UPDATE

[W6KRU]

One heck of a mobile antenna. Must be a serious magnet on that baby.

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

The winds don't usually blow that hard here in Oceanside. It is one butt-ugly antenna. I would never use it mobile.

 

[eaf1956]

The winds don't usually blow that hard here in Oceanside. It is one butt-ugly antenna. I would never use it mobile.

Nor would I

 

[BeerNutz]

As of 4/7/2015, nothing at the FCC

 

[BeerNutz]

Submitted to the FCC on 3/30/2015
Approved by the FCC on 4/9/2015

If you take this unit with you on your honeymoon, photographic evidence is required

 

[chas0039]

At least one place is pricing it over $500. Looks like they are targeting it to compete with the BCD536HP.

Whistler WS1095 Base/Mobile Digital Police Scanner Radio: Phase 2

 

[marksmith]

I suspect this will be an opening price. Probably reasonable as an introductory price but I doubt it will hold up over time. Give it a few months after introduction and it will probably drop a little. Not sure why it would long term sell at over $100 more than the 1080, which is basically the same radio.

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

 

[marksmith]

The other thing to consider is that zipscanners is selling the 1080 for $480 when you can get one online several other places for $400. They might be trying to capitalize on the new model coming out. Wonder how many 1080's they sell?

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

 

[ratboy]

With all the available Pro-668's out there, there can't be too many PSR-1080's being sold. I sure wouldn't be buying one.

 

[marksmith]

There certainly are not many being sold for $480. That's for certain.

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

 

[cherubim]

At least with a WS-1080 one can get ongoing support and firmware updates from Whistler.

 

[Boatanchor]

At least with a WS-1080 one can get ongoing support and firmware updates from Whistler.

Well, at least as long as whistler stays in the scanner market.

In my opinion the WS1095 is likely to be the last digital scanner ever produced by Whistler. I base that assumption on the fact that most of the hard yards and the majority of WS1095 development costs were already borne by GRE prior to their departure. Whistler simply had to get FCC approvals and bring the product to market.

I can't for the life of me see how/why Whistler would sink potentially millions of dollars into a totally new scanner design, when there are significant risks and very little chance of commercial success.

IMHO, the only way Whistler could produce a commercially viable 'in-house' product is to throw away existing GRE based hardware platforms and start again from scratch. The product would have to have something special/unique that both existing and potential purchasers desire. Maybe stellar RF performance along with DMR and D-Star inclusion would be enough to get consumers to part with five hundred big ones.. But, the development costs of such a beast would be immense.

Fact is that scanners are a very small market. Annual sales figures of two-three thousand units per model is probably about the best anyone could expect. At those kinds of numbers, you are not going to make a lot of money and may not even cover your development costs over a five year product life cycle, particularly if you have ongoing hardware and firmware problems that you have to address.

Developing complex new digital scanners is a very risky business to be in for any company.

 

[Boatanchor]

The other problem manufacturers are facing nowadays, is the reduced ability to 'channel stuff'' lareg quantities of their products into bricks and mortar stores like Radio Shack. In the past, manufacturers could produce a run of 5,000 or 10,000 units of a single product and simply distribute those products around the 5000 or so Radio Shack stores across the country. Now, Radio Shack is almost gone and the potential to channel stuff radio scanners is almost gone too.

By contrast, online sellers purchase only the units they sell or may even simply drop-ship directly from the manufacturers warehouse.

It's a tough new world.

 

[ratboy]

I hope that's not true, I have heard that Whistler is working on a MotoTrbo scanner, so let's hope that comes, someday. I would hate to have Uniden as the sole company making scanners, as the lack of competition would allow them to put out even more half baked stuff than they already do. "You don't like it? Too bad, we're the only company making them!", and continue to ignore problems.

 

[marksmith]

I think the cash flow issues of large scale manufacture, distribution to online sellers, development and other costs, and the nature of the market brought up by Boatanchor are all very real and probably lead me to a similar conclusion about Whistler on the scanner business.

Because I believe the PSR-800 (WS1080) is a great radio, and the WS1095 is essentially that same radio (people should now stop fantasizing that it will have this or that extra... it was always just going to be a WS1080 in a different shaped box) I will be one of those who will add it to my collection. The remote face feature will set this radio apart from anything else in the market.

The other side of the discussion should include the fact that Whistler Group's current product mix includes a whole lot of niche market products that have the same manufacturing and selling limitations or circumstances. Since they seem to do well in those other products to the point they are considered an industry leader in those markets, maybe the scanner business is just the right fit.

In any case I would suggest there will be a fairly long period for Whistler to sell the entire current existing line, which they did re-nameplate fairly quickly and get to market.

We will see how long they remain in the business. I for one will be contributing to their efforts via purchase of the 1095 and with hopes that they continue in the business to give Uniden a reason to try and do things better.

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

 

[Ed6698]

I would think most of what Whistler sells is a niche item. IMO they know how to deal with a niche market.

 

[marksmith]

That's why I brought it up. I'm not betting against them. As I indicated, I hope they do well.

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

 

[fxdscon]

I have heard that Whistler is working on a MotoTrbo scanner, so let's hope that comes, someday.

Can you tell us where you heard that?

.

 

[ratboy]

A friend of mine who usually knows what's coming. I sure hope he's right. I can't think of a time he's been wrong. I hope he keeps batting 1000, and it happens. If it did some other modes too, somewhat "future proofing" it would make it a must have when the rail stuff goes digital. As hard to understand as they presently are, sometimes, I'm dreading that day.

 

[cherubim]

When Whistler acquired GRE's scanner intellectual property they may have inherited scanner designs which would offset some of the R&D costs towards future scanner development. A PSR-1000 type scanner may be in the works with upgradable codecs - who knows ?

I think Whistler is here to stay - for a while at least. They wouldn't have invested in the scanner market if they thought it wasn't a viable one.

 

[marksmith]

A friend of mine who usually knows what's coming. I sure hope he's right. I can't think of a time he's been wrong. I hope he keeps batting 1000, and it happens. If it did some other modes too, somewhat "future proofing" it would make it a must have when the rail stuff goes digital. As hard to understand as they presently are, sometimes, I'm dreading that day.

Are you sure it wasn't AOR? They are revealing and beginning to sell a radio that does mototrbo, dmr, and a few other digital formats not done by any other scanner in addition to p25 later this month. The radio does not do trunking though.

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