Why I will only buy GRE going forward

[bigcam406]

i recently purchased a psr500,and the first thing i noticed was how much more sensitive it is.mind you,im comparing it to a uniden 898t and a bc95xt.all 3 have their purpose,but im really impressed with the psr500.just my .02.

 

[N1SQB]

Here we go again!

It's a mute point!
I mean really people, we are NEVER going to get to the bottom of this one folks! It's the old "different strokes for different folks" rule.... A GRE may work miracles for one person and be a total nightmare for another. Same for Uniden models. Yes, you can argue about features and frills that differ among the 2 companies but in the end it is still the same rule being applied, "different strokes for different folks". Even I got suckered into saying I would never buy a GRE again. Now I LOVE my Pro-197. It's a different experience for everyone. That is just how it is!!!!

 

[Deeke]

I just wish that someone would take the strong points of both the 996T and the 600 and combine them into one. I agree that its a chevy vs ford situation.
Ive had several of both uniden and gre, it's hard to say which is best as each have strong points.

In my situation of the systems in my area, the gre works best.
In the past before p25 digital, the uniden performed best.

Deeke

 

[Scanpal]

I don't generally get involved in this type of thread, but... I have been in the hobby for some 20 years now. I purchased a BC396T which I had for about 2 years. The scanner had lots of bells and whistles. But, besides being plan ridiculous with the digital decoding fiasco, it also failed miserably in doing the main thing a scanner needs to be able to do , and that is to pick up signals. For me it was practically worthless. I sold it at a slight loss, and bought a PSR-500 and PSR-300. When someone says performance "right out of the box", that is exactly what I got. Took it out of the box, programed the digital trunking system in , and it just sang like a canary, loud and clear! I am in no way saying this in order to slam Uniden, even as I write this I am listening to a BC780XLT which I love. I also have heard good things about the BCD396XT, would not say that I will never buy one. I have always been open to buying whatever brand has something that strikes my fancy at whatever given time. The 396T was just a sad , frustrating event.

 

[beischel]

Just one question? Do you have the latest firmware for your Uniden scanners?

Yes, I was even part of the team testing the new firmware. While I admit it made improvements from what it was (took two years waiting for Uniden to give us something that somewhat worked), it still is not up to the quality of GRE. GRE audio still better and the GRE is not as prone to interference from other digital systems that are nearby.

 

[K8TEK]

While I would have to agree with you on the horrible receive quality and audio, I will have to disagree with you on it being easier to program. I like the programming and layout of the Uniden products much more then I like the GRE offerings. GREs are too complicated and involved to program without a computer.

 

[gmclam]

GREs are too complicated and involved to program without a computer.

This is totally untrue unless you are specifically referring to the GRE digital scanners. I've manually programmed all of my GREs, and the thing that makes it tough w/o a computer is all the alpha tags. But no one says you have to use them. That's better than no alpha tags on many Unidens.

 

[cg]

I added 3 PRO-197s to my fleet after they went on sale. I immediately realized that VHF was almost deaf when using the external antenna. I bought both a WX and FM broadcast band filter. That fixed the issue. Had I not bought the 197's on sale I would have ended up spending over $600 each for them with the necessary filters. The feature I like it the CTCSS, DCS, and NAC decoding all at once.
The huge advantage of the Radio Shack scanners is the ability to return them so easily for 30 days. If I was advising someone, I would say to try the scanner and a demo software for a good 20 days of use. If you like it, great, if not, return it.

chris

 

[CStarr59]

GRE scanners to me, seem very easy to do firmware updates and program. Unidens on the other hand always seem a little more involved with firmware and programming issues. I've had my fair share of both brands and I like both for different reasons, GRE's just are easier for me to use and understand, maybe it's just me.

 

[jackj]

Easier to Understand

GRE scanners to me, seem very easy to do firmware updates and program. Unidens on the other hand always seem a little more involved with firmware and programming issues. I've had my fair share of both brands and I like both for different reasons, GRE's just are easier for me to use and understand, maybe it's just me.

I don't think its just you. My 996T had me beating my head against a wall trying to figure out the programing. The manual leaves a lot to be desired when trying to explain how to program a system into the unit. I finally found out about FreeScan, the one saving grace for Uniden. I have been an avid promoter and user of Uniden scanners up until now, no more.

 

[wolverine]

I've had my share of problems on the Cincinnati/Hamilton county system with the PSR-500, if i have the scanner sitting in a spot were reception is great then it scans great. But grab the scanner and walk away from that spot and it starts to garbel up. More often then not, I'm alway's fighting with the scanner, moving it around from one spot to the next, everytime it decides to garbel up.

From the Butler County area, i cant even receive the the Butler County system due to being close to two towers or something.

But i have owned a Uniden BCD396t when i owned my Pro-96, i have to say that the GRE made Pro-96 was much better then the Uniden BCD396t in terms of reception and how the digital sounded. I like the current GRE scanners better then i do the Uniden models.

 

[davidmc36]

I have been pretty much a Uniden customer since my 245XLT. Recently got a PSR600. Not sure it is a fair comparison but the digital audio is tons better than my 996T. I really like the OOUI too. I would not have anything other than a Uniden with GPS as a mobile but I like the 600 for it's superior 800 performance on my base antenna and the nice digital sound.

 

[davidmc36]

This is totally untrue unless you are specifically referring to the GRE digital scanners. I've manually programmed all of my GREs, and the thing that makes it tough w/o a computer is all the alpha tags. But no one says you have to use them. That's better than no alpha tags on many Unidens.

Either scanner is reasonably easy to program by hand to make it work but Alpha Tags are tedious on any unit. GRE does have the upper hand though with both system and alpha entering by hand.

What current Unidens do not have alpha tags, or specifically, what Unidens that are direct competitors to RS/GRE models do not have tags when the competition do?

 

[torontokris]

Then buy a GRE.. I never said you HAD to spend another $500

You could sell your 996T for $400, what a great deal and retention of value..

I just said try a 2009 996XT first before you grumble about GRE rules when comparing to your 2006 model year Uniden.


If you DONT OWN BOTH running at one time you cant compare, maybe GRE will have the same problem

I spent over $500.00 for my 996T and got something that was useless for what I wanted. Over a year later and after downloading and applying 3 firmware updates, it still doesn't work well on P-25 systems. Now you want me to spend another $500-$600 for an XT to see if that will be better. NO THANKS!

 

[dlnorth]

Although EVERY scanner I use is/was made by GRE, I won't go out on a limb and say that it is the only brand I'll buy from here on out. I believe in rating each model on its merits or demerits. The last thing we need is for GRE to become complacent.

But having said that, GRE beats Uniden hands down for me. I don't want a scanner so small I can't see it. BIGGER (displays) are better. I want CLEAR text on the displays, that means a "boring" "blocky" font, not something "fancy". Overload and intermod is only a problem when feeding the scanner too much signal - being too close to a transmission site, using an amplifier, etc. Notch filters are a better way to go rather than using a scanner so "deaf" it can't pick up what you want to receive.

Yup, SIZE matters. And I want a damn near HUGE display that I can read and a scanner that won't "slip through my hands". GRE wins this one.

I'm in the market for a new digital scanner and like you, I like bigger displays, however by looking at the GRE and R.S. scanners, their displays look tiny when compared to the Uniden 996 models. This size difference is the main reason I'm leaning toward getting the Uniden rather than the GRE or R.S. model. There are other factors that I'm considering as well, but the ability to easily read the display is one of the most important factors to me. For the consumer who really values having a huge display, would Uniden not be the best choice?

 

[Ken_Allen]

I can't do anything with uniden scanners. I have their nascar one and it's basic functions are too complicated for me to learn without a manual. Of course I went and downloaded the manual, but I never needed the manual for my Pro-164 unless I needed help with trunking or say fips codes.

 

[torontokris]

yes then a Uniden is probably better if your main selling point is a large screen...

also the Uniden has a larger FONT (esp on one line its almost a double sized font) so you can see it nice and clear

I'm in the market for a new digital scanner and like you, I like bigger displays, however by looking at the GRE and R.S. scanners, their displays look tiny when compared to the Uniden 996 models. This size difference is the main reason I'm leaning toward getting the Uniden rather than the GRE or R.S. model. There are other factors that I'm considering as well, but the ability to easily read the display is one of the most important factors to me. For the consumer who really values having a huge display, would Uniden not be the best choice?

 

[torontokris]

And ive never had a problem with any of the Uniden scanners (including the new more complicated digital units)
All menus are easy to use and clear "program system - new system.." etc

Yet with the GRE's new object oriented programming I had to do a lot of learning.

As already said "different strokes for different folks"

I can't do anything with uniden scanners. I have their nascar one and it's basic functions are too complicated for me to learn without a manual. Of course I went and downloaded the manual, but I never needed the manual for my Pro-164 unless I needed help with trunking or say fips codes.

 

[wolverine]

I dont think you can go wrong with either one, both scanner brands are going to do one thing better then the other brand. One brand might even work better on the system your monitoring then the other. Choose the one you think is best for you.

For me, I'm not buying anymore digital scanners until they get one that provides excellent reception on P25 9600 baud simulcast systems.

 

[dlnorth]

I dont think you can go wrong with either one, both scanner brands are going to do one thing better then the other brand. One brand might even work better on the system your monitoring then the other. Choose the one you think is best for you.

For me, I'm not buying anymore digital scanners until they get one that provides excellent reception on P25 9600 baud simulcast systems.

The system that I will be attempting to monitor with whichever scanner I order will be a UHF P25 9600 baud simulcast system. What have you tried so far that hasn't worked?

Would using a directional antenna, aimed at one of the simulcast sites, likely improve your monitoring experience?