sportsfan7700
Member
I'm adding this gem to my collection next week and really looking forward to it. Anyone own one and if so, how do you like it?
Pro 97 Scanner
- Thread starter sportsfan7700
- Start date
- Status
Tom_G
Member
I had one for many years and sold it to get some $$$$ for other projects.
Great radio with excellent audio quality. (Probably the best audio of any handheld scanner)
You should really enjoy it.
The only issue with it is that it will not support the 800MHz Motorola rebanded systems.
Great radio with excellent audio quality. (Probably the best audio of any handheld scanner)
You should really enjoy it.
The only issue with it is that it will not support the 800MHz Motorola rebanded systems.
ranger821
Member
I also have had mine for years. Nice scanner. It's a work horse at my house!!!!
Scannerhead1983
Member
- Joined
- Sep 19, 2004
- Messages
- 237
- Reaction score
- 0
I got a pro-97 that I still use, Scanner works great. I used it a lot when our area was using a Motorola Smartnet trunked system, We have phased into the State Of Ohio's Astro25 Marcs system now..But I use it for the remaining conventional systems around here. I like the PL/DPL capabilities of not having to listen to all the other garbage on the conventional frequencies.. Only what I want to listen to. Not to mention that the display is nice to be able to assign a text tag to a frequency. Great radio for anyone who wants to listen to Conventional/Analog
DickH
Member
- Joined
- Mar 12, 2004
- Messages
- 4,067
- Reaction score
- 5
Not correct. It depends on the freqs. The Tarrant county system will work perfectly when the system is rebanded. Perhaps it has been done already.. Simply subtract 15MHz from all the freqs. 866.xxxx becomes 851.xxxx and 867.xxxx becomes 852.xxxx.
Likewise, the rebanded Arlington, TX system will also still work perfectly on his PRO-97.
Motorola systems with freqs. that have a zero in the 4th decimal place will not track those freqs. Freqs. with a 5 in that 4th p[lace will work fine.
KR4BD
Member
A great analog scanner. I've had one for several years. It's the BEST EDACS scanner I own, by far. Great sensitivity and nice audio. Also, easy on my rechargeable NiMH batteries (easily 20 hours per charge).
W8RMH
Feed Provider Since 2012
- Joined
- Jan 4, 2009
- Messages
- 8,108
- Reaction score
- 200
I believe you have confused "re-banding" with "narrow-banding".
After a quick look at the DB, it appears that the Arlington and Tarrant systems have not re-banded yet.
Today if a non-rebanded scanner is told to go to channel 448 in a rebanded Motorola system, it calculates the frequency as (862.0125 + (8 x 25 kHz)) and jumps to 862.2125 MHz. The problem is that channel numbers 440-559 have been "borrowed" to cover the new channels at 851-854 MHz. The correct frequency for channel 448 in a public safety system is 851.2250 MHz, but the scanner doesn't know this. Even if all of the new frequencies for the system are programmed in, the scanner still relies on the above calculation during trunking and will always tune to the wrong frequency.
If a public safety site or system uses ONLY the general category or 1-120 channels described above and/or channels between 854-862 MHz, a non-rebanded scanner should still track that system correctly, because it knows how to find those channels. However, most Public Safety systems are using a mix of existing (1-120) and "new" channels (440-559), and they will miss any communications which are assigned to the new channels. Of course, any 800 MHz scanner will still monitor the new channels in conventional mode, but talkgroups cannot be followed when scanning conventionally.
The data which older scanners (and the older radios in the system) use for the channel-to-frequency calculation are burned into the CPU and cannot be updated without replacing the circuit board, which manufacturers can't reasonably do. Some scanners that are less than 2-3 years old have user-upgradeable firmware, and the manufacturers are creating new firmware to support rebanding for certain models.
Pro-97
I run many scanners and the PRO-97 is one of them. I like it a lot and totally agree about the audio from a hand-held.
Whether or not it can trunk track a rebanded MOT 800 system depends on the specific system. There are certainly some that it can not trunk track and some that it can.
The key is it will trunk track as long as there are no voice frequencies in the format of 8xx.xxx0 MHz (the zero in the 4th place after the decimal).
I run many scanners and the PRO-97 is one of them. I like it a lot and totally agree about the audio from a hand-held.
Whether or not it can trunk track a rebanded MOT 800 system depends on the specific system. There are certainly some that it can not trunk track and some that it can.
You are assuming what the rebanded frequencies will be. Not everyone is simply dropping their frequencies by 15 MHz.
The key is it will trunk track as long as there are no voice frequencies in the format of 8xx.xxx0 MHz (the zero in the 4th place after the decimal).
DickH
Member
- Joined
- Mar 12, 2004
- Messages
- 4,067
- Reaction score
- 5
Dropping the freqs. by 15MHz comes from the 800MHz Transition Administrators web site.
Some exceptions are here: http://www.800ta.org/content/resources/Handbook_v4.0.pdf
"... no voice freqs.... " It depends on how many "zero" freqs. there are. For example, Wash. county, OR has 18 freqs., but only one is a "zero". Thus, theoretically you can hear 95% of traffic with a non-rebanded scanner.
The Ft Worth/Tarrant County Public Safety system is indeed in the midst of completing the rebanding process, started last night. All frequencies have a "5" in the number 4 'slot', so the Pro-97, and other "non-rebandable" scanners such as my BC250D will work.
sportsfan7700
Member
Thanks to all for the replies. Going to purchase a subscription for the data base so I can easily download all the banks and make it easier.-I have 4 in my scanner. Can I download all my 4 banks of frequencies with the scanner, or is there a limit on how many you can input at a certain time?
Matt
Matt
sportsfan7700
Member
Anyone have any clue?
N8IAA
Member
If you are asking whether or not you can download all the banks from your scanner to programming sofware. Yes, you can. If you are asking if you can download four banks all at once. No. They have to be downloaded one at a time when using RR. Just so you know, you can not download directly to the scanner from RR
This is why I mentioned programming software. You can get a thirty day free trial of Win97 at: www.starrsoft.com. It works great with the scanner.HTH,
Larry
sportsfan7700
Member
Excellent news. 1 final question. If I plug in my frequencies into the WIN95 (For my pro 95) how hard is it to transfer them into my pro 97 using the 30 day trial?
Matt
Matt
N8IAA
Member
Matt, you might want to try the WinXX data converter downloadable at starrsoft. Don't know if it is compatible with Win97. Maybe someone else can answer that. You always can cut and paste, or import from RR to Win97.
Larry
sportsfan7700
Member
Larry, I could indeed. I haven't had much time to set up the database in the RR yet.
N1BHH
Member
WinXX doesn't work with Win97. WinXX Data Converter - Converts between various WinXX data formats
KB5RON
Member
Like PRO-97
I have had a PRO-97 for quite sometime and like it very well. I use it mostly to monitor N FtW PD and TCSO
while am out walking. I have broken the belt clip and the antenna is somewhat loose but it still works OK. I was able to get it reprogrammed with the new FtW area frequencies thanks to some advice on the forums. The owners manual is somewhat misleading in places however.
I have had a PRO-97 for quite sometime and like it very well. I use it mostly to monitor N FtW PD and TCSO
while am out walking. I have broken the belt clip and the antenna is somewhat loose but it still works OK. I was able to get it reprogrammed with the new FtW area frequencies thanks to some advice on the forums. The owners manual is somewhat misleading in places however.
sportsfan7700
Member
KB,
I'm just a hair east of you in Keller-did you know about the NE Tarrant County Frequencies? and how far out can you receive frequencies? I can get from about Lewisville to Arlington on mine using the 800 MHZ Antenna
Edit: are the TCSO separate or the actual Tarrant County frequencies?
Matt
I'm just a hair east of you in Keller-did you know about the NE Tarrant County Frequencies? and how far out can you receive frequencies? I can get from about Lewisville to Arlington on mine using the 800 MHZ Antenna
Edit: are the TCSO separate or the actual Tarrant County frequencies?
Matt
w8mkh
Member
Got one when they first came out and still have it a great scanner .
I think you will enjoy yours
I think you will enjoy yours
- Status
