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Reviews For: Radio Shack PRO-97

Category: Receivers: Scanners

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Review Summary For : Radio Shack PRO-97
Reviews: 24MSRP: 199.99
Description:
This unit features 1000 memory channels and Radio Shack's Signal Stalker II technology that captures signals that are transmitted in close proximity to your location. This unit also receives Trunked (ANALOG ONLY) Motorola, M/A-Com EDACS, and LTR systems.
Product is not in production
More Info: http://www.radioshack.com/product.asp?catalog%5Fname=CTLG&product%5Fid=20-527
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00244.6
K6KYJ Rating: 2010-06-05
Love 'em Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Actually, I am looking to buy some more used PRO-97s. I use them for a special application which requires 6.25 mHz spacing in the 800-900 mHz range. Few HH scanners have this capability except for the PRO-97.

On the durability scale, these rate about 9.5 on the drop and bounce test. I even had one fall off the top of the truck at 25 mph and it only got scratched.

Want to get rid of yours? Let me know.

ron k6kyj
KB2NAT Rating: 2010-01-23
Competent Scanner Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I've had this scanner for nearly three years and it has operated perfectly. I've used it at airports, football games, and home and it has really performed well. Programming it is a bore, and I never was able to program it through the computer, but I just take the time and manually program it. The trunking system works well, and with ten banks, it's easy to use a particular bank for a geographic area. The charging unit works well and the unit will operate seven hours before the batteries fade. I am glad I purchased it and I have absolutely no complaints .
KG4RND Rating: 2010-01-22
Nice Scanner Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I had mine for over a year. During that time I was really impressed with the reception of the radio even with the supplied rubber duckie. I loved the backlighting and the alpha numeric labeling of the channels and banks. I wouldn't recommend this scanner to someone inexperienced. I can't comment on the trunking capabilities as we have no trunking in my area. It is a little difficult to program as it is a more advanced scanner. If you have some experience you shouldn't have too much trouble with programming. I do it all by hand and I'm sure the computer programming is easier. The radio is fairly robust and didn't give that cheap feel some RS scanners have. Overall, I think it's probably one of the best handhelds I've ever owned for monitoring my local PD, Fire, And Ambulance services.
KI6ASW Rating: 2008-12-10
Great when it worked. Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Good product for the first 1 and a half years. Then out of the blue I'm listening at 70cm and the sensitivity dies. Sounds like a 3dB or more hit, and even the strong stations (e.g. local WX) are coming in fuzzy. Wish I had a schematic to find the pre-amp module. Took it apart and see a 16 pin SMT DIP right near the shielded area next to the ant jack. But way to small to work with... Too bad; I really liked this radio when it was functioning... 1.5 yrs, and a duty cycle of maybe an hour a week or less; I really can't recommend it...
KE7TMH Rating: 2008-10-30
Made No More? What? Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
This is my favorite scanner. More bang for your bucks. Alpha tags. CTSS & DCS code search. Signal Stalker. Just the best all round scanner I have. My cheap pro 84 took a dive on me, (paid all of $49 for it), and was thinking of applying the credit, (still under coverage), towards another 97, but they are not even available on the RS website. Why on earth they would discontinue this. . . I don't need trunking or digital, I live in the country. All those other features were wonderful to have.
If I were to complain about one thing, it would be the "signal stalker II" feature, which the 84 beat this scanner on. But then again, that is why that scanner is in for warantee work. Wonder if that worked well for anyone.
W2ZXN Rating: 2008-01-03
A good old RS product! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have nothing bad to say about this scanner. I purchased mine brand new when a Radio Shack (like most) was going out of business. I have been using this scanner for a couple of years now and I love the reception, have no complaints. It's been fantastic as a base unit in my ham-shack, but has also given me plenty of service mobile in the car (although unless you're a firefighter, EMT or ham - it's illegal in NY). The only thing that I might change about it, is it's weight. I would like it to be a little heavier because when it's in the shack, it's connected to coax which leads to my outdoor antenna and unless the scanner is propped-up, it will surely fall right over since it is sooo light-weight. 73...
KB1THH Rating: 2007-11-29
Great for the price Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Allmost 2 years ago I went to RS to get a replacement scanner for the house. The clerk was really pushing the Pro-97 when I wasn't even interested in Trunked systems, let alone a hand held. I just wanted a desktop scanner for the home. The clerk made good arguments and made a sale. $160 for scanner, NiCad batteries and power suppy.
I now own 2 of these units and have bought 2 others as gifts.
I love the clonning and software programming (scanCat) abbilities, display controls and the audio. I have no real complaints to speak of.
Could use a real belt clip (mine hasn't failed but I don't trust it at all) The VOL/SQL knobs do need better seperation (All RS mobiles too), but minor trade offs for the price.

All in all, I give it a 4.5 as a 5 would be perfect. nothing is perfect for everyone. This is a great attempt at perfection in this price range.

N0VKG Rating: 2007-08-27
Good overall, but... Time Owned: more than 12 months.
This is a good radio. I like it alot. I especially like hooking it up to the computer and using Win97 with it. Saving the various differant CONFIGs for the radio on the computer is a powerful feature. I do have one complaint. I wish the NFM recieve circuit would have been more carefully thought-out. The NFM recieve on the 900Mhz band is not that good. Its not as aweful as the PRO-94, but does get alot of Hiss/Static/Crackle while listeningg to anything in the 900Mhz band. I have other radios that do NOT suffer from a badly designed NFM decoder. My BCT15 does a fantastic job with NFM on all of the 900Mhz systems in St Louis, Mo.
KB8RYA Rating: 2007-05-02
Excellent Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I bought the Pro-97 and have the scancat lite program.. I have many different scanners and think
this is the best you can buy for the price..As for
sensitivity mine is excellent.Audio is loud and clean..I have the older 93 and it is very good also.
I have never been a Radio Shack fan except for their
scanners
73 de Don kb8rya
K1XT Rating: 2007-05-02
Works well Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I've had the Pro 97 for about 6 months. I do find that the front end on mine is easier to crunch than the Pro 92 I own (that's why I gave it a 4 rating). I'm in a very high RF area, and hooking it up to an external antenna will really crunch it. But as I use it for a handheld with a rubber duck antenna, which it was designed for, I find it to be as senstive as the Pro 92 and works just fine. It runs as long or longer on the four AA batteries as the Pro 92 does on six AA's. I love the ability (with both the 92 and 97) to program them from a computer. That makes things so much easier. For $150 or less, it's a good fair deal.