What was your first scanner model?

[Soundman]

Someone gave me a 8 Channel Realistic Scanner Handheld then I got the 15 channel bearcat at a pawnshop .

 

[bwinking]

In 1972 my first was a Midland 8 channel scanner, $180. for it, plus $40. more for the crystals. before that I had an AM-VHF highband Hamilton brand transistor radio, it cost me $3.00 in 1969.

 

[13CA350]

Radioshack Pro-2052

Still have it and use it every day, it's in basically perfect condition

 

[radio_waves]

Radio Shack PRO-51 I bought new in 1994. Still have it. I've had other scanners I bought after that but they've been sold. The PRO-51 is the only one I have left.

 

[talkpair]

While we're strolling down memory lane.........Does anyone else remember "crystal certificates" ?

These were usually the post cards retailers would hand you when they didn't have a particular frequency in stock. You paid for the certificate, then filled out the information and mailed them off to various vendors for them to make the crystal or pull it from their stock.

"MTRON" comes to mind as one of the vendors.

 

[flythunderbird]

The first one I had was a Regency ACT-R10H/L/U. It was in almost-new condition, but the original owner said that only one of the channels worked; he thought the scanner was defective. Turned out that the dealer who sold it to him was a cheat; the dealer put a handful of busted and incorrect crystals in it. A free scanner plus $45 worth of crystals = great time. I used it for years. Wish I still had it.

 

[SCPD]

Regency R106. Well really not a scanner but before that I had a Sears multiband radio with VHF Hi that I listened on. The Fire and Sheriff's frequencies were only 30 khz apart so I could tune in the middle and hear them both.

Wow! That thing's $53 on eBay Vintage Sears Solid State Multi Band Radio Model 266 24311600 | eBay

 

[Ryangn]

My first was an Electra Bearcat III. Had that thing running almost 24/7. I don't know what I would do now if I only had 8 channels to use.

 

[Xray]

Mine was a realistic pro-37, bought it on a whim to listen to air show freqs and got hooked.

Quickly found it it lacked military air coverage, only handheld at that time that covered it was the AOR 1000, so I got a Fairmate HP-2000 which was an AOR clone, great scanner.

 

[N9NRA]

Wow fuzzyscanner , does that pic bring back memories for me, as i also owned a pro-2003, probably the best scanner i owned for the time, while it couldn`t do trunked (not that there was much of that back then) it could do the conventional stuff really well, and it did, kept that unit for years till i got a BCD396T, and later on a `396XT for the digital thingy and i sold the pro-2003 to build up money for my new digital units. After seeing this i now kinda miss that good old pro-2003, it was one great scanner . N9NRA

 

[NDRADIONUT]

Bearcat 4-6 Electra Bearcat Four-Six TS Scanner, Bearcat Thin Scan

 

[emt587]

Regency Crystal 10 channel scanner

I was just 6 when I got my 10 channel regency base scanner in 1977.back in those days it had 10 red lights 1 for every channel. only Crystals no PL no display but boy was it nice. it was the same one that was in Rampart ERs medical control room(REMEMBER Emergency). I still have it too. only I need to fix the ac plug. Parents brought it from Bennett Brothers via their catalog. ( I must be dating myself now) and the only way to get Crystals was from the Local Public Safety Supply GUY,(RIP Warren)no Radio shacks around then. atleast in Northern Westchester NY.

OMG Here is the same radio on ebay

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vtg-1970s-R...ystal-Controlled-ACE-E-10-H-L-U-/390633302870

 

[WE721]

A Realistic Pro 58 desktop model, 10 channel. Granddad bought it and it ended up with me as a hand me down. Still works like a charm.

 

[captainmax1]

My first was a Realistic with one crystal around 1969. Can't remember the model number. There was only one channel to scan at first in my area then when it went 2 channels, I had to buy another crystal. I bought my first non-crystal handheld in 1987, a Uniden BC100XLT. This scanner and a Pro137 (Uniden Made) are the only old scanners I own that actually still work. All the rest have died. BC100 Series scanners were Uniden's first non crystal handheld models.

 

[chief21]

My first VHF receiver was a Regency Monitoradio (tunable-style) for monitoring local fire and police - circa 1963, My first mobile receiver was a Lafayette VHF tunable/crystal-controlled unit that I used to monitor the Military Police frequency while I was a MP at Ft Benning, GA - circa 1969.

IIRC correctly, my first real scanner was another Regency Monitoradio... the small one with the eight red lights. Since then, various brands and numerous models have passed through my hands... Sonar, Tennelec, Sears, Electra (Bearcat), Radio Shack, Uniden.

Ahhh... memories!

John

 

[jmp883]

My first scanner was a gift from my parents in my senior year of high school in 1982. It was a Regency ACT-C4H 4-channel crystal scanner. Listening to that scanner prompted my interest in the fire service. In 1986 I became a volunteer firefighter, leaving the department after 20 years of service due to a move to another town. That little Regency also prompted my interested in becoming a dispatcher. In 1992 I became an emergency services dispatcher and 24 years later I'm still behind the microphone and loving every minute I'm on duty.

My collection of scanners, and amateur radios, has grown over the years but I still have that little Regency. It still works and looks just as good as it did when it was new in 1982!

 

[K5MPH]

My first scanner was a Pace 10-4U 4 channel it was the one that was in the movie Smokey and the Bandit i bought it used in a pawn shop,used in the mobile for years.....

 

[n3ouc]

My first scanner was a Bearcat 5, 8 channel crystal controlled which I still have and use to listen to the NWS transmitter in the Lehigh Valley. The one remaining crystal that hasn't changed over the years is 162.4000 NWS. The audio is still awesome and wish I had crystals for other frequencies in use these days.

Mike

 

[ratboy]

My dad sold the "Little Tiger" converters back in the early days and I had two of them, One was set to Toledo PD and the other set to Toledo FD. I had a bunch of tunable radios and then when they first came out, I had a Bearcat III, to be able to get TPD which had just moved to 460MHZ.. In 1979, I bought a BC-210 from a co-worker for $40, who had just bought it from some guy who needed to get back home to LA from Vegas for $20. Next one was a Regency HX-1000, and then the flood of handhelds and base radios began. At one point I had over 30 handhelds and about 12 base radios.

 

[pb_lonny]

Realistic scanning receiver pro-25