Basic Specs

Channels	400
Banks	10
Coverage	29-54 108-174 380-512 806-960 MHz
Scan speed	25 channels/second
Search speed	50 freqs/second
Search types	multiple limits & band
Steps	5, 12.5 & 25 kHz
Modes	AM & FM
Sensitivity	1 - 2uv FM, 2uv AM
Conversion	Triple
IFs	1=257.5 2=21.4 3=0.455 MHz
Priority	10 channels
Search limits	10
Search skip	200 frequencies
Auto-store	Yes
S-meter	No
Delay	2 second; per channel & while searching
Lockout	Per channel
Attenuator	No
Lock	Keypad
VFO	Pseudo (no rotary control)
Tone codes	None
Alpha-tagging	No
Rotary control	No
Channel count	No
Data skip	No
Clock	No
Timers	No
Batter ind	No
Weather	Pre-programmed
Weather Alert	No
Light	Display
Interfaces	Computer, DC, Earphone
Power-on resume	No
Battery saver	No
Audio	180mW
Size	2.5W x 5.75H x 1.5D
Weight	9.2oz/260g
Power	6 AA or 9V DC
Memory	volatile, 1 hour back-up w/o power

The contents section is wonderfully laid out with heading and sub- headings and indentations used along with the respective page numbers. With more and more features being packed into radios these days, this sort of manual is a blessing when you need to look something up quickly.

The specifications only give 1 and 2 microvolt listings. I wish they would provide more accurate numbers. Current drain is rated as 95mA while operating life with alkaline batteries is listed as 18.5 hours!

Construction and Physical
This radio is definitely a cross between a PRO-62 and the PRO-60. Size and shape are very close to the PRO-60 while the LCD face plate and associated model identification are akin to the PRO-62. It is not black like the PRO-60/62; but a very dark gray with a touch of silver speckle/flake like the PRO-26.

Like most GRE handhelds, this radio is VERY solid. No signs of flexing or creaking anywhere and it should hold up well. It is a hefty little unit but that's due more to the 6 AAs than the radio circuitry and casing.

The front panel contains the display on top, with the speaker grill underneath it followed by the keypad. The LCD display is covered by a plastic shield with blacked-out edges. While nearly flush with the surrounding casing, it picks up scratches fairly easy. If RadioShack follows suite with the rest of its radios, it will offer a case for this unit as well.

The display is larger than that of the PRO-60. However, the frequency characters are smaller (much like the PRO-43) leaving more room for larger sized indicators. It does have good contrast, as long as you view it from slightly below! As you bring it up to eye level, it starts to degrade rapidly and from above, forget it. Off-angle viewing holds up well.

The keypad is a 6 x 5 array of rounded-corner square keys. It is a setback to see that this keypad has very poor feel and feedback making it much harder to program (I'm a very fast typist and appreciate good feel while inputting data). Most of the problem probably lies with the fact that you have to strike each key almost perpendicular to plane of the keypad itself. Hit off center or at an angle and no go! Key presses are accompanied with a beep that can be disabled according to the manual. The beep volume is constant (although low) and does not vary with the setting of the volume control.

The top panel contains the usual : BNC connector, earphone jack, and the volume and squelch controls. The volume and squelch controls are a direct copy of the PRO-60 as is the belt clip. Both controls have a very small nub to help in visualizing the setting. However, they are too small and inconspicuous to be of use and should be painted or changed to engraved, colored stripes. The belt clip is not too bad for a plastic jobby but it does get awfully thin near the mounting...which is where it will break if it is over flexed. Wouldn't hurt to thicken it up a bit guys.

The left side panel contains the power jack and a tiny hole for resetting the control processor. This radio has done away with the charging jack. Only the power jack remains and it can NOT be used to charge AA NiCds. It can charge the RadioShack NiCd that slides inside in place of the AA battery holder though.

The bottom panel contains the slide-off door that allows the battery pack to be accessed. This pack still holds 6 AA cells. Groan! I have used the radio for about 6 hours thus far during testing on a fresh set of alkalines and it's still going strong.

Just inside the battery compartment is where you'll find the date sticker.

Antenna
The antenna is obviously the A0337...the same one used on the PRO-43 and PRO-60. In my recent handheld antenna review, it scored in the middle of the pack. It scores high in the 850-900 MHz range, is poor in VHF-lo and commercial aero and mediocre everywhere else.

Features
This radio does boast an impressive list of features for a handheld :

Wow! Those familiar with the PRO-2035/2042 can see where a lot of these features came from. I find many of these features very useful in everyday operations.

The LCD is top edge-lit by two green LEDs like the PRO-60. Illumination, while adequate, needs to be improved compared to most models on the market today. The default is for 5 second lighting which resets each time you press a key. A notable change is the use of key icon on the LCD rather than the words "lock" or "keylock" seen on other radios.

The speaker is quite small and may be a carry over of the PRO-62. It is listed as being the same size (36mm) as the PRO-60 but the opening in the grill is nowhere near as big. Audio is muffled and probably similar to what I have heard about the PRO-62. I definitely prefer the audio of the PRO-60. Audio power is listed as 180mW and seems to be about right when you take RadioShack specs into consideration. Don't expect to hear anything from this unit in a noisy environment without an earphone. You can turn it up to about 70% before distortion and case vibration set in. While the radio is on, there is audio output hiss from the amplifier but it is VERY quiet. Nowhere near as loud as some of the units on the market today.

The earphone jack on the top panel can be used with a simple monaural earphone. To hear in "stereo", you'll need to buy an adapter to feed the mono signal to both sides of stereo headphones. During testing, the unit did not give an clicking noise while searching or scanning which is a relief. However, there is audio hiss present at all times which can be annoying during quiet times of scanning/searching.

There is also a function which indicates when the battery power is getting too low by beeping and flashing the display every few seconds. It is quite annoying and will get you to replace the batteries as soon as is possible!

11 weather frequencies have also been pre-programmed. Simply press the WX key to search for an active transmission. Good for United States and Canadian users alike!

Programming
The PRO-64 abides by the standard RadioShack method of programming and is fairly simple. Unlike Uniden models where you can just go to a designated channel and enter a new frequency to be stored, RadioShack models make you put them in Program mode before frequency data will be written to memory.

While this does require another key press and is frustrating at times, it does keep you from accidentally overwriting memory contents in the heat of battle when communications are rampant with hot information. More than once I have accidentally overwritten the memory channel in a Uniden model because I was not paying attention or thought I was using a different radio and was attempting to put in a direct frequency for VFO-type use. With the RadioShack method, this becomes highly unlikely.

Once programmed, the memory channel can have its delay, lockout and AM/FM modes changed. Pressing the appropriate key toggles the specific feature and visual indicators confirm your intentions.

Like some of the fancier base models, this radio has a lockout review feature. This allows you to access each locked out frequency sequentially with a simply key press so that you can verify how you have your channels programmed.

There are also two features which allow you to delete all of the locked out frequencies within a bank as well as deleting all frequency data within a bank. These two features compliment this radio's auto-store feature (discussed later under Searching) for analyzing stored frequencies as well as setting up banks for fresh searches.

Scanning
Like most models these days, once you have your favorite frequencies programmed into memory, simply press the Scan button and you're off to the races. The LCD indicates you are in Scan mode and the channel number and frequency readout blur with activity as each channel is checked in turn for transmissions. The radio comes with all ten banks enabled indicated by the bar under each number at the top of the LCD. Simply press the appropriate bank number key to toggle scanning for that bank on or off.

The owner's manual lists 25 channels/second while scanning. I programmed up my 64 the same way as I do all others and let it rip through the first five banks. These contain police, fire, EMS and aircraft frequencies spread across VHF-lo, VHF-hi, UHF and 800 MHz. I measured approximately 24 channels/ second. Keep in mind that I like to keep frequencies in a bank in ascending order which probably helped it reach this speed. And with this radio, that's not hard to do since there is a feature allowing frequencies within a bank to be sorted by ascending or descending order!

The PRO-64 also seems to be coming around to the philosophy of more and more RadioShack models these days in that it does not scan empty channels. Any channel that is programmed with 0.0 is automatically locked-out by the radio and will therefore not be scanned.

This model also has a duplicate frequency warning which notifies you when you try to program a channel with a frequency that is already programmed somewhere else in memory. While I personally find this feature unproductive, on radios with more and more channels, it does begin to have its merits.

Searching
The PRO-64 is loaded with features that allow you to search for new frequencies. This is great seeing as how one of the primary responsibilities of a scanning receiver is to hunt down new and unknown radio communications!

First off is the band search. The PRO-64 breaks its frequency coverage range into 17 bands. Each band can be searched individually by pressing the Band key. Each band is displayed in turn. When you get to the band you want simply press and hold the up or down arrow to commence searching within that band. While not terribly functional, I'm sure someone, somewhere will make use of this feature.

Moving up to the next level of use we have the limit search allowing you to search between two user-specified frequency limits. In this case though, the PRO-64 allows you to specify up to ten frequency limits, or pairs.

While in manual mode, press Limit. The SRCH BANK indicators light and you see the lower frequency limit for the last accessed "bank" or search range. A bar appears under each bank that has been selected. A flashing bar indicates the currently selected bank. Pressing LIMIT toggles the display between the lo and hi frequency limits for the currently selected bank. To start a search, simply press and hold the up or down arrow. Each selected bank will be scanned in the respective order of searching. Just like scanning, simply press the respective bank number key to toggle whether a search bank is active or not.

Most of the search banks are programmed similar to the band search ranges although some are useful. To change a bank, simply enter program mode pressing PGM, then select the desired bank you wish to change. Enter the lo and hi frequency limits and you're ready!

Next up is the direct search which really has three variations. The first is like the one found on a number of RadioShack models. When in manual mode (stopped on a bank memory channel), simply pressing an up or down arrow key will initiate a search starting from the bank memory channel frequency. The second variation is like that found on the PRO-60 and allows you to simply enter the frequency you wish to listen to and press DIRECT.

This acts as a pseudo-VFO allowing instant access to a frequency without having to "waste" a memory channel or search limit. It comes in VERY handy and once you get use to it you won't want to do without it! From this frequency you can also start a search using the up or down arrows.

The last variation of the direct search is similar to the second method but allows you to specify 1 MHz limit ranges. Simply key in the frequency as you did in the second variation. Before you press the up or down arrow to start a search, press a number key from 1 to 0 before pressing the up or down arrow. This number represents a range of 1 to 10 MHz respectively.

The radio will search from the starting frequency in the specified direction until it reaches the limit range you specified, then wrap back to the starting frequency to resume searching! This is new feature I have not run across before and I will probably make much use of it...at least in the 1 MHz range mode. My preference would have been to search in 100 kHz ranges than 1 MHz ranges though; I think that would have proven more useful.

While performing any of the above mentioned searches, there are several options available. Using the arrow keys, it is possible to stop or resume searching using the up and down arrow keys. Once stopped, these same keys can be used to step the frequency in the indicated direction by the pre- programmed step size. To resume searching, simply press and hold the arrow key until you hear a beep. A word of caution here : if you press and hold down the arrow key too long, it is possible for you to skip over an active transmission that exists within the first step or two from where you resumed the search.

Another option available is the use of delay. Simply press DELAY during a search and the DLY indicator will light. If the search pauses on an active signal, it will wait two seconds after the transmission ends before resuming the search. This is a particularly useful feature should your attention wander while searching, giving you a couple extra seconds to pause the search should you want to hear more. A word of advice; when you program a new frequency limit, the DELAY feature will be turned off. I find this to be a pain since I usually prefer it on and have not run across this method of behavior in previous RadioShack models.

During the search, you can also override the pre-programmed receive mode. Simply press the AM/FM key and the current mode will be toggled accordingly. Once done, the current receive mode indicator will flash to warn you that you have changed the default mode. A simple key press returns the mode back to radio control and it's default setting for the current frequency range.

If you come across undesirable or known transmissions, it is possible to "instruct" the radio to avoid this frequency in the future. When the radio stops on this frequency, simply press the L/OUT key and that frequency is locked out much like a memory channel can be locked out. This frequency is actually stored in a separate list known as search-skip memory. This memory can hold up to 200 channels! Once this memory is filled with 200 frequencies, it will given an indication if you try to store any more and refuse to store the desired frequency. I prefer this method to the one used on some models where it simply wraps back to the start of the memory and begins to over- write previous contents. Just a personal preference I guess!

There is also a search-skip review feature allowing you to step through the contents of the search-skip memory and review the frequencies you have locked out. If you wish to remove a particular frequency from this memory, simply press the L/OUT key when that frequency is displayed. There is also a method to erase all 200 memory locations so that you can start fresh!

When the search does stop on an active transmission, you have the ability to store that frequency in what is called a monitor memory. There are 40 such memory locations and can collectively be viewed as a temporary bank. While it is possible to move a single monitor memory to a "normal" memory channel (note that the duplicate frequency checking is enabled here), there are also two features which allow you to transfer the entire contents of the monitor memory to a "normal" memory bank and vice versa. This, along with the other memory management features, make for some very powerful searching, storing and house-keeping methods!

Another feature that will probably not be used much is the ability to store an active frequency in the lowest available memory channel. Should the radio stop on a frequency while searching, a simple press of the ENTER key will program that frequency into the lowest available memory channel. The radio will flash the programmed channel number for about two seconds and then resume searching.

The last type of search is used to search and store active frequencies and is refereed to as auto-store. In this mode you select the frequency range to be searched and you pick the banks into which active frequencies will be stored. Once started, the radio will search the specified range for active transmissions. If one is found, that frequency will be stored in the first available channel within the banks specified when the search was being specified. With regard to storage of a frequency there are two exceptions. A frequency will not be stored if it is already programmed in a bank memory channel or if it exists in the search-skip memory. Nice going guys...that's the way it should be!

Priority
The priority scheme on this unit is great and I hope more units follow suite. The PRO-64 has ten priority channels and they exist in a separate bank all their own. They are not in normal memory bank channels and you don't have to get confused about what is and isn't getting scanned based on what banks you are and are not scanning.

Programming the frequencies is just as easy as programming a normal memory channel. You can lock out any priority channels you want so that they are not scanned when you enable priority. Once enabled, all active priority channels are scanned every two seconds. Duplicate frequency checking works here too.

What is also nice is that priority checking can be enabled when scanning, in manual mode or while searching. Nice job!

Computer Interface
The owner's manual lists the PRO-64 as being able to interface to a computer in order to download memory channel frequencies. It's technically referred to as the 'data interface kit'. This will be a first for a RadioShack stock scanner but as of yet, no details are available. Contact your local RadioShack dealer for details.

VHF/UHF Performance
And now to the "meat" of the review. For certain phases of this testing, I used a Uniden BC230XLT and RELM HS200 to compare against.

I always start by scanning the entire receive range of the radio looking for birdies as an indication of the level of design and internal shielding. For the PRO-64 I came up with 22 birdies which is pretty good. The HS200 had 26 while the BC230 had 27. The frequency ranges are practically identical for these three units so the 64 held up well here.

Next, I scanned the entire range using the stock antenna to detect signs of imaging and intermodulation. I picked up eight frequencies that were due to mixing of strong TV audio signals. One of them was in the VHF aero band, one in the railroad band and three in the UHF aero band; the remaining three were tucked away in seldom used ranges. Testing with HS200 showed about the same number of intermod problems and few images which is to be expected with its dual conversion nature. However, the BC230 proved the worse offender by far since it had intermod problems with several TV stations and paging signals as well as numerous image ranges (throughout 473-483, 810-812, 815-818, 852-866 and cell phones in 894-915).

As a final test for front-end filtering, I hooked each radio up to my Sky Scan Desk 1300 antenna which I must admit is not on my desk (so shoot me!) but on my back porch with the 12 foot cable coming in through my bedroom window. In short I'll say that the BC230 placed last, the PRO-64 was quite a bit better with the HS200 coming in first BY A LONG SHOT. Using the HS200 with an external antenna is akin to using a well-behaved, triple conversion base unit like the PRO-2042 or BC9000XLT. It is that good!

The BC230 had lots of problems with paging intermod and the same TV audio frequencies. There was also significant noise in the 44, 45, 47 and 48 MHz ranges. The PRO-64 performed much worse for VHF but in the UHF there was not a peep! No imaging...no intermod...nada. It, like the BC230, did have lots of noise in the 46, 47, 48, 50 and 52 MHz ranges. The HS200 was pretty darn quiet expect for noise in the 47 and 48 MHz ranges.

Unbeknown to me, my neighbor had gone outside with his cordless phone and was quite close to my antenna while jabbering away outside enjoying the sun. This proved quite beneficial for my testing purposes. Scanning the spectrum on all radios I picked up this phone conversation with the PRO-64 on four other frequencies (45, 53, 138 & 140 MHz), with the BC230 on nine other frequencies (41, 43, 45, 46 (different from the actual), 53, 140, 161, 420 & 467 MHz) and with the HS200 on two other frequencies (45 & 140 MHz).

I then turned to evaluations of sensitivity comparisons between these three radios using their stock antennas. In summary, the HS200 turned in the best results by far with the BC230 second and the 64 bringing up a very close third. For most tests, the BC230 and the 64 were very close except where I explicitly point out differences.

On VHF-lo, the HS200 was by far the hands-down winner. The 64 and BC230 were definitely outclassed. The 64 did well very low but as the frequency increased, the BC230 caught up and passed it until I got into the 50s where the 64 managed to pull ahead again.

As for AM mode in the VHF aero band, the PRO-64 just plain old bites. Sorry but there is no other way to put it! I've always been happy with the GRE offerings but not with this puppy! Of all my handhelds, it would probably come close to last for this band. Bummer! It does have good clarity for these signals and great quieting compared to the BC230. Being a pilot and avid aeronautical listener, the first thing I did was to search the commercial aircraft band to determine sensitivity and AM audio quality. And what did I find but a birdie at 121.50 MHz! You have got to be kidding me! Of all places to have a birdie...this really fries my bacon. And this birdie was known... it's even listed in the manual.

In the 140s and low 150s, the 64 ties with the HS200 for first place. As we go slightly higher, the 64 pulls ahead for easy wins; especially by the time it reaches the 160s. No wonder since this area appears to have very poor front-end filtering. Railfans will want to stay clear of this radio for its intermod problems in the 161s (sad to say for the replacement for the PRO-62 which held top honors among handhelds in this range). The 64 is VERY sensitive in the 162 range. I pick up a NOAA weather broadcast 30 miles away using the stock antenna...the only other radio that can do that without some form of telescoping whip is the HS200 (and even it didn't have as good quieting as the 64).

In the low 400s, the HS200 wins again followed by the BC230 and 64. Up into the 440/450s there is pretty much a three way tie and by the 460s, the pecking order is once again HS200, BC230 then 64 with only a very slight difference between the BC230 and 64.

The start of the 850s proved the same ranking as before. But by the time I hit 860 on up into the mid-860s, all three radios were tied for first.

Ranking
This will be my first radio to use my new ranking criteria. Be sure to check out the link at the bottom of this section for a detailed explanation of this new system and what I hope to gain by using it.

Things I Like

400 channels

Frequency upload/download

Search skip

10 linkable search limits

Memory operations

Selectable AM/FM

Things I Would Change

Improved VHF filtering

User-friendlier keypad

More audio power

Better audio quality

Better display backlight

4 AA batteries

Attenuator

Volume/Squelch control markings

This radio does need to improve its VHF filtering some. It also needs lots better audio, backlight and keypad. These are all fundamental things that one expects from a good receiver as you start to get into the average mid-range units. I would not call any of its shortcomings as terrible...far from it. But they do need work and some can be easily fixed.

What this radio does offer is a suite of features that are not even found on many base units these days. This radio would make a good unit for almost any scanner-head out there. It's a good price with performance and a feature set that will keep you happy for the long run. Not too difficult for the beginner and lots to keep the experienced user happy.

Recommendations
RadioShack prices this unit at $300 and that's probably a bargain compared to the likes of other models like the PRO-51 and PRO-62 (up until its recent discontinued sale price of $180).

However, discounters are selling the PRO-64 for $250 already. At this price level, that puts it into competition with the Uniden BC230XLT (near $200) and the RELM HS200 (low $200s).

Taking a look at the big picture, the 64 holds its own against the BC230 but comes up second fiddle to the outstanding HS200 (part of which can be attributed to its great antenna and great front-end filtering). Putting a different antenna on the 64 will be a definite improvement and makes choosing even harder.

Another consideration is that the 64 is triple conversion. The BC230 and HS200 are both double. While this gives the BC230 fits in normal or external antenna connections in heavy RF areas, the HS200 behaves much better than either.

The BC230 does have a better keypad and backlight but does not have anywhere near the number of features of the 64. And if you love a NiCd, then buy the RadioShack version for the 60 and you can charge it just like a BC230! If you live in any kind of metropolitan area and need to monitor 800 MHz systems, you'd be better off with the 64 with its triple conversion.

Both the BC230 and HS200 scan and search faster than the PRO-64 but I only buy into that up to a certain point. The 64 is pretty fast (although it is toward the back-of-the-pack these days) and is fast enough for my needs.

If you really need power-on resume, CTCSS/DCS decoding, backlit keypad, S-meter or bullet-proof front-end then the HS200 is definitely for you.

If you want a good triple conversion radio that has good RF performance (with marginal VHF front-end filtering), lots of channels and lots of useful features, all packed into a good-sized and solid radio, then the PRO-64 is definitely worth checking into!

Special Thanks
My special thanks to Terry at Pioneer Data for working with me to fax the info on this radio as soon as he got it and for getting me the actual radio VERY quickly. I have purchased almost all my RadioShack units from him and he has always done well by me and at prices that are fabulous.

Copyright © 2010 by Richard J. Wells