The ARC500 software comes as a 30-day trial version. Please note that ARC500 is NOT compatible for use with a Mac computer. The Wiki page is here: ARC500 User Guide - The RadioReference Wiki. I followed the instructions on this page, and I didn't have any problems getting everything set up. The Wiki has a page of instructions for how to download, install, and start using the ARC500 software. I also splurged on a 1-year membership to so I could download trunking system control channels and talkgroups directly from the website's database using the features which are included in ARC500 for that purpose. This will tell you how to change the Battery Low warnings, and other settings. If you haven't seen it yet, check out the Easier to Read Manual for the PRO-106/PSR-500 here: Easier to Read Pro-106/197/PSR500/600 Digital Scanner Manual. One of the settings for which you need computer software are the voltage levels for the 'Battery Low' warning icon and alarm. There is a fourth section with a tabbed window in which you can made adjustments to all of the scanner's global settings.Īlso - there are some global settings in the scanner that can be changed ONLY by using some kind of programming software. Conventional frequencies are listed in one folder-like area, talkgroups in another, and trunking systems in a third. I also liked being able to navigate to the different types of scanner 'objects' using the folder tree-like menu on the left side of the software window.

Using it helped me to understand how trunking system control channels and talkgroups are entered into the scanner, and how they are related to each other.

I do not think the ARC500 software is too difficult to use. I'm also completely new to trunked scanning and to 'object-based' scanning. I am using ARC500 on a Windows 7 64-bit computer to program a GRE PSR-500, which is identical to the RS PRO-106 as far as the scanner's software is concerned.

Butel arc500 software required