Scanner Tales: More weird scanners

[IC-R20]

I think it was a legit Sony product. The physical fit and feel was spot on for other Sony products of the era. The programming almost felt like it was logical to the engineer who designed the workflow, but not to the userbase that would be buying it.

The designer only considered the Japanese market which isn't as spoonfed and diabetic as the pampers wearing USA consumer. They had some really great shortwave portables over the decades as well that were similar.

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

Folks, . . . Does anyone here recognize the specific wire harness connector style ? The original external speaker was the SP-1. I'm attempting to restore two of these old workhorses using the factory type connectors. Are they MOLEX, or Ampseal, or Amphenol ? I dunno.

They are Mizu-P25 connectors. I bought the mating connectors from Mouser to clean up my MR8100 pigtails and to make mating cables. The items in the MOUSER order (Except first line item Batteries) are for the complete set.

 

[wqmg930]

Initially, I had to find a MX 7000 side view because I "thought" it had mounting screws on the side.

I bought this bad little boy at Andy's Radio off of Telephone Road in Houston. I believe this was in the late '80s.

In my opinion, Regency made outstanding scanners. I paid $518 for it. This was a great radio due to "no gaps."

At the time, bag cell phones were around. If you were in a small city, some folks could follow a cell phone conversation.

If my remote recall is correct, this radio went from 25 to 1300 Mhz.

I believe the MX 7000 was slow scanning.

The radio crapped out when the keyboard stopped working. In the attached pic, it looks like someone bypassed the keyboard.

Later, I bought one of the best radios I've ever owned, a Regency HX-1500. The guts of the HX-1500 were quite impressive. I believe this scanner was "shielded."

This was one of the best I've own.

There was yet another slow scanner, the AOR AR 1000 which I accidentally fried after playing radio technician.

I had the MX5500 - wore out the keyboard - I did love listening to tv late at night on the radio

 

[jmp883]

Some interesting radios posted here.

Of the ones listed so far I had 2 Pro-2026', one mobile and one in the house. I always thought it was a pretty good radio. I don't seem to remember the programming issues, but I do remember not having to do much with it once I had it initially programmed. It did have excellent audio and was small enough to fit almost anywhere you might want to mount in a vehicle. It would have been nice it if it had PL in it. I learned a trick from a friend of mine that if you clipped one of the leads on of the diodes on the front of the circuit board it would unblock the cellular bands. I did that to one of my 2026's but after a few weeks I resoldered the lead, the aviation, railroads, and emergency services were far more interesting to listen to.

I also had a Sony WaveHawk. Nice radio, good audio, but as I recall it was a pain in the ass to program. But when I wanted to listen to aviation that was my go-to radio.

 

[mws72]

How about the 760XLT clones that Scanner World sold the 950XLT. Inside the same as the 760XLT just labelled as the 950XLT on the outside. They also had the 600XLT I forget which Uniden scanner it was.

 

[N9JIG]

How about the 760XLT clones that Scanner World sold the 950XLT. Inside the same as the 760XLT just labelled as the 950XLT on the outside. They also had the 600XLT I forget which Uniden scanner it was.

I think the 600 was a clone of the 560. They used different color plastics for the front panel to help differentiate them from the 760 and 560.

 

[csh102]

They are Mizu-P25 connectors. I bought the mating connectors from Mouser to clean up my MR8100 pigtails and to make mating cables. The items in the MOUSER order (Except first line item Batteries) are for the complete set.

Many thanks again. This helps. I have two of these units, . . . each with the antenna connector positioned on the case along with the proper SP-1 speakers. One unit still retains the original MIZU connectors.

 

[nosoup4u]

I think the Shinwa SR-001 belongs on this list. I think it is the only scanner that had a remote control.

RigPix Database - Other receiver & scanner brands - Shinwa SR-001

 

[kc2asb]

I think the Shinwa SR-001 belongs on this list. I think it is the only scanner that had a remote control.

RigPix Database - Other receiver & scanner brands - Shinwa SR-001

That is a new one and it looks more like a car stereo. The Icom R-7000 had an optional IR remote, but it was really a communications receiver, not a scanner.

 

[nosoup4u]

That is a new one and it looks more like a car stereo. The Icom R-7000 had an optional IR remote, but it was really a communications receiver, not a scanner.

Scanner World used to sell them back in the early 90's. I had always wanted to get one and replace my car stereo with it.

 

[kc2asb]

Scanner World used to sell them back in the early 90's. I had always wanted to get one and replace my car stereo with it.

Scanner World had full page ads in Popular Communications every month. Those were the days! The SR-001's styling still looks contemporary today

 

[ratboy]

The whole 100/105, 200/205, etc thing was very odd to me. I had the Scanner World ones, mostly, as far as Uniden made radios went. Was the Shinwa the one that also made a great heater for your car? There was one I had that just cooked itself. So many radios, so many years ago..

 

[kc2asb]

The whole 100/105, 200/205, etc thing was very odd to me.

Was the 205 no longer modifiable for cell frequencies? I always thought that was the difference between the 200 & 205.

 

[N9JIG]

Was the 205 no longer modifiable for cell frequencies? I always thought that was the difference between the 200 & 205.

I don't think that was it. The 200/100 were sold by general dealers and Scanner World had the 205/105, much like they had the 950 instead of the 760.

Uniden also sold the BC100 and 200 with Regency branding and model numbers, other than cosmetics they were identical.

 

[pb_lonny]

GME RX1300.
Had multiple channel banks, but only one bank could be scanned at a time...

 

[ratboy]

Was the 205 no longer modifiable for cell frequencies? I always thought that was the difference between the 200 & 205.

As far as I know the only differences between them was the 05's were made in the Phillipines, and were a different case color. I had them opened up side by side and saw nothing to make me think otherwise.

 

[kc2asb]

Circa 1997, here is another one that might qualify as a weird scanner, the Uniden BCT-10 BearTracker. The scanner that looked more like a radar detector. It scanned police and highway patrol, allowing the user to select his/her state or Canadian province. When it detected highway patrol and/or mobile extenders, it would sound an alarm. It came with the rubber duck antenna pictured, as well as a flexible mobile antenna. $299 in 1997 dollars.

RigPix Database - Bearcat/Uniden - BCT-10 BearTracker

 

[trentbob]

Seems the Uniden MR8100 would fall into the weird scanner family, with its unconventional keypad. I remember these being advertised in Pop Comm back in the late 80's and early 90's. I believe it was referred to it as a "professional scanner". Did anyone here own one back in the day?

RigPix Database - Bearcat/Uniden - MR-8100

You couldn't beat those huge dials, it looked like a professional radio and fit well in any car, I wish that design was expanded on, I did have one of those but it was somewhat limited in its capacity as newer scanners came out but that design was great.

 

[trentbob]

So if anybody is familiar with this scanner, I owned it for about 5 years early '80s maybe I just don't remember and finally sold it, it was an oddball.

It had something in the name Fox like Fox something or something Fox it might have been its own company. If not maybe Regency made it. I didn't find a picture of it.

It was programmable but not with a keyboard you open the door on the top and it had an entry system on top that you open the door to get at. It was direct entry, no code books Here's some good Clues.

Had had a Mot pin antenna connection, it was small, like the size of an 8-track cartridge. Small for a scanner. I think it was 10 channels it wasn't big enough for 16. Yellow front plate with scanning diodes, black chassis. All plastic.

You always regret scanners that you sell but right now I regret the ones that I kept LOL in the garage. Never going to use them again.

It does remind me every time when I enjoyed scanning a lot more than I do now. If anybody knows the radio let me know, thanks.

 

[kc2asb]

Found this one in an Ebay auction. It's a Fox BMP 10/60. It does not have the door on top that you mentioned, but is 10 channels. No yellow panel on front either. Does this one have any similarities to the one you had?