Scanners from 1980s

[N7OLQ]

I've held onto most of my old scanners and I have a growing interest in the vintage stuff. Last night I started a Facebook group called Vintage Scanners after searching in vain for an existing group that talks about the restoration, care & feeding of the old scanners. So far I'm the only member

 

[trentbob]

Did anyone have the Electra Crystal controlled bearcat thin scan radios in the late 70s? Very thin pocket radio. Great performer with a metal case. Very durable. Three versions... Black was VHF Hi-Lo, gold that I had was VHF High UHF - 2. And the silver one was aircraft.

 

[trentbob]

I've held onto most of my old scanners and I have a growing interest in the vintage stuff. Last night I started a Facebook group called Vintage Scanners after searching in vain for an existing group that talks about the restoration, care & feeding of the old scanners. So far I'm the only member

As you can see I am a sucker for scanner nostalgia. I'm embarrassed to say how many scanners I have in the boneyard in the garage. I would certainly join your Facebook group except I won't touch Facebook with a ten-foot pole har har har.

 

[N7OLQ]

Yep. Took this pic yesterday.

 

[trentbob]

Yep that's the gold one, less dings and dents than mine has LOL.

 

[ladn]

Did anyone have the Electra Crystal controlled bearcat thin scan radios in the late 70s? Very thin pocket radio. Great performer with a metal case. Very durable. Three versions... Black was VHF Hi-Lo, gold that I had was VHF High UHF - 2. And the silver one was aircraft.

They were good scanners, even by today's standards. I never had any Electra xtal scanners, all of mine were Regency and others that used the same xtal formula. I still have my Regency TMR 8-XL.

After the BC101, I never bought another crystal scanner, but did continue to buy a few crystals for several years since I still used my Regency. Fun days!

 

[trentbob]

They were good scanners, even by today's standards. I never had any Electra xtal scanners, all of mine were Regency and others that used the same xtal formula. I still have my Regency TMR 8-XL.

After the BC101, I never bought another crystal scanner, but did continue to buy a few crystals for several years since I still used my Regency. Fun days!

Absolutely Rodger! They were good days for many reasons and great monitoring. The 101 was a Marvel.

 

[DudleyG]

How about these two I bought in 1980. The crystals in the aircraft one are still valid for the Lexington airport 40 years later. The ones in the other are for police and fire in the old 154MHz, but those agencies are now on an encrypted P25 system

 

[mikewazowski]

I've got a 4 channel Thinscan VHF HI LO. Date inside the battery compartment is Feb 1979.

 

[Randyk4661]

They came along later

They were released in the 70's. I had a BC210 before I left high school.

Electra Co. / Corp. ; Cumberland, IN manufacturer in USA, Mo

Electra Co. / Corp. ; Cumberland, IN manufacturer in USA, Model types from United States of America , 14 radios, 49 pictures, 40 schematics, tubes

www.radiomuseum.org

 

[trentbob]

Most of us had the gold one that was six channels. VHF UHF T band. To have an aircraft silver in that condition is rare, I still have mine and it is full of pretty good-sized dings and dents. Those two radios are in excellent condition!

 

[trap5858]

Oh how this thread has brought back fond memories of friends lost to technology. This hobby is so addicting. We always want to step or jump up to the latest technology but back in the day they knew how to build a portable receiver. At one time or another I too have owned most of the scanners mentioned here. I don't do facebook so won't be joining the vintage scanner group. I do have to say once I discovered RR I realized I was not the only guy with a scanner addiction.

 

[N4DJC]

My first was an Electra Bearcat IV. A good friend that got me into scanning had the III (like my avatar). I gave it to my in-laws when we moved to another state. As far as I know the town was still on the original frequencies until they went to DMR a year ago. The audio on those crystal scanners was great. I bought a BC210 when it first came out. It was the cat's meow at that time.

 

[RandyKuff]

This was my first scanner... Half the fun was building it...
It had a nixie tube for the channel display...

 

[ur20v]

My grandpa gave me an old PRO-2001 in 1988 when I was 10. It was my first programmable scanner, as I had a crystal scanner prior to that (I think it was a Bearcat, but I can't remember). My first portable scanner was a $5 Uniden BC55XLT which was built like tank... I dropped that thing so many times I lost count. Then my dad gave me a BC120XLT for my birthday, a nice upgrade, but I was itching for 800mhz. I got lucky and came across a PRO-37 (on Bill Cheek's "list") at a pawnshop about a month later and traded in my brand new Uniden for it. I did whatever I had to do inside of it and had a lot of fun for a few years with that scanner. I was such a rebel

 

[Randyk4661]

This was my first scanner... Half the fun was building it...
It had a nixie tube for the channel display...

View attachment 100475

View attachment 100476

Was that in the 60's or 70's? That would be a museum piece today.

 

[RandyKuff]

Was that in the 60's or 70's? That would be a museum piece today.

According to the copyright on the assembly manual... 1972

 

[RandyKuff]

Boy was I wrong on the display... Not a nixie... It's been awhile...
But it was not an LED display either.... It's not defined in the parts list exactly what it was...

But I think this was what it used...

Starting in 1970, RCA sold a display device known as the Numitron that used incandescent filaments arranged into a seven-segment display.

 

[KE7TJK]

Still have my Regency MX-3000 in my garage shop. Bought it in 1984. Works great.

 

[smason]

I have a 2004 with CE-232 and a 2006 with an Opto board.
I'm not nostalgic about things, though I DO wish I'd kept some radios. My Pro-2020 Regency Touch, and My Dad's Heathkit GR-54