Is the Whistler Digital Desktop/Mobile Scanner Radio - WS1065 a decent scanner

Status
Not open for further replies.

Spflowers92470

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Feb 4, 2018
Messages
25
Location
South Bend IN
Hi, I used to be into scanning heavy about 15 yrs ago or so, then everything started to go digital, then I got out of it. Well I have been missing it, and want to get a decent scanner, without having to spend 7 or 800 bucks for it. I was bouncing around the web, and seen Best Buy had these for 250, now that wasnt a bad price for an analog scanner back in the day. Now I know it wont have all the bells and whistles of a top of the line scanner, but will this work. I live in South Bend IN, and there is supposedly simulcast issues here. But my nieghbor has an older uniden scanner, (not a SDS model) and he has no issues. Plus is there decent PC software to program it. Thanks in advance for any info.
 

Nasby

Member
Joined
Apr 4, 2004
Messages
2,631
Location
Ohio
The only way you will know if it works or not with simulcast is to try it out. It totally depends on your location.

While the WS1065 is an excellent scanner for single site monitoring, its a total crap shoot when it comes to simulcast reception.

It could work well in one spot, but lousy in a spot just a few feet away. Or it might not work / receive at all.

There are good software programs available (ARC500, PSR Edit, etc.).
 

trentbob

W3BUX- Bucks County, PA
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Feb 22, 2007
Messages
5,604
I concur oh, it was a good radio in its day. It's big brother originally made by GRE in 2003 was the first digital scanner.

This model made by GRE was rebranded by RadioShack for a long time in the mid-2000s and now by Whistler. Good for conventional and very good for type II smartzone systems. Not so much for simulcast.

It does not handle P2 tdma simulcast systems, which is our world now, it is not capable.

2 key words said here, location and crap shoot when it comes to simulcast LOL.

I remember when Radio Shack was going out of business and I was able to pick up four of these radios at $150 a piece. Nice deal. Ended up trading three of them away for other good stuff.

As Budd said, the SDS series is the way to go with simulcast.
 

DJ11DLN

Member
Joined
Mar 23, 2013
Messages
2,068
Location
Mudhole, IN
I'd suggest checking the DB and see if the site(s) you want to monitor are in fact LSM. And also be aware that the 1065 won't decode Phase II, DMR, NXDN, etc. They're also known for lack of selectivity and overloading if you're in a dense RF area, which I'd guess South Bend probably is.

Great radio back in the day, especially if you live out in the boons as I do. I've got a Pro-197, which is pretty much the same thing. For analog or P25 p.1, it's hard to beat the audio and decode quality. But as others have said, it's an old design and quite lacking compared to the newer models by both companies.
 

Whiskey3JMC

DXpeditioner
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jul 16, 2006
Messages
6,718
Location
40.0417240450727, -75.23614582932653
I can't speak specifically for all Whistlers but I once owned a TRX-1 and like TailGator, mine was useless on simulcast. So I sold it along with a 436HP and picked me up an SDS100. Like night and day. They certainly don't construct these systems with the hobbyist in mind, that's for sure

my nieghbor has an older uniden scanner, (not a SDS model) and he has no issues.
Your neighbor is part of a tiny, tiny minority of people with older units and no simulcast issues. Move that unit a few yards closer to your house and the experience may degrade, or it might not. It's a gamble
 

tvengr

Well Known Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2019
Messages
9,176
Location
Baltimore County, MD
But my nieghbor has an older uniden scanner, (not a SDS model) and he has no issues.
Have the neighbor bring the scanner over to your house and see how it works. What model scanner does your neighbor have and is the scanner being used for conventional frequencies only or the Indiana Project Hoosier SAFE-T statewide system? The St Joseph site is simulcast.
 

Spflowers92470

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Feb 4, 2018
Messages
25
Location
South Bend IN
I concur oh, it was a good radio in its day. It's big brother originally made by GRE in 2003 was the first digital scanner.

This model made by GRE was rebranded by RadioShack for a long time in the mid-2000s and now by Whistler. Good for conventional and very good for type II smartzone systems. Not so much for simulcast.

It does not handle P2 tdma simulcast systems, which is our world now, it is not capable.

2 key words said here, location and crap shoot when it comes to simulcast LOL.

I remember when Radio Shack was going out of business and I was able to pick up four of these radios at $150 a piece. Nice deal. Ended up trading three of them away for other good stuff.

As Budd said, the SDS series is the way to go with simulcast.
Thanks for the info
 

Dominator74

Member
Joined
Sep 20, 2020
Messages
6
Location
windsor
The only way you will know if it works or not with simulcast is to try it out. It totally depends on your location.

While the WS1065 is an excellent scanner for single site monitoring, its a total crap shoot when it comes to simulcast reception.

It could work well in one spot, but lousy in a spot just a few feet away. Or it might not work / receive at all.

There are good software programs available (ARC500, PSR Edit, etc.).
Even with an outdooe antenna, I don't think that makes a diff
 

tvengr

Well Known Member
Joined
Feb 10, 2019
Messages
9,176
Location
Baltimore County, MD
Even with an outdooe antenna, I don't think that makes a diff
It may sound counterintuitive, but with simulcast sometimes the worse the antenna, the better. The problem is you are receiving several towers at once all transmitting the same thing on the same frequency at the same time. The signals arrive at your scanner at different times and the scanner is not able to properly decode the control channel. Turning on the attenuator and possibly replacing the antenna with a paper clip can sometimes reduce the number of towers you receive and improve the control channel decoding. A directional antenna pointed at a single tower can sometimes help.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top