Pro-668: Radio Shack PRO-668 loaded with Whistler DMR firmware

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Kaijudo

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Hello,

Yes, turning it on with the power button. The scanner keep the time and date so it can timestamp audio files. The Trojan code reads the date on the scanner and removes DMR and update capability after June 2017.

73 Eric
Uh Oh... If only I knew this before hand. I think the Trojan Code (sounds like something out of a 007 movie) was triggered in my pro 688. After over a month of my scanner having the incorrect time and date, I decided to set the right date and time since I had the EZScan program on. I hade a lof of DMR channels programed in the scanner, so far my scanner isn't picking up any of them up since I changed the clock and date.
 

srschacher

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I just got the email from Whistler that my PRO-668 is on its way back to me.

I guess I'll be posting in the Whistler scanner forums from now on?!?

Steve
 

trp2525

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I am stuck on cpu 4.6 can not down grade ..I think ERIC Cottrell is saying if you are on cpu4.6.

Uh Oh... If only I knew this before hand. I think the Trojan Code (sounds like something out of a 007 movie) was triggered in my pro 688. After over a month of my scanner having the incorrect time and date, I decided to set the right date and time since I had the EZScan program on. I hade a lof of DMR channels programed in the scanner, so far my scanner isn't picking up any of them up since I changed the clock and date.

Unless I have misread something in this thread, it appears that you need CPU firmware 4.6 AND DSP firmware 3.1 AND a date in your scanner of July 01, 2017 (or later) to trigger the code that will disable your DMR reception the next time you power on your scanner. I know that exact combination of CPU 4.6 and DSP 3.1 disabled my DMR reception on July 02, 2017 with my scanner's time/date set to the current time/date.

If you are not planning to send your scanner to Whistler for the official upgrade and wish to retain your DMR reception, it may be wise to keep your scanner at CPU firmware 4.5 and DSP firmware 3.0. By doing that you will have an extra safeguard built-in so that you don't accidentally update something and then lose your DMR.
 

willtorres918

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Happened to me too. I was fine with CPU 4.5 and DSP 3.1 still receiving DMR. For some reason I decided to upgrade to 4.6 and lost DMR. Very sneaky. Well played, Whistler, well played.

At this point I have no use for DMR but I am still sending my 668 to Whistler for future support. It just makes sense to do it

Sent from my SM-J700T1 using Tapatalk
 

trp2525

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...At this point I have no use for DMR but I am still sending my 668 to Whistler for future support. It just makes sense to do it...

By sending your scanner to Whistler for the official upgrade you will then be able to upgrade your CPU to 4.8 (or any later CPU version that is released). That CPU 4.8 firmware will allow you to then use the logging feature in the recently-released Whistler Control Demo 2 program. For me that logging feature is quite useful and IMHO is worth the price of the upgrade in and of itself.
 

Kaijudo

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Unless I have misread something in this thread, it appears that you need CPU firmware 4.6 AND DSP firmware 3.1 AND a date in your scanner of July 01, 2017 (or later) to trigger the code that will disable your DMR reception the next time you power on your scanner. I know that exact combination of CPU 4.6 and DSP 3.1 disabled my DMR reception on July 02, 2017 with my scanner's time/date set to the current time/date.

If you are not planning to send your scanner to Whistler for the official upgrade and wish to retain your DMR reception, it may be wise to keep your scanner at CPU firmware 4.5 and DSP firmware 3.0. By doing that you will have an extra safeguard built-in so that you don't accidentally update something and then lose your DMR.
Yep that seems to be what does it. I was going to send mine in for the upgrade, but I wanted some reviews first.
 

thegriff

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A quick summary to see if I am understanding things correctly.

If one previously upgraded their PRO-668 to firmware 4.6, DSP 3.1 and has their time set correctly there's a possibility malicious code was executed upon scanner boot-up in July.

This malicious code not only removes the DMR decoding functionality but also prohibits one from downgrading the firmware back to the "stock" version supplied by RadioShack.

At this point the only way to remove this malicious code is to send the scanner to Whistler and pay $60 to have it officially upgraded.

Is that summary correct?

As I bought a TRX-1 after sampling the DMR decodes on a PRO-668 I now have no way to downgrade the scanner before selling it. Basically my choice is to spend another $60 prior to sale, sell it "as-is" or return the TRX-1. Does that about sum it up?
 

trp2525

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...As I bought a TRX-1 after sampling the DMR decodes on a PRO-668 I now have no way to downgrade the scanner before selling it. Basically my choice is to spend another $60 prior to sale, sell it "as-is" or return the TRX-1. Does that about sum it up?

Your summary is correct. If you do spend the $60 to send in the PRO-668 for the official upgrade prior to selling it, I would imagine it would garner a better selling price compared to just a stock PRO-668 with Radio Shack firmware.

Selling it "as-is" probably wouldn't be the best choice for you from a financial standpoint because the buyer would then have to send it to Whistler and pay for the upgrade and the inbound shipping charges. The buyer would probably be looking for a deep discount on your selling price if you have not already done the official upgrade for them prior to the sale. YMMV
 

thegriff

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Thank you for the confirmation. Financially it may make most sense for me to just return the TRX-1 and go back to monitoring P25 and conventional only.

I'm still formulating how I feel about what Whistler did. While I acknowledge I took a risk they maliciously implemented code that removes the ability to downgrade the scanner which impacts resale value. My first inclination is to write them off as a "never again" company but I'm trying to figure out exactly what I'd like to have happen.

Again, appreciate the confirmation.
 

Wackyracer

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You may be able to roll it back to 4.5 with the GREFWTOOL

If the dsp is at 3.1 and installed when that version first came out, My understanding is it should not be a problem. Use this info at your own risk as nobody really knows for sure.

Sending it to whistler is the best choice now and especially for future updates.
 

trp2525

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Thank you for the confirmation. Financially it may make most sense for me to just return the TRX-1 and go back to monitoring P25 and conventional only.

If you go the route of returning your TRX-1 and keeping your PRO-668 which no longer receives DMR, you will not only lose DMR reception but you will also lose NXDN reception.

I'm still formulating how I feel about what Whistler did. While I acknowledge I took a risk they maliciously implemented code that removes the ability to downgrade the scanner which impacts resale value. My first inclination is to write them off as a "never again" company but I'm trying to figure out exactly what I'd like to have happen...

I can understand Whistler attempting to "protect" their proprietary CPU and DSP firmware that enables DMR reception to a certain extent. I think things got "ratcheted up" when they came out with their paid upgrade on June 1st because now you were directly eating into their bottom line if you did the "unofficial/hack" upgrade. That had not been the case prior to June 1st. That being said it's very unfortunate that in the process of protecting their DMR capability they also took away the capability for someone like you to restore their PRO-668 back to the stock Radio Shack firmware prior to a second-hand sale.

For what it's worth, a quick check on eBay right now shows a used/working PRO-668 "Buy It Now" price of $225 while a used/working WS-1080 "Buy It Now" price is $295. Those are currently the lowest "Buy It Now" prices for each model. Based on that information it appears that you MAY be able to recoup the price of the $60 upgrade with a higher asking price. YMMV
 

thegriff

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For what it's worth, a quick check on eBay right now shows a used/working PRO-668 "Buy It Now" price of $225 while a used/working WS-1080 "Buy It Now" price is $295. Those are currently the lowest "Buy It Now" prices for each model. Based on that information it appears that you MAY be able to recoup the price of the $60 upgrade with a higher asking price. YMMV

Thank you for mentioning the prices. It didn't even occur to me to check the prices of used WS-1080s! I think you are correct that I'll wind up breaking even by doing the upgrade.

This whole thing isn't sitting right with me, may have to call Whistler to discuss their malicious code implementation. While I would lose DMR and NXDN if I return the TRX-1 if I don't I'm supporting a company that intentionally broke people's scanners. Then again I've seen that RadioShack defaulted on millions of dollars in payments so I may cut them some slack.

To be clear I accept my own responsibility and had I bricked the scanner during the upgrade I would have accepted full fault. Unfortunate is too mild to describe what they've done.
 

AtlasFBG2

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Thank you for the confirmation. Financially it may make most sense for me to just return the TRX-1 and go back to monitoring P25 and conventional only.

I'm still formulating how I feel about what Whistler did. While I acknowledge I took a risk they maliciously implemented code that removes the ability to downgrade the scanner which impacts resale value. My first inclination is to write them off as a "never again" company but I'm trying to figure out exactly what I'd like to have happen.

Again, appreciate the confirmation.

The warning on Whistler's web site is pretty clear.

**IMPORTANT**
This*software is*intended for use with Whistler brand products only. Attempting to update any other brand of scanner with Whistler software/firmware will*cause the scanner to stop functioning.
 

bluetone

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I noticed my DMR broke when I was attempting a Limit Search. This sly move by Whistler may have broken more than just DMR. While I was running the Limit Search, I did not get any hits for anything... conventional analog, X2, P25, DMR etc. ...Nothing! Maybe someone else would want to test as well, to see if you think this has possibly happened???

Thanks All!
 

rgchristy

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Hi,

I have a 668 at 4.6, 3.1 - no DMR
I have a 800 at 4.6, 3.0 - has DMR

Unfortunately, my most recent programming (CDAT, etc.) is on the 668. If I copy the configuration from the Whistler 1080EZ software, disconnect my 668 and then copy the configuration to the 800, will I lose the DMR? If so, is there a way to get the most recent programming to the 800 without losing the DMR on the 800?

Thanks,
Rich C
 

SCPD

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Unfortunate is too mild to describe what they've done.

That along with trp2525's last comment is completely missing the point, you should at some level be thanking Whistler. What Whistler is doing helps to preserve the hobby against the hack attack by Eric and Doe from unintended consequences. It has nothing to do with any of the comments here that mostly flip things upside down, cause vs effect, well except for noting Whistler warnings, etc.
 

EricCottrell

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Hi,

I have a 668 at 4.6, 3.1 - no DMR
I have a 800 at 4.6, 3.0 - has DMR

Unfortunately, my most recent programming (CDAT, etc.) is on the 668. If I copy the configuration from the Whistler 1080EZ software, disconnect my 668 and then copy the configuration to the 800, will I lose the DMR? If so, is there a way to get the most recent programming to the 800 without losing the DMR on the 800?

Thanks,
Rich C
Hello,

You need to copy the CONFIG__.BIN file from your 800 to both your 668 and Ez-Scan directory (Documents/WS1080 Digital). Ez-Scan will copy the CONFIG__.BIN file, which is the DSP code, to the SD Card when you update the programming.

73 Eric
 

IAmSixNine

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That along with trp2525's last comment is completely missing the point, you should at some level be thanking Whistler. What Whistler is doing helps to preserve the hobby against the hack attack by Eric and Doe from unintended consequences. It has nothing to do with any of the comments here that mostly flip things upside down, cause vs effect, well except for noting Whistler warnings, etc.

Please Stop.
There was no Hack Attack. The product line was dead and he gave us an option to mod a scanner.
Whistler didnt give two rat turds about the product until Eric got their attention to see they could make money on it. Once Whistler spoke up and addressed the issue and offered a solution he stepped back and is letting them do their thing.
They saw what was happening and put a mini time bomb in the software to make it back to what it was originally. If you want DMR pay them. Simple as that.
 

sibbley

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Please Stop.
There was no Hack Attack. The product line was dead and he gave us an option to mod a scanner.
Whistler didnt give two rat turds about the product until Eric got their attention to see they could make money on it. Once Whistler spoke up and addressed the issue and offered a solution he stepped back and is letting them do their thing.
They saw what was happening and put a mini time bomb in the software to make it back to what it was originally. If you want DMR pay them. Simple as that.

Yes, can we move on please.

Whistler did NOT break anyone's scanner, and the only thing malicious about the Whistler code was the fact that it took away DMR from scanners that were never meant to receive DMR.

For many of us it's game over. We won't get DMR on our 668 or 800 without moving forward with the official Whistler upgrade. $60 is much better than buying a brand new scanner for several hundred.

For those that say they won't support Whistler because of their "malicious code", get over it!
 

SCPD

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Please Stop.
There was no Hack Attack. The product line was dead and he gave us an option to mod a scanner.
Whistler didnt give two rat turds about the product until Eric got their attention to see they could make money on it. Once Whistler spoke up and addressed the issue and offered a solution he stepped back and is letting them do their thing.
They saw what was happening and put a mini time bomb in the software to make it back to what it was originally. If you want DMR pay them. Simple as that.

Wow! Nobody wants to listen, ah well.
 
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