Railfan Technology > Question on an old scanner

I have an old Radio Shack PRO-79 scanner.  Still works fine, but getting a little worn over the last few years.  I know the model is out of production, but are parts still made by any chance, even if they're third-party?  I'd really like to replace the broken battery cover plate, and maybe even put in a new keypad since the buttons are so worn that you can no longer read many of their labels.  I'm not in the market for a new scanner at this point.

Possibly keep a close eye on markets like E-Bay, use the same model number or some way for a search engine to connect with what you're looking for.

I was looking for a parts source for a similar item, a BearCat 100 with a bad on/off volume control. Found an almost new 200XL for 40 bucks, had been sitting in someones drawer for 20 years. It has a number of older features like poor InterMod specs for example but for a general purpose radio that stays in the house it works great.

There are HAM equipment markets but EBay seems to get the most activity.

btw a new Bearcat 125 would be about 100 bucks. I use Yeasu radios for chasing that are about 150 to 200 bucks, great reception and very rugged.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/08/20 09:43 by TCnR.

See if this shop can help. https://www.gcomradio.com/repinfo.html

railrob Wrote:
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> See if this shop can help.
> https://www.gcomradio.com/repinfo.html

Wow, that's a pretty good resource. Looks like a good old fashioned repair shop that knows their stuff.

In my opinion, there is no reason to sink a penny into an old scanner.  First of all, while they were neat for their time, they are poor performerss compared to some of today's models.  Today's Bearcat BC-125AT , mentioned earlier, will perform far better with more features than any of the old "legacy" scanners.  At a street price of about a hundred bucks (search my other radio posts about it and other radios), it's a bargain.  Second of all, electronic equipment is not like a lawn mower--a scanner will deteriorate as much from age as from usage.  In other words, once an old scanner has one problem, it's likely reached the age where it will have more.  So, fixing one thing may only extend its life to the next component failure.

There should be a ton of good, used older scanners on eBay if you'd like to buy a new scanner for less than $50.  I'd look for a model like the Uniden Bearcat 80XLT.  It uses 4 AA batteries and has good reception.  A Radio Shack scanner I can also recommend is the Pro-97.  It also uses AA batteries and works really well.  Since many public service agencies have gone to digital transmissions these older scanners are largely useless for the general public.  For railfans they are perfect though.

It wouldn't surprise me a bit if you could find one of these scanners for $20.  I understand NOT wanting to buy a new scanner though... my main mobile scanner is a Regency R4030 or something like that from when Uniden first purchased Regency Electronics.  It's a clone of the handheld Uniden 100XLT and is probably 25 years old.  The LCD display is partially shot and the squelch doesn't work anymore but it still works.  I have nicer stuff but it's kind of fun to use something until it's completely reached the end of its life.

Mike

gccom radio has been outstanding to me, starting with 210, 250, 300  and HX 1000.
Very happy with service, pricing, and shipping packaging.

Ed

I've used Gcom also, he knows how to fix 'em, has parts too.  Great service.