Just Picked Up a WS1040

[WolfmoonX]

Good Morning All,

First experience with a whistler. I just picked up a WS1040 from a coworker. I will be using it to monitor the GCRCN here in Cleveland. I know it's a simulcast system but I couldn't pass up on the $100 deal (Wife didn't like that). Anyways, his dog apparently ate the programming cable. Aside from the obvious Whistler brand cable from their web site, are there any cheaper ones from Amazon that will work?

Thanks

 

[pgates]

Good Morning All,

First experience with a whistler. I just picked up a WS1040 from a coworker. I will be using it to monitor the GCRCN here in Cleveland. I know it's a simulcast system but I couldn't pass up on the $100 deal (Wife didn't like that). Anyways, his dog apparently ate the programming cable. Aside from the obvious Whistler brand cable from their web site, are there any cheaper ones from Amazon that will work?

Thanks

Howdy.

There is nothing special about the Whistler cable. Any USB mini, like a 1999 cellphone cable, will work. You have a faster configuration experience if you remove the card from the radio and mount it on a Windows computer. The card and USB hardware in the radio is slow.
--Phil

 

[sallen07]

There is nothing special about the Whistler cable. Any USB mini, like a 1999 cellphone cable, will work. You have a faster configuration experience if you remove the card from the radio and mount it on a Windows computer. The card and USB hardware in the radio is slow.
--Phil

You're thinking of the newer Whistler scanners, not the WS1040, which has neither an SD card nor a USB interface.

@WolfmoonX here's what you need. You may be able to find one on eBay. The older Radio Shack branded one is the same cable.

Whistler Radio Scanner - PC Interface Cable

PC Interface Cable for WS1010/WS1025

whistlergroup.com

 

[WolfmoonX]

You're thinking of the newer Whistler scanners, not the WS1040, which has neither an SD card nor a USB interface.

@WolfmoonX here's what you need. You may be able to find one on eBay. The older Radio Shack branded one is the same cable.

Whistler Radio Scanner - PC Interface Cable

PC Interface Cable for WS1010/WS1025

whistlergroup.com

Thanks for clarifying. So there are no cheaper alternatives on Amazon (my original question)? Reason I'm asking is that from the site, it's almost twice as much with the cheapest shipping. Wife is a Prime member and can do free.

 

[sallen07]

I see one that's $1 cheaper but says it won't work for firmware updates, and I see one that's $11 more expensive.

Search for "pc/if cable whistler ws1040".

 

[Nasby]

I would get the official Whistler / Radio Shack programming cable. Those knockoffs sometimes have issues. You saved a ton of money on the $100 deal so a real cable is just gravy on top.

 

[CycleSycho]

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Or here (Genuine Whistler PCIF01 PC Cable For WS1010/1025/1040/1065 | eBay) Good luck!


.

 

[WolfmoonX]

Thanks to all.

 

[tvengr]

Anyways, his dog apparently ate the programming cable.

I used that excuse for my homework many times. The Greater Cleveland trunked system is huge. If you just want a few talkgroups, programming manually using the scanner menus is possible. If you plan on monitoring a large part of the system, it is far faster and easier using programming software. You can use ARC500 or PSREdit500. Both have a free trial period to decide which one you like better. I use Butel ARC500 Basic for programming my Radio Shack PRO-106, the older brother of your scanner. It also works with the WS1040.