Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

Such an amazing police scanner. Ive had mine for almost 2 years and have had 0 problems with it. It's great!

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

It is difficult to program by hand. but if you go to any radio shack they have a computer program that allows police/fire channels to be done on site. when I travel I bring it along with me and head to the nearest shack to have it programmed for that area. Very easy to use once it's programmed. It seems to not work as well as others I have had in the past while listening while my truck is moving.

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

I received this as a gift for Christmas. Thank god,
I work close with law enforcement on my job. I was able to get a police supervisor to program it for me. I tried several times and gave up because, the manuel did not go along with the radio. However, I love it now.

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

I use this radio when i travel from home to new places and while there.
it is EASY to program if u know the freqs.
it is hard at times to recieve signals but does work great with a vehicle mounted antenna.
800mhz is great open or close ( bank) if u know the data ID. i have used scanners for over 15 yrs and this is a great one compared to others i have used. getting one just for UHF-VHF so can use this one for 800mhz use only.

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

I BOUGHT THIS THING FOR 260.00 AND NO ONE CAN HELP ME WITH IT
WHAT A WASTE OF MONEY

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

I am a firefighter and fin the scanner very useful. It is not hard to program. Every body that makes it sound like its hell, you need to read the manual!!!

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

Good radio, bad manual. Excellent price, only [$]

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

Got as a Christmas gift. The local Radio Shack pre-programmed at the store with all of the local emergency channels. I work for the local power company and use to monitor company transmissions along with weather conditions. Works Great!

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

I got the pro 164 for Christmas and spent several hours trying to program it for an analog trunking system. The manual didn't even match the actual radio and it's step-by-step instructions didn't work. Online help and forums confirmed that to make this unit work you have to invest in 3rd party software ($50) and a pc cable. It's a shame they didn't bother to write an actual manual for this radio. They just recycled one from a previous model. The radio itself seems a good piece. Unfortunately it's unusable. I exchanged it for the new iscan pro 107.

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

I bought this scanner about a year and a half ago just to listen to my local police dept. I had a hard time programing it but it was worth it. I was getting police and fire from almost 15-20 miles away. Its a good scanner but hard to program.

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

I use this day-in and day-out and I would recommend that you buy a car charger for your scanner.

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

A good Radio

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

Buy the software to program this radio with - or you will literally "pull your hair out". Radio is fantastic. Audio is clear, reception is unbelievable. Highly recommend the PRO-164.

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

I purchased this scanner after my previous Radio Shack scanner became extremely outdated. I was going to go with a Uniden instead, but have never had problems with any of my previous Radio Shack scanners, so I purchased the Pro-164. I also purchased the center loaded Radio Shack antenna for it and it works great for me. I use a third party PC program to program the scanner myself and can link this program to a popular scanner website to enter 95% of the frequencies automatically by county and then by city. I also have a mount in my truck for the scanner and have had great luck with it in the truck as well. Overall, I'm very happy with the scanner. It works great for what I use it for in a current non-digital system. I've never tried manually programming the scanner by entering each individual frequency, but can see how that would be frustrating and very time consuming. If you go with this scanner, I would recommend purchasing a programming software as well. Makes programming a breeze.

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

I've had the scanner almost 1 year and have not been able to use the product. Manuel is hard to understand and scanner is difficult to program. Three sales people at 2 different stores had trouble with it. Only one could barely program it. All agreed the manuel wasn't worth the paper it was wriiten on. Tried to return it but worked with it too long. Return time had past by 10-15 days and they would not refund my money. So now I'm stuck with a scanner I can't use. Will not shop Radio Shack again. Sales people were not knowledgeable enough and difficult to work with.

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

[...] It took me bringing it back for a refund to encourage the associates at my local Radio Shack to do the right thing and program it. After that...it was a breeze. I love this scanner. With 100 channels per bank theres no reason to miss anything going on in your city. Signal stalker II is great and it's what I used to find frequencies I'm interested in and easily save them for later listening. The instructions on saving and deleting frequencies are easy to understand. I'm a beginner and by day 3 I was saving trunked frequencies and programming DPL/PL codes. This is a cool gadget and would have been cooler if it came with some sort of power supply.[...]

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

the storm radio is awsome .Now when ever they expect bad weather I can turn this on and get all the info I need from the national weather service!!!!a little pricey ,but if you want quality you have to pay for it?I would definitly buy another one if this one ever fails?I like how you can put in rechageable batteries in the yellow battery holder and they will charge while you are useing it plugged in.All in all I would and have recomended this to a few of my freinds .One of them even went and got himself one for around the house.He is also real big on the weather radio addition to the scanner.It is pretty cool to listen to the local police waves on a friday or saturday night.People are idiots when they are drunk!!!

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

awesome product, reception can be touchy, and often i will have a totally crisp transmission and lose it by moving the scanner 4 inches away... Nothing to worry about. completly happy with product - i use it for personal as well as fire-department purposes.

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

this scanner is really good! i use it alot when im out and about just to see whats going on! and this would be good for emergencies, as long ur battires are charged! im glad i got this scanner so i can hear if there's any big problems in my area!

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

when i got mine could not program it or even listen to it. took it back and the store clerk look at it and figured out it was a bad speaker, gave me a new one and it works great,she even program it for me my batteries are lasting a long time.

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

Rite off the bat your employee (chris)said he was no scannermaster but that he would try or send it out to be programed,he programed it twice in two wks and i was so happy i bought another one for my dad,chris even showed me what he knew and where on the computer i could find information and showed me again a week later because i had more questions i knew nothing and customer service is 80% of the sale,i got help at 3 differant rad shacks in regards to my scanner,these employees are masters in radio and communications world as far as i'm concerned.I use recharable batts for 11 months now,I allso bought there $20dollor replacment antenna for trunked radios(has pros&cons).I lost the digital display and rad-shack sent it in for me(i did not get the warenty they offer)and called a week later for me to pick it up,I think you have to know alot about computers to program it(i was told by two companys i'd need a computor).compared to what has happend to me on the scanner web radio-shack is by far the place you want to go and i was unable to beat the price and by far,far unable to beat the customer service.once they program your scanner you'r all set programing is free and done on a computer dont let the compatition tell you diferant, dont let the manuel scare you,i turn it on adjust the sqelch and listen to police sometimes from 8 towns over,but mostly 3-4 towns over and i'm in the city of worc,not as cool as boston,i heard the jewelry store in the aburn mall as it was being robed cops on the chase,some nut robed a bank useing a taxie cab.your fellow snoopster.

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

All you have to do is spend more money and get the software to program it and it's easy right? Don't spend all this money unless it includes the software to make it easy to use. I'm taking mine back, what a waste of a day.

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

OK so this is my first scanner, and had no clue about functions and capabilities. I had my local RS store program the unit for me with local channels, then after reading the operating manual thoroughly, I was able to view and configure any feature in this unit. I think the key to understanding is being able to see what and how the 3rd party software program organized and configured channels. Then using the manual, I was able to view or modify the rest of the features. So now only after a couple of days, I am comfortable adding new channels and frequencies. Sure, the manual could have been organized a bit better and more descriptive, but they did a good enough job for what it is.

I'm happy with this unit, and if you can read and follow a short and simple technical manual and take a couple of hours to step through their examples in the manual, you will be, too. And don't forget to view the web sites indicated in the manual for local frequencies and weather channel information, too!

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

I wish I could have a better signal for listening to air traffic control. I have to be at the airport then it comes in clear. I have purchase a better antenna but it still does not work like I would like to when I;m home. I purchased rechargeable batteries which works out much better since it does drain them.

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

This scanner is NOT worth the retail price of [$] period! When it is on sale is the best time to get it but if you are going to pay [$] dollars for this, go ahead and get the digital version (106) or the Uniden 396 instead.

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

Using the optional computer programming cable and software makes programming this scanner a breeze!

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

The optional programming cable and software make this canner a breeze to program.

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

This is a great scanner if you want to listen to your local Fire, Police, and other Public Service users that are now only using Trunking System. I would remend this scanner to anyone. The only problem was I had to take a min to figure out how to program bt after that it was very easy.

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

gOOD TO USE WHEN YOU HEAR OR ARE A WINTNESS TO A TRAGTY

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

The radio is good except it has been returned for repairs and the third banks still does not work and the search does not work

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

This is a product that is mislead in many ways. First off, it is NOT DIGITAL it is ANALOG ONLY !!! Second it does not have the APCO 25 decoding, it is written in a way that it may sound digital, but again, it is NOT. Third off, Radio Shack in short is playing word games in the advertisement of this product. And fourth off, the RS employees are representing this product as a digital scanner. I am quite angry to know that they would do such a thing, I have been a loyal customer for many years and this is what I get, basicly lied to. Do yourself a favor, Do Not Buy this worthless paper weight.

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

Easy to program, easy to use. Great audio, good back lighting.

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

I have read many reviews on this scanner and the one conplant was hard to programe. I have owend many scanners over the years and no problum programing this one by hand. Great fetures for a scanner of this price!!

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

Now that I have the darn thing programmed, I really like it. Book not very clear or helpful about programming. [...] The 20-047 cable is not comaptible with vista even with the download, skip the cable. For the initial level of difficulty, the cable and the software should be included AND COMPATIBLE WITH VISTA. [...] If you get a software program, always try the trial option first. You won't get your money back if you can't use it or don't like it.

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

Was told by Radio Shack employee this was a digital scanner, this radio is NOT digital, and I will not longer buy anything from RS!

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

I use my scanners for sport, hobby and research. As a published author/columnist in the scanner/frequency world, I feel I can speak with authority on the matter. I have an extensive collection of both handhelds and base/mobile scanners. I also own all of the applicable software for Radio Shack scanners.[...]you will need the RS programing cable...the disc that is included is only the software driver. Again, go to StarrSoft.com for the best (personal opinion)programming software.You won't go wrong with either one of these scanners! Just remember, they will NOT do P-25 digital. You need the Pro-106/-197 for that (those are great scanners, too!)

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

I have programmed and used a Radio Shack Pro-91 for Trunking scanning of the Fire Dept. of which was a member for years. I UNDERSTAND the basics of trunk systems. My City re-banded the system and the Pro-91 wouldn't work on the their system any longer. I purchased the Pro-164 and spent, wait...make that WASTED HOURS, attempting to make it scan the trunking frequencies of my City. Simply put, THE MANUAL IS WHOLLY INADEQUATE!!! Instructions jump around, leaves you hanging and uses terms and acronyms that aren't defined. Radio Shack apparently believes that ANYONE buying this scanner must have a Master's Degree in trunking scanner programming! Before returning this albatross, I wrote to Radio Shack to see if they had complete instructions, to which they replied no.

Unless you have a degree in trunking scanner programming, or have plenty of time to WASTE, avoid this scanner.

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

Although this scanner is pre=programmed with OVER 100 channels, it is difficult to program your own frequencies. But with a one year service agreement, you can call Tech Support for assistance with programming your own frequency codes. [$]

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

pRO 135 IS OBSOULITE,DIDNT KNOW THAT HAD GOOD LUCK WITH RADIO SHACK SCANNERS IN THE PAST.THIS WAS THE ONLY MODEL THEY HAD,NOW I KNOW WHY.THIS SCANNER IS DIFFICULT TO PROGRAM,STILL HAVENT FIGURED IT OUT,WOULD NOT BUY ANOTHER ONE. wILL LOOK ELSEWHERE. I WOULD RECOMMED THIS SCANNER TO ANY ONE WITH AN IQ ABOVE 145. IT WILL BE A TASK IAM STUCK WITH THIS PRO 135.ZEUS

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

The only thing thats not great about it is that the volume doesn't get very loud.

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

Could use some improvements, but otherwise a good product. Purchase of third party software is a must to upload/download saved scanner frequencies, otherwise you will spend alot of time with the little keyboard on the scanner.

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

Signal is very very poor i have all the channels and my own town dosent even come in good at all... stay away from this scanner....i wish i did!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

I was told it was a figital scanner, it is not.[...]

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

I listen to my local police and fire and add frequencies if i go out of town. this is a simple scanner and does a great job on motorola and edacs scanning. it also works great if you want to mix standard frequencies with trunked systems.

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

Its worth buying.

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

I bought this as a gift and so far we are only able to get the weather channel. This product claims preprogramed channels and easy to use, that is just not true.

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

[*]I can deal with the fact its impossible to program, but it comes pre-programmed with nonsence channels, for example, 2 people on base stations chatting about their jobs and their lives. I am paying to hear this? Half of the nonsense channels are in Spanish![...]

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

I have this scanner in my home & I did alot of research before purchaseing any scanner & the research that I did everyone seemed to give this scanner a good review. I even spoke to a rep from a scanner site & they had recomended this scanner to me,so i bought it & I absolutely love it,myself & my wife could hear all of the local activity that is going on,signal is great,volume is great,& display is nice & bright! I would 100% recomend this to anyone,as a matter of fact I recomended this scanner to my inlaws & they purchased it & love it as well!!!

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

I'm a volunteer EMT and I use this to pick up local FDs and EMS stations, as well as our trunked Police band. It works great, excellent signal, and is very customizable. Programming it was a little confusing at first, but once you get the hang of it it's very easy. I did have one problem where after about 3 weeks, all of a sudden the trunk scanning stopped working. However, after bringing it into a store, they replaced for free. Been working great ever since. (I bought this while it was on sale for $120)

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

firefighter

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

i use this scanner if im on the road to and from work! it works great, best scanner i ever gotten! not for a bad price either, better get to ur local radio shack before this good scanner is out of stock!

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

I use this scanner a ton! I mostly use it for aviation, when I'm at the hanger, I can find out what the other traffic is doing before I takeoff. This scanner is also great for Railroading, which has become a second hobby of mine. The 800Mhz trunking here in Knoxville come in Crystal clear! All around great scanner

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

I used this scanner at the beach and could pick up signals from boats on the horrizon! Clear police and fire signals as well.

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

this produts works great with a program i bought to program the radio. useing scancat to program makes is easer and stores a copy of what i did on the my computer so i dont loose it.

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

Battery is not as bad as some claim, better than some scanners, but for such bright, clear sound and reception, you need to expect to use some juice. The text tag entry could be more like a cell phone to be more intuitive, mostly I use the optional computer programming. Sweet!
I do wish that Signal Stalker 2 would let you scan at the same time, but it is much more robust than SS1 so I can't complain.
Best scanner that I've owned so far (5 scanners).

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

I cannot program the scanner [...]

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

good contiuation from model Pro 97

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

It's all good except that programming the trunking banks seems very difficult. I have read the manual three times and still do not fully understand it. The programming software seems to be the way to go, but they don't tell you that you have to buy a $35 cable and a $30 software program. Overall, I think it is worth the money. I bought this at the [$] sale price. You also have to buy any power adaptors you wish to use. However, I have been using the same four AA batteries for over a week now. I don't know what these people are talking about short battery life for.

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

I'm sure this is a good product once I get past the bad instructions for setting up a Motorola trunking system. I keep finding myself skipping around throughout the book and have yet to discover any clear instructions on scanning a trunking system.

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

The owners manuel leaves a little to be desired, but once I had the scanner figured out, it was very easy to program and use. It is with me most of the time, even at work. When I'm doing yard work like mowing the grass, I use an optional ear bud. This is a GREAT unit!! I like the weather feature---when I'm out on the river, I get storm warnings/advisories before they come over the boats two-way radio. Does it get any better than this? I think not! As far as the battery issue that some write about. When my unit is in the house, it's plugged in, thus charging the rechargable batteries. Since I've owned it, it has only gone dead once.

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

Quick catch of local activities. I have 4 of the predecessor, PRO97, this is even better.

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

Great scanner with tons of features. I was a little frustrated at first at how difficult it was to figure out. Poor instruction manual. I purchased Scancat Lite software and the USB cable and it made a world of difference. Now it's easy to program and I can choose which bands I want to search. It searches very quickly and has great reception. Just take some time to learn how it works and use the software. Also, the battery life with rechargeable NIMH batteries is GREAT!

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

This is one of the best scanners I have every had! I own a Uniden BC340CRS, but it does not comply with today's new 800 MHz band. As a child, I was always interested in the activities of public safety agencies and this scanner helps me know it all. It can be hassle when it comes to initial programming, but a good read of the manual takes care of that. I can put text tags on channels, banks, and talkgroups. When scanning, it lets you go into ID hold (following an ID of your choice). While it's not as great as my base unit (no alarm clock w/snooze etc...), it has let me become more aware of activity in my area. They say "less is more", and now, I know why.

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

When using batteries it dies quickly

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

I am an officer in a rural fire dept. and this unit was a piece of garbage. I am only interested in about a dozen channels but this unit force feeds you all of them. Poor range, expensice and not worth the money.

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

Great scanner ones you get it set up.I programmed mine using the Scan-cat software.This makes programming the trunked channels easy.I also like the display with alpha tags.I use mine in my home only and reception is very good with just the supplied antenna.

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

A fantastic scanner for the more experienced user. I had a Pro-34 years ago that had cell phone freqs that also performed very well and gave me the programing experience needed to understand how scanners work. For the beginner this unit can be frustrating and intimidating, be patient, you'll love it. The manual could use some work, it's not beginner friendly.

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

I use this to monitor the local 800mhz trunked EMS frequencies. Our FD is on a VHF system and our dispatch is sometimes slow in paging us as First Responders. This scanner and it's abilities gives myself and my department a much needed heads-up!

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

This scanner works great. Where i live the reception is pretty good. Overall it was pretty easy to program and it a good scanner.

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

Everything

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

Easy to program and use.

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

best scanner at radio shack since the PRO 2004. grab these while you can radioshack has had very few scanners that are mode selectable and recieve 225-400 MHZ AM Military Aircraft. Thank You RS Finally.
Respectfully Captain Visalia California 93292

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

it is a good one to begin with in my opinion. if you read the instructions you will know how to use it poperly.

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

I LIVE IN THE COUNTRY SO THIS SCANNER IS GREAT WITH THE AC/DC/ OPTION WHEN THE POWER IS OUT.

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

This is on OK scanner but it won't track trunked radios in the 800 MHz range because of rebanding issues. GRE (who makes this scanner) is working on a firmware fix. Hopefully RS makes the fix available soon.[@]

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

An Awsome scanner great for riding around your city or town checking up on the local criminals or blazing fires!!!!

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

Be sure to go ahead and get the DC adapter, and a stronger antenna. I bought this for my husband, and he loved it. While he was learnig how to work it, he would kill the batteries. A stronger antenna let him pick up even more channels.

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

I'm having a hard time seeing exactly why people are having a problem at all with this unit. I find it extremely easy to program as long as you have the time and range is great, though I find myself mainly using only the close local channels. I like to hear what's going on around me which this scanner is great for. If programming is tough for you, maybe the problem lies within the user, not the equipment! I got it on sale so WELL worth the price. I would suggest rechargeable batteries just like everyone else has though. I recommend this scanner for not only experienced users, but for beginners as well.

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

I like the Scanner its a huge step up from my old 92 from 10 + years ago.I bought all the stuff thats recomended and I still can't get it to work right.
I should have read the reviews first this scanner is a pain to program I asked the people at the Local Radioshack about the free programing and I got a Glazed over look all they wanted to do was sell me a Friggin cell phone not help with a scanner What happened to radioshack being helpful ?

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

Great scanner. Way better than the pro 97 even though the only visual noticible difference is the volume/squelch knob. gets great reception, very clear.

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

Scanner works great. Upgraded from PRO-71 and had no problems programming. The PRO-71 still works great after 10 years but I wanted 800 frequencies and the lower band for CB radio frequencies. It is not digital but that is not a problem in this area at this time.

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

this radio will not program or use trunking channels correctly. It will not program or use like the instructions say. Very disapointed with the performace and will take it back. My old pro 433 runs circles around this thing

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

Great Reception on my local police/fire and rescue. Took a long time to figure out how to prgram it, but she is all set now. It does like to use batterries quick. Would by again in a heartbeat!

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

This is the hardest scanner to operate that I have ever owned.... It is horrible!!! Even people very knowledgeable about scanners say it is ridiculous!

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

Good reception, decent battery life with rechargable batteries. Instruction manual is terrible! Radio reference online web site was much better for programming. The included programming from the store was incomplete, did not include any of the trunked systems I wanted to here.

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

the instruction manual is difficult to understand
I think they made it harder to program/operate than it needs to be. Scanner is great. Instruction manual is NOT clear

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

This is my second Pro-164,,I have a high regard for these Gre made scanners,,I also own the pro-162 which is a good handheld, that one is made by uniden..seems the GRE made Scanners are a Bit Better for us people out in the country, As they pick up Distant signals somewhat better,,,Lots of Features,,very nice readable display !!,,I use the radio shack ni-mh 2100 mah batteries, and get about 14-15 Hours continuous run time..id say the backlight is on about half or better of that time,,,I recommend this scanner if you dont need digital, as i dont..A great unit !!!!

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

I want to keep this short and sweet. Great product as most radio shack products are. This scanner has certain features my car scanner does not. 1) Portable, 2)Signal Stalker, 3)All Band. Some may say this scanner is complicated, unless you use a scanner and read the manual... you may be entirely lost. Thanks for the great electronics!

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

Radios li9ghtweight, easy to use. surprised at
how well this performs over the better scanners
I have.

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

This replaced a Realistic Pro-44 I purchased from Radio Shack in 1994. It had great reception even from surrounding counties plus long battery life, I loved it.

The Pro-44 has short range and snow during talk from just the local sheriff's dept..
Battery life is unbelievably short.

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

Very nice scanner, i have had mine for over a year and a half and have had no problems, its hard to program at first but once you get the hang of it its very easy to use, has alote of memory, and gets very good reception for a handheld, i would also recommend gettting rechargeable batteries, i have 2 sets so when 1 set dies i can but in the other set, while they charge.

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

I LOVE THE SCANNER I GOT IT FOR CHRISTMAS IT IS SO AWESOME BECAUSE I LOVE TO LISTEN TO CALLS

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

That it drains the battery

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

I didn't know squat about scanners but wanted to buy one as a gift. I was very fortunate that the Radio Shack employee who worked in the store where the Pro-164's had sold out, located one at another store for me, and told me "make sure you have them program it for you." - Which I did. That's the reason it worked so well. I wouldn't wish programming one of these on anyone. Have Radio Shack do it at no charge, and you will be all set.

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

I use it because alot of emergencies went to 800.
I fill like it has come along ways compare to the old PRO-32 I use to have.So far it has been a really good scanner and has great reception on the 800meg's. The only thing I would recomend is to get rechargeble batteries. It eats them up quick.

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

My wife bought this as a Chrsitmas present for me, she specifically asked the sales person if this was a "digital" scanner, and they said yes. Of course it isn't, and even if it was there is only 1 store in the Indianapolis area that can program it. [...]

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

This radio was on sale at a very good price but reception was not as expected,scratchy and static. also had the 800mhz rubber antenna and ewas still the same thing. i have an older scanner from radio shack that performs better then this one did. not a good radio.

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

This scanner was advertised as 'Reband Capable' I bought it on sale then found out that its not really the case. The Trunk system in Utah will only receive 80% of the actual radio traffic. I would advise anyone hoping for trunking avoid this scanner. I am returning this first thing in the morning.

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

Only way I find out now after buying the Pro 164 to program it is to pay to down load the Frequencies from the internet.

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

I bought this thing hoping to listen to law enforcement agencies. I have not worked with scanners before. I open this thing up and start to read the manual and it was like the manual assumed I already knew everything there was to know about scanners. If you know what you are doing then you would probably like this scanner. If you are new to scanners like myself, stay away from this thing!!!

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

I think that it is the best radio

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

I bought this scanner for my husband for christmas. His first one to own. Im a computer wiz but a scanner ditz. It took me a while to get it programmed, but once i had that v8 moment it seemed pretty easy, i had to go online to get my specific freq.but overall my hubby is happy so thats all that counts.

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

amazing<= get it

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

I use the product next to my fire radio and let me tell you I love this radio. The batteries last 1 week in the scanner great reception. the Video that I will post also has my radio in it but the radio only has the one loud beep which is the alert the rest is the scanner.

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

My first scanner - put rechargeable batteries in it and it was ready to go. A quick frequency guild helped me set what i was looking for within a few minutes and we were set to go.

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

great scanner. used instead of a super expensive minitor pager for vol ambulance dispatch - reception is very good locally, but sometimes it seems be short on range.
pros - it is very easy to program if you read the directions CAREFULLY and have a little patience. cons - audio could be better - i hooked mine up to a sterio system and it solved the problem.
--overall a great buy--

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

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

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

More fetures and better recieve than the pro-162

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

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.

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

I love this radio! The description says that the back light is orange, but it is yellow. Great reception!

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

A good replacement for the Pro-97.
One problem, Aircraft Search Sub Range 2 (138 - 150 MHz) should be AM instead of FM.

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

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.

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

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!

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

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.

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

it is easier to program without reading the book, but once you know how to program, it goes really fast. go digital!!

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

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.

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

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.

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

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.

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

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

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

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

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

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!

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

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.

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

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.

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

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.

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

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.

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

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

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

Nice lightwieght and perfect for fire/rescue dept.

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

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.

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

The range is never ending

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

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.

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

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

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

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.

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

This item was worse than the scanner it was suppose to improve. Buy the pro-97 it is much better. [...]

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

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.

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

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.

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

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

Comments about RadioShack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner:

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 [...].