Classic Scanners that changed the hobby

We all love scanners, you would not be reading this if you didn’t. There are certain scanners that, much more than others, are so remarkable that they change the market or make a lasting impression on the hobby. Scanners that introduced new features, made other features popular or just were so darn good that they are beloved by the community will be discussed here.

If you have a favorite scanner that you think should be listed please let us know! The ones I discuss are scanners that I think helped define the market at the time and are real game changers. While some are obviously dated and obsolete today at the time they were introduced they really made a huge impact.

There were also a few real duds here and there. Bearcat once made a scanner that you inserted into an 8-track player. For those too young to know what that was, an 8-track player was used to listen to music recorded on magnetic tape held in large plastic cartridges in the days before cassette tapes, they were wildly popular in the 1970’s. This scanner was in the shape of one of these cartridges and had 4 crystal-controlled channels. It was a neat idea but worked poorly.

GRE Designs:

GRE built and designed many scanners for Radio Shack back in the day. Later they developed their own line in parallel with the Radio Shack line. Coincidentally both Radio Shack and GRE closed up operations for different reasons at about the same time and Whistler Group bought the GRE product line. Whistler continued to produce scanners for Radio Shack based on the Whistler designs for a short time and afterwards brought out their own line of WS and later the TRX scanners.

Radio Shack had a great advantage in that they had a huge retail infrastructure around the world and for years sold a wide range of scanners. While most were GRE built even Uniden made some of them.

PRO2004/5/6

The PRO2004 was introduced in 1986 and was probably the most revolutionary scanner of the day. It had 300 channels when 16 was considered average and 50 was considered remarkable. Its wide-open frequency coverage actually caused it to be recalled from stores to have the cellular frequencies blocked, this was easily defeated however, and the radio even had the proper spacing for them. They were coveted by the MilAir listener and helped create a large cottage industry for modifications and accessories. It spawned the PRO2005 and PRO2006 successors, similar in operation but in smaller cases with some other tweaks and additional memory.

PRO43

The PRO43 was introduced in the mid 1990’s and was the first handheld widely available that included the Mil Air band so were coveted by the airshow crowd. With 200 channels one could program in a ton of channels or do a search of the band. The tiny size made it easy to keep in a shirt pocket or camera bag.

PRO96

The PRO96 was the first P25 scanner that worked on the newer 9600 baud trunked systems, together with its mobile cousin, the PRO2096, one could now listen to these systems directly rather than in a conventional mode. It also provided a data source usable with software programs such as PRO96Com and has data detection modes that were well liked by radio enthusiasts.

PSR800/WS1080

The PSR800 was introduced in 2011, just before GRE went out of business. It was rebadged as the Whistler WS1080 soon thereafter and eventually morphed into the WS1088 and TRX-1 Mobile versions of the stillborn PSR900 became the Whistler WS1095, WS1098 and TRX-2. The PSR800 was the first scanner co work on Phase 2 P25 systems and was one of the first scanners with the on-board database and ZIP Code programming.

Uniden – Electra – Bearcat

Uniden Bearcat scanners originated with the Electra line back in the 1960’s and 70’s. After purchase by Uniden they retained the Bearcat branding and designs. Eventually Uniden bought the Regency brand and rebadged some existing Bearcat designs with Regency names.

Uniden became the biggest player in the market. Bearcat scanners have had great success with many groundbreaking designs over the decades. Here are just a few of the ones we think really made a huge difference:

BC-III

The BC-III was introduced in 1975 and was a VHF/UHF crystal scanner that was one of the most popular scanners of its day. It was unusual in that it allowed both UHF and VHF in the same radio in the days when that was not common. The speaker was huge and provided such good audio that years later, when the scanner itself was no longer useful, hobbyists would wire it up to be used as an external speaker for more modern scanners.

BC101

The BC101 was introduced in the mid 1970’s and was one of the earliest programmable scanners. It was programmed by setting the channel switches in a pattern for the specific frequency as listed in the programming guide. While kind of clunky, for the time it was revolutionary to be able to program a scanner without crystals and it had a huge 16 channel capacity.

BC210

The BC210 was introduced in 1977 and was Bearcat’s first direct entry programmable scanner. Imagine in the days when one would buy crystals for each channel, need programming combs or have to look up binary codes in a guide that they were now able to enter a frequency directly into a scanner. It was unheard of!

BC100                                                          

The BC100 was introduced in 1981 and was the one of first mainstream handheld programmable scanners. The first versions had a threaded antenna connector and later versions had a BNC. It used AA rechargeable batteries but they were internally mounted so a screwdriver was needed if you wanted to swap them out. It was a revolutionary handheld scanner that could be keyboard programmed without need of crystals, a new concept at the time.

BC235XLT/BC245XLT

The BC235XLT was introduced in the mid 1990’s and was the first TrunkTracker, it would scan Motorola trunked radio systems on 800 MHz. at the time. Before that one would have to enter the various channels into a scanner memory, lock out the current control channel and make a guess as to the actual users as there was no way to otherwise discriminate among them. The compact form and huge (for the time) capacity of up to 300 channels were huge selling points. The similar BC245XLT that came out a few years later added computer control and EDACS trunking to the mix.

BC780XLT

The BC780XLT was introduced in 2001 and changed the hobby more than almost any other scanner ever had. With 500 channels, the ability to track several formats of trunking, wide frequency coverage (including the Military air band) and great performance it remains a great scanner for many to this day. It was really the cream of the crop of the day.

BCD996/396 Series

The BCD996T was introduced in 2006 and replaced the BC780XLT as the flagship scanner, along with the portable version (BCD396T) it provided P25 reception and bullet proof reception along with up to 6000 channels of dynamically allocated memory. It spawned the BCD996XT and 996P2 mobiles and 396XT and 325P2 handhelds with similar features and carried on the Family arrangement of scanners where a handheld and mobile version were created. The 996/396 series introduced GPS enabled programming as well.

Home Patrol

The HomePatrol was introduced in 2010 and was the first ZIP Code enabled scanner. This truly revolutionized scanning and made it available to the masses who did not want to program a scanner, now they can just enter the ZIP Code to load the channels into the radio.

SDS100/200

The SDS100 handheld scanner was introduced in 2018, followed in 2019 with the mobile SDS200. These use the HomePatrol database but also provide excellent performance on digital simulcast systems. These systems have been the bane of scanners for as long as they have been around but finally a consumer scanner had good performance on them. With the color customizable display and ability to handle almost any type of radio system they will be the top of the heap for years to come.

Regency/RELM:

Regency, like Electra Bearcat, was an Indianapolis based scanner manufacturer that had some well-loved designs, especially in the 1970’s. Best known for its early crystal scanners, they had a large following. After many years they sold their scanner line to Uniden but a decade later came out with a new line of scanners under the RELM name that lasted only a couple years.

TMR-8H

The Regency TME-8H was an 8-channel VHF only crystal scanner from the late 1960’s. It was my first scanner, my dad had bought it for me so I could listen to him when he was working as a police officer in our hometown. We had the local channels at the time and with 8 channels I could hear all the local police and fire operations easily. 

ACTR20-6

The Regency ACTR20-6 was a 20-channel 6-band crystal-controlled scanner introduced in 1975. This was the days when an 8-channel scanner was a luxury, and one could spend more on crystals than on the scanner itself.

AOR

AOR is better known for high-end receivers rather than traditional scanners but some of their products made it to the mainstream scanner market. The AR8000 was the most notable but there were a few others that became popular. AOR receivers do not follow trunking so are pretty much relegated to the advanced hobbyist or specialty uses.

AR8000                                                       

The AOR AR-8000 was introduced in 1994 and was an early full-range and all-mode scanner with 1000 channels. It covered just about anything with antennas at the time, covering the entire shortwave, VHF and UHF bands, from 500 KHz. To 1900 MHz. It did most analog modes, including CW and SSB and was computer programmable and controllable. It was popular to use with the OptoElectronics Scout recording frequency counter and one could buy a special cable and battery door (that allowed the cable to plug into the radio) to connect the two devices. This allowed one to get a hit on the Scout and hear the traffic on the AR8000. While current scanners have the CloseCall or Spectrum Search these days this was revolutionary at the time. It was also known to have great sensitivity and worked well on the cell bands.

Other Brands:

There were many other popular brands like Robin, Midland, Cobra, RCA and others. Some were rebadges of radios made by Regency, Bearcat or GRE but many were (or are) their own designs. Many department stores of the day like Montgomery Wards, Sears and others also sold Regency or Bearcat scanners rebadged with the retailer’s name.

Scanner Tip: It is a Digital World!

Many areas of the country have switched to “Digital”. What does this mean for the scanner listener? What is “Digital” anyway?

First, before we go any further, the number one question we get about digital scanners is whether they will also work on analog. The answer is YES. All digital scanners work just fine on analog channels, always have and always will.

Digital radio means that instead of using a regular AM (where the amplitude [strength] is changed) or FM (where the frequency is modulated or changed) signal , a digital signal type is used. This is a signal that is converted to the base 0’s and 1’s, compressed, and sent out on the airwaves. A digital receiver then converts it back and lets you hear it.

There are several types of digital that are of interest to scanner listeners. The most common for police, fire and other public safety use is APCO’s P25 system. This is widely used by both trunked and conventional (non-trunked) radio systems across the country. Several manufacturers, like Motorola, Harris and others sell P25 systems and equipment. While the P25 standards are supposed to ensure that any companies radios will work on the various systems, in practice some companies often add new “features” that tend to lock out other company’s radios from working with the system.

P25 comes in several flavors. “Phase 1” is the original single channel-per-frequency protocol used on conventional systems and most trunked P25 systems. “Phase 2” P25 effectively splits channels using TDMA (See technobabble below) to allow 2 simultaneous conversations on the same frequency, effectively doubling the capacity of a trunked system. If your system uses Phase 2 be sure to get a Phase 2 capable scanner!

Technobabble here: Phase 2 uses Time Division Multiple Access, more commonly known as TDMA. The radio system divides a radio signal into timeslots of tiny fractions of a second. In Phase 2 systems a certain time slot is assigned to the “0” channel and the other slots are assigned to the “1” channel. This allows 2 conversations to be held at the same time on the same frequency. The communications are restored at the receiver so it can be processed and heard by the user. Decoding software like UniTrunker or Pro96Com will show these sub-channels as “851.0375/0 and 851.0375/1”.

Some areas of the country have gone to a system called “OpenSky”, manufactured by Harris. While these systems have not been successful in many instances, the systems in place cannot be monitored by scanners. Harris has since dropped OpenSky from its catalog and is selling P25 systems now.

One trend that is growing in some areas is the use of various “DMR” systems. These are sold under various trade names like MotoTRBO, NXDN and others. They all use fairly similar digital protocols but current consumer scanners do not cover them. There are some SDR (Software defined radio) and advanced receivers (like the new AOR DV1) that will allow one to monitor these systems. The reason many agencies select these is usually cost, the radios are fairly cheap, especially when compared to P25 radios. While they may not be as durable, the replacement costs are often less than a repair would be. Businesses however have embraced these cheaper forms of digital radio and they are common on business channels. Railroads have agreed on using NXDN digital modes but implementation has been very slow. Ham radio operators use some of these also, as well as D-Star.

Do not confuse digital voice with encryption. While it is true that many digital systems are encrypted these days, most are not and these are perfectly legal to listen to. Also do not confuse digital voice with digital data. Most police and fire agencies use some sort of data systems for MDT’s or video, these systems cannot be monitored without huge budgets and massive computing power. Listening to digital transmissions on an analog only scanner will not work, you will just hear noise.

Some people hear and understand received digital communications better than others. The absence of background noise sometimes makes it uncomfortable for some users, since it can be mistaken for non-radio conversations. Digital certainly sounds different than analog but occasionally causes issues with things like firefighters protective gear. Usually it is just a matter of getting used to how it sounds. In addition, when digital signals are weak they tend to get garbled. Many agencies call this “going digital” since it makes a weird noise.

Digital scanners are more expensive than analog ones. This is mostly due to licensing requirements for the technology. While prices have gone down recently they still are usually about twice as expensive than analog scanners with similar features.

Will there be more scanners with DMR modes like TRBO and NXDN? We don’t know yet, but if and when they do become available we will be among the first to have them. The AOR DV1 is available now and does receive several of the digital modes.

AOR DV1 Firmware Alert

The AOR DV1 has another new firmware update (v1507f) available at http://www.aorusa.com/support/firmware.html.

Below are the updates included in this release. Future releases will address other issues. Please contact AOR directly at http://www.aorusa.com/ with questions and suggestions.

The installation instructions are fairly simple, copy the firmware file to the SD Card, turn the radio on and press a couple keys. The instructions are included with the file.

Following features have been implemented:

* Backup to and restore from SD card

Following bugs have been removed:
* Fixed “auto-store” bug when SEARCH is running.
* S-Meter indicator stayed sometimes on even though power was off.
* When the file 99999999.wav was present in the SD card, the next recording was mistakenly named 10000000.wav. Now the recording after 99999999.wav is made impossible.
* Priority receive was not always functioning.
* Could not go out of settings screen after priority receive activation.
* Receiver would not restart properly if the function key was pressed before switching the receiver off.
* Invalid characters on LCD when time settings accessed during memory receive.
* Incorrect memory channel content switch when priority mode was activated during memory scan
* When erasing a search bank the LCD froze on “writing” indication.
* Memory bank editing was not possible during SCAN.
* Erasing search bank 39 in search group settings was impossible.
* Auto-store function: If memory bank 39 was full, channels 46 to 49 were not kept in memory after a reboot.
* Invalid characters on screen when “writing” was displayed.

FUNCTIONS AND BEHAVIOR CHANGES:
* When SEARCH is stopped and the [ENT] key pressed, the currently received frequency and settings are copied to VFO-Z.
* VOL/SQL maximum value changed from 100 to 99.
* (PC remote control through Hyperterminal commands). When receiver is turned off with the QP command and USB cable disconnected, the next time the receiver is turned on through the front panel, it will start in a “non-remote control” state.

Firmware Alert – AOR AR-DV1

AR DV1 firmware update:  v1505G, 6-5-2015

AOR has uploaded revised firmware for the AR-DV1 receiver. While this update will correct issues that some customers experienced, it also adds more functionality to the AR-DV1. AOR is committed to the continuous improvement of its products and will post firmware updates periodically to further extend the capabilities of this receiver.

The new firmware version: 1505G is now available for download from the AOR website.
Directions: AR-DV1 Firmware Update Procedures 

AR-DV1 Multi-Mode Digital ReceiverThis firmware will correct:

  • Malfunctions with the backlit keys lighting up while the power switch is in the “off” position
  • D-STAR signals overriding the selected mode for received data. The decode mode will now decode and display only the selected mode.
  • Malfunctions with the receive frequency when CTCSS or DCS is selected during Search mode.
  • Problems with pressing LOCK key or MONI key when frequency entry is made from the keypad
  • Issues with the display data freezing when digital data is displayed while using the keypad or rotating the dial knob.
  • Issues with the opening message displaying properly.
  • Memory channel registration problems. Entering the memory tag followed by pressing DOWN key will now work properly.
  • Voice squelch function stability
  • SAL/SAL or USBL/LSB operational issues
  • D-CR code setting error
  • Analog FM mode function
  • Initial power-up cycle
  • Problems with “motorboating” noise in DMR mode
  • Problems adding receive mode, IF B/W, CTCSS/DCS in memory scan mode and program search mode.

New enhancements for the AR-DV1 available with this firmware include:

  • Ability to open the squelch while in digital mode by pressing MONI key
  • Ability to save the current receiver settings by pressing [F]+[VOL]
  • Easier frequency entry during search bank setting by using the [.] (decimal) key for frequencies below 1MHz.
  • In memory mode or program search mode, receiver options can be added.
  • SD card FAT16 is now supported
  • Remote ID can be added to last channel memory
  • The AR-DV1 will send a message showing connection status during on/off process.
  • Step frequency can now be set during search or scan mode
  • The following PC commands are now supported: MD ZJ ZK SQ NQ LQ VQ ZP QP EX AG RF ST SH DT BP LN LB LD KL PT ZI LC LM RX LT RT RE SB WI RN VR
    AC RG IF LS NR OF OL OX SC SI DL FR CI CN DI DS DC DJ DK
    (A complete list of new functions will be posted soon.)

Hamvention 2015

AOR to demonstrate their new AR-DV1 Multi-Mode Digital Receiver at the Scanner Master booth #402 on Friday May 15th at 2 PM

We are so pleased and excited to announce that Taka Nakayama of AOR-USA will be at our booth on Friday afternoon at the Dayton Hamvention this year to demonstrate the eagerly awaited, all-new, AR-DV1 receiver.

The DV1 is the first radio that provides decoding of many of the digital formats which no other scanner is able to receive, AR-DV1 Multi-Mode Digital Receiverincluding:

  • MotoTrbo ™
  • DMR ™
  • dPMR ™
  • NXDN ™

as well as numerous amateur radio digital formats from Yaesu, Kenwood, Icom and Alinco. The radio will also decode APCO-25 Phase I digital as well as conventional analog traffic. (The receiver does not trunk). MotoTrbo systems are now used by public safety agencies and business around the country and the world. NXDN is used by public safety as well as railroads around the nation.

This radio is a huge breakthrough and we hope you’ll join us at Dayton this year to see the receiver in action, live at our booth. We also will have a small stock available for purchase at the show. Gommert Buysen of BuTel Software will once again be at our booth as well.

Hamvention 2015The Dayton Hamvention
Friday May 15, 2015 – Sunday, May 17, 2015
Hours are as follows:
Flea Market
Friday: 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Saturday: 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Sunday: 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM

Inside Exhibitors
Friday: 9;00 AM to 6:00 PM
Saturday: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Sunday: 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM