Introduction
In an effort to provide a list of the best selling scanners and communication
receivers on today's market, I've compiled a list of manufacturers and their
respective radios.
Included are rough figures for costs (mail-order, except where noted and listed
in US dollars).
All of these radios have proven themselves as good performers and have loyal
followings. All of them are good buys.
Remember that no one radio can do it all. Some come pretty close but if they
were all the same, then we'd have one manufacturer making one model. Not much
fun in that!
When choosing, compare features and performance. Your personal needs and
listening locale will determine what is the best radio for you. Someone else's
opinion will be based on their needs and locale...not yours! So do your
homework and save yourself time and money. There's no reason you can't find a
radio that will supply a lifetime of listening enjoyment!
Thank you, and enjoy!
| Make | Model | Type | Price | Remarks |
|---|
| AOR | AR8200 MkIII | handheld | $550 | Non-US version |
| | AR8200B MkIII | handheld | $570 | US version |
| Icom | IC-R5 | handheld | $200 | |
| RadioShack | PRO-96 | handheld | $500 | Digital Trunking |
| Uniden | BC296D | handheld | $500 | Digital Trunking |
| | BC785D | base | $350 | Digital Trunking |
| | BC796D | base | $500 | Digital Trunking |
| Yupiteru | MVT-9000 MkII | handheld | $540 | Non-US model |
Receiver Specs
Of all the radios listed here, units by Radio Shack, RCA, RELM, Sony and Uniden
only cover frequencies above 25MHz (VHF/UHF). Radios made by Alinco, AOR, Icom,
Welz, WiNRADiO and Yupiteru typcially cover from 500Hz to well over 1GHz
(HF/VHF/UHF), have many advanced features (S-meter, alpha-tagging, etc.), many
have 1000 channels and therefore their prices are higher. For more
specifications on these models, see my Scanner Models FAQ.
Best Values
In my opinion, the following represent today's best values
- Handhelds (w/HF):
- IC-R5
- MVT-7100
- VR-120D
- VR-500
- Handhelds (w/o HF):
- BC245XLT
- BC250D
- PRO-96
- SC200
- Base units:
- BC780XLT
- BC785D
- BC898T
- Mobile units:
- BCT-8
Computer units:
- IC-PCR1000
Best Performers
In my opinion, the following represent today's best performers (for under $1000)
- Handhelds Tier 1 (> $500 with HF coverage):
- AR8200/B MkIII
- DJ-X20000
- MVT-9000 MkII
- XR-2001
- Handhelds Tier 2 (< $500 with HF coverage):
- IC-R10
- IC-R5
- XR-2000
- Handhelds Tier 3 (< $500 w/o HF coverage):
- BC250D
- Base units:
- AR8600 MkII
- BC785D
- BC898T
- Computer units:
- IC-PCR1000
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