Which would you buy....

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txscan

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Which digital handheld would you buy, the gre-psr-800, the rs pro-106 or the uniden bcd396xlt? I'm in the market for one but done know which one to get.


Thanks
 

Tryton

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What are you trying to monitor? City, State? Need more info to give you a qualified answer.
 

safetyobc

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I really like my PSR-800. It has a small form factor. Easy to use. Has on board recording. Great reception. Great software included free. Lots of options. I just like it. One of the best scanners I have owned.

The recording feature has ruined me in my future decisions. I don't want a radio without it. lol
 

txscan

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SafetyOBC, I love the fact of the small form factor.
Tryton, I am in North Texas, all over the DFW metroplex, I travel for work.
 

lfd8e4

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My choice would be the 396xlt. I honestly have never owned any of the others you inquired about, but have had excellent luck with the 396xlt in the New England area. It's compact, but gets great reception and is easily mounted in the car and removed to carry with you. I use Free-Scan software and it is awesome for programming the radio. It decodes the digital transmissions in my area very well along with handling the trunking systems (Motorola) with out any issues. I take it on vacation and carry it in a pocket, listening to it with ear buds. No one ever knows I am carrying it. I know you didn't mention it, but I would avoid the HP-1 from Uniden.
 

W6KRU

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I have a PSR-500, 396T, and a 396XT. On the local system I listen to, the GRE is superior to the Unidens.and the 396T is better than the 396XT. The GRE has much better audio which is the most important quality for a scanner. The features don't mean much when you can't understand the audio. You can get a better opinion by asking the people local to you that listen to the same systems you want to hear.
 

W2PMX

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If I had to buy one now, the Uniden. Only because I don't buy what I don't get full documentation for (and, to me, that includes the programming and remote control protocols). I am in the market for a portable scanner, but I'm waiting to see what the next Uniden offering is. I really like the PSR-800, but I'm not thrilled with the idea of a scanner that locks up, and I won't buy one I can't write software for. (And from what I've seen of the BCD396XT, I wouldn't gain anything over my BCD396T.)
 

W6KRU

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I have a PSR-500, 396T, and a 396XT. On the local system I listen to, the GRE is superior to the Unidens.and the 396T is better than the 396XT. The GRE has much better audio which is the most important quality for a scanner. The features don't mean much when you can't understand the audio. You can get a better opinion by asking the people local to you that listen to the same systems you want to hear.
 

KeyWest35

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Which digital handheld would you buy, the gre-psr-800, the rs pro-106 or the uniden bcd396xlt? I'm in the market for one but done know which one to get.


Thanks

I can tell you i love mine but did a lot of research on digital scanners and going so far as to try a friends HP1 at my hose which couldn't receive a P25 system about 20 miles away. I needed a scanner to be able to carry as i have in the past with my uniden analog scanners. I also could never pick up the same system when it was on 800 trunking. I received mine in July and love it for the digital channels. I did put a screen saver over the plastic display, use a radio shack antenna instead of the stock one and removed the bad finish as some have said on here. I actually like the shiny finish better then the way it came. For me i made the right decision but if you need a digital scanner read and get opinions from everyone before you invest in an expensive digital scanner so that you will be happy with it.
 

KeyWest35

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Is the uniden digital bigger or smaller than the psr800?

I believe the uniden is slightly smaller but i can carry my 800 in a shirt or jacket pocket with no problem. Again if you don't need digital stay with something cheaper. At home using it as a base i have hooked up a set of amplified computer speakers to it and it will blow you out of the room. I am waiting to see if GRE comes out with a base model before i order another 800 portable. I am sitting here listening to 3 Uniden analog scanners and my dedicated digital GRE 800 to one system only.
 

txscan

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yes, i need digital, i currently have a pro-106 but i need something smaller, I am leaning towards the psr800. I recently bought the pro-107 for my dad as he is in a analog area and i fell in love with the size of it, so I now need a smaller digital one for me. :)
 

KB4REA

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Receive capabilities aside...

yes, i need digital, i currently have a pro-106 but i need something smaller, I am leaning towards the psr800. I recently bought the pro-107 for my dad as he is in a analog area and i fell in love with the size of it, so I now need a smaller digital one for me. :)
how attached are you to GRE's LED feature on the 106? The XT has a nice variety of colors for it's display but no LED. That might have been an unpleasant surprise if you hadn't considered that and got the XT. Maybe you have already.

Back to receive, I've personally found the 106 to be a better performer over the XT. I'd say give the 800 a shot. I'm very curious to give it a go myself. I really do miss the build and feel of the XT tho and the 330T before it...
 

txscan

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I am a big fan of gre's led feature on 106, the only bad thing about the 106 to me is that it is so bulky.
 

hiegtx

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I am in the market for one, which one would you get and why, the gre psr800, rs pro-106 or uniden bcd396xlt?

Thanks
For the DFW area systems that I monitor, there's no significant difference between the 396XT or the PSR-500 (that's the GRE labeled version of the same scanner sold by Radio Shack, with a different front panel arrangement, as the Pro-106). At this time, we don't have any large, regional, P25 simulcast systems that some people say the GRE scanners handle better than the Unidens. I prefer the smaller form-factor of the 396XT, as well as the programming/memory management of Uniden's DMA programming over GRE's object-oriented PSR-500. However, that's a personal preference. Either will do a good job in this region.

I don't own the PSR-800, so I can't really comment on that, though most user's comments have been very favorable. I do have the Uniden Home Patrol 1, and it has performed very well. It's much more sensitive than I expected, when connected to an antenna other than the supplied stock. I plan on adding a GPS for use with the HP-1 shortly.
 

txscan

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Well in my home area of johnson county there is not big as to which scanner i need, but my work area is in henderson and kaufman counties and etmc uses the p25 system that over the next year kaufman county will be going on to it also. At this point in my decision it is going to be either the 396xt or the psr 800, I am leaning towards the psr800, I hope to have my mind made up by monday so I can order the darn thing LOL!
 

hiegtx

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Well in my home area of johnson county there is not big as to which scanner i need, but my work area is in henderson and kaufman counties and etmc uses the p25 system that over the next year kaufman county will be going on to it also. At this point in my decision it is going to be either the 396xt or the psr 800, I am leaning towards the psr800, I hope to have my mind made up by monday so I can order the darn thing LOL!
The PSR-800, or the Uniden HP-1, each have the entire RadioReference database loaded on a micro-SD card; the database is updated weekly. If you're looking toward a small size, to either clip on a belt, or slip in a pocket, the 800 wins over the HP-1. The Home Patrol, while not "large", is not really sized to go into anything other than a large jacket pocket, and has no belt clip. I am picking up Kaufman County, and the TxWARN P25 site there in Kaufman, on the HP-1 from home here in Dallas, using the R/S 800MHz antenna.

It's been awhile since I've been down through Henderson County. But my 396XT gets Kaufman without problems, as well as the TxWarn P25 site (in Kaufman) when I'm in the southern part of Dallas County, or down in Ellis County.

Really, either the PSR-800 or 396XT will do what you want. The 800 is a bit smaller (I think), and has the alert LED like the Pro-106. While I use that feature on my PSR-500, I prefer the backlight color alerts on the 396XT for use in the truck at night when driving. Less distraction, & less to call attention to the scanner (it's not as obvious). Any of the scanners you're considering will also do multi-site, which will be important when dealing with the TxWARN P25 system (which is what ETMC converted most all of their sites to, except for the Ellis County/Waxahachie site).
 

N8IAA

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There is not a lot of difference in size of the 106 and 800. The 106 will outlast the 800 on batteries. When I go portable, the 396XT goes with me. Its size and ease of operation are the main factors. The audio on either of the GRE scanners is definitely better than the 396. I would love to see a combo of features from GRE and Uniden. Unfortunately, we all know it won't happen.
Larry
 

04Z1V6

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The gre scanners are much better scanning P25 in my opinion. I have a 396xt and a pro106 and the 106 is much better while on the move.
 
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