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Reviews For: GRE PSR-500

Category: Receivers: Scanners

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Review Summary For : GRE PSR-500
Reviews: 14MSRP: 499.99
Description:
OOUI based digital scanning receiver.
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.greamerica.com
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00144.6
KC0SHS Rating: 2008-07-30
Had higher expectations Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
One sentence... unless you need ESK, the Uniden396 is a better deal.

The Uniden 396 and the GRE-500 are both hard to program. Pick your poison. With that, the Uniden radios are much better designed, comes with more accessories and the software needed to program it is free from the manufacturer.

Issues I have with the GRE-500...

This thing is BIG. Does not fit into a shirt pocket like the 396

Comes without rechargeable batteries

The pre-programmed V-systems are misdocumented but once you find your system, it works. No statewide systems pre-programmed

The firmware (mainly the objects) is grossly ambiguous

Enabling and disabling objects is very unclear and painful to do on-the-fly

If you have allot of objects, they are overwhelming to manage from the front panel.

Can't disable tower sites without DUPE-ing the object and deleting the towersite

must create a object to search a system

must create an object to hear car-to-car comms

Programming all but the simplest systems is painful from the front panel as you spend more time creating objects and linking to them over-n-over.

Large state-wide systems are not manageable without external software

Comes with a custom USB to serial adaptor when it could have used a simple serial port. (install yet another damn driver?!)

No software meaning that you still have to expend $$$ to purchase third party software to use this radio. None of the third party software works in linux or MAC unlike the uniden software. Unless you run windows somewhere, this radio is useless.

Plugging or unplugging the external power supply (with batteries installed) without the radio being off locks up the radio.

If you live near any commercial transmitter sites (1 mile) this thing will intermod. There is a reason the PAD key is predominate in it's operations.

one plus note... the Digital DSP is allot better on the GRE then the uniden radios.

If I didn't need the ESK, I would be running back to my 396. Once you know how a digital truncked system works, the uniden radio's programming is more straight forward unlike the gre-500
WQGA468 Rating: 2008-06-13
Must Have Scanner Time Owned: N.A.
If I had to own only one scanner this would be it. As someone who has owned the 396, the 96, and old RS units like the 39 & 43, along with many others, I have to say this is the best yet overall, despite a few warts.
Pro: Ultra sensitive and great for distant receptions. The best feature set with things you don't get in other units such as NAC code capability, LED / Warnings for notification, audio boost for quieter transmissions, and tons of advanced features for those who just can't leave well enough alone (like me). Very good display, strong and clear digital audio, better than the 396. A real squelch knob (call me old fashioned if you like). Very good on most bands and great on uhf.
Con: Bulky, with a cheap feel and appearance. Plastic panels don't connect well and case makes creaking noises if pressed the right way. Cheap antenna that doesn't fit well (cured by replacing with diamond rh519 which works better and fits with professional precision). Display not quite as good as the one on the 396. Desense problems near cell sites a bit worse than 396, front end can be overloaded more easily. Odd method for finding objects. Scan has adustable steps but not search as far as I can tell.

Overall the performance is so good, it still deserves 5 stars despite some weak points.
W1CDX Rating: 2008-04-15
best portable scanner... Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I own both...the Uniden BCD396T and this one, the PSR-500.

The PSR-500 is the clear winner of the two, even though allmost twice the size of the 396. The receiver is very sensitive and though I purchased a "longer" Antenna for this Unit...it is not necessary. The standard issue Antenna is fine and workes really good. Software wise, I tried ARC500 and WIN500 and I ended up purchasing WIN500. WIN500 IMHO is easier to use and has the better layout. You can download and try it for free for 30 days (after that ... $40).

I would recommend this scanner to my Family and friends and if you are looking to purchase a scanner in the near Future ... get this one. You will love it.
WA5BHW Rating: 2008-03-23
Expensive but worth the price! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I have owned mine for a couple of months now and have not found it lacking anything. Plan on adding one of the supplemental software packages. WIN500 was my preference because it provides color coding at a glance when you look at your objects.

It is object oriented and can contain 1800 objects so forget the normal theory of banks. An object can be a frequency, a talk group or a search. You have 20 "scan lists" which equate to banks but any object can be in any or all scan lists and a push of a button turns on or off a scan list.

WIN500 has a custom interface with RadioReference.com and can low you in and allow you to select what systems, frequencies and talk groups you want to download. Time to program 500 talk groups is less than 5 minutes. It also lets you take maximize the 500's visual and audio alert features. When you stop on an object you have a choice of just listening or using one of 6 colors to light of flash the LET or several tones that can sound. It is easy to program all police channels with blue led and all fire with red. You can flash t he led on important channels and even add one of the tone alerts to an emergency channel.

I have always preferred Bearcat scanners but this one is more sensitive than the BCD-396T. I don't have the Radio Shack scanner to try it against but based on other reviews think it would win out here too.

Their concept of "V Folders" is great if you travel or even if you have a large number of trunked systems in your area. There are 21 "V Folders" in the scanner and and each one can hold the contents of the working memory [up to 1800 objects]. So you can keep a copy of your home memory in folder 1 and when you travel use RadioReference.com to load up what you want to listen to in the new city. Save it in folder 2 and you can just switch back and forth between the two as you go from city to city.

It is expensive but loaded with features!

73's
Bill - WA5BHW