Will Whistler survive in the scanner market?

[Ed6698]

IMO the display is just fine on the Whistler models. It shows exactly what I want to see, I find the display on the new Unidens oversaturated, with duplicated information in the lines at times. Not sure if that can be tweaked with programming though. Showing the same information on multiple lines is a waste. I don't need the date or time on the display either. Very poor use of display real estate IMO and to much going on at once. Using large and small font size with no way to adjust it.

 

[marksmith]

IMO the display is just fine on the Whistler models. It shows exactly what I want to see, I find the display on the new Unidens oversaturated, with duplicated information in the lines at times. Not sure if that can be tweaked with programming though. Showing the same information on multiple lines is a waste. I don't need the date or time on the display either. Very poor use of display real estate IMO and to much going on at once. Using large and small font size with no way to adjust it.

Exactly.

I would rather had larger fonts and less information on the 536 screen. Would be enjoying it more.

Part of the reason I have an HP-1e and HP-2e that allow you to make the font bigger on a screen that is already at least 4 times that of the 536 screen.

The font on the 996xt is at least 2 times as big as the biggest font on the 536. Its 4 times larger than some of the 536 fonts.

Putting lots of stuff on a screen and then making it so small I need to squint to try and read it is not what I call better.

Mark
BCD536HP/HP-1E/HP-2E/BCD996XT/BCD396XT(2)/BCD996T/PSR-800/PRO96+

 

[SCPD]

Putting lots of stuff on a screen and then making it so small I need to squint to try and read it is not what I call better.

Mark
BCD536HP/HP-1E/HP-2E/BCD996XT/BCD396XT(2)/BCD996T/PSR-800/PRO96+

This is the main reason why I sold my 436HP, the display was terrible and why the GRE / Whistler scanners get my vote any day, they are just better designed. This is why Whistler should be around for the foreseeable future .. cause some of us are not going to be sucked into poorly designed scanners.

 

[W6KRU]

Yeah, I greatly prefer my 1080's display over my 436's display. The 436 display has information that I don't need. To wedge all of the irrelevant information in there, small fonts that can't be read were used.

 

[johnls7424]

See how half of the RS scanners are being flipped on eBay. Here's a question ( not to tang off of thread topic) is the RS 668 equal in quality to Uniden bcd436hp??

 

[retropcdos]

See how half of the RS scanners are being flipped on eBay. Here's a question ( not to tang off of thread topic) is the RS 668 equal in quality to Uniden bcd436hp??

Yes the RadioShack Pro 668 is a great scanner for the price and about equal, despite what some might say, as you do have people that are bias to a brand. The RadioShack is a rebadge Whistler WS1080, missing some feature like direct frequency input. The fact they may not be supported for future firmware updates, but firmware updates are only a big deal only if fatal bugs were found and most have been resolve, so don't see it being a issue and you get a phase II capable scanner for cheaper then most older 10 year old models go for.

 

[TAbirdman]

Here is another issue with these "e-bay radio resells" - No warranty! The e-bay winners are the second owners of these radios. If RS hangs in there and keeps going, they are going to be tight on their return policy and without a RS receipt,... SOL. If RS dies then it doesn't matter.! lol

 

[ratboy]

Other than a couple of scanners and HT's being dead out of the box, I don't think I've had a non-battery pack problem develop on any of my radios until the warranty was long gone anyway, Uniden radios included! Well, I take that back, I've had a couple of umsoldered speaker jacks and antenna connections on Uniden radios, and one RS scanner, I think it was a PRO39 didn't have the center connection of the BNC soldered well at all.

 

[johnls7424]

Here is another issue with these "e-bay radio resells" - No warranty! The e-bay winners are the second owners of these radios. If RS hangs in there and keeps going, they are going to be tight on their return policy and without a RS receipt,... SOL. If RS dies then it doesn't matter.! lol

Their idea isn't fully patented since GRE had it first. I'm sure Whistler/GRE will have on their website for firmware updates. Would be negative PR to do so and lose potential customers.

 

[Triangulum]

The Pro-668 was released in January. So receipt or not, one year shouldn't be in question. (Edit: Invalid. Bankruptcy implications)

Here is another issue with these "e-bay radio resells" - No warranty! The e-bay winners are the second owners of these radios. If RS hangs in there and keeps going, they are going to be tight on their return policy and without a RS receipt,... SOL. If RS dies then it doesn't matter.! lol

 

[scosgt]

Nonsense. There is no Radio Shack warranty on anything at this point.

 

[marksmith]

Nonsense. There is no Radio Shack warranty on anything at this point.

This depends. If you are speaking strictly AT THIS POINT, you are right.
The main feature of a Chapter 11 bankruptcy is to shed debt, which I am sure they will do.

Hard to determine what they look like as they emerge, if they do. But if they intend under the new ownership to fully emerge from bankruptcy AS RADIO SHACK, I am sure they would need to consider honoring warranty issues etc as a means of drawing or retaining customers.

Again... at this point hard to guess what they look like and whether they emerge from bankruptcy as RS or as part of some new company, or not at all.

Mark
536HP/HP1e/HP2e/996P2/996XT
996T/396XT(2)/PSR800/PRO668

 

[Voyager]

As I understand it, RS's repair shop is shut down, so who is doing the warranty work?

 

[retropcdos]

No one is right now, as Whistler won't accept them for repair, due to contract with RadioShack. Doubt there going to be any warranty support. Hence reason they tell you when you buy them at a R/S store, "no returns and refunds".Also why they are cheap and being dumped on the market. For those that buy them on eBay another option is to use optional SquareTrade insurance. More likely at some point Whistler will repair them, more likely for a fee. Spare parts sure not be a issue as pretty much the same as Whistler WS1080,

 

[Voyager]

As I understand it, again, is that Whistler can't work on them at the moment due to contractual obligations, so I suspect you are correct. They most definitely have the parts, or have access to get them made.

 

[MONITORING247]

Whistler will survive at the present time whistler can't garentee thay will service pro668 but if radio shack goes belly up I have been told whisler will take over were radio shack left off also Sheri at whistler said that whistler has a scanner trade. In program for working and non working scanners and wanted me to pass it along to all in the forum