Pro-43 use or replace?

[TechLauren]

Let me start off by saying how sorry I am that I don't know more about this but I do need simple help.

I've had a Pro-43 bought new modified and seems to still work. I use it mainly for weather scanning when the power is out, i.e.: 162.## but I would like to be able to scan police and fire if they are 2 blocks away from my house so I know if I should clear out or not and I live in a very rural area so my news doesn't get reported on tv stations 40 miles away.

I seem to be able to still get the 162.## weather but can't seem to get anything else on scan.
My frequencies would be the usual rural ones (453.##). As far as I can tell my local, Walworth Co, WI, doesn't use trunking and all I need is a basic scanner. Is the Pro-43 still viable for this or has something changed where I can't use it anymore? And I am real sorry to ask such a basic question and I really have searched and I don't understand the specs seem to say it will get the used frequencies but it scans and scans and never stops at all maybe it is broken.

There was a fire here a month ago so close by I could hear the guys talking but could only make out what they said when they yelled and the scanner wouldn't lock on to any transmission but I did get the weather. With the recent tornadoes in the news, I am looking to get this scanner situation resolved so I have something I can use in emergencies. I have no basement windows so, if I go down there, I need to know when it's all clear to come out.

If the Pro-43 too old, I am looking at a BC72 to replace it. Can I keep the antenna off the RC if I need one? The mountings don't look like they changed at all.

 

[ka3jjz]

If you are still able to hear the 162 mhz weather stations, chances are that the radio is still working. So the next question is what are the freqs you have programmed? 'The usual 453.###' ones isn't particularly specific - so let's try to narrow things down a bit - do you have these?

Walworth County, Wisconsin (WI) Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference

Try a simple test - reduce the squelch just to the point where you hear noise, then GRADUALLY increase it until the noise stops. There is a possibility here that the signal is weak - shouldn't be with a station 2 blocks from you - but it's possible that a better antenna would be in order here, but that's just a guess. It is also possible that there's some damage to the RF Amp or maybe the antenna connection (the antenna connection is a real possibility - it's not real sturdy); you'd need to open it up to find out if there's a good connection from the bottom of the BNC to some point at the circuit board. It's quite possible it's come off....Wx stations throw out so much power even a flimsy connection would appear to work.....

Mike

 

[TechLauren]

Geeze!

I am so sorry. I work with computers and it never occurred to me this old thing might still be useable!
I did a factory reset on it, bought a new set of Ni-Cads (6 in this thing!) and set up an Excel sheet and filled up 4 banks with local frequencies. I can turn the weather bank on and off and, with it off, I picked up sheriff's dispatch right away. They were saying their "chat" is down. No idea what that means for them but for me it means apparently not a lot of innovation in local radio systems in the last 20 years!

This is by far the oldest electronic device I own. I'm kinda shocked it still works but also glad I don't have to shop around and figure out a new one. I'm sure few modern things are made as good as this thing was.

I printed out the Excel sheet and I'll laminate it and toss it in the basement if I ever have a bad emergency cuz this scanner doesn't have alpha tags or anything to id the frequencies.

 

[sphipps]

Most rural areas and small towns still use VHF / UHF systems from the 70's and 80's. There's absolutely no money in their budgets to upgrade. They'll be using those systems for years to come unless the FCC reallocates those frequencies forcing them to switch.

I still have my PRO-43. I use it all the time to keep my PRO-106 "in check" on the VHF / UHF bands. I think the PRO-43 performs much better on those bands than the PRO-106.

Someone in the RR classifieds is trying to sell a PRO-43 for $15. That's a "smokin" deal for an awesome VHF / UHF scanner. That scanner was hard to find used for under $250 about 10 years ago.

I hope to find a PRO-2006 base scanner at the local hamfest this weekend. Always wanted one.

 

[af0h]

I can beat that one - I have an old Pro-38 (very basic 10 channel) that still gets ran 24/7. I have it plugged into a homebrew power supply so that I don't have to worry about batteries.

I leave it on the local fire/ems and never shut it off. It's in my Shack, so it doesn't bother the family. Plus, if it quits i'm not out much.

 

[af0h]

I can beat that one - I have an old Pro-38 (very basic 10 channel) that still gets ran 24/7. I have it plugged into a homebrew power supply so that I don't have to worry about batteries.

I leave it on the local fire/ems and never shut it off. It's in my Shack, so it doesn't bother the family. Plus, if it quits i'm not out much.