WS1088: 1088

[yankees6161]

I am looking to buy the 1088. Ham Radio Outlet has them on sale for 319$ and says they are being discontinued? Has any one else heard of this. I have not ever owned a scanner and looking to buy this one. To all of you 1088 owners, how do you like this scanner? any pros or cons? Not sure if I should buy this one if it is going to be discontinued
Thanks in advance for the replies

 

[Blackswan73]

I have the 1080 I also purchased from HRO. It is the same radio as the 1088, without the keyboard. I love my 1080.

 

[BrianG61UK]

I love my 1088. I have little use for the extra features the TRX-1 would provide. The RF performance isn't as good as my old Yupiteru but so much around here is using DMR now that DMR in a portable unit is worth a lot to me.

 

[K9DAK]

I too love my 1088. I bought it in anticipation of my county switching to a Phase II system, but unfortunately they encrypted with the change to PII. The system where I work has a few PII talkgroups, and as others have said, PII is loud compared to PI. Simulcast reception for me is surprisingly good in my office at work with metal walls inside a metal building; ymmv. If you don't need NXDN, then go for the 1088 at that price!

 

[SCPD]

TRX-1 .. better radio.

 

[yankees6161]

Thanks for the replies. I ordered one this morning

 

[yankees6161]

I have read many reviews on the 1088, many of them good. a lot of the negative reviews had to do with having a bad experience with programming. is it really that hard to program? from what I have read on the online manual it doesn't seem to be to difficult. Another question... what is a good aftermarket antenna? I have read that the factory antenna is not that good.

 

[K9DAK]

Good for you Yankee! Since it's your first scanner, you might find there to be a bit of a learning curve in programming. But once you spend some time with it and get the hang of it, it'll be easy. That said, I had a PRO-92 then a PRO-106, which both had very similar programming software... and both of those apps were very similar to EZ Scan which will come with your 1088, so the learning curve was pretty flat.

You might want to download EZ Scan from the Whistler website and play around with it before your new toy arrives. Also, I've found that the best way to learn programming of a new scanner is to program it by hand first and learn its menus... not large systems, of course, but start with a few conventional channels and maybe a few talkgroups on a local trunked system. Once you get the hang of programming by hand, then the software should be easier, and you'll have the knowledge to make changes on the fly if you're not near your PC.

Hope that helps...

 

[yankees6161]

Thanks for the info. I have down loaded the EZ scan but haven't had much time to look at it

 

[Chris45]

Very Satisfied with WS-1088

I believe you will be very satisfied with the WS-1088. There might be a slight learning curve learning the programming and software, but all that becomes second nature. The benefits are great, such as access to the national database, and the ability to travel and listen without requiring a computer in your luggage.

Enjoy!

 

[Chris45]

WS-1088

I am looking to buy the 1088. Ham Radio Outlet has them on sale for 319$ and says they are being discontinued? Has any one else heard of this. I have not ever owned a scanner and looking to buy this one. To all of you 1088 owners, how do you like this scanner? any pros or cons? Not sure if I should buy this one if it is going to be discontinued
Thanks in advance for the replies

I think you will like this radio. They are on sale for a great price. There is a small learning curve with programing, but it will not give you a brain hemorrhage like a Uniden. Built well, rugged, and can be operated with one hand. Performance is very good, but digital monitoring will have some annoyances.
Limited parts and accessories available, and perhaps best of all - you can carry the national frequency database on the SD card where ever you travel. Go got it, it is a good price and choice.