Whistler Update

[LIScanner101]

Would love to see a side by side with the new Unidens and the new GRE's when they come out. I have the 436 and it works like a champ out here in Phoenix, even in areas where the GRE digitals struggle. I can tell you that a simple rebadge job on the existing digitals isn't going to cut it out here. There will need to be some improvements made if these radios are going to compete with the new Unidens.

-AZ

I agree, I’m dying to see a side-by-side too.

Despite what many people on this site may think, I’m not a “GRE fanboy” – I’m merely looking at the large amounts of posters having all sorts of issues with the new x36HP’s, weeding-out the “cockpit error” issues and coming to the conclusion that the new Unidens are not as hot as I was hoping they’d be. Now, YOU happen to be having almost 100% success with yours and that’s great, problem is you seem to be in the minority, at least for now. Hopefully that will change as Uniden responds to the mass onslaught of premature release bugs and fixes them. By the time GRE releases their new scanners hopefully the Unidens will be fully up to snuff and then let the games begin!

 

[Kingmobileaudio]

Only question that is bugging me. What if the new scanner comes with bugs too. Dose Whistler have a R&D team to fix anything.. or even software? Maybe some on RR we can talk to and work out problems?

 

[LIScanner101]

Anyway guy go ahead and wait for the GRE/Whistler radios for the next few months hoping the whole time that the VAPOR clears. In the mean time many of us will enjoy the uniden radios we have RIGHT NOW despite the fact that they are not perfect.

Nobody said they were waiting for perfect scanners, and nobody said they expected the X36HP’s to be perfect either. I don’t know why people keep posting this strawman... :roll:


What you said above is the crux of the issue. “Many” of you are enjoying the Uniden’s but SO MANY MORE are not. It seems like a $500-$600 crapshoot. The posts tell the story.

 

[LIScanner101]

Only question that is bugging me. What if the new scanner comes with bugs too. Dose Whistler have a R&D team to fix anything.. or even software? Maybe some on RR we can talk to and work out problems?

That's an excellent question, but shortly I will post an email exchange between myself and GRE customer service that may answer some of that.

 

[Swipesy]

I can tell you that a simple rebadge job on the existing digitals isn't going to cut it out here. There will need to be some improvements made if these radios are going to compete with the new Unidens.

-AZ

The only difference between the new Uniden's and the old GRE's may be that Uniden went with the AMBE+2 vocoder (which Motoroa XT5000 uses) and GRE's were using the older generation IMBE vocoder. If Whistler does not upgrade the radios to AMBE+2 at the very least then I am afraid you will be correct in just same old same old.

 

[LIScanner101]

An email exchange between myself and Whistler Group customer service.

==========================================================================================


Some of this may be old news but in any event for those who keep asking for this info I had an email exchange today with Whistler. I started out by asking if there was any UPDATE on the already-provided releases schedule, here is the reply:


“We expect to ship our units by the second quarter of this year. Please keep an eye on our website and facebook page for updates, or feel free to email me from time to time for any new information.”

I then asked if they were going to make any changes to ANY of the scanners (analog or digital) – the following is the response:

“The first few models released will be nearly the same as the GRE units but going forward Whistler will release updated and/or original units with new capabilities”

Not sure what “nearly the same” means, but I am going to assume that aside from some cosmetic changes the guts/performance are going to stay the same.

Finally, I asked if they were going to release the analog scanners earlier and then follow up with the digitals, here is the response:

“Shipping times are not exact at this time. We estimate the release at end of 1st quarter through the 2nd quarter of this year”

 

[KC1UA]

For a long time, GRE scanners have had an issue with front end overload in the VHF-HI frequency range, especially in high RF areas. The "solution" is to attenuate every VHF-HI signal which returns more or less "normal" reception.

This is unacceptable, was to my knowledge completely ignored by GRE, and I expect it will continue at least into the rebranded scanners that Whistler will soon offer. Until and unless that problem is corrected I will not own one of these scanners.

I too am tired of being a beta tester and with the exception of SDR's I have given up my "early adopter" practices of the past, where both Uniden and GRE/Whistler are concerned.

 

[KG4EMJ]

An e-mail I got from them today basically says that the new scanners will be out this year, and that they have received "several requests" for NXDN capability, which they have passed on to the engineering team. Here's hoping that they become the first to market a NXDN scanner. In Kentucky, they are selling NXDN systems to agencies at a very rapid pace.

 

[tmfok7]

Unfortunately GRE couldn't make enough on Scanners to stay afloat. Their patients are not enough to survive on.

Making enough on Scanners had nothing to do with it. The Chinese government deciding they wanted the land that GRE was building their new factory on was!

 

[Boatanchor]

Making enough on Scanners had nothing to do with it. The Chinese government deciding they wanted the land that GRE was building their new factory on was!

Lol, and you believe that **** & bull story do you?

 

[SquierStrat]

i tend to believe any truly successful business wouldnt have had any problems finding another location

 

[fourthhorseman]

Lol, and you believe that **** & bull story do you?

Why the Bleep,,Chock & Bull refers to farm animals..(CH make a K sound too!)

 

[dgmaley]

Arms (Technology) Race

Making enough on Scanners had nothing to do with it. The Chinese government deciding they wanted the land that GRE was building their new factory on was!

OK
Time to gets some facts on this.
Best way to accomplish this is to tap into China's press. The Chinese government does now allow a free press that has become very aggressive. There is one English speaking print media called the South China Morning Post. They do allow limited reading without subscribing. This includes article searches.
It would appear there has been a long running issue between law enforcement and Press about the use of police scanners. In some cases, the press get there before the cops do. Police scanners are still illegal in China.
I did not find an article dealing directly with GRE, but did find this article dealing with this conflict, with a 2004 date.
http://www.scmp.com/article/443015/police-throw-news-hounds-scent
before I ran out of time.

Notice the comment about upgrading to a Motorola digital system. This should not be P25 but a similar digital technology.

I am wondering if GRE may have found a way to decode their encryption system? China would have no laws preventing this.
I may have to dig more.
Dave...

 

[UPMan]

Someday I'll write my memoir and explain what really happened. Meanwhile, I'll just say that nothing in this current discussion (in re the GRE demise) is accurate.

 

[dgmaley]

GRE

Someday I'll write my memoir and explain what really happened. Meanwhile, I'll just say that nothing in this current discussion (in re the GRE demise) is accurate.

Let me ask you this question:

Would I find the true reason in the South China Morning Post?

Dave..

 

[UPMan]

No, you wouldn't.

 

[dgmaley]

GRE

No, you wouldn't.

Thank you....

 

[AZScanner]

Someday I'll write my memoir and explain what really happened. Meanwhile, I'll just say that nothing in this current discussion (in re the GRE demise) is accurate.

OK, now you've got ME curious. What the hell happened? What can you share? In rereading this note from Wayne Wilson it sounds like GRE's executive leadership just one day woke up and decided "screw scanners" and fired everyone who was part of making them. Why would they do that?? This whole thing is just weird and doesn't seem to add up at all.

-AZ

 

[UPMan]

That note, while incomplete, is accurate as far as it goes (as I'd expect it to be, having come from Wayne...who incidentally taught me a heck of a lot about this business when we worked together at RadioShack). But, as I said, incomplete.

 

[dgmaley]

GRE

That note, while incomplete, is accurate as far as it goes (as I'd expect it to be, having come from Wayne...who incidentally taught me a heck of a lot about this business when we worked together at RadioShack). But, as I said, incomplete.

UPMan, Have you ever seen a movie called "That thing you do"? It's about a '60's era rock band, called the "Wonders" that have one hit record. Would this movie help me to understand about what happened to GRE?

Dave..