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Customers most agreed on the following attributes:
I love this new scanner. Programs easily like my old Pro97. Excellent reception and sound quality. Blows the Pro97 out of the water. Like the volume squelch knob change also.....Highly recommended
More fetures and better recieve than the pro-162
from Sutton, West virginia on 11/2/2008
I live in rural West Virginia.
I have had this scanner for about a year. Overall it gets good range. However i do recommend that you purchase a more advanced antenna, the supplied one does not get as good of a range. I also warn you not to remove the antenna often, if you do so it becomes loose and does not receive well. It gets good reception in my area, I can hear my local FDs/PDs and EMS. Along with all the surrounding counties. I do think that Radio shack could price this scanner a little lower. Overall it is a good scanner.
from Wilmington N,C. on 10/30/2008
When I bought this scanner at My local Radio Shack,The less then in the know tech person said, thisscanner will be up to date for a long time.last Year when I bought it , it was, for 3months when My area went digital I was left inthe cold, [...]
from Bmont on 9/2/2008
I love this radio! The description says that the back light is orange, but it is yellow. Great reception!
Images shared by: emsboy654My Pro-164
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from Jacksons Gap, AL on 8/30/2008
A good replacement for the Pro-97.
One problem, Aircraft Search Sub Range 2 (138 - 150 MHz) should be AM instead of FM.
from Montgomery AL on 7/19/2008
It is true that this is NOT a digital scanner, but no one should expect digital capability in such an inexpensive device. This is an excellent scanner that does what it does very well. Novices will find the controls and options bewildering, but anyone who is familiar with the technology will be able to put this scanner to use quickly and easily.The included manual has all of the information that you will need to learn how to use the radio, but it is NOT a tutorial on the use of the technology. A frequency list is included, but it should only be used as a reference to the pre-programmed channel plan. Most serious users will probably want to erase this program by initializing the radio. (The program can be restored.) The radio can be programmed using computer software, but the software and interface cable are NOT included with the radio. Also not included are an A/C adapter and batteries—though cartridges for both alkaline and rechargeable batteries are included.Information about frequency use and trunking systems in your area is available online at sites like cityfreq.com and radioreference.com. Amateur radio band plans are available from [...]. A frequency allocation chart of the regulated radio bands in the United States can be obtained online from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. (A wall chart is available for purchase from the US Government Bookstore.) There are also Yahoo groups that can help scanner users get the most from their equipment.As always, the key to the successful use of this radio is education, and the majority of this will be self-obtained. With a little preparation and research, you will be able to use this radio to achieve excellent results.
I knew nothing about scanners and bought this on a whim. I love it. It took a bit of research on the web to learn about trunking systems, etc and lots of patience to program it. I ordered the Northwest Frequency Directory and when it came I immediately ran to Radio Shack to buy the programming cable. Win97 (programming software, NOT the old OS by Microsoft) made it very easy to program. I wiped out my newbie manual programming with nice logical programming and it works great!
from Northbrige, MA on 7/11/2008
For the price of the scanner, it works exceptionally well. If anyone were to buy it, I would suggest the rechargeable batteries. It doesn't go through batteries that quick but its a nice perk for it. I have mine on 24/7 and plugged into the wall, I take it with me when i go into the city so i can hear if theres been accidents and avoid them whilst driving.
it is easier to program without reading the book, but once you know how to program, it goes really fast. go digital!!
Most people have said that the reception is not that great. I had trouble picking up anything at first but it has pretty good reception now. Overall I am pretty happy with this scanner. Get a better antenna.
from McAlester, OK on 6/16/2008
I live in south eastern Oklahoma in tornado alley. I use the scanner to help stay one step ahead of the weather. Needs a battery meter though.
[10 of 11 customers found this review helpful]
Another great radio shack scanner, made by Gre. Very good receive, sensitivity, great redesigned backlit Display, with the addition of a Signal Strength Meter,,Much like the very good Pro-97, But much nicer, all around.
[0 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
Looked like a good replacment for my Pro-97 but no dice.
I like the idea of signal strength but I couldn't get this to recieve anything I can get on my Pro-97, Directions are clear as mud. Took it to the local store and they said it programmed the same as my 97 but couldn't make it work right either. Not to mension it can't do digital...for the price it leaves a lot to be desired.
Bottom line: I exchanged it for another Pro97
from monterey on 4/28/2008
was not able to get reception on my local fequincies, would not recomend this product was very fustrating even with the tech support and manuel
from Schuylkill County, PA. on 4/8/2008
This is a great scanner, it has excellent EARS on it. Pulls in signals like a champ and actually it is fairly easy to program by hand. It might be a little advanced for a beginner to understand the controls, but if you take the time to read the manual it becomes much easier. The signal meter is great along with the text tags so you can actually see who is talking on the screen. It is a very good looking radio, clean finish and everything fits nicely. I highly recommend this scanner to anyone who enjoys their hobby or just wants to keep up to date on what is going on around them and in their neighborhood. If you choose not to program it, there is 150 preprogrammed police and fire frequencies ready for your listening. Just turn it on and have fun!
from Springfield, Missouri on 4/4/2008
Great replacement to my Pro-97 which I gave to a friend as a gift. He couldn't afford a scanner so I decided to give him my Pro-97 and purchase a Pro-164. This is a very nice scanner. Great sensitivity, much lighter than the Pro-97, but same form factor, so cases for the Pro-97 fit the Pro-164. The speaker on the Pro-164 is not quite as loud as the Pro-97, but still acceptable in my opinion. Audio is clear, and I like the inclusion of the strength meter on this model. Backlight is very good, and I really like the improvement in the volume/squelch knobs on this model. Another feature I like is on the priority channel you will hear a short beep when transmission begins and ends, so you don't have to look at your scanner to know that the priority channel has been activated. Scanner was extremely simple to program, especially if you previously had a Pro-97 with Win97 software. All you need to do is download the upgrade to Win97 that supports the Pro-164, and then select download/upload to Pro-164 in the menu and you're all set. I simply used my existing P97 file and uploaded it to the Pro-164 and everything transferred over perfectly. Fortunately my area has not gone digital yet, and does not plan to for the forseeable future, so this scanner will serve me well. If you need to monitor P-25 digital, go with the Pro-96.
from Great Falls, Montana on 3/18/2008
You can use this right out of the box, but it really shines when time is taken to read/understand the manual. I am amazed at all the features-many I was not aware of or told about. Also use at cabin on Continential Divide.
from Bakersfield CA on 3/17/2008
This scanner is very similar to the Pro-97, but without the threat of the squelch and volume button sticking together. Software is now available at Starrsoft.com win97. The only drawback is the audio is just so-so. It sounds flat and tinny like a cheap transistor radio from China. The audio quality on the Pro-97 is much better. The screen has some changes to it and has a more refined look. Backlight is not quite as good as the 97 but not really that noticeble. Getting it programmed at a RadioShack store may be a challenge as well. I live in Bakersfield and only one store in the Northwest part of town has the programming software and good scanner knowledge.
from KCMO on 2/24/2008
I brought it back the next day and showed them that the display was not working. They exchanged it and said they were getting the new progamming software in a few days. Once I got home and did some internet searching (found the Easier to Read Pro 97 website) and was able to better understand the features and how to program. I downloaded the software from [...] and was able to program the radio. It works fine and has good reception. If you are new to scanning (like I am) it will take a while to figure the thing out. So far I am impressed. I decided not to let the store program it.
this scanner is like any other 800 truncking scanner its hard to program if you dont know what you doing yes the manual is not very helpful but you can trouble shoot and get it programed or go to radioreference.com for some help over all its a good scanner and shouldnt be given bad marks if its cause you dont know how to program it thats part of learning
Nice lightwieght and perfect for fire/rescue dept.
from KCMO on 2/16/2008
I went in to get the scanner they had on sale[$]and the guy talked me into this one saying it has better range and more channels. First of all they could not program it at the store. They did not have the software for it and the software for the Pro-97 was supposed to be compatible but it wasn't.Second, I take it to another store and they say that they no longer do the programming and did not know why the store I got it from tried to program it because they are not supposed to anymore. Store 2 sold me the programing cable and driver software. When I got home I then had to download software to edit frequencies. No money spent on that yet as it was a 25 day trial. I get a few things programmed. The software is difficult to understand. The scanner's instructions are difficult to program by hand. After messing with it for 7 hours. The screen went dead. I thought maybe the batteries went out so I changed them and the screen still does not work. The unit powers on and the backlight works but not the display. This is going back tommorow morning first thing!I am new to scanning and wanted to get into it for years. I thought you could just turn on the radio and go and the thing would figure out the local frequencies. What a let down.
from Slapout, Alabama on 2/12/2008
The range is never ending
from Columbus, NC on 2/10/2008
As a radio receiver this set is about the best I have seen in the Hi-band VHF and UHF Hi and Lo ranges. Sensitivity in the Lo-band VHF is not bad, either. If this were a conventional scanner, I would rate this one as one of the finest of receivers to be offered to the public.
(By the way, the bars in the signal strength meter correspond to S-units on an analog S-meter like this :
One bar = about S-3
Two bars = about S-7
Three bars = about 10 over S9
Four bars = about 30 over S9
Fibe bars = over 40 over S9)
My one problem was trying to program a nearby trunking system into the set, using the instructions supplied. Worked at it two days with no luck. The instructions will have to be made more clear and include specific information on what frequencies must be entered, etc., so that it can key into a trunking system, or, whether or not ID numbers have to be entered, etc.
The radio could use a few niceties like user-defined frequency steps for use in searching, etc. But the user-defined mode (AM or FM) is a very good feature. Overall an excellent set. But the instructions regarding receiving trunking systems need to be rewritten in more plain language.
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
Once you learn how to use it, it is a wonderful scanner. I admit programming trunked is hard it took me a few minutes, the MANAUL has a lot to be desisered. However Win97 came out with Support for the Pro-164 allowing PC Programming
[1 of 2 customers found this review helpful]
from Lake oswego, Oregon on 1/3/2008
I like it, its easy to have scan. But I would like to listen to my city(lake oswego) and programing the trunking is hard, i cant figure out how to listen to the trunk part. I have entered in the ID's but it doesnt seem to scan them.
from Holyoke, MA on 1/1/2008
This item was worse than the scanner it was suppose to improve. Buy the pro-97 it is much better. [...]
[0 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from White Haven, Pa on 12/27/2007
The new 700 Mhz band is digital--This scanner does NOT have the capabilty of decoding anything digital. Basically u have a scanner that will not hear anything on 700 Mhz.
[0 of 3 customers found this review helpful]
this radio is not programmed right It make s way to much noise and does not receive well at all. Very disspointed in it's performance and I will be taking mine back.
[1 of 1 customers found this review helpful]
from Bakersfield CA on 12/16/2007
This radio is identical to the Pro-97 but without the threat of the screen going bad or the squelch button sticking to the volume. It's better constructed yet identical to the 97 for it's use
[3 of 3 customers found this review helpful]
from Kern County CA on 12/16/2007
When you look at the scanner, the first thing that pops to mind is...oh is this a carbon copy of the Pro-97? On some accounts it is, however there have been improvements on the screen plus the squelch and volume button is much better to use. The screen is less cluttered than the 97 and it comes with pre-programmed searches that include Railroad and Public service. The software end is different from the 97. I'm sure this will be added soon [...].