National Communications Magazine reports Whistler is out of business.

[Nasby]

My radio is doing well. Don't get wrong, thanks to Frank Belcher Jr.

Who is Frank Belcher?

 

[trp2525]

Who is Frank Belcher?

Scanner Doc

Scanner Doc is on Facebook. Join Facebook to connect with Scanner Doc and others you may know. Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the world more open and connected.

www.facebook.com

 

[trentbob]

Interesting…

https://www.rdforum.org/threads/141348/#post-1960740

That is interesting, the radar detector site is very similar to our site and pretty much everybody's been saying the same thing.

Again, a company like that really needs to come out and make an official press release that their business is closing. We have seen a number of electronic companies close so we know what the letter looks like.

Until I see that they concede officially, I'm in a wait and see mode. Nothing to lose so, why not?

 

[Chris0516]

Who is Frank Belcher?

He is the Admin or Moderator of several scanner-related Facebook Groups. He offers programming services(not suggesting you need his services) on Uniden, Whistler, GRE n' Radio Shack.

 

[gedunks1]

I checked the website and store front are gone. So now they gone like the radio shack scanners are.

 

[sonm10]

Strange quote from Kevin's link - wonder what it means?

"Ok i have been told that they were sold and reopening offices in january"

 

[trentbob]

Strange quote from Kevin's link - wonder what it means?

"Ok i have been told that they were sold and reopening offices in january"

I think in threads that we've had regarding Whistler going out of business also referred to some kind of statement like that.

 

[KC1THE]

Interesting that their LinkedIn corporate profile is still up. And, none of the fourteen employees listing The Whistler Group as their current workplace are not showing an "#OPENTOWORK" banner at this time.

 

[N6JPA]

National Communications is posting via an online article that Whistler has gone out of business.

National Communications Magazine | Chuck Gysi | N2DUP | Substack

National Communications Magazine is America's Hobby Radio Magazine! We've been going strong since 1988, the longest continuously produced hobby radio publication. NatCom is online with an app, too! Click to read National Communications Magazine, by Chuck Gysi | N2DUP, a Substack publication.

natcommag.substack.com

I'm sure that Uniden will double their prices since they now have a monopoly on scanner radios.

 

[ecps92]

This is not fake news I tried to go to go the Whistler website to only to be blocked out.

Blocked ? Doubt it.

Likely the same message everyone has gotten from the Shopify redirect of

Sorry, this store is currently unavailable.​

 

[Falcon9h]

If a magazine posted a story like that without absolute verification, well, bad "journalism". Or FAKE NEWS!

And the fact that's it's a pay site. 🤬 Can't read it anyway. Not signing up just for one article.

 

[djs9164]

When Radio Shack stopped supporting scanners did the hobby die? No. When trunking came into place did the hobby die? No. When encryption came in did it die? No. So Whistlers closing wont kill the hobby either. The scanners still work. So what, they cant be upgraded, but neither can my PRO 163 that I still use every day. Radio Reference is still a thing and there are numerous web sites and boards that we all can get updated frequencies from. So now we have to update manually. Is that really a big deal? The software is installed on your computer not he web. I personally feel that no matter what team you are on , Whistler or Uniden no one in the hobby will win. Uniden will become an monopoly and control pricing on units for a long time to come.

 

[buddrousa]

I read it and I am not a Subscriber to that site.

 

[Falcon9h]

I read it and I am not a Subscriber to that site.

Pass.

 

[buddrousa]

I just opened it again without that popup showing up.
Windows 11 Pro Edge

 

[enosjones]

how would one update the whistler database now, the scanlist setup on the whistler is unique to whistler. and since they didn't allow any 3rd party software to use on the scanners how would we update to the current database, past 894?

 

[RaleighGuy]

how would one update the whistler database now, the scanlist setup on the whistler is unique to whistler. and since they didn't allow any 3rd party software to use on the scanners how would we update to the current database, past 894?

Manually, find what you want in the RR database, copy it down, and enter the info into EZ Scan, or download the info from RR database, copy and paste into an import file you create for EZ Scan format and import it that way.

 

[kmartin]

As someone once said on here , it's Dead jim !

 

[tvengr]

how would one update the whistler database now, the scanlist setup on the whistler is unique to whistler. and since they didn't allow any 3rd party software to use on the scanners how would we update to the current database, past 894?

Do like I do. I do all custom programming manually. I use the info the RR database to create Excel files to set up everything exactly the way I like it and then copy and paste into whatever software I am using. For the Whistler scanners, I create Excel CSV files and then Import Text File into the EZ Scan software for frequencies and talkgroups. You can assign fields for Frequency, Talkgroup, Alpha Tag, Scan List, Tone, Etc.

 

[kmartin]

Eh... I'm definitely not happy, the original company GRE has meant a lot to me over the years with all of the Radio Shack radios that they produced.

I still have a slide rule dial desktop, heavy solid metal tunable made for Radio Shack by GRE Japan from the late '60s.

My area started to shift over to phase 2 simulcast in 2015 so I just haven't had a need for the company. I do own countless GRE radios made for Radio Shack and at least three Whistler radios.

My TRX 1 worked great when we were on Motorola type ll SmartZone, we finally all went to simulcast and the TRX went into a drawer, batteries removed with very very low mileage and no I don't want to sell it.

I am definitely not a Uniden fan boy and never was LOL.

Kind of cheesy though that they have not made an official announcement, until they officially concede defeat and produce a death certificate I am in a wait and see mode.

I've got nothing to lose and no dog in the hunt.

I wonder if there will ever be a another competitor to uniden scanners ? Really need one !