My Police Scanner Choice; and the Winner is:

PRO-97 1000-Channel Triple-Trunking Handheld Scanner

High-powered handheld.
High-performance, extended-coverage scanner has the ability to scan both trunked and conventional channels at the same time. Program up to 100 frequencies in banks of 10 for easier access. Triple-trunking lets you follow a signal in virtually any market that uses an analog trunking system. Signal Stalker™ circuitry searches for nearby frequency transmissions and lets you hear a nearby radio without knowing its frequency. Skywarn lets you hear local severe-weather observers and get warnings before they are broadcast on local radio or TV. The SAME feature provides weather and other emergency alerts for the areas you program into your unit. For a list of codes, click here.

* Alpha-numeric display for ID tagging allows frequencies to be identified by the name you assign
* Lighted keypad and backlit LCD display for use in low light
* Digital weather alert keeps you informed of emergencies; 7 NOAA weather stations preprogrammed
* Easy programming: download frequencies from computer to scanner (software and cable optional)


What's in the box

* Radio scanner
* Belt clip
* 6" flexible rubber antenna
* Two battery cases
* Owner's guide
* Quick start guide
* Preprogrammed frequency addendum [...]

At last we have a police scanner. After a lot of research, I picked a Radio Shack Pro-97. It's normally $200, I got it on sale for $169.

I could have got a decent cheaper model, if I had only wanted to scan police, fire and EMS frequencies. But I went with this more expensive model because it also scans a lot of HAM radio frequencies too, as well as Marine, Aviation and CB channels. It's also capable of handling trunked radio systems. I don't think any of the agencies in my area are using trunking presently, but if they ever move to it, I'll still be able to scan them.

I picked this particular model because it's been out for a few years now, and it has 300 customer reviews, most of which give it high marks. It has the most reviews of any scanner on the Radio Shack website.

There was an upgraded model, the PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner, which looks exactly like the Pro-97. It's normally $219.99, but was also on sale for $169. It has extra features, such as a bar graph signal-strength meter, tone ID of priority tagged frequencies, and the ability to scan the 700 MHz range, which will become available next year when commercial TV goes digital. I could kinda kick myself that I didn't get the Pro-164, but I chose to stick with the Pro-97, because it has a proven track record. The Pro-164 only has 23 reviews, and some of those say the sound quality is not as good as the Pro-97, and I just didn't want to be a guinea pig for a new product.

So back to the Pro-97. It's portable, I can use rechargable batteries and recharge them without removing them from the scanner. Programing the scanner isn't what I would call easy, it reminds me of what programing VCR's used to be like when they first came out; semi-rocket science.

Many of the user reviews had said it's worth buying the cable and software to program it with, so I did. I'm using the Win97 program from Starsoft, which works fine with Windows XP on my PC. It's enabled me to download the frequencies for our local police, county sheriff, State police, EMS, and Fire departments. There are other codes for other things, such as Forrest service, Transportation department, etc. but the above is all I've done so far. The results have been very satisfying.

I am going to have really sit down with the manual though, and read it thoroughly to comprehend all the features, and to block things I'm not interested in, make backups of the frequencies I want to keep, etc. Some people complain that the manual is difficult to follow. If you find it so, there is help. There is a re-written version of the manual that's been posted on-line, that many have found useful:

Easier to Read Pro-97/2055 Scanner Manual

The salesman at Radio Shack recommended that I buy an external antenna, since I live a considerable distance outside of town. He said a good antenna can make all the difference, so I went with his recommendation:

Outdoor VHF-Hi/UHF Scanner Antenna

At home, when I use the scanner with just the antenna it came with, it does pick up radio traffic from town. But when I use the external antenna, it seems to pick up a lot more traffic, including areas farther away, so I think it's worth every penny. I bought a 50ft cable to go with it. If you buy it, be sure and get the BNC connector to attach the scanner to the cable. I forgot mine, and had to go back days later to get it.

I won't be able to do an in-depth review until I work with the scanner more extensively and learn to utilize all of it's features, but thus far I am impressed with it's performance, and happy with my purchase.

If you are thinking of buying a scanner and you are only interested in scanning Police/Fire/EMT services, you would probably be happy with a cheaper scanner. But you need to find out if any of your local services are using trunked systems. If not, you can get a good scanner for as low as $79. Talk to the folks at your local Radio Shack, they probably know what's being used in your area. My store also gave me a sheet with the local frequencies to program the scanner with, but you can also find that information on-line by googling it.


Related Links:

Learning Ham Radio; start with a Police Scanner?

Police Scanners part II; back to the $100 models

Radio Communications in a Changing World

Resource Links: Radio Codes & Signals
     

Police Scanners part II; back to the $100 models

In an earlier post, "Learning Ham Radio; start with a Police Scanner?", I was looking at $200 scanners, attracted by all the bells and whistles. But since then, I've gotten my "Two-Way Radios & Scanners For Dummies" book, and after reading up on them, I think the $100 range would suit me fine.

Here are the top three I'm looking at now, from Radio Shack:


200-Channel VHF/AIR/UHF Desktop Scanner with 1-Touch Service
Some good friends of ours own this model, and recently they came to visit and brought it with them, so I got to see first hand how it works. Easy to use, and good reception. They use it in town, but even out here it picked up the police and sheriff's departments just fine. It gets 200 channels, and is programmable. It goes for $100, but I've seen it on sale for $79. It's got good reviews by users, but some reviewers claim it's little more than a toy. The one drawback I could see is that it only runs on AC power, no option for batteries, so if your power goes out, you're out of luck.


PRO-82 200-Channel Handheld Scanner
This model is also 200 channels. The manual is easy to read (the manuals for all these units are available for download as .pdf files), and it can run on batteries and is very mobile, great for traveling. It's $100.


PRO-433 1,000-Channel Triple-Trunking Desktop/Mobile Scanner
This last model is the one I think I'm leaning towards. It costs $120, but for that $20 more you get 1000 channels, 800Mgz capability, more frequencies, the ability to scan trunked radio systems, the option of batteries and the flexibility of mobility and portability. It's also gotten great reviews from customers.

I don't think any of the places I'd be scanning are using trunking, but if they upgrade to it later, I'll still be able to listen. I'll read up on them more, then visit our local Radio Shack and start asking questions, and see if I can clarify what would be the best for my situation.

I've also got the book: "Ham Radio For Dummies" by Ward Silver, the same author who wrote the scanner book, and I'm looking forward to reading it too. But first things first, and I think it will be focusing on a good scanner and making that purchase.