im looking to but a new scanner analog and was wondering are the 310/410 worth it and wherecan i buy one right now for a good price looked at the analog unidens prices are up there.
psr gre 310/410 scanner input
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I've got a GRE 410 and like it very much. The only thing is that these scanners are a little bit problematic the program. I bought the subscription to radio reference which made programming 100% easier. This scanner is very programmable and very easy to personalize in whatever way you like it. If you have any more questions, feel free to write back. I just bought my scanner a week ago or so. I live in Washington state and get pretty good reception. Take care and good luck, Brad
zl2taw
Member
I have a 410, great bit of kit
You can grab one from Scannermaster, they are a sponser for Radio Reference
I did get mine from there & they shipped all the way to Australia, and currently have a Uniden BCT15X in transit from them.
I think they do great prices
(btw I am not affliated with them, just another happy customer)
You can grab one from Scannermaster, they are a sponser for Radio Reference
I did get mine from there & they shipped all the way to Australia, and currently have a Uniden BCT15X in transit from them.
I think they do great prices
(btw I am not affliated with them, just another happy customer)
I bought one a couple weeks ago, having already bought 2 Pro 197's and a Pro 106 (PSR 600, PSR 500). I'm telling ya, the only thing I miss with the 410 is that it doesn't have V Folders. I bought it because ninety nine percent of my local traffic is analog narrowband. Great receiver, nice display, and the face plate is damned sleek if you asked me. Get one, even if for the hell of it!
PSR-310 or PSR-410
I got mine from Amazon, but purchased earlier models from ScannerMaster.
Make sure you purchase a programming cable and software to program it. I bought WIN500 and started the programming process weeks before I got the scanner. That way, when the scanner arrived, all I had to do was upload to it. Certainly it would be quicker to import from RR, but I like to heavily customize what I monitor.
One aspect of these scanners I found interesting to program is the tri-color LED. I spent quite a bit of time programming, and then later tweeking the LED programming. There's a lot to consider with regard to the LED as well as how you organize your scan lists.
Those models are "state of the art" analog scanners. Get the '310 if you want a hand-held model, or the '410 if you want a base model.
I got mine from Amazon, but purchased earlier models from ScannerMaster.
Make sure you purchase a programming cable and software to program it. I bought WIN500 and started the programming process weeks before I got the scanner. That way, when the scanner arrived, all I had to do was upload to it. Certainly it would be quicker to import from RR, but I like to heavily customize what I monitor.
One aspect of these scanners I found interesting to program is the tri-color LED. I spent quite a bit of time programming, and then later tweeking the LED programming. There's a lot to consider with regard to the LED as well as how you organize your scan lists.
Don't Forget !
Hi All,
Don't forget ther Radio Company ! Fast friendly service and they currently have the PSR 300 for about $170. I just bought a PS-600 for about 350$ - cheapest price I could find.
http://www.theradiocompany.com/
Mike
Hi All,
Don't forget ther Radio Company ! Fast friendly service and they currently have the PSR 300 for about $170. I just bought a PS-600 for about 350$ - cheapest price I could find.
http://www.theradiocompany.com/
Mike
The PSR-300 is old technology, it does not have narrow band mode. I just paid $149 for a PSR-310 from Amazon and about a week later ScannerMaster was advertising that price as well.
nwiscan
Member
The 310 is very user friendly I think. Depending on where you live, generally I dont think the software and cable are neccessary.... I was able to program a somewhat large system in two states easily.
The expanded manual is helpful:
Easier to Read PSR310/410 Scanner Manual
The alpha tags on both units are excellent and have made my scanning experience much more enjoyable.
The expanded manual is helpful:
Easier to Read PSR310/410 Scanner Manual
The alpha tags on both units are excellent and have made my scanning experience much more enjoyable.
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The GRE PSR-310/410 are decent analog scanners, and a pretty good value for the price (usually $150 new).
However they do have their shortcomings, and there is a reason the Uniden BC346XT and BCT15X cost a bit more. I'll try to list a few key differences and pros/cons based on my own personal experiences.
I'm not saying the 310/410 are bad scanners, I do own a 410 myself which I like. However again, there is a reason they don't cost as much as the comparable Uniden models. They are not as feature rich, for one. As far as the 310/410 being "state of the art", I would definitely argue that the Uniden models have the same features the GRE's have, and then some. Given that the Uniden models were designed 2 years prior to the GRE models, and the 310/410 are really based on the older 500/600 technology, I'm not so sure calling them "state of the art" is particularly true.
However they do have their shortcomings, and there is a reason the Uniden BC346XT and BCT15X cost a bit more. I'll try to list a few key differences and pros/cons based on my own personal experiences.
- The GRE models do not come with a programming cable, whereas the Uniden models do. That's another $30 to $35 investment you need to factor into the purchase of a 310/410.
- There is free programming software available for the Uniden models (FreeSCAN), whereas all software packages for the GRE models must be purchased. Depending on the software you choose, that's another $25 to $35 investment that should be factored into the purchase of a 310/410.
- The 310/410 models are limited to 1800 objects, which includes conventional frequencies as well as trunked system talkgroups and radio ID's. The Uniden models can hold up to 9000 objects.
- The 310/410 models are limited to 20 scanlists. The Uniden models can be organized into 500 systems, with 100 "Quick Keys" which act like scanlists.
- The Uniden models have GPS capability, which can enable/disable systems automatically based on your location. This is handy if you travel frequently.
- The Uniden models feature a faster scan rate. Yes, it is noticeable at times, the GRE models are slower.
- GRE scanners are notorious for having a weak front end, which means they are prone to overload. Some GRE owners perceive this as the GRE being "more sensitive", but that's not really the case. The Unidens are just as sensitive, but do a better job at rejecting intermod.
- The GRE models cover the MilAir band, whereas the BC346XT does not. If you intend on monitoring MilAir with a handheld, stay away from the BC346XT.
- The frequency steps for searches can be changed in the Uniden models. They are fixed with the GRE models. This comes into play in particular with the civil air band, where the GRE are fixed at 8.33 kHz stepping. You can change the Uniden to 12.5 kHz or 25 kHz to match the current usage in the US, making for much faster searches.
- The Uniden models have a nice feature known as "Tone Lockout", which will ignore a particular PL/DPL tone on a programmed frequency. This comes in handy if you listen to an agency that uses CSQ, but there's a nearby user on the same frequency using a PL that you wish to ignore. Or if you wish to listen to a particular frequency that multiple agencies share, but you want to block out one particular agency.
- The Uniden models feature IF Exchange, which allows you to change the intermediate frequency to avoid images.
I'm not saying the 310/410 are bad scanners, I do own a 410 myself which I like. However again, there is a reason they don't cost as much as the comparable Uniden models. They are not as feature rich, for one. As far as the 310/410 being "state of the art", I would definitely argue that the Uniden models have the same features the GRE's have, and then some. Given that the Uniden models were designed 2 years prior to the GRE models, and the 310/410 are really based on the older 500/600 technology, I'm not so sure calling them "state of the art" is particularly true.
eagleswings01
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I love my 310! It has taken some time to learn and setup correctly, but I am very happy with it, especially for the price. Programming cables/software will make your job easier, but if you're on a budget then just grab the scanner for $150.
I programmed mine entirely by hand, and it has certainly been helpful in my getting to know the scanner. I would highly recommend one!
Good luck,
Mike
P.S.
I have a couple of small video tutorials (link below) on the 310 if that helps you get a closer look.
I programmed mine entirely by hand, and it has certainly been helpful in my getting to know the scanner. I would highly recommend one!
Good luck,
Mike
P.S.
I have a couple of small video tutorials (link below) on the 310 if that helps you get a closer look.
Gre psr-310
Agreed. I believe it is a mistake by GRE to not provide their protocols for all of their scanners so that anyone can develop programming software. However, there are some "junk" programs out there for some Uniden models for this same reason. You get what you pay for.
If you need more objects, get the PSR-500 which has V-scanner feature. Scanning as many as 1800 objects at one time with one of these scanners means you'll be missing a lot of radio traffic. If you just want the capacity in the scanner for things like traveling, V-scanner works for that.
Agreed. Unidens have always been better when it comes to features. This is not a complex issue that GRE should examine.
Great for some people, but I want to enable/disable what I am hearing manually. When on the road, I will turn off something "5 minutes" behind me while enabling what is within an hour in front of me.
Faster scan rate = lower effective sensitivity. If you're scanning more than 1800 objects, and those are all strong signals, then the faster scan is ok. Otherwise, it's just a feature.
I have not made my decisions based on anything more than putting two scanners side by side, connecting them to the same antenna, and listen to find out which one picks up better. Sensitivity wise, my personal experience shows the '310 is as good as any scanners available today.
Another basic feature GRE should implement. Not complicated to do at all.
Don't confuse "features" with "state-of-the-art" as they are not the same thing. State-of-the-art was meant to refer to the fact they can handle rebanded 800 MHz Motorola type systems, handle narrowbanded channels and are getting away from bank-oriented scanning. I am not the only one to say this: if you want features get a Uniden, if you want performance, get a GRE. I know that will solicit lots of comments from Uniden users that swear by them. It's the old "Coke vs Pepsi" or "Ford vs Chevy" type argument. To each their own.
Actually they are upgraded from the '500 design as the '500 design does not really handle narrowbanding. This was discussed recently in another thread....the 310/410 are really based on the older 500/600 technology, I'm not so sure calling them "state of the art" is particularly true.
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I'm not quite certain why you felt the need to pick my post apart line by line to defend GRE, but I hope you feel better now? :lol:
FreeSCAN is excellent software, so your point is entirely moot.
Who said anything about scanning 1800+ objects at once? The point is that the Unidens have the ability to store 9000 objects in 500 systems available for instant use. No cumbersome loading of "V-folders". When you combine this with the GPS scanning feature of the Unidens, all that memory really shines. Think out of the box a little bit, not everyone is scanning 1800+ conventional objects.
More baseless claims from a GRE user regarding "better sensitivity". I can tell you for a fact that my Uniden stops on signals just as weak as those my GRE stops on, with all things being equal (same antenna, same amount of objects being scanned, etc.) Show me some actual numbers to back up this claim of "better sensitivity", otherwise it's just your non-objective opinion.
Unidens can handle rebanding and narrowbanding without breaking a sweat. Uniden has the edge on getting away from bank-oriented scanning much moreso than GRE. We already determined that based on the fact that GRE is still limited to just 20 scanlists, which in effect still behave like banks. Uniden's Systems/Groups DMA truly gets away from the bank-oriented scanning mentality. Ergo, the Uniden XT models are truly "state of the art" based on every feature they have that GRE doesn't, per my previous post. GRE still has some catching up to do in some areas, as you've admitted yourself.
Again with the unsubstantiated "if you want performance, get a GRE" claims. Show me numbers to back this up, otherwise, please stop perpetuating the myth. Stop trying to make the case that Uniden sacrifices performance just to cram more features in their products, it's simply not true.
They are a very minor "upgrade". Basically a bigger LCD and bold text, that's it.
You are incorrect about the 500/600 not having narrowband capability, please refer to this post for further clarification:
The GRE 500/600 series and the newer 310/410 series DO switch in a narrower IF filter when the NFM mode is selected
FreeSCAN is excellent software, so your point is entirely moot.
Who said anything about scanning 1800+ objects at once? The point is that the Unidens have the ability to store 9000 objects in 500 systems available for instant use. No cumbersome loading of "V-folders". When you combine this with the GPS scanning feature of the Unidens, all that memory really shines. Think out of the box a little bit, not everyone is scanning 1800+ conventional objects.
More baseless claims from a GRE user regarding "better sensitivity". I can tell you for a fact that my Uniden stops on signals just as weak as those my GRE stops on, with all things being equal (same antenna, same amount of objects being scanned, etc.) Show me some actual numbers to back up this claim of "better sensitivity", otherwise it's just your non-objective opinion.
Unidens can handle rebanding and narrowbanding without breaking a sweat. Uniden has the edge on getting away from bank-oriented scanning much moreso than GRE. We already determined that based on the fact that GRE is still limited to just 20 scanlists, which in effect still behave like banks. Uniden's Systems/Groups DMA truly gets away from the bank-oriented scanning mentality. Ergo, the Uniden XT models are truly "state of the art" based on every feature they have that GRE doesn't, per my previous post. GRE still has some catching up to do in some areas, as you've admitted yourself.
Again with the unsubstantiated "if you want performance, get a GRE" claims. Show me numbers to back this up, otherwise, please stop perpetuating the myth. Stop trying to make the case that Uniden sacrifices performance just to cram more features in their products, it's simply not true.
They are a very minor "upgrade". Basically a bigger LCD and bold text, that's it.
You are incorrect about the 500/600 not having narrowband capability, please refer to this post for further clarification:
The GRE 500/600 series and the newer 310/410 series DO switch in a narrower IF filter when the NFM mode is selected
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Analog Trunking Scanners, ya have the Uniden BCT15X and the $60 cheaper GRE PSR-410. I own one BCT15X and it is a great scanner. I own four PSR-410s and find them just as capable for my needs.
For traveling I don't use the BCT15X and GPS. It is much easier to use an old BCT7 or BCT8. Both units have the Bear Tracker feature in which you don't have to program squat. I toggle on the fly as to what state I'm in and floor it till I run out of gas.
For traveling I don't use the BCT15X and GPS. It is much easier to use an old BCT7 or BCT8. Both units have the Bear Tracker feature in which you don't have to program squat. I toggle on the fly as to what state I'm in and floor it till I run out of gas.
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does The 410 overload on the Railroad band like the 600 did
Yes, but I use a FM broadcast bandpass filter and it helps with the overloading.
ty all for the replies i just received mine from scannermater for christmas
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