FAQ - Scanner Radio Review Briefs
Bob Parnass, AJ9S
last changed November 15, 1997
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SCANNER RADIO REVIEW BRIEFS
by Bob Parnass, AJ9S
[NOTE: This article may not be reproduced in whole or in
part on CDROMS, in bulletin boards, networks, or
publications which charge for service without permission of
the author. It is posted twice monthly on the USENET groups
rec.radio.scanner, alt.radio.scanner, and rec.radio.info.
It is also available electronically from the
rec.radio.scanner ftp archive on the official USENET FAQ
library ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet-by-
group/rec.radio.scanner.]
Abstract
This article contains product review summaries for more than
70 old and new scanner radios and monitor receivers.
The author writes a monthly "Scanner Equipment" column for
Monitoring Times magazine, published by Grove Enterprises,
but views expressed in this article are his own.
Introduction
At last count, there were over 140 scanners and monitor
receivers of various brands in my collection. This article
describes a few of the FM receivers in my collection, and
other models I've tested. It is not meant to be complete.
For more information about old scanners, see:
1. "Confessions of a Scanner Collector," by Bob Parnass,
Monitoring Times, August 1988.
2. "Scanner Collector Primer," by Bob Parnass,
Monitoring Times, May 1995.
I have published full length reviews and modifications of
these scanner models in Monitoring Times magazine:
Mar 1986 - Uniden/Bearcat BC800XLT
Mar 1987 - Radio Shack PRO-2004
Oct 1990 - Radio Shack PRO-2006
Jan 1995 - Radio Shack PRO-2035 vs. Radio Shack PRO-2006
Feb 1995 - Radio Shack PRO-62 Portable
Mar 1995 - Uniden/Bearcat BC9000XLT
Apr 1995 - Uniden/Bearcat BC3000XLT Portable
May 1995 - Uniden/Bearcat BC860XLT
Jun 1995 - Uniden/Bearcat BC890XLT & Radio Shack PRO-2036
Jul 1995 - Radio Shack PRO-2037
Aug 1995 - Radio Shack PRO-26 vs. Uniden/Bearcat BC3000XLT
Sep 1995 - Radio Shack PRO-60 Portable
Oct 1995 - AOR AR-2700 Portable
Nov 1995 - selected AOR AR-8000 measurements
Dec 1995 - Radio Shack PRO-2040
Feb 1996 - Radio Shack PRO-2042
Apr 1996 - Uniden/Bearcat BC220XLT, BC230XLT Portable
Jun 1996 - modifications & tips for the Uniden/Bearcat BC9000XLT
Jul 1996 - Uniden/Bearcat BCT-10 mobile
Oct 1996 - Radio Shack PRO-2046 mobile
Dec 1996 - AOR AR5000
Jan 1997 - ICOM R8500
Feb 1997 - Radio Shack PRO-2045
Mar 1997 - ICOM IC-R10
Apr 1997 - RELM HS-200 portable
May 1997 - Uniden/Bearcat BCT7 virtual downconversion mod.
Jul 1997 - Uniden/Bearcat BC235XLT portable Trunktracker
Aug 1997 - Radio Shack PRO-64 portable
Sep 1997 - Stridsberg Engineering receiver multicoupler,
G/Wiz board for EDACS trunked scanning
Oct 1997 - Radio Shack PRO-67
Nov 1997 - Sporty's JD-100 Air Scan
Dec 1997 - Uniden/Bearcat BC985XLT Trunktracker
Note: Reprints of Monitoring Times articles are available
for $3.00 each plus a self-addressed stamped envelope from
Grove Enterprises, 7540 Highway 64 West, Brasstown, NC
28902, tel. (800)438-8155. I don't receive any part of this
reprint fee.
AOR
AR2700: 1995 vintage. 500 channel portable covering 500 kHz
to 1300 MHz. Lots of good features, e.g., 10 linkable
search banks, lighted keypad, per-channel attenuator, S-
meter, battery meter, optional voice recorder and speech
inversion descrambler. Global rescan and pause delays, but
no auto store, data skip, nor battery saver. Internally
generated noise results in broad birdies on AR2700 tested.
Insensitive carrier operated (vs. noise operated) squelch
stays closed on signals unless they are moderately strong,
causing scanner to skip transmissions of interest. IFs are
287.55/749.25, 58.05, 10.7/0.455 MHz. See "The AOR AR-2700
Portable Scanner," by Bob Parnass, AJ9S, in Monitoring
Times, October and November 1995.
AR5000: 1996 vintage. approx. 30 kHz - 2600 MHz coverage
super receiver. Good sensitivity throughout. AM, SSB, CW,
FM detectors. Frequency readout to 1 Hz. More features
than any other radio. DTMF reader and RS-232 interface
included. Multiple settings for IF and AF selectivity,
attenuator, AGC, deemphasis, etc. DB9 RS232C connector.
Negatives include low contrast LCD display and difficult
user interface. NFM squelch closes slowly, causing noise
burst at end of each NFM transmission. Electromechanical
relays click at various frequency boundaries, including 400
MHz, producing a clickety-clack noise -- annoying while
scanning banks of mixed band frequencies. Great radio,
otherwise. See "AOR's AR5000 All-in-One Receiver," by Bob
Parnass, in Monitoring Times, December 1996, for a review
which includes quantitative test results.
ICOM
R-10: late 1996 vintage (serial number 01048 tested). Shirt
pocket size multimode is powered by 4 AA penlight cells.
Covers 0.5 to 1300 MHz (minus cellular). NFM, WFM, USB,
LSB, AM, and CW detectors included. IF bandwidths are
fixed. No 30 kHz bandwidth for satellite or FM military
monitoring. Battery saver circuit, with selectable duty
cycle. Single VFO and 1000 memory channels. There are 900
memory channels divided into 18 banks of 50 channels each.
Another bank of 100 channels used to hold unique frequencies
found during an auto store operation. 20 pairs of search
limits. Up to 100 frequencies may be locked out during a
search and stored in a final bank of 100 channels which is
cleared before subsequent auto store searches. Each channel
can be programmed with the detector mode (e.g., AM, USB), a
tuning step size, an attenuator enable flag, and an 8
character label. CI-V computer interface requires extra
cost hardware. 7 segment S-meter. Noise blanker. Good
sensitivity. Lighted keypad and display, but keystroke
sequences are cumbersome.
Good radio hardware in a handy sized package, but scanning
performance unimpressive. Very slow memory scanning at only
6 channels/second. Searches at about 16 steps/second, with
little or no worthwhile improvement using the "Signal
Navigator" feature in the R10 I tested. Rescan delay cannot
be disabled. Can only scan one memory bank or all banks,
not a combination of banks. No squelch for SSB or CW modes.
See "ICOM IC-R10 Receiver," by Bob Parnass, in Monitoring
Times, March 1997, for review which includes quantitative
test results.
R-7000: 1986 vintage. At about $1000, this was once the top
VHF/UHF receiver. 99 channel, multi mode coverage from
25-2000 MHz with a small gap at 1000-1025 MHz. Memory can
be expanded to 198 channels by adding simple switch to pin
19 of memory IC8. Tuning knob lets you tune through parts
of the spectrum much easier than using the SEARCH mode on
conventional scanners. Selectable USB/LSB allows reception
of new amplitude compandored sideband (ACSB) stations. S-
meter doubles as discriminator meter to aid tuning. Useful
search and store feature, reminiscent of the the Bearcat
250, searches between 2 limits and automatically stores new
frequencies into channels 80-99. Audio and control
interface for tape recorder. Noisy relay, activated when
the receiver is tuned to frequencies above 520 MHz.
Searches and scans slowly but can be sped up to about 12 cps
by adding a resistor. Too big for permanent mobile use, but
too nice to leave alone in the car. If you don't want to
spend $1000, get a Radio Shack PRO-2004/5/6 instead.
R-7100: 1992 vintage. At about $1300, this is the Cadillac
of VHF/UHF receivers. 900 channel, multi mode continuous
coverage from 25-2000 MHz. The radio RF/IF/AF portions of
the R7100 are similar to the older R7000, but the R7100 is
constructed using surface mount parts. Both the R7000 and
R7100 are much more immune to intermod than the
Uniden/Bearcat 760XLT and the portable PRO-43. The firmware
in the R7100 is much more sophisticated. 9 banks of 100
channels. Further, you can associate each channel with 1 of
10 groups. Many possible ways to scan. 10 pairs of search
limits. Search and store ("memory write") scan mode lets
you store 100 frequencies instead of the 20 in R7000.
Another R7100 improvement is that you can program up to 100
channels for the R7100 to skip while searching. R7100 has 2
VFOs ("windows"). Both the R7000 and R7100 scan slowly
compared with PRO-2004 and PRO-2006, and that's a drawback.
Both the R7100 and R7000 employ a noisy relay, activated
when the receiver is tuned to frequencies above 520 MHz.
Scanning a mixture of VHF and UHF frequencies serenades the
ICOM user with a very annoying clickety-clack, clickety-
clack! For Baseband Audio out, I mounted an RCA jack on the
back of the R7100A and connected it via shielded cable to
the junction of resistors R228 and R230 on the Main Unit.
This point is located in the vicinity of IC15 and X3 on the
schematic.
R8500: 1996 vintage. 100 kHz - 2000 MHz coverage. 20 banks
of 40 channels although bank sizes can be changed. 100 Auto
store and 100 Skip memories but that can be increased by
reallocating channels from the conventional scan banks.
Fixed and programmable step sizes. Relays clickey-clack
while scanning across band boundaries. Triple conversion,
First IF is 48.8, 778.7, or 266.7 MHz, depending on band.
Second and third IFs are 10.7 and 0.455 MHz. Weak to
moderate cellular images starting near 1106 MHz. Rugged
construction. External power supply. DB25 RS232C
connector. Audio peak filter. Ok scanning and great
searching performance. See "ICOM R8500 Receiver," by Bob
Parnass, in Monitoring Times, January 1997, for a review
which includes quantitative test results.
UNIDEN/Bearcat and Electra/Bearcat
Bearcat III (Electra): 1976 vintage. 8 channel crystal
controlled scanner. Requires optional front-end circuit
board for VHF-low, VHF-high, and UHF bands, but only 2
boards can be installed within the radio at the same time.
Two crystal filters. No aircraft band coverage nor rescan
delay. Front mount speaker sounds good. Strong local
oscillator radiation often causes interference with other
scanners in the same house.
Bearcat IV (Electra): 8 channel crystal controlled scanner.
Newer version of Bearcat III but contains front-end
circuitry for VHF-low, VHF-high, and UHF bands. Better
selectivity than Bearcat III or 12 due to having three
instead of two 10.8 MHz IF filters. No aircraft band
coverage. Front mount speaker sounds good. No rescan
delay.
Bearcat 5 (Electra): 1979 vintage. Eight channel economy
base model covering VHF-low, VHF-high, and UHF bands. 117
VAC only. No track tuning. Black plastic cabinet.
Bearcat 6 (Electra): Six channel VHF-low and VHF-high bands.
117 VAC only. Wood covered particle board cabinet.
Bearcat 8 (Electra): Eight channel VHF-low, VHF-high, and
UHF bands. 117 VAC only. Wood covered particle board
cabinet.
Bearcat 12 (Electra): 1979 vintage. One of the last decent
crystal controlled scanners. 10 channels. Variable scan
speed up to 20 ch/sec. Single delay on/off switch. Front
mount speaker sounds good. Manual contains schematic.
Single conversion, 10.8 MHz IF. Selectivity is poorer than
programmable models, like the 300, allowing adjacent channel
interference. Covers VHF-low, VHF-high, and UHF bands but
no aircraft band coverage. Crystal positions must be
arranged by band.
Bearcat 15 (Electra): 1983 vintage. Actually made for
Electra by competitor GRE (General Research Electronics).
The only Bearcat crystal controlled base/mobile scanner
offering 118 - 136 MHz AM aircraft band. 10 channels.
BC101 (Electra): 1975 vintage. First Bearcat synthesized
unit. 16 channels, no priority. Frequency programmed in
binary by setting toggle switches on front panel after
looking up code in code book. No frequency readout. Uses
custom IC for CPU, now discontinued, so factory authorized
service is no longer available. I have four of these units.
DC operation requires optional mobile power supply.
BC100 (Electra): First programmable portable scanner. Be
prepared for at least one repair in the first year. Early
units, with threaded antenna connector, have high frequency
of repair, particularly LCD readout, keyboard, and battery
holder. No battery backup. Poor case design in early units
caused battery to disconnect from radio, resetting
microprocessor and clearing memories. No priority channel
or aircraft band. Some people swear by the BC100, others
swear at them.
BC210 (Electra): 1979 vintage. First Bearcat scanner with a
keyboard and numeric display. LED readout. See US patents
4,092,594, granted 5/30/78 and 4,114,103, granted 9/12/78
for further insight.
BC220 (Electra): 1979 vintage. 20 channels. Reasonable
number of features but 20 channels doesn't seem enough.
Service Search for Marine and Aircraft. See US patent
4,270,217, granted May 26, 1981. LED readout. Good
scanner, but tinny audio.
BC20/20 (Electra): 1981 vintage. Similar to BC220 but with
40 channels and different CPU circuitry. A maximum of 20
channels can be scanned at one time. Reasonable number of
features. Service Search for Marine and Aircraft. LED
readout. Good scanner, but tinny audio.
BC250 (Electra): 1976 vintage. 50 channel model, rich in
features, but lacks aircraft band and 144-146 MHz. Search
and Store feature extremely useful for finding federal
frequencies. Clock. High frequency of repair. Power
transistors not heat sinked adequately, causing heat damage
to surrounding components and circuit board. Failure of
Q204 on the feature board known to cause odd display
readings. Digital circuitry very sensitive to glitches
caused by static and AC line spikes. Avoid 1978 or earlier
vintage units. All BC250s use custom ICs (e.g., IC6, a
divider chip, mfd. by Exar), which are now discontinued, so
factory service is no longer available from Uniden.
BC260 (Electra): 1983 vintage. Super heavy duty metal
cabinetry and lit controls, aimed at mobile use for firemen,
police, etc. Few frills, only 16 channels, no aircraft, but
generous coverage of federal bands omitted in the older
Bearcat scanners. Good sensitivity. Lots of audio. Good
internal construction. Backlit keyboard allows operation in
the dark, but the keyboards on some units require high
pressure to operate. Brightness control for display and
keyboard, but multiplexor circuitry for vacuum fluorescent
display produces audible whine which may be annoying in a
quiet room. Backlighting may fail in some units due to poor
contact on connector used to fasten light panel to front
circuit board. 9 volt regulator transistor Q28 (TIP29) may
fail, causing blank display while leaving audio intact.
Method of connecting an external speaker is awkward.
BC300 (Electra): 1979 vintage. 50 channel top of the line
scanner. Service Search feature contains 11 ROM banks of
preprogrammed channels See US patent 4,270,217, granted May
26, 1981. Switching power supply failure noted in early
units due to insufficient capacitance - component value was
changed in newer units. Schematics show at least 100
components changed between earliest and later units. Preset
squelch pot, mounted internally on circuit board,
misadjusted in new units - adjustment usually required after
burn-in period. Good sensitivity. Built in clock. I leave
it on 24 hours a day. This is a favorite. See US patent
4,409,688, granted 11/11/83 for further insight.
BC350 (Electra): 1981 vintage. 50 channels in 5 banks.
Includes aircraft. Used to be Bearcat's top of the line,
overpriced scanner but never very popular. Dual use
keyboard and display allowed 8 text characters to be
associated with each channel, a feature clumsily
implemented, and awkward to use. Units plagued with various
hardware problems including bad memory ICs and short life
power transformers. Firmware bugs without cures. The BC300
is a much better scanner than the BC350, and at a lower
price.
BC760XLT (Uniden): Also sold as BC950XLT through Scanner
World. Small, mobile scanner supplied with mounting bracket
and wall wart AC power supply. Some of the keys are
backlit. 100 channels in 5 banks. Service search. Earlier
version has Motorola type antenna jack and AA battery
backup. Later version has BNC antenna jack and internal
lithium battery. Can be fitted with optional CTCSS decoder.
Hyper sensitive and easily overloaded by strong signals,
especially when used with outdoor antenna in base
applications. Conventional 10.8 MHz IF prone to images.
Television audio heard in some places.
BC800XLT (Uniden): 1985 vintage. 40 channels in two banks.
Covers 806-912 MHz, as well as of vhf, uhf, and aircraft
bands. Receives 10 meter fm and all of 6 meters, as well as
federal portions of vhf and uhf bands. Fewer birdies on
vhf-lo band than other scanners. Scans and searches very
fast. Clean, robust audio output. Extremely sensitive, but
very prone to overload by strong signals when connected to
outdoor antenna. Too much play (hysteresis) in squelch
adjustment - can be improved by changing one resistor.
Positive terminal in memory backup battery holder installed
backwards in early units, allowing memory loss when scanner
unplugged from AC outlet. Tunes in increments of 12.5 KHz
on 800 MHz band, whereas cellular telephones are on 30 KHz
channels. See "The Bearcat 800XLT ... an Owner's Report,"
by Bob Parnass, in Monitoring Times, March 1986.
BC860XLT (Uniden): 1995 vintage. 100 channel table top
unit. Can lock out 10 channels during search. Good
performer except for images. See "The Uniden Bearcat
BC860XLT," by Bob Parnass, AJ9S, in Monitoring Times, May
1995.
BC890XLT (Uniden): Same as Radio Shack PRO-2036. Tuning
knob. 200 channels, global delay. Count, AUX, and Auto
Store features. Scans and searches fast. Accepts optional
CTCSS board. Dual conversion with 10.8 MHz and 450 kHz IF
-- lots of images and birdies. Prone to severe intermod,
especially when used with an outdoor antenna. See "The
Uniden BC-890XLT and Radio Shack PRO-2036," by Bob Parnass,
in June 1995 Monitoring Times.
BC895XLT TrunkTracker(Uniden): 1997 vintage. Base with 300
channels in 10 banks. Covers military air band, but other
frequency coverage is limited compared with the BC9000XLT.
Predetermined AM and NFM modes not selectable. Can scan or
search in conventional or trunked domains but not at the
same time. Scans Motorola Type I, II, IIa 800 MHz trunked
systems, but only one trunked system at a time. Programming
Type I and IIa systems requires knowing the Fleet Map ahead
of time or else using exhaustive trial and error. Weather
alert siren. Built-in CTCSS decoder and tone finder. A
query feature identifies duplicate memory channels. Test
unit scans 85 channels/sec and skips empty channels. Triple
conversion, 380.8 or 254.4, 10.85, and 0.45 MHz IFs. 800
MHz images in commercial and military air bands attenuated
over 35 dB. For technical test results and a review, see
"The Uniden Bearcat BC895XLT," by Bob Parnass, AJ9S, in
Monitoring Times, December 1997.
BC9000XLT (Uniden): 1995 vintage. High quality base using
up-conversion. 500 channels in twenty banks. Up to 250
channels can be programmed with alpha labels. Tuning knob.
Selectable AM, NFM, WFM modes. Optional CTCSS decoder.
Very fast scan and search. Can lock out 50 channels during
search. Delay and attenuator independently programmable for
each channel. Effective Auto Store feature stores unique
frequencies. Good RF section, but not as robust as PRO-
2004/5/6. IFs are 380.7/254.4, 58.075, 0.455 MHz. One
urban user, located within a couple of blocks of several
high power transmitters, reports severe desense problems.
For a full review, see "The Uniden Bearcat BC9000XLT," by
Bob Parnass, AJ9S, in Monitoring Times, March 1995. For
tips and modification information, see my column in June
1996 Monitoring Times. See US patents 4,947,456, granted
8/7/90, 5,163,161, granted 11/10/92 and 5,212,817, granted
5/18/93 for further insights into fast scanning and
searching implementation.
BC100XLT (Uniden): 1987 vintage. Very good 100 channel
portable with 10 priority channels. Unique feature tells
whether a given frequency has already been memorized.
Generous coverage of conventional bands, including
commercial aircraft, but no 800 MHz. Decent leather-like
case. Slide-on 550 mAH NiCd battery pack.
BC200XLT (Uniden): 1987 vintage. Also sold as BC205XLT
through Scanner World. Very good 200 channel version of
BC100XLT portable scanner but includes 800 MHz band. 10
priority channels. Unique feature tells whether a given
frequency has already been memorized. Decent leather-like
case. Slide-on NiCd battery pack.
BC220XLT (Uniden): 1995 vintage. Very good 200 portable
scanner which is a smaller successor to the BC200XLT.
Includes 800 MHz band. 10 priority channels. Service
Search, including WX. Up to 10 frequencies can be locked
out during conventional search, 20 frequencies from Service
Search. Unique feature tells whether a given frequency has
already been memorized. 10.8 MHz and 450 kHz IFs, with
images 21.6 MHz away. 4 cell BP-120 internal NiCd battery
pack. Marketed as BC230XLT with two BP-120 battery packs
and CRX-120 dual charger. See "The BC220XLT/BC230XLT
Portable Scanner," by Bob Parnass, AJ9S, in Monitoring
Times, April 1996.
BC230XLT (Uniden): See BC220XLT.
BC235XLT TrunkTracker(Uniden): 1997 vintage. Portable with
300 channels in 10 banks. Can scan or search in
conventional or trunked domains but not at the same time.
Scans Motorola Type I, II, IIa 800 MHz trunked systems, but
only one trunked system at a time. Programming Type I and
IIa systems requires knowing the Fleet Map ahead of time or
else using exhaustive trial and error. A query feature
identifies duplicate memory channels. Very fast scan and
search rates. Scans 64 channels/sec and skips empty
channels. Service search. Data skip. Triple conversion,
254.4, 10.85, 0.45 MHz IFs. Excellent image rejection and
intermod immunity. Fairly good audio. See "The Uniden
Bearcat BC235XLT," by Bob Parnass, AJ9S, in Monitoring
Times, July 1997 or an on-line version at www.grove.net for
a review which includes quantitative test results.
BC2500XLT (Uniden): 400 channel portable with tuning knob.
Plagued by intermod and images. Early units drained
batteries quickly even while turned off.
BC3000XLT (Uniden): 1995 vintage. Excellent 400 channel
portable with 20 banks. Up conversion. Very fast scan,
search, and intelligent Auto Store. Mode, attenuator, and
delay settings programmable for each channel. 50
frequencies can be locked out during search. Larger speaker
than PRO-26 produces better, crisper audio. NiCd pack
provides about 5 hours between charges. See "The Uniden
Bearcat BC3000XLT," by Bob Parnass, AJ9S, in Monitoring
Times, April 1995 and "The Radio Shack PRO-26 vs.
Uniden/Bearcat BC3000XLT," by Bob Parnass, AJ9S, in
Monitoring Times, August 1995.
Regency
TMR series: First generation crystal scanners. Come in all
varieties of band coverage. Models with both UHF and VHF
bands must use separate antennas for each band (disadvantage
in mobile installations, but can be overcome by connecting
two front ends via a capacitor). Not sensitive enough to
cover the entire 30 - 50 MHz range in a single model. There
three versions of VHF-low band coverage depending on the
part of the 30 - 50 MHz band covered (LL, LM. and LH). TMR
scanners use unsocketed incandescent bulbs for channel
indicators which require periodic replacement. Easy to
crystal: Radio Shack crystals work well. TMRs usually $2
and up at hamfests, often in poor condition. Don't pay more
than $50, even if mint. Front ends must be tuned for
selected portions within the bands for best sensitivity.
Wide IF selectivity troublesome in urban/suburban areas.
Primitive digital scanning circuitry may become confused at
times. but power off/on restores sanity. Replace aging
capacitors in the scanning circuits. You can find a TMR8H
eight channel high band unit most often.
TME series: The base versions of the TMR models. Both the
TME and TMR models share many common circuits but the base
versions contain speakers mounted on the front panel. The
most common TME model is the TME8 H/LM eight channel dual
band scanner in a metal cabinet with wood coloring.
ACTR series: Replaced the Regency TMR units. By the time
Regency made the ACTR units, they no longer offered
different models for different parts of the 30 - 50 MHz
band. Look for the later ACT series, e.g., ACTR-106 (10
channel tri band) or ACTR20/6 (20 channel tri band), used
light emitting diodes for channel indicators instead of
incandescent bulbs. Available in 1 to 20 channel models -
most are multi band receivers. Somewhat wide selectivity.
Not all that bad a deal if cheap.
ACTE series: The base versions of the ACTR series. The ACTE
and ACTR circuitry is similar, although the base versions
contain speakers mounted on the front panel. The most
common ACTE model is the ACTE8 H/L eight channel dual band
scanner in a black metal cabinet.
WHAMO-10: Regency's first synthesized scanner. Appearance
more like a crystal scanner, with a single LED per channel.
User has to break off teeth on a metal 'comb' for each
channel according to a code book. See US patent 4,057,760,
granted 11/8/77. External frequency control unit DFS-5K
optional. UHF VCO reference oscillator drifts on some units.
Soldered sheet metal shields around some circuitry make
access to some components difficult for servicing. Comb
sockets prone to bad connections after moderate use. Not
recommended due to maintenance difficulties.
K500: Nice wood-like cabinet. 40 channel model with every
feature Regency could dream of in one scanner, except
aircraft band. Idle tone bypass feature for mobile phone
stations works about 50% of the time. Weather alert feature.
Service Search in several banks. Search and Store facility
not implemented as well as BC250, but better than none.
Built in clock when radio off or in manual mode. Can be
programmed out of band. Reasonable performance, but
sensitivity could be better. Spring contacts on membrane
keyboard may need soldering after prolonged use.
K100: Bare bones version of the K500. 10 channels, no
priority feature. Same wood-like cabinet and reasonable
performance as K500. Spring contacts on membrane keyboard
may need soldering after prolonged use.
M400: 30 channel replacement for K500. Service Search, but
no aircraft. Easily programmable out of band. Built in clock
when radio off or in manual mode. Backlit keyboard good for
night viewing and mobile use but generates RFI into nearby
SW receivers. A favorite.
MX3000: 30 channel replacement for M400, but basic features
only. Nice lit keyboard, but may cause RFI into nearby SW
receivers. Easily programmable out of band, but no aircraft.
All 30 channels are in a single bank, and lack of direct
channel access make this model more difficult to operate.
Good first scanner.
M100: 10 channel unit. Same as MX3000 except different color
and fewer channels. Nicely lit keyboard, but may cause RFI
into nearby SW receivers.
HX1000: Good, fairly rugged, 30 channel handheld synthesized
unit. Generous out of band coverage but no AM aircraft
coverage. Built by Azden. Very sensitive on UHF, but
annoying audio hiss leaks through speaker when squelched.
Belt clip chintzy, but can be directly replaced with better
clip from Kenwood TR2600A. Like the MX3000, all 30 channels
are in a single bank, and lack of direct channel access make
this model more difficult to operate. Low discount price
makes this best choice for programmable portable.
HX650/H604: 6 channel crystal portable. Likely made by
Sanyo. Same as Fannon and Bearcat Thin Scan units, (except
that Bearcat has 10.8 MHz IF frequency, and is harder to get
crystals for), but scans faster. Small size and common
crystals (available at Radio Shack), make this 1st choice
for bare bones portable scanner.
Z60: base/mobile sporting 60 channels, but 10 of them are
for FM broadcast only. Built in alarm clock, priority, and
memory which requires no battery backup. Covers 30 - 50, 88
-108, 118-136, 144-174, 440-512 MHz. Notice that it's not
spec'd to cover some important federal bands: 136 - 144 and
406 - 440.
RELM
HS200: 1996 vintage. Very good 200 channel portable. 10
banks. Built-in CTCSS and DCS decoder. Lighted keypad.
Duplicate channel detection. 100 frequencies can be locked
out from search. Very good audio and strong front end.
Excellent internal shielding. Global rescan delay. Covers
CB. Fixed modes and step sizes. IFs are 280.2 and 0.45
MHz, and perhaps one in between. For a quantitative test
report, see "The RELM HS-200 Portable Scanner," by Bob
Parnass, AJ9S, in Monitoring Times, April 1997, for a review
which includes quantitative test results.
Radio Shack
PRO-2004: 1986 vintage. Top of the line, wide band scanner
for 1987. After a diode is cut, enjoy continuous coverage
from 25-520 and 760-1300 MHz, AM, NBFM, and WBFM. Has 300
channels in 10 banks of 30, backed up by conventional 9 volt
alkaline battery. Any channel can be designated the
priority channel. Scans and searches fast. Lots of well
designed features, like 10 pairs of search limits, Lockout
Review, default search increment and emission mode. Sound
Squelch allows skipping dead carriers during search or scan.
Metal cabinet, good internal construction and shielding, but
no mobile mounting bracket or DC power cord. Soft touch
membrane keyboard. Good sensitivity and selectivity. Very
good radio. See "Product Review: The Radio Shack PRO-2004
Programmable Scanner," by Bob Parnass AJ9S, in The Radio
Enthusiast, February 1987, and Monitoring Times, March 1987.
PRO-2005: 1989 vintage. Essentially a size reduced PRO-2004
with surface mount components and 400 channels. Some people
think the small knobs, smaller display, and plastic cabinet
are a setback from the 2004. The smaller size, real rubber
keyboard, and vertical front panel make it easer to use
mobile, although the keyboard is not backlit. More
sensitive than the PRO-2004 but 800 MHz signals leak through
into the commercial aero band. Highly recommended. See
"Product Review: The Radio Shack PRO-2005 Programmable
Scanner," by Bob Parnass AJ9S, in The Radio Enthusiast, June
1989, and RCMA Journal, August 1989.
PRO-2006: 1990 vintage. Essentially the same as PRO-2005
but scans faster. Probably the best scanner made to date.
Highly recommended. See "The Realistic PRO-2006," by Bob
Parnass, AJ9S, in Monitoring Times, October 1990.
PRO-2035: 1995 vintage wide coverage base made by GRE.
1,000 channels, but cumbersome 100 channel bank size.
Tuning knob. Broader IF selectivity than PRO-2006. Poor
dynamic range. 10 linkable search banks. Dumb Auto Store
feature stores the same frequencies over and over. Wastes
time scanning empty channels. See "The Radio Shack PRO-2035
- How Does It Compare With the PRO-2006?," by Bob Parnass,
AJ9S, in Monitoring Times, January 1995.
PRO-2040: late 1995 vintage 100 channel base made by Uniden.
Fair performance, but minimal image rejection. Local
oscillator harmonics account for spurious responses, e.g.,
reception of cellular telephone calls in the 460 MHz UHF-
high band. Scans over 40 channels/sec. Can lock out up to
50 channels from search. "Soft" on/off power switching via
keypad. See "The Radio Shack PRO-2040," by Bob Parnass,
AJ9S, in Monitoring Times, December 1995.
PRO-2042: 1996 version of the wide coverage PRO-2035 base
with improved firmware and amber display. Made by GRE.
1,000 channels, but cumbersome 100 channel bank size.
Tuning knob. NFM selectivity is still a problem but
improved over PRO-2035. 10 linkable search banks. Smart
Auto Store feature stores the unique frequencies. Can lock
out up to 200 frequencies from search. Query facility
indicates if and in what channel a frequency is programmed.
Scan skips over empty channels automatically. Can sort
memories by frequency within a given bank. IFs are 609 -
612, 58.05, and 10.7/0.455 MHz. Broader IF selectivity than
PRO-2006. Overall, a top grade scanner and second only to
Uniden/Bearcat BC9000XLT. See "The Radio Shack PRO-2042,"
by Bob Parnass, AJ9S, in Monitoring Times, February 1996.
PRO-2045: 1996 vintage. Very good 200 channel base/mobile
made for Radio Shack by Uniden. Tuning/channel selector
knob. 10 banks, selectable attenuator, and rescan delay.
CTCSS-capable with optional board. Great Auto Store.
Weather alert. Scans and searches fast. Can lock out 50
frequencies during search. Step sizes fixed but AM and NFM
modes are selectable. IFs are 380.7, 10.7, and 0.455 MHz.
Images on VHF-high band despite high 1st IF. Some intermod
on review unit. See "The Radio Shack PRO-2045," by Bob
Parnass, AJ9S, in Monitoring Times, February 1997, for a
review which includes quantitative test results.
PRO-2046: 1996 vintage 100 channel mobile made by Uniden
with fairly good performance. Descendent of the BC760XLT
but no CTCSS option available. Ten banks of ten channels.
Scans memory at about 34 channels/sec. Service search,
direct search, and band search. Preset search limits by
band and user cannot program the search limits. Image
rejection is minimal, as one would expect from a scanner
with IFs of 10.85 and 0.450 MHz. 10 Monitor memory
channels. Can lock out up to 20 channels from a search.
See "The Radio Shack PRO-2046," by Bob Parnass, AJ9S, in
Monitoring Times, October 1996, for a review which includes
quantitative test results.
PRO-34: Portable scanner with 200 channels and 800 MHz
coverage. Ten "monitor" channels. Operates from AA cells.
Slow scanning, low audio output, and chintzy plastic case
detract from an otherwise good performance. No decent
leather case available from Radio Shack. If you need a
portable with 800 MHz, get a Bearcat 200XLT. If you can't
get a 200XLT, get a PRO-34.
PRO-2021: Base/mobile scanner. 200 channels in 10 banks,
LCD display and raised rubber keys. Lots of memory but
scans too slowly and lacks 800 MHz. Ten "monitor" channels.
Radio Shack seemed to have an overstock of 2021s as they
were on sale for such a long time. Close out price dipped
to about $200, which made it a nice scanner for beginners.
PRO-2022: Base/mobile scanner. Like the PRO-2021 but
includes the 800 MHz band. Somewhat prone to intermod in |
the 460 MHz range. Cellular images throughout the 847.6 -
869 MHz range. See September 1996 Monitoring Times for *
modifications.
PRO-2036: Same as Uniden/Bearcat BC890XLT. Tuning knob.
200 channels, global delay. Scans and searches fast.
Count, AUX, and Auto Store features. Accepts optional CTCSS
board. Dual conversion with 10.8 MHz and 450 kHz IFs --
lots of images and birdies. Prone to severe intermod,
especially when used with an outdoor antenna. See "The
Uniden BC-890XLT and Radio Shack PRO-2036," by Bob Parnass,
in June 1995 Monitoring Times.
PRO-2037: 1994 vintage. Triple conversion all plastic base
scanner made by GRE. Home version of the PRO-62 portable
but with more intermod. 200 channels in 10 banks, one
search bank, selectable AM and FM. Uses up conversion
circuitry but inadequate front end filtering still allows
images, though not as bad as in 10.7 or 10.8 MHz IF
circuits. Crisp, respectable audio given the top mounted
speaker. See "The Radio Shack PRO-2037," by Bob Parnass, in
July 1995 Monitoring Times.
PRO-2001: Early, single bank 16 channel programmable.
Reasonable coverage of the 3 traditional bands, minus
aircraft band. LED digital display as well as an LED per
channel. Mechanical lockout switch for each channel. Delay
is either on or off for all channels at a time. High
synthesizer noise level. Troublesome plated through holes
on digital board in some units renders radio virtually
unfixable. Could never get mine to work more than a few
days in a row; always another bad connection. Some owners
have no trouble.
PRO-52: 8 channel VHF-Lo/Hi base unit. No UHF band or
provision for mobile operation. Good little scanner despite
limited frequency coverage and Spartan lack of frills.
Crisp squelch action and good audio, helped by a front
mounted, vertical speaker.
PRO-2003: Radio Shack's 1986 top of line. 50 channels + 10
FM commercial broadcast band channels. Includes aircraft.
Good frequency coverage and functionality, but at a high
price. Poor human engineering: difficult to read keyboard
makes the PRO-2003 hard to operate unless in a well lit
room. Keyboard label coloring improved on newer units.
Rather slow scan rate and high price. Although there are
provisions for 12VDC operation, the cabinet shape and lack
of mounting bracket makes mobile operation impractical.
Scan rate only 8 channels/sec vs. 15/sec in Regency and
Bearcat. Causes RFI: Plastic case permits scanner to
radiate signals into nearby receivers.
PRO-43: Very good portable made by GRE. First Radio Shack
portable with up conversion, and 222 MHz ham and 225 - 400
MHz military air band coverage. 200 channels, single search
range. Small, convenient size. Muffled audio. Speakers in
early units known to fail and more powerful speakers were
used in later units. 800 MHz band coverage fully restorable
in early units by removing diode. Uses same 6 cell battery
tray as other high end GRE portables. Subject to
interference in 160 - 162 MHz range.
PRO-60: 1995 vintage. Very good portable made by GRE. 200
channels, single search range. Similar features and same
IFs as the PRO-43 it replaced but the PRO-60 has wider
frequency coverage and crisper audio. Covers 75 MHz and
commercial FM broadcast bands. Improved Direct search can
be stepped manually in single steps. Uses same 6 cell
battery tray as other high end GRE portables. Railfans take
note -- the PRO-60 and PRO-43 are subject to interference in
160 - 162 MHz range. Draws 100 mA while scanning. See "The
Radio Shack PRO-60 Portable," by Bob Parnass, AJ9S, in
Monitoring Times, September 1995.
PRO-26: 1995 vintage. (Not to be confused with a simple 1985
crystal controlled portable bearing the same model number.)
Very good portable made by for Radio Shack by Uniden. 200
channels, very fast scan/search. Good display. Covers all
TV channels, but spectrum adjacent to cellular phone band is
censored which prevents monitoring parts of some trunked
systems (e.g., IL State Police district 4). Up to 50
frequencies can be skipped during search. Limited image
rejection causes 929 MHz paging interference in 170 MHz
range. IFs are 380.7/254.4, 58.075, and 5.5/0.455 MHz.
Audio suffers from small speaker. See "The Radio Shack
PRO-26 vs. Uniden/Bearcat BC3000XLT," by Bob Parnass, AJ9S,
in Monitoring Times, August 1995.
PRO-62: 1994 vintage. Good portable 200 channel scanner
using up conversion. Similar to PRO-43 but no military air
band, different upper frequency limit, and slightly
different IFs. Selectable AM/NFM modes. Better intermod
immunity than PRO-43. See "The Radio Shack PRO-62," by Bob
Parnass, AJ9S, in Monitoring Times, February 1995.
PRO-64: 1997 vintage. Good portable 400 channel scanner
using up conversion. Replaces PRO-62 and has many more
features. Selectable AM/NFM modes but fixed step sizes. 10
search banks which can be cascaded. Auto store saves unique
frequencies found during a search. Frequencies can be
loaded using a computer but optional interface kit not yet
available. Can recharge Radio Shack's optional, monolithic
NiCd pack, but not AA cells within the scanner. IFs are
257.5, 21.4, and 0.455 MHz. See "The Radio Shack PRO-64,"
by Bob Parnass, AJ9S, in Monitoring Times, August 1997, for
a review which includes quantitative test results.
PRO-67: 1997 vintage. Good portable 200 channel scanner
using up conversion. Replaces PRO-51 and has better image
rejection and super fast scanning. Service Search lacks
police frequencies. Fixed AM/NFM modes and step sizes. Can
lock out up to 20 frequencies during a search. Can recharge
both Radio Shack's optional, monolithic NiCd pack, and AA
cells within the scanner. Frequencies adjacent to the
cellular phone bands censored so our PRO-67 will not receive
868.9625 or 823.9625 MHz. Intermediate Frequencies are
254.4, 10.85, and 0.45 MHz. See "The Radio Shack PRO-67,"
by Bob Parnass, AJ9S, in Monitoring Times, October 1997, for
a review which includes quantitative test results.
PRO-30: 16 channel programmable portable with aircraft band.
Good frequency coverage. Extra controls on top allow
control of SCAN, MANUAL, and PRIORITY functions while worn
on belt. Good belt clip. Low audio output. Plastic case
prone to break at BNC antenna connector under severe use,
vs. metal frame in Regency HX1000. High price, no discounts
or sales yet. I had 6 or 7 PRO30s, having to return them
several times during the 1 year warranty, although other
owners have had little or no trouble. Troubles included
oscillation in IF stage, no UHF band reception, case broken
around base of antenna connector, etc.
PRO-24: 1983 vintage. Only 4 channels in this crystal
controlled portable. Covers the three basic bands, but no
aircraft. Easy to obtain batteries and crystals.
Characteristic Radio Shack squelch problem, fixable by
changing one resistor. All-plastic case larger than Bearcat
Thin Scan and clones. See "The Radio Shack PRO-24 Scanner,"
by Bob Parnass, excerpted in the "Technical Topics" column,
RCMA Newsletter, February 1984.
SPORTYS
JD-100: 1997 vintage. Limited 20 channel scanner which
covers civil and military air bands only. Good audio.
Large display shows frequency only out to 2 digits. Slow
scanning and odd keystroke sequences. No key press
confirmation beep. Cannot lock out channels from memory
scan. Powered by AA batteries. Battery saver circuit. See
"Sportys JD-100 Air Scan," by Bob Parnass, AJ9S, in
Monitoring Times, November 1997.
Craig (division of Pioneer)
4530: Japanese 10 channel crystal controlled 3 band unit.
Also available under Plectron name but in different cabinet.
No aircraft band. Deluxe features like priority, trimmer
capacitors for netting each channel, front panel speaker,
and rugged metal cabinet make this unit a winner. Channel
lockout slide switches have finite life. Replacing burned
out incandescent channel lamps not fun. Grab a 4530 if you
find one in good condition.
Sonar
Sonar made several crystal controlled scanners and
channelized monitor receivers which shared the same RF
circuitry. Each radio was housed in the same size metal
case and worked on both 120 VAC and 12 VDC. The models
differed in the number of channels, the band coverage, and
whether individual channels could be locked out.
Although they used a 10.7 MHz first IF, Sonar radios require
parallel resonant crystals different from the common series
resonant crystals used in Regency and Radio Shack scanners.
Some Radio Shack crystals will work in Sonar units, but more
often they oscillate a few kHz off frequency and are
unsuitable unless changes are made to the oscillator
circuitry. Therefore, beginners should avoid these radios.
Typical Sonar squelch has long time constant causing a long
noise burst at the end of each transmission.
FR-104, FR-105: 6 channel monitor receivers covering 25 - 50
MHz or 150 - 175 MHz. Manual channel selection, i.e., no
scanning. Early models are identified by an 11 pin
connector on the rear and they could be used with an
optional NiCd battery pack and charger which bolted to the
rear panel. Later models used Cinch Jones connectors with
flat contacts. Optional tone decoder board.
FR-2512, FR-2513: 24 channel versions of the FR-104 and FR-
105 monitor receivers. Manual channel selection, i.e., no
scanning.
FR-2514, FR-2515: 8 channel scanners. Channel 1 priority.
Recommend you avoid these models as there is no way to
lockout a channel from the scan sequence.
FR-2526, FR-2526, FR-2528: 10 channel scanners covering
various combinations of 3 bands. Each channel could be
locked out. Channel 1 priority.
Sonar #chan- VHF VHF UHF lock-
Model nels low high scans? outs?
___________________________________________________
FR104 6 X no
FR105 6 X no
FR2512 24 X no
FR2513 24 X no
FR2514 8 X yes no
FR2515 8 X yes no
FR2516 10 X yes yes
FR2517 10 X yes yes
FR2525 10 X yes yes
FR2526 10 X X yes yes
FR2527 10 X X yes yes
FR2528 10 X X yes yes
Table 1. Summary of Sonar base/mobile monitor and scanner
receivers
Tennelec
Manufactured the first synthesized scanners. See US patents
3,961,261 and 3,962,644, granted 6/1/76 and 6/8/76
respectively. Company went out of business several years
ago. Schematics and parts difficult to obtain. Radios
reputed to be poor performers. Got my MS-2 and MCP-1 basket
cases for free and sometimes regret taking them. Not worth
fixing unless you have access to DTL/RTL chips and circuit
diagrams.
Plectron and Motorola Alert Monitor Receivers
In the 1960s and 1970s, thousands of firemen and ambulance
squad members came to rely on their transistor Plectron and
Motorola Alert monitor receivers. They have now been
replaced by portable pagers, and are often available at
hamfests in the $5 - $25 range. Since many are in rough
condition and need repair, a hamfest special is better
suited for hobbyists who like to fix their own radios.
Plectron and Motorola Alert crystal controlled receivers are
excellent for dedicated monitoring of local frequencies -- a
task for which you wouldn't want to tie up your 400 channel
programmable scanner. These radios are fixed channel units
and do not scan. They can be powered form 117VAC or 12VDC
with the proper mobile cord.
The audio quality on a Plectron P1 or 700 series is far
better than any consumer grade scanner and the sensitivity
and intermod immunity is outstanding if aligned properly.
Better image rejection than most scanners (see article by
Bob Parnass in Monitoring Times, January 1996 for
comparison). The Plectron 500 series is less desirable.
The Motorola Alert monitors are pretty good, although the
audio lacks bass.
No single Plectron or Motorola Alert monitor can cover the
entire 30-50 MHz band, and there were versions optimized for
each portion of the band. There were different "split"
models to cover segments of VHF-hi band, too. Although UHF
versions were made, they are somewhat rare.
Both brands of receiver require special crystals. I
sometimes use Radio Shack's generic 3rd overtone scanner
crystals in the Plectrons but they oscillate on frequencies
far away from their marked frequencies. That's because the
Plectron oscillator is designed to be used with a crystal
which oscillates on its fundamental, not overtone,
frequency. Too, the P1 and R700 require different crystals.
If you find the squelch on your Plectron 700 series receiver
has too much hysteresis, replace R96, a 180K resistor, with
a 560K resistor. On the P1, the resistor is designated R81.
Repair service for the Plectron P1 and R700 models is
offered by:
Woodson Electronics
Plectron Place
P.O. Box 960
Imboden, Arkansas 72434
telephone 1-(501)869-7985
Some replacement parts are currently available from Federal
Signal in University Park, IL, phone (800)524-3021. For
more information, see "Add a Crystal Receiver to Your
Arsenal," by Bob Parnass, January 1996 Monitoring Times.
Custom Color Map & Report
of Transmitter Sites Near You
As I have already done for hundreds of radio enthusiasts,
companies, government agencies, and organizations across the
country, I will locate FCC licensed and selected FAA and CAP
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beautiful 8-1/2" by 11" scaled color map, protected by
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highways, airports, military installations, national parks,
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RadioMap has been advertised monthly in Monitoring Times
magazine since 1995. The graphical nature of RadioMap
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The RadioMap processes and software are unique and
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For a flat fee, you choose the center location, and I choose
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suburbs: 5 mile range (100 sq. mi. area)
rural areas: 10 or more miles (400 sq. mi. area)
dense urban area: 1 - 2 mile range
Longer ranges for additional charge - call for pricing.
A custom RadioMap report costs $24.95 plus $5.00 shipping
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Include your name, address, and telephone number, along with
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Road, Oswego, IL 60543. tel. (630)554-3839 6-10 PM central
time. For a brochure, send SASE.
How to Obtain Copies of Patents
Printed copies of US patents may be purchased for $3 each,
but you must know the patent number. Credit card orders are
taken over the telephone by the Assistant Commissioner for
Patents at (703)305-4350. Alternatively, you can mail a
check or money order, made payable to "The Assistant
Commissioner for Patents" to
The Assistant Commissioner for Patents
Washington, DC 20231
For more information about the US Patent and Trademark
Office, call their automated information message system
toll-free at (800)786-9199.
There are various patent servers on the world wide web,
including IBM's server:
--
==============================================================================
Copyright 1997, Bob Parnass, AJ9S par...@bell-labs.com
Locate & identify transmitters in your area with a color RadioMap(tm)