PRO2055 compared to BC898t?

[rwl48]

What one is better? And why.

 

[MB]

The BC898T is a lot better base scanner then the PRO2055! Same antenna, same cable, Stridesberg Multicoupler, the PRO2055 overloads very easily. The 2055 is deaf while the 898 picks up a lot more transmissions. Even with the 2055's global ATT on and an inline ATT the 898T is a lot better.

My 898 is really close to my 780 as one of the most sensitive base scanners I have owned.

Basically, in my environment the PRO2055 is useless when connected to an outside external antenna.

 

[Halfpint]

The BC898T is a lot better base scanner then the PRO2055! Same antenna, same cable, Stridesberg Multicoupler, the PRO2055 overloads very easily. The 2055 is deaf while the 898 picks up a lot more transmissions. Even with the 2055's global ATT on and an inline ATT the 898T is a lot better.

My 898 is really close to my 780 as one of the most sensitive base scanners I have owned.

Basically, in my environment the PRO2055 is useless when connected to an outside external antenna.

Hmmmmmm... I think the `operative' words that should be noted here are the second, third and fourth ones in the last quoted sentence. And even then *I* have to wonder as in *my* `environment', which is usually charitably described as "RF Hell" by a lot of the other local scannists, and hooked up through a Stridsberg multi-couple to an external antenna I have not noticed any proclivity to overloading from any of the three 2055s I have in current use. (As I will readily admit I am a `diehard' GRE fan and except for the occasional `Uniheave' owner who may wander in from time to time I don't have any of the newer products from said company and only three antique models I bought many years ago in a fit of misguided desperation to have a CTCSS capability and which were later replaced by some much better RELM products. {GRIN!} [Oh, BTW, the radios in question are a pair of BC760xlts and a BC950xlt and the RELMs are MS200s and RE2000s aka `updated' HS200s which run circles around the former mentioned units. {VB GRIN!}])

Having made it certain of my `leanings' I *will* admit that I actually would like to sometime have the chance to have the use, definitely only for a while, of a unit of the other half, BC89t, of this question for comparison's sake out of simple curiosity. Part of said curiosity is my wondering if maybe the BC898t may actually be slightly on the `deaf' side and the problem that MB is referencing is that he has had to resort to `more?' antenna to compensate? (While I am a believer in getting as much antenna `up' as possible up for some things I also believe that there are many more times when it isn't always the case that it the best way to go. [Heck! Once we *finally* can get moved to a new place I am planning on re-erecting my Beverages and a few other `interesting' antennas I've had to take down or pack away as supposed `civilization' and impending moving to new quarters has crept closer. I'm even hoping to also get some of my `hollowstate' `real radios glow in the dark' collection back up, too. {CHORTLE!}])

Anyway, now that this `olde Fart' has put in his 2¢ worth I hope that *maybe* there can be a bit more `reasoned' comparison made between the two units. While I have admitted to *my* predjudices I won't be all that surprised that it will be found that the similarities between the two are greater than the differences and it will eventually boil down to said individual `predjudices' / `preferences' / `loyalty' that most of us have. Any differences that may be of consequence after taking into account the aforementioned `Individual PPLs' *may* be more `situational' than not.

As I said before this is just an `Olde Fart's' 2¢ worth and you can go back to the regulary scheduled squabbling. This break brought to you via the British Broadcorping Castrastion... err... British Broadcasting Corporation. Now take the horseshoes out of your gloves, shake hands, return to your corners, and come out when the bell rings. {CHORTLE!}

 

[MB]

Where I live is by no means "RF Hell"! It is far from it. I NEED an external antenna to pick up most traffic. I live in a small rural community in the mountains. We don't even have good cell phone service here.

I have spoken with at least 5 other people about this issue with the 2055. They all say that their 2055s overload and desense really easy with external antennas. However, I do notice that the PRO97 and 2055 do perform well with just a portable antenna.

 

[Halfpint]

Where I live is by no means "RF Hell"! It is far from it. I NEED an external antenna to pick up most traffic. I live in a small rural community in the mountains. We don't even have good cell phone service here.

Actually I am also in what amazingly enough can still be somewhat called a `rural' area. We happen to still, until we can finally find a buyer and get outa here, live on a family farm that has been owned by the same family for a couple years shy of 100 yrs. The reason why it's `RF Hell' is mainly *because* it's been country! Just about every Tom, Dick, or Harry that has or had a radio station, AM & FM, or wanted to put up a repeater or pager has put it up out here away from all the assorted R&R they have to put up with in the municipal areas. We have *5* `megawatt' FM stations just down the road from us on one side, there is a TV station off in another direction just as close. We've had over a dozen and a half different companies try and approach us to lease them space to put up towers for just about everything from DC to Daylight and several neighbors only a section away from us have fallen for their siren song of monthly lease payments. While we are now being encroached by advancing `civilization?' in the form of rapidly expanding developement of several towns in the area and might possibly see some of these people and their RF `pollution' we now experience move on to `newer pastures' because the `control freaks' in those town governments actually do something right and either get them to reduce their signals or `get outa dodge' and maybe have some relief I am not going to count on it happening.

What makes this even more problematical is that even with all this RF I *still* have to have an antenna or two that can receive weak signals to clearly hear the signals I have my scanners for. In between all the other dreck!

I have spoken with at least 5 other people about this issue with the 2055. They all say that their 2055s overload and desense really easy with external antennas. However, I do notice that the PRO97 and 2055 do perform well with just a portable antenna.

Right now, since as I said before I am in the process of trying to get everything else all packed up, I have only three antennas currently up and in use. A much re-worked / modified RS Discone to handle UHF Lo & Hi, one of those mil-surplus `Swedish' `field' discones modified to handle VHF Lo & Hi , and an RF Engineering `active' HF antenna along with a Timewave ANC-4 and it's `sense' antenna for `the bottom end'. The only scanners that I use a `portable' antenna on are my Handhelds.

Like I said before in *my* experience and `environment' I don't seem to be having the problems you related with my 2055s.

Just remember that this is just this `Olde Fart's' 2¢ worth and YMMV. (GRIN!}