I have an older GRE PSR-500 that I'm hoping to get working to scan the Austin GATRRS system. Heard they've made some changes to the system recently and that I may need a newer scanner to pick up all transmissions. If it will work, does anyone know of available downloads for ARC500/BuTel files for the Austin area?
GATRRS is still a P25 Phase I system, so technically, a PSR500 could monitor it. However, the two main layers used in Austin itself are Simulcast.
Whether your PSR500 will, or will not work is related to the location you are at. There may be a few spots where simulcast does not hammer your reception, but in most cases, Simulcast Distortion can make your PSR500 unusable.
Simulcast digital distortion - The RadioReference Wiki
It's extremely location sensitive. If you are lucky enough to be very near one of the sites, it's strong signal may wash out the conflicting signals from other sites, and it may work. If you are at a location where terrain (hills) or perhaps a cluster of tall buildings blocks all but the closest site to you, then it might work there as well. Or maybe not. Simulcast issues can sometimes be made worse by where your scanner is in your house or apartment. Occasionally, just moving the scanner a few feet in one direction or another can be the difference between monitoring the system, or hearing a garbled mess.
If you can be a little more specific on where you'll be in Austin (right now, your profile indicates Washington, DC), then perhaps one or more of the members in the Austin Metro area can give you a better idea of whether the PSR will work, or needs to be replaced. One of them also might be able to share a file to give you a "jump start" in that area.