Tag Archives: Police Scanner

Limited Stock on GRE PSR-400 Analog Trunking Scanner

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If you haven’t heard already, GRE shut-down it’s manufacturing operation last September (2012) due to financial constraints. GRE America will continue to support and warranty these products.

GRE PSR-400 Analog Trunking Scanner

How do we still have them?
We had set aside some time ago 10 brand-spanking new PSR-400 analog trunking desktop scanners. These are the very easy to program models which GRE discontinued over a year ago and replaced them with the PSR-410’s which used object oriented programming. Now all the 410’s are gone but we are selling off these 10 PSR-400s for $299.95 each. There isn’t even anything comparable to them in the Uniden line. First come, first served on these 10.

Not sure if this scanner will work in your area?  E-mail us!

Feature Highlights
1000 channel analog trunking base/mobile police scanner packed with great features. Great for the home or car in non digital areas.

  • Triple Trunking Desktop/Mobile Scanner
  • Motorola Analog, EDACS, LTR
  • 1,000 CH / 1,500 TGID
  • CTCSS / DCS
  • 20dB attenuator
  • SAME (FIPS) / Weather alert
  • Skywarn
  • Spectrum Sweeper
  • 4×16 Alphanumeric Display
  • Signal strength meter
  • Backlit Keypad and Display
  • PC Programmable
  • Field Upgradeable Firmware

Read more about this scanner

Shopping for a Police Scanner Made Simple!

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By Jonathan Higgins – The Scanner Expert

It’s that time of the year again finding the right gift for that special loved one. How about a scanner? Here are 4 things you should keep in mind when buying a scanner.

1. What type of scanner is needed for the area in which the person lives?

There are three types of scanners:

  • Analog Conventional
  • Analog Trunking 
  • Digital

The scanner you pick is determined by the type of communication systems in use in the area.  You can find out the best scanner by  E-Mail us, giving us a call at 1-800-SCANNER (722-6637), or using our search tool!

Pre-programmed options:
Digital and analog areas – GRE PSR-800, Uniden HomePatrol
Analog areas only – GRE PSR-700

Both scanners are pre-programmed for the nation although we still recommend our Set-up and Optimize service. See these radios on our web site for details.

2. Deciding Base/mobile vs Portable?
Base/Mobile Scanners are normally kept in one location, either in the car or home. Desktop scanners are for home or office use only.

Portable Scanners are great for someone that wants to use the scanner everywhere they go (out and about or from room to room in the home, etc.).

New for 2012!
We also have holiday packages too – Check them out!

3. Scanner programming options:
We strongly recommend our software or our HomeTown Programming option when you buy a scanner. (For the HomePatrol, PSR-800 and PSR-700 it’s called “Set-Up and Optimize”). With these services the scanner will be ready to use right out of the box! Programming typically takes 5 to 10 business days and possibly more as it gets closer to the holidays.

4. Accessories
Make sure they have everything they might need or want when they receive their new scanner! A carry case, computer cable, software, mobile antenna and so on. With each scanner on our website you can make your own package and when you buy accessories with the scanner there are added discounts.

Remember!
We are available online by E-mail and only a call a-way at 1-800-722-6637!

New Product – Uniden Bearcat BC75XLT

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By Richard Barnett

Product:  Uniden Bearcat BC75XLT
Price: $99.95

All-New Low Cost Bearcat Scanner

The Bearcat BC75XLT is a brand new low-cost scanner from Uniden. This radio is compact, easy-to-program with solid audio and a big bright numeric display. At $99.95 it’s a great entry-level portable scanner but it will not work with 800 MHz, trunking and digital systems which are used in many areas of the country. This radio is perfect though for monitoring public safety agencies which use conventional analog radios as well as railroads, marine, auto racing and civilian and commercial aviation (not military). To find out if this scanner will work in your area contact us by E-Mail or check out policescanners.net.

This scanner also includes Uniden’s incredible Close Call technology for rapidly finding active channels, service searches, priority and more. It operates on two AA batteries and can be powered and re-charged using USB cords (adapters available). The radio comes with a rubber-duck antenna, belt clip, charging cable and manual. It’s an all-around great basic scanner and for the sophisticated hobbyist it’s really useful as a backup or Close-Call only radio to have in your car or at-the-ready for emergency weather monitoring at home.

Frequency Coverage:
25-54MHz, 108-174MHz, and 406-512MHz
(Compatible with Narrowband VHF/UHF Systems)

In the Box:
BC75XLT, Wideband rubber antenna with BNC, USB Cable, and printed materials.

Powered by:
2 AA Batteries, (not included). Use 2300mAh Hi-MH or alkaline batteries.
Optional AC USB and DC USB adapters available.

Scanners and Camping!

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By Jonathan Higgins

Scanners and Camping!
When I’m not working at Scanner Master I like to spend my weekends camping in the spring, summer and fall.  My wife and daughter introduced me to camping and we started out tent camping.  It was an amazing feeling to pack up the car and hit the road to a new or favorite destination.  Enjoying the land like the early settlers had, spending the nights under the stars near a campfire.  I have grown to love this and we have now invested in a travel trailer, what we like to call our second home on wheels. Being the scanner geek that I am, I always pack a scanner on these trips.  Working at Scanner Master, I have many opportunities to try different products in the camping environment.
Getting there!
I tow my travel trailer with my pick-up truck which is already equipped with the Uniden BCD996XT, GPS Receiver, and the Uniden RH-96 Remote head.  It’s taken a while but I have most of the public safety agencies for New England programmed into it along with the GPS Data.  The scanner keeps me informed about any accidents or incidents along the way.

Recommended Programming – Getting There!
If you’re doing a lot of highway travel, be sure to program State Police/Highway Patrol and state highway departments.

You may want to program some of the secondary State Police channels/talk groups, these channels could be used for radar details.  States are trying to generate income from every avenue including giving speeding tickets.  Keep in mind some of these secondary channels/systems maybe non-repeaterized, and in-line of sight.

In some states the State Highway Departments are playing more of a roll with traffic incident such as accidents.  These channels can tip you off to lane closers and delays, most of time this info is relayed on these channels for the Highway Traffic Information boards.

At the Campground!
I would recommend a portable unit, you can run it on batteries and you wouldn’t be dependent on AC/DC power.  Before the trip I usually do research on RadioReference.com and then program my handheld scanner.   If you frequent the same area a few times a year you may want to store the programming into a V-Folder on GRE or a high number system on a Uniden unit with Dynamic Memory.

It’s always fun to listen to the campground communications.  Most campgrounds use two way radios for communications, such as MURS (Multi-Use Radio Service) or FRS (Family Radio Service).  Most scanners have both MURS and FRS/GMRS as preset service search.  Keep in mind these communications are not on a repeater they are in-line of sight (low power).   If they are not using the assigned FRS or MURS channels you can use Close Call (Uniden) or Spectrum Sweeper (GRE) technology.

NOAA Weather Radio
Summer can bring some wild weather… Your scanner can also act as weather station, with most scanners you’re one press away from a Local NOAA Weather radio station report.  There are more than 900 NOAA Weather stations across the United States.   Not only can you tune into a weather report anytime you want you can also set up your scanner for weather alerts.  This is very simple to set up once you’re at your destination, it will alert you about those surprise thunder storms.Camper Shack!
Uniden HomePatrol-1 in the sleeping quarters, using the Windshield Mounting Kit for the Uniden HomePatrol-1.

 Here is the SpecturmForce Wide band Antenna with Mag Mount and SMA outside of the camper using a Bracket for Mobile Scanner Installations.  This bracket was a perfect surface for the antenna, and can be easily removed when traveling.

New Product – Windshield Mounting Kit for HomePatrol

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By Jonathan Higgins

New Product:
Windshield Mounting Kit for HomePatrol
Cost:
$39.95

What’s included with the Windshield Mounting Kit?

  • Heavy duty 3 ½ inches suction mount
  • Adjustable 7 inches arm
  • HomePatrol Mobile Mounting Bracket
  • Bracket mounting screws and nuts


Road Test

Over the past weekend, I was able to Road Test the new Uniden HomePatrol Windshield Mounting Kit.

During the road test I was very impressed with this product. It has heavy duty suction mount along with its 7 inch arm. The windshield mount holds the one pound HomePatrol without a problem. Well built, and suitable for most windshield mounting situations.

This product is made by Ram Mounts for the Uniden HomePatrol.

Scanner 101 – Uniden HomePatrol Favorites List

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Do you own the Uniden HomePatrol? Would you rather pick and choose the agencies or communities?  You can simply select them in the database, and run them in a Favorites list. In this Scanner 101 we give you basic steps on setting up a Favorites List in your Uniden HomePatrol.

When running a favorites list, you will be just running the channels you select. This will work great for home or office set up.  If your running the unit as mobile with GPS you would need to run the Uniden HomePatrol on the full database.
You can set up multiple favorite list, here are some examples of a few I have in my office Uniden HomePatrol.

Favorites List name: Office w/railroad
Holliston Police
Holliston Fire
Mass Dot – District 3 – Central
Mass Bay Commuter Rail South Road
Mass Bay Commuter Rail Worcester Road

Favorites List name: Office w/MSP
Holliston Police
Holliston Fire
Mass Dot – District 3 – Central
Mass State Police C-Patrol 1
Mass State Police C-Patrol 2

Uniden HomePatrol in the photo above scanning Bristol County, MA
Here are the steps to set up your Favorties List

Step 1
Press “Menu” (bottom Left Corner)

Step 2
Press “Manage Favorites Lists” (Right hand side 3rd option)

Step 3
Press “Crate New List”

Step 4
Type out a name for this list then press “Accept”

Step 5
Press “Review/Edit Channels”

Step 6
Press “Add Channel”

Step 7
Select “USA” or “Canada”

Step 8
Select your “State”

Step 9
Select your “County”

Step 10
Once you have selected your “Scope” you can browse the database and select channels you wish to monitor once all the channels you wish to monitor are selected press “add channel”.

Step 11
Press yes to conform.

Step 12
Once you have added channels you can review them on “Review/ Edit Channels” screen

Step 12A
To add more areas repeat Steps 6 – 10

Step 13
Press “Back”

Step 14
Press “Use This List”

Step 15
Press “Yes” to Conform

Sentinel Software

If you would rather do this using software, you can download the free “HomePatrol Sentinel” software. With the Sentinel you can update the firmware and the HomePatrol frequency database.

ARC Patrol Software
If you looking to add frequencies or trunking systems not listed in RadioReference.com you can purchase the ARC Patrol Software. – Read more about the ARC Patrol Software

New Product – Easier to Read Uniden XT Scanner Manual

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The Product: Easier to Read Uniden XT Scanner Manual
Price: $29.95
For: Uniden Bearcat’s BCT15X, BC346XT, BCD396XT, BCD996XT

Painstakingly created by Marksscanners, this 100 page Easier to Read Scanner Manual takes you deep into the amazing feature set and instructions for the Uniden XT scanners:

  • BCT15X
  • BC346XT
  • BCD396XT
  • BCD996XT

    This is an extremely handy 5.5 X 8.5 perfect-bound book which you can use on your desk, in your car and on the go. The guide is in 4-color with charts, images and super detailed text. This one guide covers all four of these latest Bearcat® XT model scanners and takes you far beyond what you get with the radio (only a CD-ROM and without the detail of Mark’s guide). Go step-by-step through each of the hundreds of features of these scanners and learn what the functions do and how they are enabled and disabled.

    Mark takes you through the process of planning systems, sites and groups and then programming your scanner with this information. The Uniden XT scanners are remarkable radios but to get the most out of them you really need this ultimate manual we are proud to offer.

    Example Pages:

    • New Product – SpectrumForce Scanner Lapel Speaker with Antenna Mount

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    New Products
    SpectrumForce Scanner Lapel Speaker with Antenna Mount:
    • With SMA Connection – $29.95
    • With BNC Connection – $29.95

    In the photo on the left is the SpectrumForce Scanner Lapel Speaker with Antenna Mount (BNC Connection)

    Puts scanner audio closer to your ear just like public safety two-way radios. Mounts a scanner antenna atop the speaker for improved reception.


    • Works with Bearcat 330, 346 and 396 (X and XT) scanner models
    • Audio Boost with volume control slider
    • Swivel clip attaches to lapel
    • Single straight cord, 3′ long, contains cabling for antenna coax and speaker wire

    The SpectrumForce Scanner Lapel Speaker with Audio Boost & Antenna Mount is one of the coolest products we’ve ever developed. With a look similar to the speaker-microphones used by law enforcement, security, fire service and EMS officers, this speaker has multiple important functions: It brings your portable scanner audio up close to your ear (rather than down by your side on your belt), it provides a variable audio boost, and it puts the antenna up higher and away from your body — in a much more efficient location for better signal reception range and clarity.
    (In the photo to the Right Greg Jolly with the SpectrumForce Scanner Lapel Speaker)

    How did we boost the audio?
    The audio boost on the lapel speaker works via a jumper cable that runs inside the speaker housing from the antenna jack ground lead to the speaker ground. This method cancels internal scanner audio resistance to the speaker jack which is used to protect your hearing when utilizing an earphone. However, with the lapel speaker, you will not be using an earphone running directly into your ear, but rather a speaker, to listen to the scanner audio. Thus, the volume will be similar to listening closely to the speaker on the scanner itself (as you normally would if you were holding the scanner in your hands) however the speaker will be on your lapel or shoulder when walking around or driving in a car, rather than on your belt as part of the scanner. An engineer has tested this construction method and confirms that it works well and has no negative impact on audio amplifiers (see below). The lapel speaker audio boost works with most, but not all, portable scanners.

    Elevating the Antenna
    You must utilize the antenna mount on the lapel speaker to take advantage of the audio boost. However, the added benefit is that by mounting the antenna on the lapel speaker you elevate the antenna for the radio (as compared to having it located on your belt) which will in general improve reception. Also, by having the antenna on the scanner on your belt, next to your body, you de-sensitize it. Mounting the antenna up and away from your body and on the lapel speaker you no longer de-sensitize the antenna. This is why many police, fire and EMS agencies use a speaker microphone with the antenna mounted on the speaker for their officers as well.

    Specifications
    • Speaker: 45mm
    • Power: 1 Watt Max
    • Frequency Range: 500-9000Hz
    • Size: 68H x 58W x 22D (mm)
    • Weight: 51 Grams
    • Connector: Standard 3.5mm

    Not a microphone – listen only.
    Model # SLS-401A (SMA); SLS-401B (BNC)

    New Product – GRE PSR-310

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    By Jonathan Higgins

    The Product: GRE PSR-310 Analog Trunking Scanner
    Price: $199.95

    The GRE PSR-310 is a good looking unit out of the box, with its black exterior and buttons with white lettering. The case layout is just like the GRE-PSR 500 with the same placement of the speaker, screen, and keypad.

    New features found on the GRE PSR-310


    Memory System
    Object Oriented – Very simple to use and to field program compared to other models. An object can be shared in more than one scan list. An object can be single frequency or talk group.

    LCD Display
    Much larger display over the GRE PSR-300, bring a great full dot matrix bitmap display with an white LED backlight.

    Multi-System Analog Trunking
    Works with the following trunking systems:
    -Motorola
    -EDACS Standard/Narrow
    -LTR Trunking
    Supports the new 700MHz and 380MHz bands also can follow multisite Motorola systems

    Exclusive Alert LED
    This can be configured to illuminate or flash when a certain object is active.
    Example:
    Holliston Police – LED Blue Flash
    Holliston Fire – LED Red Flash
    Holliston Highway – LED Yellow Flash

    Color Options
    1 – Red
    2 – Yellow
    3 – Green
    4 – Light Blue
    5 – Blue
    6 – Purple
    7 – White

    In the Box
    -Antenna
    -Owner’s Manual
    -Black non-chargeable battery holder (inside the scanner)
    -Yellow rechargeable battery holder
    -Belt clip (Attached to the scanner)

    Programming Software
    ARC310 – Available from BuTel Software soon!

    -NOTE-
    For some people this scanner will not work due to the radio systems in their area. How check if this scanner will work in their area? Visit our sister website http://www.policescanners.com.

    New Product – Uniden HomePatrol

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    By Jonathan Higgins

    The Product: Uniden HomePatrol-1

    The much awaited Uniden HomePatrol’s will be shipping out on Thursday, September 30, 2010.

    Please check out my First Look @ Uniden HomePatrol
    Highlights: