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PSR-800

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Revision as of 15:57, 6 December 2012 by Trunker (talk | contribs)

GRE COM PSR-800 scanning receiver

PSR-800LG.jpg

The PSR-800 is manufactured by GRE in China.

General Specifications

  • A brochure for the PSR-800 can be downloaded here: PSR-800 Brochure.
  • Rebanding supported? YES EZ-Scan will import tables for identified rebanded systems from the RadioReference database.
  • USB 2.0 Compliant Interface built in.
  • Dimensions approximately 5 5/16 x 2 1/8” x 1 1/16” (135 x 67 x 28 mm) (HWD).
  • Weight approximately 7.4 oz. (210g) without accessories and batteries.
  • BNC connector.
  • Operating voltage
    • DC 4.8 Volts (“AA” cell x 4pcs. Ni-MH Batteries).
    • DC 6 Volts (“AA” cell x 4pcs. ALKALINE Batteries).
    • Ext. power and charge voltage USB Power (DC 5V 500mA).
    • If batteries and the power cable are removed for more than ~1 minute, the clock and time will need to be reset by hand or through the software.


Frequency Coverage
Freq. Step Mode (Default)
25.0000 − 26.9600 MHz 10 kHz AM
26.9650 − 27.4050 MHz 10 kHz AM
27.4100 − 29.5050 MHz 5 kHz AM
29.5100 − 29.7000 MHz 5 kHz FM
29.7100 − 49.8300 MHz 10 kHz FM
49.8350 − 54.0000 MHz 5 kHz FM
108.000 − 136.9916 MHz 8.33 kHz AM
137.000 − 137.995 MHz 5 kHz FM
138.000 − 143.9875 MHz 12.5 kHz AM
144.000 − 147.9950 MHz 5 kHz FM
148.000 − 150.7875 MHz 12.5 kHz FM
150.800 − 150.8450 MHz 5 kHz FM
150.8525 − 154.4975 MHz 7.5 kHz FM
154.5150 − 154.6400 MHz 5 kHz FM
154.6500 − 156.2550 MHz 7.5 kHz FM
156.2750 − 157.4500 MHz 25 kHz FM
157.4700 − 161.5725 MHz 7.5 kHz FM
161.6000 − 161.9750 MHz 5 kHz FM
162.0000 − 174.0000 MHz 12.5 kHz FM
216.0025 − 219.9975 MHz 5 kHz FM
220.0000 − 224.9950 MHz 5 kHz FM
225.0000 − 379.999375 MHz 6.25 kHz AM
380.0000 − 419.987500 MHz 12.5 kHz FM
420.0000 − 450.000000 MHz 5 kHz FM
450.00625 − 469.99375 MHz 6.25 kHz FM
470.00000 − 512.00000 MHz 6.25 kHz FM
764.00000 − 781.996875 MHz 3.125 kHz FM
791.00000 − 796.996875 MHz 3.125 kHz FM
806.00000 − 823.987500 MHz 12.5 kHz FM
849.00000 − 868.987500 MHz 12.5 kHz FM
894.00000 − 939.987500 MHz 12.5 kHz FM
940.00000 − 960.000000 MHz 6.25 kHz FM
1240.0000 − 1300.00000 MHz 6.25 kHz FM
137.0000 − 174.0000 MHz 5 kHz FM (Canada)
380.00000 − 512.00000 MHz 12.5 kHz FM (Canada)


  • Object oriented memory management. See the Object Oriented Scanning Described article for more information.
  • Object capacity (Nominal, with 2 GB MicroSD Card): > 10 million, varies depending on user configuration.
  • Location-based Scanning - allows you to enter your zip code, city, or county to select channels to scan in the US (only).
  • 201 Scan Lists; 200 regular lists and a SkyWarn list.
  • 20 Scan Sets; create a set of scan lists tailored to your favorite scan list settings.
  • 200 V-Folders with second generation Virtual Scanner Memory Management system. One copy of working memory can hold a virtual numbers of objects, meaning any combination of talkgroups, conventional channels, and trunking systems. Each V-Scanner II folder holds one copy of working memory. Actual memory size is determined by the size of the microSD card memory size used.
  • Preprogrammed with all systems currently in the Radioreference database with ability to update as needed or once a week.
  • 4 way navigation keys to access special modes and programming options emulating today's standard media player operation.
  • Easy-to-read back lit control and display with back lit keypad with user selectable settings.
  • Spectrum Sweeper Near field frequency capture.
  • Tri-color alert LED - Object programmable; eight factory default colors to any color / brilliance you want by having direct access to the R-G-B drive values (including flash) to assign to talkgroups, frequencies, agencies, etc. Example settings are shown in the owners manual.
    • LATCH option; the color of the last received object stays on until reset.
  • Programmable Backlight Flash Patterns - The backlight can be programmed to flash with custom flash patterns when certain objects are active, providing another way alerting the operator when important radio traffic is present.
  • Audible Alarms - programmable audible alerts can be configured when certain objects are active.
  • Autoboost (software only) - available for conventional frequencies, IDs, and entire trunked systems, boosts the audio levels slightly louder.
  • Recording / playback of objects or all received audio at a set volume unchanged by the volume control.
    • Audio codec is AU format and is time/date stamped at the header file of the audio sample.
    • AU audio files can be played via Windows Media Player, WinAmp, and other players.
    • Additional information such as frequency, TGID, etc. can be see using the included software.
  • Priority Scan - the scanner will sample conventional objects for activity periodically while scanning and monitoring other objects. The scanner will also give IDs priority over other IDs while checking a particular trunking system for activity.
  • Clock display while "off" (and connected to external power).
  • Auto power-on ("alarm clock").
  • Power-on password.
  • Scan rate 70 CPS (without trunk scan).
  • Search speed 80 CPS.
  • Adaptive digital tracking (ADT).
  • Digital signal processing (DSP).
  • Triple conversion.
  • CTCSS/DCS abilities.
  • Network Access Code can be programmed to only break squelch when receiving the correct NAC in a conventional P25 system.
  • 16-character alpha-tagging with text entry can show ID code or service name set per the users preference.
  • Signal strength meter.
  • 700MHz and 380MHz trunk scanning.
  • Multi-site trunking.
  • Trunking option to look for the site with the best received CC decode rate (not the same as RSSI on the Motorola rigs, but similar in operation}.
  • Motorola Control Channel Only trunking.
  • Private Calls and RadioID display in decimal or hex.
    • Note: If RadioID is greater than 9,999,999 (decimal), then HEX is displayed to fit in the 16 character display.
  • EDACS and Motorola TGID Patch (when used on system), currently in the HEX display format only.
  • Regular LTR trunking with auto-arrange for LCN.
  • Selectable digital AGC.
  • FlexStep - allows you to enter a frequency in any 1.250 MHz step.
  • 20 dB attenuator global and per object settings.
  • 7 service search ranges/ 1 user definable search range tunes virtually all important bands; marine, fire/police, Ham, CB, VHF-air, UHF-Air, and racing.
  • Zeromatic search tuning.
  • Weather band with enhanced SAME Weather Alert functions and weather priority—access weather channels and alerts with the push of a button.
  • Skywarn List can be programmed with any number of "objects".
  • Built in IF discriminator data output can be enabled to the headphone jack and can be used with UniTrunker, Trunk88, and Treport decoders with a standard stereo audio patch cord.
  • Built in discriminator data output in simple ASCII output using the PC/IF port can be sent to a com port or internal microSD card.
  • The PSR-800 uses a true USB interface. The 800 uses a logical device and installs drivers for both the radio and the microSD card.
  • Advanced encryption handling:
    • EncMode selects how the radio treats encrypted voice calls. Simple Display must be unchecked.
    • “Noise” setting plays the random undecoded encryption noise. Simple Display must be unchecked.
    • “Silent” setting plays no audio during the call. Simple Display must be unchecked.
    • “Tone” setting plays a soft tone for the duration of the call. Simple Display must be unchecked.
    • EncLevel selects the tone level for tones played during encrypted calls
  • Advanced conventional P25 systems:
    • CONV TGID When enabled, shows the Talkgroup ID for P25 Conventional Talkgroup calls. Simple Display must be unchecked.
    • CONV Radio ID when enabled, shows the Radio ID for P25 conventional calls. Simple Display must be unchecked.
  • 2 second default delay can be set from 0 to 60 sec.
  • Skip or Lockout - lets you skip or permanently lockout any programmed object. All skipped objects can be restored (unskipped).
  • 250 Search lockouts.
  • Low Battery Alert - with customizable battery icon threshold values for NiMH and alkaline batteries.
  • Default Options Key; return to default settings for any menu.


Features found on the PSR-800 Not included on the RadioShack Pro-18

These are the features that the PSR-800 has above the PRO-18:

  • X2 TDMA and P25 Phase II 2 slot TDMA
  • Recording / playback
  • 201 scan lists (PRO-18 has 100 play lists)
  • Tri-color alert LED
  • Discriminator output
  • V-Scanner II
  • Scan Sets
  • Clock display while "off" (and connected to external power)
  • Auto power-on ("alarm clock")
  • "Extra" audio alert tones (PRO-18 has the 7 from PSR-500; PSR-800 has 8 more)
  • Power-on password

Operating Tips

Scan Sets Feature

  • There are 20 Scan Sets. Scan Sets you let you quickly select large groups of Scanlists to enable or disable just by enabling or disabling the Scan Sets that contain the Scan Lists instead of individually selecting each group of Scanlists.
  • The Scan Sets feature is geared toward people who have lots of different things (where "different" is based on geography, agency, usage, etc.) they want to monitor, and want a somewhat easier method of choosing what to monitor than the default toggling of individual Scan Lists.
  • Firmware version 1.6 added "ScanSets Opt" setting. If enabled (checked), Scan Sets alone govern whether a scan list is scanned and the master Scan List enable array is ignored.
  • In order to be "scanned", an object (talkgroup or conventional channel) must:
    • a) be a member of at least one enabled Scan List, where that Scan List
    • b) is a member of at least one enabled Scan Set
    • By default:
      • Scan List 001 is enabled, all others are disabled
      • Scan Set 01 contains all 200 Scan Lists, all other Scan Sets are empty
      • Scan Set 01 is enabled, all other Scan Sets are disabled
    • These defaults effectively make the Scan Sets feature transparent. Since Scan Set 01 is enabled and contains all 200 Scan Lists, condition (b) above is always satisfied: you can completely ignore the Scan Sets feature, and just use Scan Lists like you might on a PSR-500, PSR-310, PSR-700.
    • The default settings are geared toward the [presumed] majority of users, who will only have a few Scan Lists they want to monitor or toggle. Those users can control what they hear by just toggling a few Scan Lists on or off.
    • For more "advanced" users, who might have many areas or agencies they want to split among many Scan Lists but who might have a few "common listening setups" (certain unique groups of Scan Lists they commonly monitor), toggling 200 Scan Lists might be cumbersome. The Scan Sets are intended to help with that.
    • Example:
    • City PD and FD, county Sheriff, and CHP. A generic example, though, might be something like this:
      • 10 cities, each with their own PD and FD
      • specific channels/talkgroups for PD and FD dispatch
      • 40 Scan Lists: <10 cities> x <PD vs. FD> x <dispatch vs. "everything else">
      • All 40 Scan Lists enabled
      • Scan Sets for things like:
      • All cities' PD dispatch
      • City #1 Fire (both dispatch and "everything else")
      • City #2 PD (both dispatch and "everything else")
      • City #1 and City #2 PD, dispatch only
      • City #1, City #3, and City #4, all PD and all Fire
      • Toggling Scan Sets on/off can enable/disable such "groupings" much more easily than going through 40 Scan Lists


Setting Up a System for Rebanding

  1. Select the system
  2. Select the site
  3. Bring up the trunking tables for the system
  4. Set it from Auto-fill to Custom
  5. Hit the Set Reband button
  6. Load the new configuration to the scanner

Thanks to Troymail for the procedure

RR System Compatibility

This scanner is compatible with the following Trunking System Types and System Voices used in the RadioReference Database, of course you must verify that the scanner will cover the appropriate frequency range:

  • System Types:
    • Motorola Type I
    • Motorola Type II
    • Motorola Type IIi Hybrid
    • Motorola Type II Smartnet
    • Motorola Type II Smartzone
    • Motorola Type II Smartzone Omnilink
    • EDACS Standard (Wide)
    • EDACS Standard Networked
    • EDACS Narrowband (Narrow)
    • EDACS Narrowband Networked
    • EDACS SCAT
    • EDACS ESK (not ProVoice)
    • LTR Standard
    • Project 25 Standard
    • X2 TDMA
    • Project 25, 2 slot Phase II
      • Note: As of October 13th, 2012, GRE has released a beta firmware update that supports, 2 slot Phase II TDMA. Later that day, a user confirmed that the PSR-800 works on Phase II, 2 slot TDMA. Project 25 Phase II, 4 slot TDMA voice is not supported.
  • System Voices:
    • Analog
    • Analog and APCO-25 Common Air Interface
    • APCO-25 Common Air Interface Exclusive
    • APCO-25 Phase II TDMA

Included Accessories

  • 5" 09080 Rubber Antenna
  • A standard USB A to USB Mini-B cable (No PC/IF converter cable needed)
  • 2GB MicroSD Card (Inside The Scanner)
  • Rotatable Belt Clip
  • CD-Rom (EZ Scan Digital Software Utility Program)

Recommended accessories (Not included with the radio)

FCC Type Acceptance

Related Pages

Yahoo Groups and Mailing Lists (receiver support)

eBay Listings

Return to the GRE Radios page