parnass@ihu1h.UUCP (Bob Parnass, AJ9S) (06/23/85)
x Regency WHAMO-10: Regency's first synthesized scanner. Discontinued long ago. Appearance more like a crystal scanner, with a single LED per channel. User has to break off metal teeth on a 'comb' for each channel according to a code book. External frequency control unit DFS-5K optional. UHF VCO reference oscillator drifts on some units. Soldered sheet metal shields around some circuitry make access to some components difficult for servicing. Comb sockets prone to bad connections after moderate use. TMR series: First generation crystal scanners. Come in all varieties of band coverage. Models with both UHF and VHF bands must use separate antennas for each band (disadvantage in mobile installations, but can be overcome by connecting to front ends via a capacitor). Easy to crystal: Radio Shack crystals work well. TMRs usually $2 and up ad hamfests, often in poor condition. Don't pay more than $50, even if mint. Front ends must be tuned for selected portions within the bands for best sensitivity. Wide IF selectivity troublesome in urban/suburban areas. Primitive digital scanning cir- cuitry may become confused at times, but power off/on restores sanity. Not all that bad a deal if cheap. Replaced by Regency ACT units. Radio Shack (made by GRE of Tokyo) PRO2001: Early, discontinued single bank 16 channel programmable. Reasonable coverage of the 3 traditional bands, minus aircraft band. LED digital display as well as an LED per channel. Mechanical lockout switch for each channel. Delay is either on or off for all channels at a time. High synthesizer noise level. Troublesome plated through holes on digital board in some units renders radio virtually unfixable. Could never get mine to work more than a few days in a row; always another bad connection. Some owners have no trouble. PRO52: Discontinued 8 channel VHF-Lo/Hi base unit. No UHF band or provision for mobile operation. Good little scanner despite limited frequency coverage and Spartan lack of frills. Front mounted, vertical speaker always a win. PRO24: Only 4 channels in this crystal controlled por- table. Covers the three basic bands, but no aircraft. Easy to obtain batteries and crystals. Characteristic Radio Shack squelch problem, fixable by changing one resistor. All-plastic case larger than Bearcat Thin Scan and clones. Craig (div. of Pioneer) 4530: Discontinued Japanese 10 channel crystal con- trolled 3 band unit. No aircraft band. Deluxe features like priority, trimmer capacitors for netting each channel, front panel speaker, and rugged metal cabinet make this unit a winner. Channel lockout slide switches have finite life. Replacing burned out incan- descent channel lamps not fun. Grab a 4530 if you find one in good condition. Tennelec Manufactured the first synthesized scanners. Company out of business for last several years. Schematics and parts difficult to obtain. Radios reputed to be poor performers. I got my MS-2 and MCP-1 basket cases for free and sometimes regret taking them. Not worth fix- ing unless you have access to DTL/RTL chips and circuit diagrams. -- =============================================================================== Bob Parnass, Bell Telephone Laboratories - ihnp4!ihu1h!parnass - (312)979-5414