WS-1065 Whistler (China Mfg) vs. PRO-197 Radio Shack (GRE, Japan Mfg)

[iMONITOR]

I posted this here as it pertain to two different manufactures. Please don't interpret this as a slam on Whistler, just an honest question.

I know Radio Shack's PRO-197 and Whistler's WS-1065 are very similar, but not 100%. It's been my understanding that radios manufactued in Japan were considered to have a better build quality than those manufactured in China. Has anyone noticed or actually tested and confimed that the PRO-197 may be better in some ways than the WS-1065? Or is there no practical difference to consider or be concerned about?

 

[buddrousa]

I only have the 197 and it works great for what it does.

 

[iMONITOR]

I only have the 197 and it works great for what it does.

I used to have a couple myself and yes they worked great for me. I sold one new to a friend of mine when I got back into Uniden scanners. Now he has purchased one of my Uniden scanners and has been trying to sell a PRO-197 to recoup some cash flow. Been there doe that! I have a specific need where I think the PRO-197 might do well, so I bought it back from him. I was considering a new Whistler but I didn't think there would be a big difference.

 

[TailGator911]

I was using my WS1065 with the help of my TRX-1 and BCD536HP to monitor the MARCS system and it did ok with the lsm issues on that system. Since acquiring the SDS100 I have designated my WS1065 for other duties such as vhf/uhf local business radios, transport and snow plows, etc. I still consider it an awesome radio, for what it does. I had my own system of monitoring the Ohio MARCS simulcast system with 3 digital scanners (TRX-1, WS1065, BCD536HP) and I did not miss much with all 3 decoding and working at the same time. Gone are those days now that we have the SDS radios! Patiently awaiting my SDS200 which I predict will become my #1 base station scanner.

JD
kf4anc

 

[simmsrep]

I have both of those scanners. I installed a discriminator tap on the pro-197 and was using it with DSD+ to identify different systems and also as my main home scanner. When whistler started selling the refurbished ws-1065's I got one (thinking it may be a better scanner) and installed a tap on it also. Between the two I personally couldn't tell any difference at all. I use ARC500 to program both. The only real difference was the tap was much easier to install on the 1065.

 

[hiegtx]

I posted this here as it pertain to two different manufactures. Please don't interpret this as a slam on Whistler, just an honest question.

I know Radio Shack's PRO-197 and Whistler's WS-1065 are very similar, but not 100%. It's been my understanding that radios manufactued in Japan were considered to have a better build quality than those manufactured in China. Has anyone noticed or actually tested and confimed that the PRO-197 may be better in some ways than the WS-1065? Or is there no practical difference to consider or be concerned about?

The only "difference" I recall being noted was that a few of the internal components of the WS1065 (and WS1040) scanners were different only because the original versions were no longer in production. But the replacements had the same functions, I don't recall seeing any solid comparisons that one version was better (or worse) than the other.

 

[jaspence]

My older RS and GRE scanners all have China as the country of manufacture. My oldest is a Pro 96, and the newest a RS Pro-18 plus two others. The following URL indicates that at the time it was written, the Whistler products were being made in the Phillipines. New Whistler scanners

 

[iMONITOR]

GRE (株式会社　ゼネラル　リサ－チ　オブ　エレクトロニックス General Research of Electronics, Inc.) was a Japan-based multinational manufacturer of electronics equipment, primarily in the fields of radio and other telecommunications.[1] Their products included transceivers, radio scanners, antennas, GPS devices, and satellite equipment. They also produced OEM equipment for other companies, including Radio Shack, Uniden and Commtel.
GRE was established in 1961,[1] and its headquarters was located in Tokyo. GRE had a manufacturing facility in Chiba Prefecture which closed in October 2012. In late 1977, GRE established "GRE America, Inc.", its first overseas operation, with a head office in California. The company established its second overseas corporation, "GRE (Hong Kong), Ltd.", in 1986.

In February, 2014, GRE (Japan) head office closed its Tokyo office and relocated to its Chiba location where they had once produced its product line when it first established back in 1961.
In September 2014 'General Research of Electronics' Japan (GRE) decided cease its USA business operations and closed its California office since there is no active business due to lack of financial resource and development capabilities at GRE Japan.

[source]
GRE (company) - Wikipedia

 

[iMONITOR]

GRE Reportedly Out of the Scanner Business (2012)

A post on the RadioReference.com forums indicates that all manufacturing of GRE scanners has been shut down. GRE employees in Japan and the U.S. have been let go. This means that distributors and dealers are no longer going to receive any stock or product, including Radio Shack.

More info at the link below:
[source]
GRE Reportedly Out of the Scanner Business | SCMA

 

[Spitfire8520]

As far as I know, GRE in Japan had no major involvement in scanner design or manufacturing. Most of that was done by GRE America, their USA based subsidiary.

The box for the RadioShack Pro-106 (by GRE) has this printed on the back:
"Custom Manufactured in China for RadioShack Corporation, Fort Worth, TX 76102"

The box for the RadioShack Pro-652 (by Whistler) has this printed on the back:
"Custom Manufactured in Philippines for RadioShack Corporation, Fort Worth, TX 76102"

The country a product was designed in does not means it is the country it was manufactured in. As an example from something more common, Apple products have traditionally have "Designed by Apple in California Assembled in China" on them.

 

[iMONITOR]

As far as I know, GRE in Japan had no major involvement in scanner design or manufacturing. Most of that was done by GRE America, their USA based subsidiary.

Here's more info regarding GRE manufacturing in Japan from Lindsay when all this was taking place.

GRE US Personnel Attempt Restart of GRE Business. Same Customer Service, Warranty and Repair Remains

"FORT WORTH, Texas, Oct. 16, 2012 – In early October, all US GRE Sales and Development team were advised by GRE-Japan that scanner manufacturing was shut down; nearly all GRE personnel in Asia and USA were dismissed. Since that time, the US Team has been working to rebuild the company and get back into production."

[source]
http://forums.radioreference.com/threads/gre-us-personnel-attempt-restart-of-gre-business.251417/

I could be wrong but that leads me to believe GRE scanner manufacturing was taking place in Japan, at least a portion of it and for some time. Maybe Lindsay will chime in and elaborate. There was tons of confusion and miss information coming out of GRE at the time.

 

[ka3jjz]

Both GRE and RS are out of the scanner business...so if the 197 went kaput for some reason, getting it serviced is going to be an issue. Not so with Whistler

 

[iMONITOR]

Both GRE and RS are out of the scanner business...so if the 197 went kaput for some reason, getting it serviced is going to be an issue. Not so with Whistler

Good point!

 

[Spitfire8520]

Here's more info regarding GRE manufacturing in Japan from Lindsay when all this was taking place.

GRE US Personnel Attempt Restart of GRE Business. Same Customer Service, Warranty and Repair Remains

"FORT WORTH, Texas, Oct. 16, 2012 – In early October, all US GRE Sales and Development team were advised by GRE-Japan that scanner manufacturing was shut down; nearly all GRE personnel in Asia and USA were dismissed. Since that time, the US Team has been working to rebuild the company and get back into production."

[source]
http://forums.radioreference.com/threads/gre-us-personnel-attempt-restart-of-gre-business.251417/

I could be wrong but that leads me to believe GRE scanner manufacturing was taking place in Japan, at least a portion of it and for some time. Maybe Lindsay will chime in and elaborate. There was tons of confusion and miss information coming out of GRE at the time.

Regardless of who told whom that manufacturing was shut down does not change the fact that the GRE scanners were manufactured in China. What you believe in does not change the facts at hand. Just look at the label on the back of any GRECOM branded scanner.

Whistler scanners are manufactured in the Philippines.

 

[iMONITOR]

Regardless of who told whom that manufacturing was shut down does not change the fact that the GRE scanners were manufactured in China. What you believe in does not change the facts at hand. Just look at the label on the back of any GRECOM branded scanner.

Well maybe my eyes are getting old, but that's not what it says here:

"General Research of Electronics, Inc.) was a Japan-based multinational manufacturer of electronics equipment, primarily in the fields of radio and other telecommunications.[1] Their products included transceivers, radio scanners, antennas, GPS devices, and satellite equipment. They also produced OEM equipment for other companies, including Radio Shack, Uniden and Commtel."

You do know they've produced scanners in more than one country right?

 

[Ronaldski]

Look this short thread over, this is the real performance issue of the newer whistler brands that do terrible in simulcast areas.
https://forums.radioreference.com/threads/ws1040-ws1065-vs-simulcast-800.381540/