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 & 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	1W
Size	8.5"(W) x 3.5"(H) x 6.75"(D)
Weight	2.4 lbs
Power	120V AC 14V DC
Memory	non-volatile

The preparation sections detail how to hook the radio up to AC or DC power as well as connecting the antenna and how to best use it for differing frequency ranges. There are also paragraphs on connecting an external antenna, using earphones and headphones and connecting an extension speaker for home or car use.

Next up is a detailed listing of the keypad and each key's usage. This is followed by a thorough explanation of the LCD display and what each indicator signifies.

With the groundwork laid, subsequent sections detail the operations of scanning, searching and use of the special features.

Like all RadioShack manuals, there are also some sections listing which services can be found in which parts of the radio frequency spectrum. This text is invaluable to the new user for helping to pinpoint where they should start looking for transmissions.

Lastly, are the typical sections on troubleshooting, maintenance and the fairly well detailed specifications.

Construction and Physical
The PRO-2041 case is basically identical to the one used by the PRO-2037 which is not at all surprising. For the most part, it is a medium sized plastic box molded in dark gray. While it does have some character of its own, that doesn't say much when considering how "bland" the PRO-2037 was.

The front panel is laid out much the same as the 2037. The LCD is located in the upper left. The headphone jack, volume and squelch controls are located in the lower left. The keypad resides in the lower right. The upper right is used to display the RadioShack logo and the descriptive scanner verbage we've come to know over the years.

The top panel has grooved slots running across the rear half with cutouts in the rear left for the speaker. In the right rear is the hole through which the supplied telescoping antenna is inserted and screwed into place.

The bottom panel simply houses the cheap, fold-down plastic feet which can be used to angle the front-panel more towards the user.

The rear panel houses the FCC id sticker and serial number along with the 10 dB attenuator switch, restart access hole and the jacks for external speaker, external antenna (BNC) and DC power. This is, of course, where the cord for the 120V AC connection exits the cabinet as well.

Antenna
The supplied antenna is a three segment telescoping whip which should be adequate for most people. The manual advises that the whip should be fully extended for VHF monitoring, partially retracted for lower UHF and fully retracted for listening to frequencies 800 MHz and above. For those of us who like to listen to a wide range of frequencies, our goals will be best served with the antenna fully extended.

For those of us desiring to receive every ounce we can, the external antenna jack can be used to attach a larger whip antenna or connect to an outside antenna via good quality co-ax cable.

Features
Those familiar with the PRO-64 sibling, are aware of the large number of features this radio comes with. Like most of their high-end radios, GRE knows how to pack them in and keep us happy.

Let's first start with one of the few shortcomings of this radio, the keypad. Arranged in 4 rows of 7 keys each, this keypad is one of the worst I have used in terms of feel and feedback. Very unlike the nice feel you get when using the PRO-2037. Keys must be struck straight on and depressed fairly deep to make contact. Often times, keystroke sequences are interrupted because a key press does not result in a key activation. The keys feel quite "spongy" and require more effort to press than they should. This adds even more frustration as the radio slides around since it does not have rubber contacts on the base/feet to help hold it in place.

The keys are arranged pretty nicely. The control keys are on the left-hand side while the numeric keypad is on the right. The keys are all colored in light gray with white lettering above and/or on the keys is easy to read. The control keys are ovular (except for the arrow keys which are triangular) while the numeric keys are rectangular. Above each numeric key, like most RadioShack models, is stamped the memory channels for the bank which the key controls while scanning.

The keys are well spaced horizontally but a tad cramped vertically. Just something to be aware of for anyone with larger fingers. Each key press is confirmed with a beep. This beep is non-intrusive and does not vary in volume with the setting of the volume control. For those who do wish to be without it, it can be disabled.

The LCD is roughly the same size as that found on the PRO-2037. It does border on the small side compared to most base models these days. Nonetheless, the digits and indicators are quite large and easy to read. The display is always lit with a green backlight which is brighter than the 2037 and can not be turned off. It can be viewed easily from above or the side but don't plan to mount it at or above eye level.

Audio is produced by a 3-inch, 8 ohm speaker mounted to the left rear of the top panel. There is plenty of power, just like the PRO-2037, but I find it to be too "bright". At lower levels, it's not that bad. But as the volume is increased, the higher frequencies become too harsh and irritating. Not good when receiving a weak signal which has just as much noise component as voice content. I'm glad it comes with an external speaker jack allowing selection of a speaker with lower frequency response.

Speaking of audio, many radios transmit a burst of static noise after every transmission. This is due to the delay between the time the transmission ends and the time it takes the radio to detect this and squelch the signal. On some models, this burst of static can be quite annoying. Not so on the PRO-2041. Its 'squelch tail' is almost non-existent!

As mentioned earlier, there is a 10 dB attenuator switch on the rear panel which can be used to reduce strong signal interference for those people who will use this radio in urban locations.

Should this radio act up or appear to freeze, there are two operations available to help restore proper operation. The first operation is termed restart and is used to boot the radio's processor and get it back into normal operation. Should this fail to do the job, a reset operation is performed which has the unfortunate side-effect of erasing all memory contents. Both of these operations are accessed via the rear panel restart access hole.

Programming
With 400 channels, the PRO-2041 has about the right mix of channels and banks (10). While some may find the 40 channels/bank excessive, those of us with lots of signals to monitor will appreciate it. I also like these size banks when using the Auto Store feature(covered under Searching).

Programming the memory channels with your favorite frequencies is fairly easy. Like most RadioShack models, it must first be put into Program mode using the key of the same name. This mode is indicated by the use of the PROGRAM indicator in the LCD.

Once the desired channel is selected and the frequency entered, the ENTER key is used to finish entry. Like many of the Uniden scanners, a duplicate frequency check is performed to see if you have already programmed this frequency into another channel. If it has, the LCD will indicate this giving you the chance to confirm entry anyways, or cancel the operation.

To program the next channel, simply press the PROGRAM key and continue. The 'next' channel can be either before or after the current channel and is selectable by using the arrow keys.

To remove or erase a memory channel's frequency, simply enter a frequency value of '0'. Such channels are automatically locked out and will not be scanned.

Similar to the PRO-64 is the ability to correct a frequency after it has been programmed. Using the ENTER and arrow keys, a frequency digit is selected and can then be corrected. While a thoughtful gesture, I find this approach to be more painful then simply re-entering the frequency.

Once programmed, a memory channel's receive mode is automatically selected. If you find the receive mode to be incorrect for your purposes (usually in the 137-140 and 380-400 MHz range), just press the AM/FM key to switch it. The AM/FM indicator in the LCD will blink to indicate that the auto receive mode setting has been manually overridden.

Memory Operations
Like the PRO-64, the PRO-2041 has a variety of operations which can be used to manage the contents of memory. Such operations include the ability to delete all channels or all locked out channels within a specified bank. You also have the ability to sort all channels within a bank by increasing or decreasing frequency value. Not only is this handy after performing an Auto Store operation (covered under Searching) but most radios scan increasingly sorted frequencies at a faster rate.

There are also two operations which allow the contents of an entire bank to be moved into another. Since this radio comes with 40 monitor memories (covered under Searching), these can be used as a temporary bank to transfer bank contents. The specified bank contents are first transferred from the bank into the monitor memories with one operation. They can then be moved from the monitor memories into another specified bank thus allowing the contents of one bank to be moved to another.

Scanning
Now that the memory channels have been programmed, the radio is ready to be put to use. Pressing the SCAN key does just that. The SCAN indicator displays and all currently selected banks being scanned are indicated in the LCD by a bar under the respective bank number. Banks are selected and deselected by simply pressing the respective numeric key.

At any time during the scan, the arrow keys can be used to reverse the current direction which defaults to scanning from the lowest channel number to the highest.

Any strong signal interference can usually be remedied by use of the 10 dB attenuator switch on the back panel. However, this effects all receive activity and not just the frequency having problems. A selectable attenuator for each memory channel or while searching would be much nicer.

Any undesired channels can be locked out of the scan operation by using the L/OUT (lockout) key. This can be done while scanning or before you even start. To get an idea of which channels are currently locked out without having to examine each of the 400 chanels, the L/OUT REVIEW is pressed successively.

It is also possible to tag individual channels with a delay setting which is used to remain on a channel for two seconds after a transmission ends in hopes of hearing a response on that channel.

The PRO-2041 also comes with a dedicated bank of weather channels programmed at the factory. Pressing the WX key starts the scanning of this bank. If a transmission is detected, the radio stops on it so that you can hear the NOAA broadcast that serves your area. These weather frequencies consist of the 10 which serve the United States and the 1 serving Canada.

Like most GRE radios, the PRO-2041 scans at 25 channels/second which is on the slower side compared to the rest of its competition. GRE would be advised to work on increasing this rate to remain competitive.

Searching
The PRO-2041 comes with an impressive set of search features. The first and most basic search is the band search. Using the BAND key, a search is started for any of the 17 pre-programmed searches. These bands are listed in the manual and come in sizes from 1 to 28 MHz. While better than nothing, this type of search is usually only used by the beginner who has no idea of where to start looking for active transmissions.

Next up is the limit search which is the bread and potatoes of monitoring. Allowing you to specify start and end frequencies to search between, this type of search is the most useful. And even more useful is the fact that the PRO-2041 comes with 10 such limits! You can search them individually or in any combination just like bank scanning. Very nice!

Another wonderful feature is the ability to perform a direct search. This allows a search to be started from a displayed memory channel frequency or from a frequency of your choosing. Simply select the desired memory channel or key in the desired frequency and then press DIRECT. To start a continuous search, simply press and hold down one of the arrow keys until a beep is heard and the search starts. To start a range search, press one of the numeric keys, which corresponds to the size of the range in Megahertz (0 = 10 MHz), then press and hold one of the arrow keys until the search starts.

The continuous direct search is very similar to the VFO feature found on many high-end exotic import models and is very welcome to those of us who have come to depend on it. It allows a frequency to be instantly monitored without having to program a limit or "waste" a memory channel.

For any of the above searches, there are several features available to make these operations more productive. The first is the ability to override the auto-selected receive mode by pressing the AM/FM key.

At any time during the search, it can be stopped by simply pressing one of the arrow keys. It is now possible to step one frequency at a time by pressing the respective arrow key.

To reverse the direction of a search, simply press and hold the respective arrow key until the direction changes.

The delay feature can be toggled on and off using the DELAY key. When a transmission is detected, the radio will stop on it to allow you to hear the detected activity. As soon as the transmission stops, the search will resume. If you would like to wait after every transmission for a possible reply, press the DELAY key. The DELAY indicator will light in the LCD and a two second delay will be added before the search resumes.

If the search does stop on an active transmission, it is possible to store the resulting frequency in one of two ways. The first method allows the frequency to be stored in the lowest available channel by simply press ENTER. The chosen channel will flash twice and then the search will resume.

The second method allows the frequency to be stored in one of the 40 monitor memories by pressing the MONITOR key. The monitor memory number will be displayed and the search remains on this frequency so that you can monitor it for more activity. Should the frequency you attempt to place in the monitor memory already exist in one of the 400 memory channels, the duplicate frequency check will prompt you to cancel the store request or store it anyway.

As mentioned earlier, any frequencies stored in the monitor memory can be transferred into a memory bank of your choosing using one of the handy memory management features. It is also possible to step through the monitor memory to see what's been stored. When displaying a memory channel, press MONITOR to enter this mode. Successive presses of MONITOR will step through the memory sequentially or key in the desired number to go to and press MONITOR. Very handy!

When performing searches like those above, it always happens that you run across frequencies which you are already aware of or you wish could be ignored. With the search lockout feature, up to 200 frequencies can be locked out so that they will not be checked for transmissions during a search.

If an undesired frequency is stopped on during a search, simply press the L/OUT key. The frequency is placed into the search lockout memory and the search resumes never to stop on this frequency again. Once all 200 frequencies have been filled, no more frequencies can be locked out.

To review the contents of the search lockout memory, a search is started and then L/OUT REVIEW is pressed. The arrow keys are then used to scroll through the memory. To remove a frequency from this memory, simply press the L/OUT key. If the last locked out frequency is removed, the radio returns control back to the search being conducted.

The last search operation to cover is Auto Store. This feature is used to automatically program memory channels with active frequencies discovered during a search. This search is entered by pressing the AUTO key and then selecting the banks into which the search discovered frequencies will be automatically programmed. Then the lower and upper frequency limits are specified at which point the search is started. Thankfully, the PRO-2041's Auto Store feature is "smart" meaning that it does not store the same frequency more than once.

Once started, the Auto Store operation can be paused and then resumed should the need arise. It is also possible to switch the receive mode using the AM/FM key.

Like scanning, the search operation is a bit under powered at 50 steps/second when compared to its competition but I personally find this rate to be quite satisfactory.

Priority
Another useful feature is priority scanning and the PRO-2041 scores very well in this department. Priority scanning is used to specify one or more important frequencies which should be checked on a regular basis regardless of whatever else the radio is doing. This makes sure you don't miss any important activity.

Unlike some radios which only have one priority channel, the PRO-2041 has ten. And unlike some of the other ten channel priority models, the PRO-2041 dedicates an exclusive bank for these channels without having to make use of normal memory channels.

The ten priority channels are programmed just like normal memory channels. Once done, priority mode is enabled by pressing the PRI key. The PRI indicator appears in the LCD and for a brief moment, 'Pri-on' displays as well as the bars under each LCD numeral to indicate which priority channels will be sampled for activity.

Even though multiple priority channels might be programmed with a frequency, only those channels which are not locked out will be sampled. This allows the user the utmost in flexibility to choose which channels will and won't be sampled when priority mode is turned on.

Priority mode is also very functional in that it can be active while scanning, searching or simply sitting on a memory channel. Once enabled, the active priority channel frequencies are sampled every two seconds for activity. If this sampling occurs while receiving another transmission, the audio is briefly interrupted. Compared to other models, this interruption is only partially intrusive to any audio being received.

UPDATE (Jan 8, '98) : John Gruber was kind enough to write and inform me of something that I had overlooked. It seems the 2041 only samples ONE of the priority channels every two seconds. In this manner, it will take twenty seconds to check each priority channel if you have all ten of them active! So take care to only enable those priority channels of the utmost importance to avoid missing any action!

Computer Interface
The owner's manual lists the PRO-2041 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'. Seems RadioShack and Uniden are taking the same approach to their computer controlled radios. They do not personally support it but are relying on third party vendors to supply the software and hardware necessary.

Thus far, Radio Manager by Ben Saladino is the only software I have seen that will interface the PRO-64 and PRO-2041. I have heard that there is another software package that does this so be sure to check around further.

VHF/UHF Performance
The PRO-2041 is of a triple conversion design which helps to cut down on most frequency images which can create confusion for the new scanner user who is not aware of this phenomenon.

Another point of confusion for the new user is the reception of birdie frequencies. This is simply interference generated by the radio itself which fools it into thinking there is a valid transmission to be received. The end result is the radio stopping during a search but all that is heard is white noise. Many times, such white noise is simply interference from nearby electrical devices or from 'leaky' TV cable lines. Anything else must be attributed to the radio itself and its design. Radios which are designed well can be properly shielded, for the most part, to keep birdies from interfering with the reception process.

Testing of my PRO-2041 discovered 13 birdies. This is very welcome and much less than the large number implied by the manual. My biggest problem however, is that 121.50 is one of these birdie frequencies. Used by the commercial aircraft industry as a global distress frequency, it keeps me from monitoring this channel like I do with my other radios. The PRO-64 had the same problem.

The next phase of testing was to see how well the radio did for handling frequency images and strong signal interference (intermod).

I first setup the scanner at home with the supplied antenna and searched its entire frequency range. Overall the results were very good. There were just a couple of TV images around the 400 MHz region but the rest of the interference came from several images of local cordless phones which gave problems to frequencies in VHF-lo and the 2-meter amateur radio band.

Next I hooked up the 2041 to an external ground plane antenna mounted up about 15 feet. Cordless phone images became more of a problem in VHF-lo and just a couple more TV signals showed up. There was also a couple of VHF aero images which were showing up around 165 MHz from the 2nd IF being used.

Testing then took place in a nearby part of town that is known for having lots of strong pager, cellular, TV and broadcast FM signals. Using the stock antenna over the entire receive range gave very good results. The only real problems came from multiple images of cellular data and voice signals which turned up in the 39 to 53 MHz region. One TV image showed up around 44 MHz.

I then returned home and compared the 2041 to its predecessor as well as the current RadioShack top dog, the PRO-2042. I compared these radios on frequencies between 42 and 865 MHz using the same antenna for each frequency tested. In the results table below, for each frequency, I ranked the radios from 1st place to last.

Using the above rankings, I took an average for each radio which placed the radios from first to last as follows : PRO-2041 (1.5), PRO-2037 (1.6) and PRO-2042 (2.5).

Compared to the PRO-2037 which it replaced, the PRO-2041 is just as sensitive but provides MUCH better resistance to images and intermod; things which give the PRO-2037 fits and make it aggravating for many urban/suburban users who have to deal with strong signals. The PRO-2037 is a killer on VHF but only OK on UHF.

The PRO-2041 shows it is a good player across its full spectrum and has a great mix between sensitivity and interference rejection.

As for the PRO-2042, keep in mind that it is superior to most other radios in terms of handling strong signals and rejecting interference. This kind of performance does tend to hurt its sensitivity which is what shows in the table above.

Ranking

Things I Love

Sensitivity

Interference rejection

400 channels

200 search-skips

10 linkable search bands

10 channel priority bank

Direct search

Almost no squelch tail

Memory operations

Things I Would Change

Keypad

Audio quality

With decent frequency coverage, 400 channels, 200 search lockouts, 10 priorities, auto store, four types of search, pre-programmed weather, pleasant LCD, no squelch tail and several memory management operations, how can you go wrong?

The 2041 could benefit greatly from an upgraded keypad and speaker as well as some more horsepower for scanning and searching. If I could change just one of these it would be the keypad. Next would be the speaker audio quality.

Recommendations
At the normal $300 RadioShack price, this radio is priced a tad high but I think we're all use to that by now. Going the mail order route, you can expect about a $50 discount which makes it much more attractive. And if you can get it for the sale price of $200, all I can say is WOW! That's what I bought my PRO-2037 for on closeout. And I think the 2041 far outclasses the 2037.

The PRO-2041 use to have to contend with the PRO-2045 priced at $350. But that radio is no longer listed in the 1998 catalog. The 2045 was a good contender with CTCSS option, more horsepower, wider frequency coverage, channel counter, rotary control, weather alert, data skip and flexible attenuator. But it "only" had 50 search lockouts and 200 channels.

That leaves the BC890XLT and the new BC895XLT TrunkTracker from Uniden as the competition. Many will find the mid $200 range BC890XLT attractive for its wider frequency coverage, CTCSS option, rotary tuner, tape recorder control, weather alert, and top-notch horsepower. A down side could be 200 channels.

The BC895XLT, at just over $300, is a great choice for those who wish to monitor 800 MHz trunked systems. It is also attractive for many of the same reasons as the BC890XLT with CTCSS decode/search standard, S-meter, and computer interface. The 300 channels in 10 banks is also nice.

Both the 890 and 895 will be more sensitive than the 2041 but recent testing has also proven to me that they are much more susceptible to interference than the 2041. You'll have to decide which way to go is best for you (more sensitive/more interference or less sensitive/less interference).

Neither 890 or 895 has the number of useful memory management features of the 2041 nor the multiple ways of searching and 10 search limits. If you are looking for this kind of radio in a portable, then be sure to check out the PRO-64 handheld.

Regardless, the PRO-2041 is a great offering from GRE. It is easy enough to use for the beginner who will appreciate the extras as they gain more experience and all its power can be put to immediate use by the advanced user as well. I'm happy to say that mine is being put to productive use!

Copyright © 2010 by Richard J. Wells