WS1098: 10095 vs 1098 questions

[DJ11DLN]

I picked up my WS-1098 last night and upon unboxing it, I was a little...underwhelmed. A lot of people clamored for the full keypad on this series, and Whistler delivered. I was never one of those folks. I've set up a couple of 1095's for people but this was the first full-keypad version I'd actually laid hands on. And frankly, I'm not impressed. It's crowded and cluttered, and the thought of setting one of these up as a mobile scanner doesn't sit well at all. So on to my questions, those being:

Is the WS-1095 head still available from Whistler, and will it work with the 1098 main unit? Because I am thinking that I would much prefer the simple keypad to this...mess.

Apologies if this has already been asked and answered.

 

[trp2525]

There was a thread here on RR in September 2016, http://forums.radioreference.com/whistler-scanners/340019-ws1095-ws1098.html, which dealt with obtaining the newer WS1098 keypad head for the older WS1095 scanner. In that thread WhistlerWendy recommended contacting Bryan at Whistler Customer Service for further assistance. The WS1098 keypad head ended up being available from Whistler for $99 (plus $5 shipping and applicable local sales tax) per the information in that thread.

Even though your situation is the opposite, I would start with Bryan at Whistler Customer Service to see if it is available. I would imagine that Whistler has some available for the factory repair of their WS1095 scanners but whether or not they will sell them separately to customers is the question. Let us know how you make out.

Another thought is that you could try sending a PM to those who posted in the above thread that they had updated to the newer keypad head and see if they want to sell their original WS1095 head. A "wanted to buy" ad for the WS1095 head in the RR classifieds might also hook you up with what you are looking for.

 

[SCPD]

You don't want a 1095. Mine .. it is an $803 boat anchor. (I do not live in the US, thus the higher cost).

As far as Whistler products go .. the TRX-1 and TRX-2 are the only winners.

 

[mrg1std]

I have a WS1095 with the plastic covering still on the screen. If you interested in swapping heads send me a PM.

Bill

 

[Ed6698]

I am kind of disappointed Whistler did away with the non keypad type. I was going to get a 1098 head for my 1095, just seemed to cluttered for the size of it so I decided against it.

 

[DJ11DLN]

Thanks for the replies. I recalled the thread about swapping heads but hadn't had a chance to look it up. I'm still making up my mind about swapping...this one is going to be at the house so it's not a huge deal. But if I put one in as a mobile, which is the plan down the road -- or a TRX-2, for that matter, and I don't think anyone but Whistler knows if it will work with a 1095 head -- I'll probably be sending PM's or advertising.

Since getting back into the hobby in '12 with a Pro-18, I've never seen the need for direct-entry programming. When I later picked up a -197, I took the advice commonly posted here and learned to program it directly...which I now regard as a huge waste of my time. I never enter anything manually, just add it via Win500. And while that's easier to use than iScan/EZScan, they aren't overly difficult either, but entering a whole mess of sites and talkgroups for a TSYS manually...I'd likely throw the thing in the trash halfway through. When the keypad was announced, I didn't think anything about it, but the 109X series are small scanners with faceplate room limited by the detachable feature...and I just find it overly crowded and busy. I sure wish Whistler had made the full keypad just an option for these scanners.

BTW the 1098 is working well, finally, after fighting me tooth and toenail on setup. I've never had a scanner give me that much trouble.

 

[wbswetnam]

I considered getting a WS 1098, but decided that the WS 1095 was better suited for mobile use. I think that I made the right choice - I'm very pleased with my WS 1095 as a mobile scanner.

 

[DonS]

The heads are interchangeable.

Any WS1095 / WS1098 / TRX-2 head will work with any of WS1095 / WS1098 / TRX-2.

If you buy a TRX-2 and wish you had a "less-cluttered" head, you can use a WS1095 head with it. Finding and obtaining a WS1095 head are left as exercises for the reader.

 

[RadioDaze]

For many of us, the keypad is all about switching easily between different scanlists without taking our eyes off the road to step through a menu.

 

[Joseph11]

I use a WS1095 head on my TRX-2 with no issues at all. I got it by contacting Wendy and she guided me in the right direction. They keep some on hand for customers that prefer that style.