Feb 2013 ... like 2/3 or 2/7/13 ish ... All the other RS/GRE's still show Active for now, etc.
I hope that this GRE factory was not shut down for any reasons such as Big Brother or Gov't regs?
For now I'll go along with the official story of the Chinese Gov't was just redeveloping a manufacturing
district and thus putting undo and untimely financial strain on GRE to startup a new production factory.

 

[DaveIN]

Search on the RadioShack site comes up nil on the Pro-18. Has anyone seen any in their local stores on clearance?

Not even a support page can be found.

 

[jblake76]

Search on the RadioShack site comes up nil on the Pro-18. Has anyone seen any in their local stores on clearance?

Not even a support page can be found.

Darn,

I was looking to purchase one!

 

[Michael-SATX]

Unfortunately, the RS Pro-18 officially changed status from active to discontinued 2/7/2013.
So that means it would have automatically been deleted from being listed on the RS website.
These Pro-18's are out there in VERY slim numbers. If there is a will then thou will get one
There seems to be some on here thinking that the Pro-18 can be upgraded to do P25 x2.
Unfortunately, there is no update to date for this and the Pro-18 may lack the hardware to do it.
Now it's GRECOM cousin the Pro-800 as most on here know can do P25 x2 with the updates.

 

[RonnieUSA]

Unfortunately, the RS Pro-18 officially changed status from active to discontinued 2/7/2013.
So that means it would have automatically been deleted from being listed on the RS website.
These Pro-18's are out there in VERY slim numbers. If there is a will then thou will get one
There seems to be some on here thinking that the Pro-18 can be upgraded to do P25 x2.
Unfortunately, there is no update to date for this and the Pro-18 may lack the hardware to do it.
Now it's GRECOM cousin the Pro-800 as most on here know can do P25 x2 with the updates.

Where are You finding the info on the status of the scanners at?

 

[Michael-SATX]

Ronnie, the status is only found on internal (Intranet) webpages here at where I work ... hint hint
Someone outside the company can simply call their local Radio Shack and have the status checked.