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Reviews For: Radio Shack Pro-84

Category: Receivers: Scanners

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Review Summary For : Radio Shack Pro-84
Reviews: 1MSRP: 139.99
Description:
200 Channel portable scanner with
pre-programmed frequencies and
Signal Stalker.
Product is not in production
More Info: http://www.radioshack.com
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
0015
N8RCI Rating: 2009-10-08
Fantastic little scanner ! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
This has got to be one of the best little scanners that Radio Shack has ever offered.
It's basically a PRO-83 with a minor facelift. They changed the case color to red, labeled it
a "racing scanner", put a NASCAR logo on the front and included a free pair of headphones.
It's manufactured by Uniden using the same footprint as the BC-95XLT.

It provides 10 banks of 20 channels each for a total of 200. It also has the usual features you expect to find such
as priority scan, programmable scan delay and service search. The "signal stalker" feature
(Uniden calls it "close call") listens for and alerts you to nearby transmissions. A data jack (labeled "PC/IF") on the side allows you to program the scanner via PC with the optional
interface cable and software. If you plan on programming a lot of frequencies or multiple
scanners, it's a real time saver.

The biggest improvement over previous handheld scanners is the battery life. First of all, it only requires (2) "AA" batteries and you can use either alkaline or rechargeable. The manual states you can get up to 15 hours from a set of alkalines but, with the volume set at an acceptable level, I found 8-10 hours a bit more realistic. Still a huge improvement over previous scanners like my Uniden BC-80XLT that took 4 "AA" batteries and only provided 2-3 hours of operation before needing replacement. There is a switch in the battery compartment that allows you to charge NiCads or NiMhs in the scanner with the optional AC adapter.

The unit is small and fits comfortably in your hand. The small speaker provides suprisingly clear audio with sufficient volume to accommodate most users and doesn't distort if you operate at full volume. The antenna connector is the well-known BNC variety allowing for a wide selection of antenna upgrades or connection to an external antenna. Sensitivity and selectivity are very good. I use mine with an external attic antenna and intermod is virtually non-existent.

My past experience with the GRE made Radio Shack handheld scanners has been quite different. An external antenna overloaded and subsequently shut down the receiver. The display is large and easy to read. An orange backlight is also provided for night time or low-light situations. An interesting feature the PRO-84 has that was NOT included in the Uniden branded models, is a backlit keypad. Apparently when Radio Shack submitted their specs to Uniden for this model, they requested this little addition....very nice !

There isn't much more I can say other than I liked it so much, I bought 3 of them. It's simple to operate and isn't overwhelmed by a bunch of features you won't use so if you're looking for a nice basic little analog scanner and have an opportunity to pick one up, don't think twice.
You won't be sorry.