Programming Radio Shack Pro 106

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eehowell

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I am a New Kensington (Westmoreland County), PA resident. I have a new RS PRO 106 scanner and I am having trouble programming it. I know if I had someone walk me through a few basics, I'd be up and running. I don't know enough about the parameters to guess. I've tried guessing and I'm worse off than before I started. Any help would be greatly appreciated. THANKS! Ed Howell
 

RomeRon

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Rome Ga.
I am a New Kensington (Westmoreland County), PA resident. I have a new RS PRO 106 scanner and I am having trouble programming it. I know if I had someone walk me through a few basics, I'd be up and running. I don't know enough about the parameters to guess. I've tried guessing and I'm worse off than before I started. Any help would be greatly appreciated. THANKS! Ed Howell

Is this what you want to program?
http://www.radioreference.com/apps/db/?sid=2594

Are you using software to program? Here are three with a 30 day trial.
Win500: PSR-500, PSR-600, PRO-106, PRO-197, PSR-310, PSR-410 Scanner Software for Data Management, Monitoring, and Control
PSREdit500 - Configuration Editor for the PSR-500, PSR-600, PRO-106, and PRO-197 Scanners
GRE GRECOM RadioShack PRO-106 PRO106 PRO-197 PRO197 PSR-500 PSR-600 PRO-106 PRO106 PRO-197 PRO197 PSR500 PSR600 Software
One of these will make it easier than programing manualy.
 
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K4RBT

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May 12, 2011
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Programming PRO-106

My wife bought me a PRO-106 Saturday. I tried using the V-Folder that had the Virginia information and tried scanning Roanoke, but nothing. I started to directly program the system in but the small print and a manual that would not stay open messed me up.

I went to Mike's scanner web site and printed the pages for trunking programming and hope this will work.

I am going to get the software but will not be able to computer download until I get a cable my friend is going to give me. Unfortunately, he lives in Richmond, but we plan on going to a Fire Expo this coming weekend so I can pick it up then.

I read one place that the Roanoke County/City system has been rebanded and would guess that the system information in the V-Folder reflects this, maybe not.

Fred Mahone
 

N1BHH

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Jackson Square, East Weymouth, MA.
Many of the V-folders are out of date and have never been updated, except by folks in those areas who have edited them appropriately. You should check the database for any and all changes and edit on your own. There may be folks with files for your area, so check in your state forum. You can also see the easier to read manual online. Take notes, copy and paste, etc.

Easier to Read Pro-106/197/PSR500/600 Digital Scanner Manual
 

K4RBT

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Pro-106 V-Folder

I suspected as much. I did a service search and found the controller stations with a full scale signal strength
so I know that is not the problem. I did go to Mark's website and read the instructions. I am ordering his bound version tonight.
Since I am a premium member, I will be using the files from this site and ease the button pushing!
I have been in to scanning since about 1970. This radio is a lot more complex than my first, a Sonar FR-105!

Fred Mahone
 

K4RBT

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Win500

Unfortunately for Win500, when I installed their demo, I was not able to do anything with it, it was just the screen with no activity possible. i do not know if this was also caused by the problems my computer has or not. In looking at the forums, it appeared to be pretty evenly divided between ARC500 and Win500.
Learning software is no big deal to me. I taught myself Eagle to draft schematics and printed circuit boards, and Autocad and Solid Works. ARC500 will be a walk in the park.
I found that, after learning to program programmable logic control devices, the object oriented scanners are very similar. I understand the flow of the objects and their composition. Programming PLC is actually a college course!

Fred Mahone
 

Hick

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New Pro 106 Owner

I just received my new Pro 106 scanner. I have Win96 which I used to program my Pro96 scanner but I see it won't work with the 106. Does anyone know what program will allow me to import my date from the Win96 program?
 

KC5EIB

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Flower Mound, TX
I just received my new Pro 106 scanner. I have Win96 which I used to program my Pro96 scanner but I see it won't work with the 106. Does anyone know what program will allow me to import my date from the Win96 program?

Win500 for the Pro-106 but I do not remember a way to import the data file from Win96. Data management in Pro-106 is different that the Pro-96
 

hiegtx

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Dallas, TX
Win500 for the Pro-106 but I do not remember a way to import the data file from Win96. Data management in Pro-106 is different that the Pro-96
On the File menu in Win500.

Select File
Then, from the drop-down menu, select Import.
That will open a dialog box to select and open a file.

You can then navigate to the location where your Win96, or other file, is located.
Your file import choices are Win96 (*.96), Win97 (*.97), or a *.CSV file.

As Doug noted, since the file structure is different, some tweaking or modification will be needed.
 

jimbolie1

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Toledo, Ohio
Updated V-Files PRO-106

Many of the V-folders are out of date and have never been updated, except by folks in those areas who have edited them appropriately. You should check the database for any and all changes and edit on your own. There may be folks with files for your area, so check in your state forum. You can also see the easier to read manual online. Take notes, copy and paste, etc.

Easier to Read Pro-106/197/PSR500/600 Digital Scanner Manual

You are certainly right on that one,Toledo,Oh trunk system went digital 3 yrs ago and the V-files still show the old talkgroups.Seems to me they could update them every 4 yrs or so with all the rebanding going on.Most people i know want nothing to do with programming,they just want to hear the local public safety.Especially with the Home Patrol in direct competition by simply entering a Zip Code they need to get with the program for 400.00.Does anyone know if they ever plan to update them?
 

W6KRU

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Oceanside, CA
You are certainly right on that one,Toledo,Oh trunk system went digital 3 yrs ago and the V-files still show the old talkgroups.Seems to me they could update them every 4 yrs or so with all the rebanding going on.Most people i know want nothing to do with programming,they just want to hear the local public safety.Especially with the Home Patrol in direct competition by simply entering a Zip Code they need to get with the program for 400.00.Does anyone know if they ever plan to update them?

If people know nothing about programming, where are they going to acquire the knowledge to effectively use the scanner? I.E. If they don't know the difference between a police dispatch channel and a police TAC channel, how will they know which one to listen to and when.

And then there is the time involved in understanding the lingo that that is heard from a scanner. That is more involved than the programming tasks. IMNSHO, people that want to use a scanner like a toaster, will bore very quickly and never be around long enough to start enjoying the hobby.
 

jimbolie1

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Toledo, Ohio
RadioShack PRO-106 VS-UPDATE

If people know nothing about programming, where are they going to acquire the knowledge to effectively use the scanner? I.E. If they don't know the difference between a police dispatch channel and a police TAC channel, how will they know which one to listen to and when.

And then there is the time involved in understanding the lingo that that is heard from a scanner. That is more involved than the programming tasks. IMNSHO, people that want to use a scanner like a toaster, will bore very quickly and never be around long enough to start enjoying the hobby.

While i agree with what you are saying what does any of this have to do with RS updating their V Files?If you spend $400.00 on a scanner you expect the v-files to be up to date.Why do you think the Home Patrol is such a big seller,most people do not want to bother with the programming,why do you think the cell phone apps and all the live feeds are so popular today?

Can you imagine buying a Home Patrol for $500.00 entering a ZIP Code and getting nothing?I don't think they would have very many happy customers.
 

kc4jgc

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Virginia Beach, VA
I finally bought a -106 last Sunday (2/19) while it was still on special for $349, and am trying to get STARS entered and update the Chesapeake control freqs. Last night I think I finally got some STARS to stay in but still have trouble getting the rebanded Chesapeake system to stay. Each time I leave that V-folder then come back it reverts back to the old freqs. WTH?!

The scanner - PC cable I have when I had my Pro-95 doesn't seem to work for the -106... DAMN! I thought I would save some $. Will have to get the cable with the driver CD soon. (WHY does every peripheral has to have a driver now?)..... Anyway, I have downloaded WIN500; will likely register a bit later but like I did /w the -95, I like to learn how to program manually so that I know how to do away from home on the fly, even though it would be like a big lumbering fly, speed wise for the -106.... Wow, what a learning curve!

I had deleted the contents of several pre-programmed folders for areas I'll never see in order to free up space to program systems like the Virginia Beach P25 trunked system, the remaining STARS in VA, VIPER in NC and others, but it seems once I delete the contents I can't enter any data. I actually duplicated the contents on one folder to another so I could do some editing there (that's how I got STARS to stay programmed).

Anyone /w tips on how to program items onto a now empty v-folder please let me know! I know I'm probably missing something in the manual. RS normally does a very good job /w their manuals in explaining things. Maybe it's that my programming paradigms may not have shifted completely from banks to object scanning....

73,
 

Highpockets

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Dec 31, 2003
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Toms River, New Jersey
I finally bought a -106 last Sunday (2/19) while it was still on special for $349, and am trying to get STARS entered and update the Chesapeake control freqs. Last night I think I finally got some STARS to stay in but still have trouble getting the rebanded Chesapeake system to stay. Each time I leave that V-folder then come back it reverts back to the old freqs. WTH?!

The scanner - PC cable I have when I had my Pro-95 doesn't seem to work for the -106... DAMN! I thought I would save some $. Will have to get the cable with the driver CD soon. (WHY does every peripheral has to have a driver now?)..... Anyway, I have downloaded WIN500; will likely register a bit later but like I did /w the -95, I like to learn how to program manually so that I know how to do away from home on the fly, even though it would be like a big lumbering fly, speed wise for the -106.... Wow, what a learning curve!

I had deleted the contents of several pre-programmed folders for areas I'll never see in order to free up space to program systems like the Virginia Beach P25 trunked system, the remaining STARS in VA, VIPER in NC and others, but it seems once I delete the contents I can't enter any data. I actually duplicated the contents on one folder to another so I could do some editing there (that's how I got STARS to stay programmed).

Anyone /w tips on how to program items onto a now empty v-folder please let me know! I know I'm probably missing something in the manual. RS normally does a very good job /w their manuals in explaining things. Maybe it's that my programming paradigms may not have shifted completely from banks to object scanning....

73,

What cable do you have, 20-047?
 

Highpockets

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Dec 31, 2003
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Toms River, New Jersey
I have to run out, so I'll post this in case you have the 20-047 cable. Get the updated driver, I use the Windows one, under Comments, the Setup Executable 2.08.14. Run the Exe then plug the cable in, don't use the pigtail on the end of the cable, it should work.

http://www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/VCP.htm

I'll check back later to see how you made out. :)

Also, here is a user guide for Win500:

http://utahradio.org/mediawiki/index.php/WIN500
 

rhumes2010

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Dec 28, 2011
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Bowling Green, kY
Need help programming a RS PRO-106

Is there anyone who lives in or around Bowling Green, KY who can assist or program a RS pro-106, It's my dad's and I don't understand any of it.

Thanks
 

sphipps

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Oct 25, 2003
Messages
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Location
Joplin, MO
Most Radio Shacks allow 50% off of any scanner accessories that you purchase along with one of their digital trunking models. I'd go back to that store and see if they would still honor that deal in getting the data cable half off. That would make the price only $17.50 plus tax.

I finally bought a -106 last Sunday (2/19) while it was still on special for $349, and am trying to get STARS entered and update the Chesapeake control freqs.
 
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