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VISAR Radio Main Channel on Scan no PL

slingshot202

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Sep 10, 2008
Messages
716
Location
New Jersey
Does anyone have any experience with the Visar and the HT1000 radios? I have been working with them for a bit and the only thing I cannot seem to do is get the main channel when scanning to not have an open PL? So basically when scanning if I take another radio same RX Freq and use a different PL the radio acts as if it is monitoring. Through I have found solutions to the PL being "defeat" and not doing this on every scanned channel, I am still seeing it on the Active channel selected or when I make a channel Priority.

Thanks for any assistance.
 

mbnv992

Member
Joined
Apr 13, 2009
Messages
682
Location
AZ
Good to see someone else is still running Visars ! I have two in my backpack I carry as spare GMRS / emergency radios on a daily basis and they still work fantastic. I have the Li-Ion thin 2000MAH plug-in batteries and they work great on them as well. Hell - one of them is even an AN model and it’s still ticking away looking almost like new.
 

slingshot202

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Sep 10, 2008
Messages
716
Location
New Jersey
Good to see someone else is still running Visars ! I have two in my backpack I carry as spare GMRS / emergency radios on a daily basis and they still work fantastic. I have the Li-Ion thin 2000MAH plug-in batteries and they work great on them as well. Hell - one of them is even an AN model and it’s still ticking away looking almost like new.
I used these back in Long Beach Island, NJ in the 90's. A friend was cleaning out old equipment he had and offered the box to me. I was quite excited. Happy to have them running.

Now I've got the rib box and cable, was able to get the programming updated, etc. 1000021044.jpg
 

MTS2000des

5B2_BEE00 Czar
Joined
Jul 12, 2008
Messages
6,028
Location
Cobb County, GA Stadium Crime Zone
The Visar got a lot of hate. The weakest link being the O-ring seal and super thin front cover mounted controller board. Don't get them wet or feed them after midnight and they usually hold up okay. It's basically an HT1000 with a display in a small case. In 1993 when it was released, it was one of the smallest portables available and was a favorite among mall security and retail LP folks nationwide, thanks to the threaded audio accessory connector.
 

KD9RTX

Member
Joined
Apr 27, 2022
Messages
148
The Visar got a lot of hate. The weakest link being the O-ring seal and super thin front cover mounted controller board. Don't get them wet or feed them after midnight and they usually hold up okay. It's basically an HT1000 with a display in a small case. In 1993 when it was released, it was one of the smallest portables available and was a favorite among mall security and retail LP folks nationwide, thanks to the threaded audio accessory connector.
Not to mention favored by Stargate command for their off-world teams.
 

mbnv992

Member
Joined
Apr 13, 2009
Messages
682
Location
AZ
The Visar was also a very popular movie radio back in the day. I remember it being used in The Rock by most of the main characters, Metro with Eddie Murphy, My Fellow Americans by the Secret Service guys, etc etc

If anyone has any Visars they don’t want PM me since I have more new batteries for Visars than Visars themselves haha
 

mikegilbert

MHz so good
Joined
Sep 7, 2004
Messages
536
Location
Los Angeles
The first Visar I saw was used by a battalion chief in my hometown. Thought it was the coolest radio ever. Wish they did 99 channels though.

Added a mint example to my collection a few years ago. I've got a Visar keychain, but the channel knob got lost at some point.

23281535239_8851cdbc4d_b.jpg
 

mbnv992

Member
Joined
Apr 13, 2009
Messages
682
Location
AZ
Fun fact - supposedly there was a Visar model made that had no display. I’ve never seen a picture of one though.
 

nokones

Newbie
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Feb 19, 2011
Messages
949
Location
Sun City West, AZ
I have 10 UHF Visars. I use them as loaners to my radioless Jeep Creeps for the trail and Porsche Pukes for driving tours. Also, I take one with a Speaker Mic on my bike rides since the cell coverage is questionable in areas of "Old People Country".
 

slingshot202

Member
Feed Provider
Joined
Sep 10, 2008
Messages
716
Location
New Jersey
The first Visar I saw was used by a battalion chief in my hometown. Thought it was the coolest radio ever. Wish they did 99 channels though.

Added a mint example to my collection a few years ago. I've got a Visar keychain, but the channel knob got lost at some point.

23281535239_8851cdbc4d_b.jpg
I know I dont need it and never did, but do the number keys actually work? I did not even see a way o program them. Curiosity, not a must have etc. :)
 

wa8pyr

Retired and playing radio whenever I want.
Staff member
Lead Database Admin
Joined
Sep 22, 2002
Messages
7,413
Location
Ohio
Pretty sure they were for DTMF only.
Sure were handy radios, though. A lot of our plainclothes folks used them as they were easy to conceal; those folks sure were cheesed when we went P25 and the smallest thing they could get at the time was an XTS2500 or APX6000, both about double the size of the Visar.
 

jruta

Member
Joined
Mar 3, 2010
Messages
357
Location
Nj
I love my Visar (D-revision/non-keypad)

Can anyone refer me to a resource for thin batteries? (Meaning the aftermarket/usb ones)
 
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