PSR-500 and PSR-600 Pre Release

[loumaag]

Pay Attention to This!

People, this is first the GRE forum, not the RS forum. Second this is a sticky thread dealing with the PSR-500 and PSR-600 scanners, not Uniden or RS sales policies or equipment.

No further wandering within this thread will be allowed, including any comments about previous off topic posts, all subsequent off topic posts (and replies) will be deleted without further comment; get back on topic. :evil:

 

[ka3jjz]

OK then here's an on topic question - can the step size be changed independent of the frequency?

It's been noted that the default step size in the milair band is 5 khz - that's a serious problem for 380 mhz trunks, where the step size must be 12.5 khz. 73s Mike

 

[DaveIN]

OK then here's an on topic question - can the step size be changed independent of the frequency?

It's been noted that the default step size in the milair band is 5 khz - that's a serious problem for 380 mhz trunks, where the step size must be 12.5 khz. 73s Mike

Here you go Mike:

380 MHz trunking: The trunking "object" includes a "VHF/UHF" selection, and you can put in all of the offset/base etc. It also has a full trunking table capability for each trunking object (with plenty of entry slots!). As far as I can tell there is no freq limitation on trunking like the Pro-96 had. So you enter the data in the trunking object, and it will tune to any freq (except cellular of course).

 

[ka3jjz]

That doesn't answer the question, Dave - unless I'm missing something here (quite possible). Is the tuning step selectable regardless of the frequency to which you're tuned? If you can't tune a 380 mhz trunk channel with a 12.5 khz step (say, 385.0125), you're going to have problems if you try tuning it with a 5khz step.

73s and thanx Mike

 

[kikito]

That doesn't answer the question, Dave - unless I'm missing something here (quite possible). Is the tuning step selectable regardless of the frequency to which you're tuned? If you can't tune a 380 mhz trunk channel with a 12.5 khz step (say, 385.0125), you're going to have problems if you try tuning it with a 5khz step.

73s and thanx Mike

I think and hope this new scanner will have the selectable step size. On a related note, our local trunked VHF system also uses 12.5kHz stepping on the part of the band that's set to 7.5kHz. The Pro-96 tunes to nearest step and everything works good anyway. But definitely, I would like for the new models to bring back selectable steps....

 

[emt331000]

On a similar note, I hope that frequency modulation is user selectable for EDACS wide & narrow/standard systems.

 

[WayneH]

That doesn't answer the question, Dave - unless I'm missing something here (quite possible).

Yes, it does. The settings in the trunked tables are independent of the normal search or conventional channel spacing. 12.5kHz is a valid spacing for calculating trunked channels.

 

[DaveIN]

On a similar note, I hope that frequency modulation is user selectable for EDACS wide & narrow/standard systems.

The EDACS modes are listed as available for wide, narrow, and SCAT. However user selectable FM has not been mentioned yet.

 

[EAN840]

Anyone have the full spec list on the two models?

It is too bad the LCD on the mobile model is so small. It ought to be much larger for a mobile application so you can see it further away.

Why does the mobile version have an icon for a battery? will you be able to operate it with batterys?

 

[rdale]

Are you sure you see that on the scanner or just a graphic on the Wiki?

 

[loumaag]

The EDACS modes are listed as available for wide, narrow, and SCAT.

This is a welcome improvement over the previous models we are used to!

 

[n4jri]

Yes, it does. The settings in the trunked tables are independent of the normal search or conventional channel spacing. 12.5kHz is a valid spacing for calculating trunked channels.

I don't think that this is the needed reassurance, because calculating channels from the trunking table, and actually TUNING the radio to the calculated channel are two different things. In the PRO-96, you can calculate trunked channels down to increments of 0.125 kHz (per experiments by Don Starr). However, the frequency actually tuned on the radio in response to the trunking command must conform to the radio's bandplan. We discovered this in Virginia, where the statewide STARS system calculates trunked channels in 2.5 kHz increments. There was one non-legit frequency (151.4875, I believe) which did not match the PRO-96's 7.5 kHz VHF bandplan, so the radio rounded it to 151.49 to conform with said bandplan.

Given this fact, there is certainly reason to carefully check on what the 500/600's capabilities are in the 380 MHz range. Concerns about 12.5 kHz trunking in a freq range with a stated 5 kHz bandplan are NOT answered by the fact that the radio will calculate the 12.5 kHz segments. In their previous model, the trunking programming could no more tune the radio to a non-bandplan frequency than you could if you tried from the keypad.

A question of particular concern might be how the new radio rounds off non-bandplan freqs. Will it round up AND down, or just up?

73/Allen (N4JRI)

 

[DaveIN]

Why does the mobile version have an icon for a battery? will you be able to operate it with batterys?

Are you sure you see that on the scanner or just a graphic on the Wiki?

I think Rob is right, it's just a copy, paste from the PSR-500 display graphic. Keep in mind those are preliminary. Even the colors and keypad configurations could be different.

I really don't think the Hamvention rumor of "out next month" holds any water.

 

[DaveIN]

This is a welcome improvement over the previous models we are used to!

Agreed, this time the specifications are much closer to what Uniden has to offer.

 

[yaesumofo]

Does this mean that RS will not be selling scanners anymore?
Or does it mean that RS will again sell re-branded Uniden radios?
It is hard to imagine a Radio Shack which doesn't sell scanners.
Also keep in mind that Uniden has yet to announce their Next Gen Digital scanners.
It looks like a game of catch up to me.
Lets face it there is plenty of room in the North American market for a "NEW" brand of scanners. I would love to see GRE Produce and sell a High Quality Next Gen Digital scanners on the open market. This would apply some pressure on Uniden to create More and better radios and lower prices.
Look at the $500+ we have to spend, Each even an older BC-250 with the digital card is $450.00.
I submit to all of you that the High price of scanners today is as a direct result of a LACK of real competition in the design manufacture and sales of Scanners. Having GRE enter the market on an equal footing with Uniden may be able to cause a little downward pressure on prices. One can hope.
Yaesumofo

My buddy up at Advanced Specialties here in NJ has told me that Radio Shack has officially passed on marketing these units. They will carry the GRECOM name only...

 

[Stick0413]

Does this mean that RS will not be selling scanners anymore?
Or does it mean that RS will again sell re-branded Uniden radios?
It is hard to imagine a Radio Shack which doesn't sell scanners.
Also keep in mind that Uniden has yet to announce their Next Gen Digital scanners.
It looks like a game of catch up to me.
Lets face it there is plenty of room in the North American market for a "NEW" brand of scanners. I would love to see GRE Produce and sell a High Quality Next Gen Digital scanners on the open market. This would apply some pressure on Uniden to create More and better radios and lower prices.
Look at the $500+ we have to spend, Each even an older BC-250 with the digital card is $450.00.
I submit to all of you that the High price of scanners today is as a direct result of a LACK of real competition in the design manufacture and sales of Scanners. Having GRE enter the market on an equal footing with Uniden may be able to cause a little downward pressure on prices. One can hope.
Yaesumofo

We don't know for sure that RS isn't going to brand them. If you look at the one picture of the one lucky guy on here that had a chance to hold one of these units you can see the K at the end of it (there is no K is GRE or GRECOM :wink: ) While we don't know 100% if they will be Radio Shack branded we also don't know 100% that they won't be. I am not saying the previous post was wrong but we do not know 100% until they announce one way or the other. Either way they are saying these scanners will be on the price line of the 96/2096 ($500).

 

[rescue161]

To me, buying a GRE scanner with the Radio Shack name on it is like when pagers were popular and you'd buy a Motorola pager and it would be restickered with some other companies name all over it, i.e., Pagemart, Pagenet, etc.

I hope that when I get mine, it'll say GRECOM.

 

[JohnGingras]

Ugly

I thought brick sized scanners were a thing of the past! TOO big, TOO ugly, come on GRE you can do better than this.

 

[iMONITOR]

I thought brick sized scanners were a thing of the past! TOO big, TOO ugly, come on GRE you can do better than this.

At least the external power, and earphone jacks don't break when you sneeze (like some other little scanner I heard about).

 

[N4JNW]

I hope that when I get mine, it'll say GRECOM.

That would be awesome!