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Customers most agreed on the following attributes:
I was going to get the newer version that's replacing this one in hopes it would be better...exchanged it for another one of these.
This is the best deal I've found. It's reliable and once you figure out how to program it, very easy to use. Computer software (Google for Win97) works great on this one just like my last one.
Bottom line: Still the best!
from Eastern Pennsylvania on 5/3/2008
Great Scanner the trunhing is hard. I was picking up signals from NYC and Cape May New Jersey. I live in North Eastern pennsylvania. Great scanner to Start with if you live near a city.
from Eastern Pennsylvania on 4/18/2008
This scanner is great. it has great coverage and clear audio. the trunking is a little hard but the text display makes up for it.
from New York on 4/15/2008
Light weight but poor reception and difficult to program. I would not recommend this model. Overpriced. Manual lacks sufficient detailed explanations concerning proper setup.
from Niles, Ohio on 4/9/2008
this radio is a beauty. when you buy it you have free life time instore programing as well as a free techsupport number to call if you have questions the first year you own it. i would recomend buying nickel metal hydride batteries as you will get a longer lasting runtime out of it as well as you can charge it in the yellow cradle while using it with an optional wall chaarger. ive had the opportunity to play with quite a few scanners and this one is top notch worth every cent.
Product is very easy to use and program. I have had mine for about 2 years now and am very satisfied. advice...get a power adapter for it because it drains the batteries somewhat quickly,this way you can listen all day and all night!
Needs Volume control to be a separate knob from squelsh knob. Can't get it to work well
from Madison on 4/5/2008
I wish I hadn't gotten this one. Yes it is kinda easy to use, but I've had to go in and have it reprogrammed twice and now it just lost all my inputs. Also you have to buy your own power adapter and then to program it the way you want it will cost you more for a cable and an another program. [...]
Get one if you have drama in your city it work!
from Dallas, TX on 3/29/2008
Great Radio, No problems with firmware. If you READ the user manual, this is a Breeze to Hand Program. By far this is one of Radio Shacks's BEST radios. A MUST HAVE for the Scanner Enthusiest!
traviling and entertainment it should be able to use anywhere in usa. control knobs.
from San Jacinto, Ca. on 3/11/2008
Awsome scanner IF you have logic and patience! Best programmed with WIN 97 software avail on line. Can be tedious, not a scanner for the NOVICE! Companion Pro-2055 is exactly the same and software will prgm it as well.
from Houston, TX on 2/29/2008
This was a very nice radio up until it quit working.
from GADSDEN,ALABAMA on 2/27/2008
USE TO KEEP UP WITH LOCAL SITUATIONS THAT COME UP WEATHER POLICE FIRE GENERAL LISTENING. LOCAL CITIES SERVICES ARE HALARIOUS LIKE THE CITY RUN BUS AND ELDERLY PICKUP BUS LINE. HAVENT HAD PROBLEM AT ALL READ MANUAL AND HAVENT HAD ANY PROBLEMS SCANNING OR ADDING NEW CHANNELS WOULD RECOMMEND TO ANYONE.
With a little bit of knowledge and the right rechargable batteries this thing can't be beat. With my business I constantly have this thing on and never gets to far away. Programming can be rough, but after a few minutes a monkey could figure it out. I would definitely buy another or recommend this to someone.
I have owned this radio for a couple years now. It has been dropped and abused more often than I'd care to mention and STILL operates great. If this radio were to ever break, I would not hesitate to purchase the PRO-97 again.
My only suggestion to others is to purchase software to program this unit from a computer. Doing so manually to program to NASCAR frequencies for race day, air frequencies for fly ins, etc. and then back to normal frequencies can be a pain in the a## when done on the radios keypads.
from Missouri on 2/25/2008
This is my second scanner and I like it. My first one was an entry level Uniden Bearcat. I like the ability to program it with the PC. I bought the USB cable and Win97 and all worked perfectly. I haven't tackled the trunking yet. I'm not a big fan of the volume/squelch on the same knob. I have a lot more reading, but felt it was a good decision to buy it. I also like that it has the ability to use rechargeable batteries.
from Upstate, SC on 2/21/2008
Overall its a great scanner and its easy to program and use. The instruction manual is a little difficult to understand for a beginner. I bought this scanner to use with the fire department and it has held up pretty well. One thing I don't like about it is the volume and squelch knobs. They should have been separate like the PRO-82. It works great on VHF, UHF, and 800mhz, but doesn't have the greatest reception on the air bands. I would like to have seen it constructed better instead of the cheap plastic that was used, but it has held up pretty well considering how many times I have dropped it.
from Tunkhannock,PA on 2/18/2008
I've only had it for 3 days now and I am still trying to figure it out but its awsome. I have the pro-89 and that picked up most of the stuff but my pro-97 works great.
from Green Bay, WI. on 2/17/2008
I had been playing with the lockouts and I have on idea what I did but I messed it up. I took it to Radio Shack and they plugged it in and reprogramed it and I was on my way. I love it.
I use this product just so that I can listen to whats going on around the neighborhood. I went through quite a process, trying to find the right scanner and all, but when i found out about this one,I thought i hit the jackpot! The PRO-96 works good too, but some are defective.
from East Weymouth, MA. on 2/10/2008
Bought on Black Friday and began programming it, without using the manual. If you've been programming other scanners, this is a very intuitive scanner to program, basically. Program the frequency, what is the mode? That's easy, press the mode. What's the PL or DPL? It finds it for you. I don't know why people find this very difficult, just put some frequencies in and let the radio do all the rest really. Later on, you can tag the frequencies and talk groups and there's nothing difficult about it. The manual is a bit stodgy, but it is pretty good. It doesn't read the way some people would like, but you can understand it if you read it the way it was written.
from Evans, WV on 2/7/2008
I love this scanner, have had mine a little over a year have had no problems. It has wonderful range, I live in rural (hill ridden) WV and it picks up transmissions up to 75 miles away. I have a place in coastal NC and can pick up Myrtle Beach, SC which is about 150 miles from me.This scanner is GREAT!
People say this scanner is hard to program. The instruction book is not really well written in this regard. I used a computer and software called win97 to program it, and it was s snap... Even the trunking systems and all the talk groups, AND the alpha tags!!! The software is free for 30 days, and is [@]compatable. Import the stuff you want to hear, and load it with one mouse click! Do not pass up this scanner!!!
from benbrook texas on 2/3/2008
this radio keeps me abreast with whats going on in my neighborhood
it has bailed me out well worth itt
from Corpus Christi, TX on 1/9/2008
I had bought the Pro-97 about a year and a half ago at Radio Shack. It was highly recommended through a friend from Illinois. I've listened to the local Police Dept. frequency online since I was in high school. Well, that was my only option, was using my computer and I didn't have the portability. I bought the scanner and "played" with it for a couple of days and then set it aside. I recently pulled it out and wiped off the dust. I have never used a scanner besides using the regular scanning features, Signal Stalker, when I first bought the unit. I read the user's manual provided and yes it is extremely confusing, but I was able to figure it out in about an hour. Entering the frequencies was fairly simple; Setting the talk groups was even easier than the user's manual made it sound. I do not have any type of scanning, "engineering", or "space shuttle flight" background, much less a "PhD". I see where the frustration can come from though on previous posts. Within minutes, I was scanning the frequencies that I had programmed and was saving the talk group ID's. I was listening to the Public Safety frequencies that I had input shortly after that. That is not to say that I won't have problems with it in the future but for now it is great. Plus, I have the portability now. I guess it was just beginner's luck for me at the ease of programming this unit. I would highly recommend this unit.
At first difficult to program, but once you understand it it's simple. Good reception. Recommend buying rechargeable batteries, batteries die pretty quickly. Still don't understand the advantage of the trunking system difficult to program that. preprogrammed frequencies are a big plus.
I bought my pro 97 2 years ago and like everything there are pros and cons. Pros are good signal and u can hear from over 25 miles way. cons- easily breaks and damages and repair can cost [$] dollars which i did once. Now my screen has died (just by itself) and i am loking for a uniden scanner now. I recomended this to three people and they bought it, but now get a uniden BC-246T or the base eqquivalent. I have had good experiences with scanning helping police officers and neighbors and firends and even myself.
from Saint Louis, MO on 1/2/2008
Scanner was onsale after thanksgiving for [$]and the last scanner I purchased was the better part of [$] this is a nice,flexable,useful,durable,and well rounded scanner w/many features comes preprogramed w/200 channels and is easy to program new frequencies into its memory. If you are a beginner radioer or an experianced one this scanner is excellent!!
The alphanumeric display is well worth the money. A bit difficult to get used to the programming but it works well with Win97 (shareware), and cable (sold at R.S.). Don't buy a less expensive unit...go with this one!
I feel that I can listen to everything. Ability to name channels and banks is nice. A railroad search bank would be easy to add, there are a lot of rail fans out there.
from Ft. Lauderdale FL on 12/31/2007
I guess you need a PHD to ues this. I was able to program my frequencies, but when I tried to scan the selected bank, I would receive nothing. As soon as I put it on manual, I'd get all sorts of traffic. NO PRODUCT SUPPORT (except the manual, which is not much help). I Initialized the scanner, but it erased the entire memory not just what I programmed (which it said that's all it would erase). I guess there's a trick to this thing, I would hope Radio Shack would let us novices in on it. : (
What can I say if I had only one word it would be AWESOME . . . for the money it is the one to have
from Pasadena,tx on 12/29/2007
I got the scanner for christmas and I have been trying (for the past 5 days) to figure out how to program frequencies into this thing and I cant seem to do it. I had a friend (who has had scanners for a very long time) try and figure it out and he couldnt. The owners manuel is very hard to understand.
I finally found a good use for this thing, a paper weight. I recieved this as a Christmas gift. I have spent 4 days trying to figure it out and get it programmed. The manual reads like you are going to fly the space shuttle. This is the biggest waste of money. Save the money and just log onto the internet if you want to listen to police and fire. I wish I could take this gift back.
from Ellwood City, Pa on 12/28/2007
i use this scanner to recieve my fire departments dispatches and everything is great about it EXCEPT THE RECEPTION IS HORRIBLE
I HAD TO GET A TENICAL FRIEND TO HELP PROGRAM BECAUSE THE INSTRUCTION BOOK IS SO BAD! WISH I
HAD A LESS EXPENSIVE ONE THAT WAS MORE USER FRIENDLY.
from FREMONT,CA on 12/27/2007
Its a "Must have" Item
Received as Christmas gift. I'm no dummy, but have spent the better part of 2 days trying to understand the manual and program the scanner.
It's only led to frustration. This is the most user-unfriendly manual I have ever used. For a novice like me, the manual is useless! For others who have written rave reviews on this product, you obviously are experienced. Don't tell me otherwise.
from Toronto, Ontario, Canada on 12/15/2007
Ive had this radio for a few years now and have convinced 4 other people to purchase them.( now I have to program them everytime they want a change but it's quite easy with Win97) I have owned scanners costing up to $1000 and none can come close to this one, just don't drop it too often .
from woodworth,La on 12/11/2007
It is a good scanner.I have not had any problems with it.I love it.I can pick up the police in my town,and around other places.Not bad for the money.easy to program
from Central Oregon on 12/10/2007
I have been listening to Scanners since the late 70's. I have sold them in the 80's in Southern California. Now scanning in Central Oregon. Listened to them all the way to today. I have listened to trunking systems with non-trunking scanners, then purchased the Pro-92, Pro-94. And now got a Pro-97, and of course the only way to program these, is with a computer program. Trying to follow the instruction manual for a novice user is just about impossible. I had to read it over and over to figure it out. But once programmed, the Pro-97 is a GREAT Scanner, a big upgrade to it's older brother, the Pro-92, trunking decoding has no cut out like the Pro-92 has. I recommend this unit to anyone...
i use this to listen to local law enforcment & cb's it has great reception & easy to use w/ the computer (organize freq. databases) software & cable is extra $ I bought the cable at radio-shack & used a software program on the internet (starrsoft)(free trial-period) there is nothing (-) about the scanner, as far as i can see. at first, i was slightly overwhelmed because i'm new to trunking (my old scanner is BC700A ) , and organizing the banks is somewhat confusing, but i think i'm getting the hang of it. the software makes it Alot easier to program & given the fact this radio holds 1000 channels, computer saves ALOT of time. Excellent Buy !!!
Reality Check: I just discovered this b/c the PRO-97 is my first radio. Hitting the Scan or going into Stalker II mode does not do exactly what you think it's going to do (for any radio). You're not going to follow a complete conversation unless it's some boring stuff like CB. If you want to get your money's worth out of any Trunking capable radio, like this one, you're gonna have to do your homework, and unless you know someone that understands the system, you're going to need an Engineering Degree -cause that's how I got mine programmed! For any of these Radio's you're going to need a PC, the PC interface cable, some web sites, an easier to read manual, and lot's of PATIENCE! To program the Trunking. Good Luck. [...]
from HKY,NC on 11/22/2007
[...] I have had one fora couple of years. I love it and HIGHLY recomend it to anyone. [...]
from Evansville, IN on 11/17/2007
Great scanner for the most part. I've had my Pro-97 for more than a year. Could not have programmed it without the computer and software. But with the software it is a snap to program and reprogram.Volume/Squelch controls are absolutely terrible the way they are configured and the volume control is extremely touchy without being sensitive.
I have used this scanner every day for over a year and have experienced no problems. I have dropped it a few times with no apparent damage. Mostly monitor EDACS trunking frequencies, air and FM public safety with great results.
I recommend this scanner, just be aware that the software makes programming so much easier than trying to manually program the scanner.
I bought a used Pro 97 for my daughter six months ago. Hers has had a couple of minor problems, but still a good scaner. If course I'm not sure how it was treated before I got it, but it did seem to have rougher treatment than mine.
from orlando, fl. and your back yard. on 11/16/2007
got this rig on sale last week. bought the USB pc-cable too. downloaded WIN97 for it. installed the drivers on my main pc (I have 4 that I use) did not work! pc would shut down when I chose the port....But loaded drivers on 3 other pc without a hitch. even my laptop works grate. Yon realy need WIN97 software, why wast your time tring to learn the truncking, just download the freq's and scan away.I travel a lot and knowing what's going on around makes me feel beter. NOTE- I went through two scaners before I got one that worked. seems the first two were returns. the new one fired right up. very happy with this scaner, Rondog.
I use it for weather warmings don't use it all the time. turned it on today. Don't work. the light comes on.THATS it no scanning just the light.LUCKY been 11 months.Lets see how good the warranty is.
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from DES MOINES, IOWA on 11/4/2007
PROS: RECEPTION ON SUPPLIED ANTENNA
EVEN BETTER ON WITH OUT DOOR ANTENNA
RECEIVES CITIZEN BAND
CONS: DONT LIKE BANKS NUMBERING(0-9)SHOULD BE 1- 10
POOR PC INTERFACE (PURCHASED SEPERATLY).
COMES WITH SERIAL CABLE. MOST COMPUTERS
DON'T HAVE SERIAL PORTS ANY LONGER.
YOU HAVE TO BUY SPECIAL USB CABLES.
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
Seems to work fine for me. I haven't had any major trouble. After reading all about the different scanners out there I was becoming a little overwhelemed. This scanner is easy to use, and is fun to play with. Good recieption most of the time, though I've noticed that before I got the ext. attenta for my SUV, while inside recieption went down. Good investment for first timers.
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from Portland, OR on 10/30/2007
The one negative is the trunking part of the manual. It needs to be written at the high school level, not graduate school!
Otherwise it is awesome. I've had 3 scanners from Uniden. The Uniden scanners ran off a battery pack. The PRO-97 uses rechargeable batteries, regular AA's and an AC adapter. I've had mine for 23 months. Not a single problem. I love being able to name each frequency. Don't waste your money on the PRO-95, the extra money is well worth it. Trust me, I owned scanners for over 20 years.
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
I got a great deal on this scanner at [...] - I originally bought the PRO-2018 model, but when I got home I found out my local police department uses a Motorola Type II trunking system, so I exchanged it for this model. After I figured out how to program the trunking frequencies it is fantastic - but be prepared to spend a few days online to figure things out (the manual is pretty useless, but there are plenty of websites with the info you need and several online user groups for this particular model. Google is your friend!)
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from Riverside, CA on 10/22/2007
Read everyones input and tips on-line before you start... That is a big help. Win97, and RS cable very easy to use as long as you read ahead and understand the steps.
There is another online manual that is much easer to understand. I changed the knobs, now it's easer to turn on and off w/o moving the squelch.
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
it is so fun to have and here people think it is a waist of money but it is not
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from mound minnesota on 10/18/2007
i have had this for 9 months now and still preforming strong. i track everything now (police, ambulance, rescue, fire dept., railroad, repeaters, FRS/GMRS, ham groups, CB, army, aviation and anything else. absolutely no problems with this unit yet. lasts maybe 10 hours of use before needing recharging (radioshack brand rechargable batteries). i have purchased all the antennas that radioshack sells for this. my favorite is the window mount antenna for a car and the deluxe rubber duck. i have read the trunking procedure and still do not know how to do or know any of it. thats the only thing i don't know how to do on this scanner. otherwise i mastered this pretty well and i am not the best at electronics. [...]
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
I love this scanner! It's my first scanner and it is a bit difficult at first. I've had it for 1.5 years now and I figured out how to pick out frequencies from the search banks and even add my own local police frequencies into the banks and now i don't miss a thing! Not as rugged as i would like it to be but it hasn't broke yet! I'm loving it
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
This is a fine scanner,I had no problem programing it since my brother has one and I just Cloned it off of his.
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from NC on 9/17/2007
i don't see what the problem with programing this scanner. This my second scanner and still don't know what i am doing. i did my own thing of playing around with it and came up with some good results. I love it better than the name brand ones on the market. If you have questions about your scanner the people at radio shack might have the answers for you "maybe"
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from Los Angeles, Calif. on 9/13/2007
I have had the PRO-97 for only three days and I am very satisfied with not only the amt of features but the portablility of the radio. As a volunteer with the American Red Cross in L.A. the radio keeps me informed of the events leading up to my disaster response role.
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from Campo CA on 9/12/2007