Milcom Receiving Equipment
From The RadioReference Wiki
Contents
Receivers/Scanners
Mini Handhelds
Care should be used when connecting any large antenna to these handhelds. Receivers in this range will likely overload, as their front ends simply can't handle the amount of RF such antennas may deliver. They are most useful in airshows, or if a base is geographically close to the user. A good set of earphones is strongly recommended.
- Wiki Pages
Handhelds (full size)
- EHam.Net Reviews
- Wiki Pages
- Alinco DJ-X1
- Alinco DJ-X10
- Alinco DJ-X20
- Alinco DJ-X2000
- AOR AR900
- AOR AR1000/2000
- AOR AR1500
- AOR AR2700
- AOR AR8000
- AOR AR8200
- Icom IC-R3
- Icom IC-R10
- Icom IC-R20 Note 2
- RS Pro-26
- RS Pro-96 Note 1
- RS Pro-162
- Uniden BC125AT
- Uniden BC250D
- Uniden BC296D
- Uniden BCD325P2 Note 5
- Uniden BCD396T Note 5
- Uniden BCD396XT Note 5
- Uniden BR330T
- Yupiteru MVT-5000
- Yupiteru MVT-7000
- Yupiteru VT-225/MVT-3100
- Yupiteru MVT-3300
- Yupiteru MVT-3400/7300
- Yupiteru MVT-7100/7200
- Yupiteru MVT-9000
- Note 1 Programming UHF military air frequencies in the PRO-96 is only possible using Win96. In addition, sensitivity may not be optimum because the receiver was not designed for it. It's operation is otherwise normal in all other respects.
- Note 2 In the November 2004 edition of Monitoring Times magazine, in the 'Scanner Equipment' column, author Bob Parnass AJ9S noted a pronounced loss of sensitivity in the 280-295 Mhz range.
- Note 3 Icom receivers typically have a slow scan rate. Scanning large lists of frequencies effectively may not be possible. Software such as Radiomax may increase the available scan rate.
- Note 4 Computer control and other logging functions using RS/GRE radios is not possible. Only up/download operations are supported.
- Note 5 These scanners are capable of decoding the new 380 Mhz unencrypted P25 trunk systems being implemented at federal and military facilities
Base/Mobile
- EHam.Net Reviews
- Wiki Pages
- AOR AR-one
- AOR AR950
- AOR AR2001
- AOR AR2002
- AOR AR2500
- AOR AR2515
- AOR AR7000
- AOR AR3000
- AOR AR5000
- AOR AR8600
- AOR AR-Alpha
- Icom IC-R7000
- Icom IC-R7100
- Icom IC-R100
- Icom IC-R8500
- Icom IC-R9000
- RS Pro-160
- RS Pro-433
- RS Pro-2052 Note 5
- RS Pro-2096 Note 1
- Uniden BC370CRS
- Uniden BC895XLT Note 2
- Uniden BC898T
- Uniden BC780XLT
- Uniden BC785D
- Uniden BC796D
- Uniden BCD996T Note 6
- Uniden BCD996XT Note 6
- Uniden BCD996P2 Note 6
- Uniden BCT15
- Uniden HomePatrol-1 Note 6
- Uniden HomePatrol-2 Note 6
- Yaesu FRG-9600
- Yaesu VR-5000
- Yupiteru MVT-6000
- Yupiteru MVT-8000
- Note 1 Programming UHF military air frequencies in the PRO-2096 is only possible using Win96. In addition, sensitivity may not be optimum because the receiver was not designed for it. It's operation is otherwise normal in all other respects.
- Note 2 The BC895XLT cannot receive the 138-144 mhz range in AM mode. The BC898T is capable of this operation
- Note 3 Icom receivers typically have a slow scan rate. Scanning large lists of frequencies effectively may not be possible. Software such as Radiomax may increase the available scan rate.
- Note 4 Computer control and other logging functions using RS/GRE radios is not possible. Only up/download operations are supported.
- Note 5 The PRO-2052 can be forced into AM mode in the VHF land mobile band (138-144 Mhz); a circuit modification is required. Unlike the other RS models, this radio can be computer controlled and use logging functions with the right software.
- Note 6 These scanners are capable of decoding the new 380 Mhz unencrypted P25 trunk systems being implemented at federal and military facilities
GRE / Whistler / Radio Shack Cross Reference
- Nota Bene: For years, GRE made scanners for Radio Shack with the Realistic or Radio Shack or Patrolman names on them. Only occasionally would RS stray and get a model from Uniden (e.g., Pro-2050). In 2013, GRE stopped producing scanners under their own brand or for Radio Shack. In 2014, Whistler purchased and started production on scanners using GRE's intellectual property. For now, they are the same as the previous GRE models, just with Whistler labels.
- To add to the confusion, RS re-issued some of their scanners with new model numbers. You can use this table to cross reference the various model numbers and distributors
GRE Model | Old RS Model | New RS Model | Whistler Model | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
PSR-3001 | Pro-164 | Also applies to the Pro-97 | ||
PSR-4001 | Pro-163 | Also applies to the Pro-2055 | ||
PSR-5002 | Pro-106 | Pro-651 | WS1040 | |
PSR-6002 | Pro-197 | Pro-652 | WS1065 | |
PSR-8003 | N/A | Pro-668 | WS1080 |
- Notes
- - These models cannot decode the P25 military trunk systems found in the 380-400 Mhz range
- - These models can decode the P25 military trunk systems found in the 380-400 Mhz range
- - These models force the mode to FM when receiving in the 380-400 Mhz area. This may prevent reception of AM mode communications in this range. It is unknown whether EZ-Scan or IScan can override this default.
Computer Controlled Receivers
- These receivers can be used with a PC (utilzing an USB port) or stand alone with their own control head
- R1500 page at Universal
- IC PCR2500/IC-R2500
- NOTE: It appears the 2500 has breaks in its UHF milair coverage
- These receivers require the use of a PC to be useful
- See our Software Defined Radios article for information on using SDRs on Milcom
Other Sources of Reviews
Antennas
- See our Scanner Antennas page for a large number of links.
- Picking the right coax for your setup is very important. As you go higher in frequency, the loss from a cheap cable can be significant. Here's a good page on the subject.
Filters
For those living in urban areas, putting up a good antenna (with the proper coax) can cause overloading. Sometimes this overloading shows up as pagers and other unwanted signals showing up in places where you don't want to hear them. These links show a few manufacturers that make filters for specific problem areas of the spectrum;
Preamps/Splitters
- Angle Linear
- Antronix Amp page
- AR2 Communications Products
- Digital Loggers Wideband RF Multicoupler
- ElectroLine Drop Amps
- GRE Super Amp
- Hamtronics Preamps
- Radio Shack Antenna Mounted Amplifiers review by George Fetter
- RF Bay Inc.
- Scanner Master amplifiers
- Stridsberg Engineering products
Return to VHF/UHF Military Monitoring