Pro-668: DMR Firmware - Answer from Radio Shack

[jcardani]

Answer to a friend from Radio Shack customer care



From: RadioShack Customer Care [mailto:rscusrel01@radioshack.com]
Sent: Friday, May 20, 2016 9:43 AM
To: d******@comcast.net
Subject: This email is a service from RadioShack



Hello Mr. R******n,



Thank you for contacting us today in regards to your PRO 668 scanner radio. After talking with the Product Development team, the manufacturer should provide the D.M.R. update via RadioShack.com or through the scanners software when it becomes available. I too have read the Whistler press release and see that this update was just announced. Also there is a vast amount of information over at the radioreference web site. If we can be of any further assistance please contact us again.



Sincerely

Ed

 

[RayAir]

That would be nice to upgrade the 668 to do DMR.
I picked one up a year ago for $165 new.

Otherwise, I don't really need a new DMR capable scanner (Uniden/Whistler).

 

[MaximusTheGreat]

I think we should still email RS asking for the upgrade.

I know I will be emailing them tonight.

#StrengthInNumbers

 

[darunimal]

http://forums.radioreference.com/ra...-668-cpu-firmware-pc-application-updates.html

 

[wbswetnam]

When Whistler provides NXDN capability for the WS 1080 (whenever that is), I hope that RS will pass along an update for that, too, for the Pro-668. We might be in for quite a wait for these updates though I'm afraid.

 

[wise871]

When Whistler provides NXDN capability for the WS 1080 (whenever that is), I hope that RS will pass along an update for that, too, for the Pro-668. We might be in for quite a wait for these updates though I'm afraid.

From everything I read NXDN is only going to available for the TRX scanners.

 

[buddrousa]

It was posted several time 1080 1088 1095 1098 FREE DMR if you want NXDN when it becomes available it WILL ONLY BE AVAILABLE FOR THE TRX 1 and 2 SCANNERS.

 

[DJ11DLN]

Wow, some good news on the RS scanner front for a change. I'm pretty happy with my RS scanners, even the abandoned/orphaned ones, but I was getting the impression that even for the current models, whoever was in charge of such things was either missing or asleep at the switch. Maybe there is hope.

I'm looking forward to the Pro-668 DMR update...whenever it finally arrives -- and I don't think any of us should start holding our breath. Like RayAir I don't have a great deal of DMR here, at least that I'm interested in hearing (I haven't even bothered to get one of those cheap SDR dongles) but it will be a nice capability to add to an IMHO pretty good scanner. And yes, I'll happily join the e-mail chorus...maybe if enough of us pester RS, they'll make it available before next Christmas.:wink:

 

[plato]

Pro-668 DMR Up-Grade.

After reading all the cross-talk( A.K.A. finger pointing,double talk,b.s,ect.), the moral of the story is this: In the future, buy a Whistler Brand scanner,not a radio shack re-badged!!! That way you'll get Whistler's support for the scanner, not a bunch of finger pointing-DOUBLE-TALK!!!!! David Richman.

 

[seth21w]

After reading all the cross-talk( A.K.A. finger pointing,double talk,b.s,ect.), the moral of the story is this: In the future, buy a Whistler Brand scanner,not a radio shack re-badged!!! That way you'll get Whistler's support for the scanner, not a bunch of finger pointing-DOUBLE-TALK!!!!! David Richman.

Have you emailed them david??

 

[RayAir]

Wow, some good news on the RS scanner front for a change. I'm pretty happy with my RS scanners, even the abandoned/orphaned ones, but I was getting the impression that even for the current models, whoever was in charge of such things was either missing or asleep at the switch. Maybe there is hope.

I'm looking forward to the Pro-668 DMR update...whenever it finally arrives -- and I don't think any of us should start holding our breath. Like RayAir I don't have a great deal of DMR here, at least that I'm interested in hearing (I haven't even bothered to get one of those cheap SDR dongles) but it will be a nice capability to add to an IMHO pretty good scanner. And yes, I'll happily join the e-mail chorus...maybe if enough of us pester RS, they'll make it available before next Christmas.:wink:

There's actually lots of DMR by me , it's just 98% of it isn't worth buying a new $500+ scanner for. Unless you really want to hear those taxi cabs, mall guards, gravel haulers, and some road commissions.

I'm using DSD+ and a couple of DMR radios now to scan them.

Connect Plus trunking on a scanner would be nice as a couple of EMS services by me use it, but other than that the system is loaded down with undesirables (trash collectors, gravel haulers, etc)

So unless they ever offer a PRO 668 DMR upgrade I can't see myself buying a new DMR capable scanner.

Plus, a local radio shop is starting to check the privacy box on new Cap+ systems they set up. A simple selection of basic privacy key number 1 and that would make your new DMR $$$canner useless.

 

[marksmith]

I would be extremely shocked if Whistler would provide free DMR upgrades to radios they did not make or sell. They have nothing to do with pro668 radios, and are NOT the manufacturer.

So the radio shack guy is right, it would be up to defunct manufacturer GRE to provide upgrades, which they obviously won't be doing.

Whistler is in the business of selling radios.

Mark
WS1095/536/436/996P2/HP1e/HP2e/996XT/325P2/396XT/PRO668/PSR800/PRO652

 

[trp2525]

I would be extremely shocked if Whistler would provide free DMR upgrades to radios they did not make or sell. They have nothing to do with pro668 radios, and are NOT the manufacturer...

FYI Whistler in fact DOES manufacture the PRO-668 for Radio Shack. Take a look at the PRO-668 webpage in the Radio Reference Wiki where it states that the PRO-668 is a "Radio Shack branded version of the Whistler WS1080" (Pro-668 - The RadioReference Wiki).

The GRE PSR-800 and the very similar Radio Shack PRO-18 (Pro-18 - The RadioReference Wiki) were both manufactured by GRE which we all know is out-of-business.

 

[buddrousa]

Hello,

Thank you for contacting us today in regards to your PRO-668 scanner radio. After talking with the Product Development team, the manufacturer should be providing updates shortly via RadioShack.com or through the scanners software when available.

Thanks,

Michael



Michael Shoemaker
Ecommerce Customer Service Rep
General Wireless Operations Inc. d/b/a RadioShack
300 RadioShack Circle
Fort Worth, TX 76102-1964
O > 800-843-7422
radioshack.com

 

[KevinC]

Hello,

Thank you for contacting us today in regards to your PRO-668 scanner radio. After talking with the Product Development team, the manufacturer should be providing updates shortly via RadioShack.com or through the scanners software when available.

Thanks,

Michael



Michael Shoemaker
Ecommerce Customer Service Rep
General Wireless Operations Inc. d/b/a RadioShack
300 RadioShack Circle
Fort Worth, TX 76102-1964
O > 800-843-7422
radioshack.com

Keep in mind the 2 keys words here..."should" and "shortly".

Should doesn't mean will and shortly could be tomorrow or 12 months.

Not trying to be negative, but I've been in the corporate world for a long time.

 

[buddrousa]

Thanks Kevin I was one of the few that paid face value and got one of the first out of the warehouse. If I had waited 2 months I would have paid 1/2 price 3 months and could have bought 5 for what I paid for the one.

 

[trp2525]

Thanks Kevin I was one of the few that paid face value and got one of the first out of the warehouse. If I had waited 2 months I would have paid 1/2 price 3 months and could have bought 5 for what I paid for the one.

There are still some good prices available on eBay for the PRO-668. A recent check for "New" PRO-668s on eBay showed one auction currently at $175 and some "Buy It Now" prices at $222.95, $259.00 and $275.00. Those prices are much lower than the regular Radio Shack selling price of $499.99 and the current Radio Shack sale price of $374.99.

I would suspect that if the DMR upgrade does in fact get released for the PRO-668, the prices on eBay may go up. A seller could then upgrade the scanner to be DMR capable and then sell it as a DMR scanner right out of the box.

 

[NYG]

If Whistler brings the Pro-668 up to date along with DMR capability they'll be at the top of my list when it comes time for a new scanner.

I love when companies surprise me, in a good way, and it's a heck of a way to build a loyal fan base.

 

[seth21w]

If radioshack has any sense at all left they will get with whistler and keep there price low and get the dmr upgrade for the 668, they would probably sell remaining stock of them and probably be calling whistler back to make more units.

 

[wa8pyr]

If radioshack has any sense at all left they will get with whistler and keep there price low and get the dmr upgrade for the 668, they would probably sell remaining stock of them and probably be calling whistler back to make more units.

If what I heard at Hamvention remains true, it's unlikely that Whistler would continue with separate branding of their products; makes service and support much easier with only one brand.