Radio Shack PRO-164 1000-Channel Handheld Scanner

"RADIO SHACK WILL NOT TALK ON THE PHONE FOR TECK SUPPORT,A RECORDING ADVISES GO TO THE STORE, MOST AT THE STORE DO NOT EVEN KNOW HOW TO SCAN, A WEATHER RADIO IS ALL IT IS GOOD FOR."

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

"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 had the Pro-96 5,500-channel scanner until my hometown police department went to an LTR trunking system. The Pro-96 did not have LTR capabilities, I sold my Pro-96 and purchased a new Pro-164 at a good price, way cheaper than the Pro-96 was. I am a member of the local Skywarn / RACES and I knew the Skywarn feature would come in handy during bad weather to monitor other counties. I have been a scanner enthusiast for 26 years and have had many scanners over the years. The Pro-164 has got to be the best scanner I have owned so far. It has the best audio out of all the Radio Shack scanners I have owned. It has Signal Stalker II, in order to find nearby frequencies when you know someone is talking on a radio but don't know what frequency. It has many other features...almost seems endless. I have had the Pro 164 for 4 years now with no troubles or complaints. I would recommend programming software and USB programming cable for programming any scanner these days if you are new to scanning."

"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."

"I purchased the PRO 164 one day prior to the 2009 Reno Air Races. The dealer programmed the Southern California frequencies for me. With no prior experience I had some reservations about the scanner but it exceeded my expectations. I installed Energizer rechargable batteries recharged them once at the Air Races after 3 days of use. The scanner picked up the Air Race frequencies providing insight of what was happening inflight. The speaker volume is good but sometimes I needed to use an ear bud due to the wind and loud aircraft engine noise. I was able to operate the scanner after a quick read of the instruction booklet concentrating on the features I needed for the Air Races. After returning from Reno I have used the scanner to monitor aviation and emergency frequencies in the Palmdale area. The scanner picks up sheriff, police, and fire department communications in the Palmdale and Los Angeles areas, 60 to 70 miles distant. It also picks up local and Los Angeles aviation communications without hestitation. The rechargable batteries have performed well with approximately 2 weeks between charges with daily use. I have let the scanner sit for 1 month and when I turned it on it was readily available, good for emergencies. I have no reservations recommending this scanner to the novice user, but you do need to read/scan the users manual to operate the scanner. Turning it on and expecting it to work to meet your personal needs is probably not going to happen. Enjoy..."

"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."

"This is the best scanner i have ever owned. Dont be convinced about bad reviews. This scanner is very easy to program by hand. It gets the best reception and clairity. What i really like about this scanner is the text tags. I no longer have to find who is talking on the Motorola ID. You can save IDs and then give them a name. You can scan multiple banks, you can scan trunking and then to aviation at the same time. The display is very nice the backlight lights up the screen and the key pad. The only thing about this scanner is the trunking setup. I can be difficult to do. If you are having problems setting up trunking then watch my video on [...]"

"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!"

"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."