Realistic Pro 43 questions

[moonbounce]

Looking to buy a Pro 43 for mil air only, just wondering if it would be a good radio and is there something better, it will be a $50 radio? Also can anyone who has one tell me if you can lockout birdies when scanning the mil air band, my Pro 2006 won't do that and it is quite annoying.

Thanks
Moonbounce

 

[slicerwizard]

No, you can't. Pro-43's have 256 words of modifiable storage, most of which is used for the 200 channel memories. There is no memory for birdie tracking or any other fancy stuff.

 

[FalconMaster]

Don't know if you can filter birdies with passive inline type Notch filter but might be worth investigating. I had a Pro43 about 20 years ago but don't truly recall. It was a great radio at the time.

 

[moonbounce]

Unfortunately as per Sl

No, you can't. Pro-43's have 256 words of modifiable storage, most of which is used for the 200 channel memories. There is no memory for birdie tracking or any other fancy stuff.

Thanks Slicerwizard that was a need to know, I would be buying the same problem I am trying to get away from.

 

[tvengr]

Don't know if you can filter birdies with passive inline type Notch filter but might be worth investigating. I had a Pro43 about 20 years ago but don't truly recall. It was a great radio at the time.

No! Birdies are generated in the scanner. A filter in the antenna line will have no effect. Check your manual. Some give a list of birdie frequencies. A notch filter will help if you have a problem with a strong paging transmitter or similar interference.

 

[Paco-Jerte]

Still one of my fav scanners and use frequently. I barely get the so called birdies in my area . (L.A)

 

[FalconMaster]

No! Birdies are generated in the scanner. A filter in the antenna line will have no effect. Check your manual. Some give a list of birdie frequencies. A notch filter will help if you have a problem with a strong paging transmitter or similar interference.

Haven't heard of radio causing it's own birdies. Guess anything is possible. Must be a conflict between Local Oscillator and IF's. Or some other type of regeneration. I'm more familiar with hardware than software. I do know that radio's like the Yaesu 991A have a built-in filter for birdies that works quite well.

 

[tvengr]

Haven't heard of radio causing it's own birdies.

From Radio Shack Pro-197 manual:

Birdie Frequencies
Every scanner has birdie frequencies. Birdies are signals created inside the scanner’s receiver, which may interfere with transmissions on the same frequencies. If you program one of these frequencies, you hear only noise on that frequency. If the interference is not severe, you might be able to turn Sqelch clockwise to omit the birdie. To find the birdies in your scanner, disconnect the antenna and moving it away from the scanner. Make sure that no other nearby radio or TV sets are turned on near the scanner. Use the Tune function and scan every frequency range from its lowest frequency to the highest. Occasionally, the searching will stop as if it had found a signal, often without any sound. This is a birdie. Make a list of all the birdies in your scanner for future reference

 

[videobruce]

I wouldn't worry about birdies, all they are are dead frequencies. Worry about intermod instead.