WS1080 or WS1088?

[SirJ]

I recently got a RS pro 106 and I honestly dont like it. it seems really big compared to the BCD396XT, sure its smaller then the BCD436HP but it works. It's missing phase 2, and other little extras plus its kinda old now considering the scanner is from 2008. I am really trying to grab one that works. I just recently read the Whistler has free DMR upgrade that is a huge plus for me as there is not only p25 here but a big DMR network. I was just going to grab a RS pro 668 but since the WS1080 is the same thing WITH DMR why not go there then there is the WS1088 which is the same as the 1080 except it has a full DTMF keypad which i assume allows for FPP which the 1080 cannot do? aaah! help me spend my money!

Should I save some $ and just get the WS1080 or spend the extra $150-200 and get the WS1088?
If i am able to enter frequencies manually with the WS1080 then I will go that route.

lets here some ideas thoughts comments from actual WHISTLER users.

EDIT:
I forgot to add the sound coming out of the RS pro 106 is not very loud....seems thin almost like a speaker phone. Trying to use it in a mobile setting is not happening.

 

[trp2525]

...Should I save some $ and just get the WS1080 or spend the extra $150-200 and get the WS1088?...

The price gap between the WS1080 and the WS1088 is only $100 at The Ham Station. The WS1080 is currently $350 and the WS1088 is $449.95. If you need/want NXDN for your area you may want to also consider the new Whistler TRX-1 handheld which is currently $539.95 for pre-order at The Ham Station (Police scanners New).

I would stay away from the PRO-668 based on price alone if you were planning on buying it brand-new directly from Radio Shack. Their regular selling price is $500 and when it goes on sale the price is $375 which is still higher than the price of the WS1080. Also there is presently no DMR upgrade for the PRO-668 and it is unknown at this time if it will ever be made available. See the various Radio Shack threads here on RR for further discussion of that topic.

 

[N8IAA]

EDIT:
I forgot to add the sound coming out of the RS pro 106 is not very loud....seems thin almost like a speaker phone. Trying to use it in a mobile setting is not happening.

Then you haven't discovered the Audio Boost yet have you?
I have a PSR-800, the precursor of the 1080. But, got a 1088 for my birthday. The 1088 is two heads above the 800/1080. I have always liked having a keypad. There are some receive differences, definitely better.
P-25 Phase I/II is better, VHF/UHF huge improvement, and DMR is as clear as P-25.
I'm sure that there are those out there that do not share my opinion, but it is my opinion for how it fits my scanning needs.
Right now, it is kicking butt on my HP1 that was the only reliable source for a P-25 system literally just miles down the road.
Larry

 

[AggieCon]

There's no reason to spend more on the 1088 unless you really like how it looks or you plan to enter a ton of frequencies. You can manually enter on the 1080. Programming from the radio requires fumbling with lots of menus and settings, so the actual frequency entry is only a small fraction of the total key presses. I am not aware of any direct tuning on the 1088 from the keypad; I think everything has to be programmed. Otherwise, it is the exact same radio with the same firmware too.

The only consideration is whether you want to spend a couple hundred more on the new TRX-1 which supposedly will have NXDN later in the year.

Before you pull the trigger, what systems will you be listening to? Are any of them simulcast? The 1080 sounds amazing on P25 Phase 2 TDMA; however, it can struggle with simulcast. Some report the 436 does better in simulcast, and the 436 also supports ProVoice (for an extra charge). So there are a few more considerations. The 1080 is a nice scanner, especially for ~$350.

 

[SirJ]

There's no reason to spend more on the 1088 unless you really like how it looks or you plan to enter a ton of frequencies. You can manually enter on the 1080. Programming from the radio requires fumbling with lots of menus and settings, so the actual frequency entry is only a small fraction of the total key presses. I am not aware of any direct tuning on the 1088 from the keypad; I think everything has to be programmed. Otherwise, it is the exact same radio with the same firmware too.

The only consideration is whether you want to spend a couple hundred more on the new TRX-1 which supposedly will have NXDN later in the year.

Before you pull the trigger, what systems will you be listening to? Are any of them simulcast? The 1080 sounds amazing on P25 Phase 2 TDMA; however, it can struggle with simulcast. Some report the 436 does better in simulcast, and the 436 also supports ProVoice (for an extra charge). So there are a few more considerations. The 1080 is a nice scanner, especially for ~$350.

I mainly listen to LAPD, LASO, LACOFD, Ventura county stuff, HAM and i do travel and my newest travel plans are to Nevada Viva las vegas

 

[darunimal]

for a noisy environment like LA, you may want to wait on the TRX# Series which will have better front end filtering than previous Whistlers and GREs , but even better may be the BCDx36HP series if you want a better filtered scanner now.

 

[AggieCon]

the TRX# Series which will have better front end filtering than previous Whistlers and GREs , but even better may be the BCDx36HP series if you want a better filtered scanner now.

You keep saying this, yet there are no published technical details supporting this claim. Additionally, I've read no reports of users testing such purported improvements in the field head to head with the other Whistler scanners. Additionally, the comment from Whister I read was that it was regarding FM radio interference, if anything at all. If you have substantial evidence backing your claim, please share with the rest of us.

LA and LV both have EDACS systems, but, according to the database, there is not ProVoice; however, that could just mean that any digital talkgroups that exist didn't make it to the database. It's really too early to tell if there will be any true improvement with the new TRX-1, let alone if any improvement is worth the price tag. If FM interference is an issue, I'm sure you can get an FM trap for much less than the price premium of the newer model.

The library import function is nice when traveling and you don't have time to create a custom V-Scanner folder.

It looks like there are a couple of simulcast systems in your area. The consumer scanners generally struggle with P25 simulcast.

 

[SirJ]

Let's get off the Trx kick I'm not buying that scanner. No use for that model.

 

[AggieCon]

For some reason, it looks like the 1080 is going for closer to $400 at the moment. At any rate, if you manage your expectations for simulcast, I think you will be happy with the 1080. I don't think the 1088 is worth an extra $100, but, if you have cash burning a hole in your pocket, that scanner won't disappoint either.

The P25 Phase 2 TDMA voice sounds amazing when it decodes well; it's like the person calling is in the room with you. The speaker is pretty good too. It's easy enough to jump between monitoring, scanning, and searching.

The software can be a pain.

There are tons of threads in the Whistler forum. If you go through a dozen or so of them, I think you'll understand what you're getting yourself into.

 

[SirJ]

I was able to use the free radio shack software and program my 106 in under 20minutes.
I hope the ws1080 software is the same.....?

Does anyone own both the pro 106 and ws1080 and can tell. Me if the audio Is louder out of the box on the ws1080? Yea just found out there is a audio boost option on the pro 106 haven't tried it yet as I am more then likely going to sell it in the next coming days.

 

[Nasby]

I was able to use the free radio shack software and program my 106 in under 20minutes.
I hope the ws1080 software is the same.....?

Does anyone own both the pro 106 and ws1080 and can tell. Me if the audio Is louder out of the box on the ws1080? Yea just found out there is a audio boost option on the pro 106 haven't tried it yet as I am more then likely going to sell it in the next coming days.

I have both units. I'll warn you that you are in for a very rude awakening if you think the WS1080 software will be as easy to use as the 106 software. It takes several adult beverages and patience to get the hang of the so called EZ Scan software.
As for audio, they are about equal. The 106 sounds a bit more crisp in my opinion.
Both units are top notch in properly tracking digital trunking systems and they both receive VHF frequencies quite well.

 

[trp2525]

For some reason, it looks like the 1080 is going for closer to $400 at the moment...

As I posted above, you can buy the Whistler WS1080 brand-new for $350 here: WS1080 Low Price plus 18 shipping - $350.00 : The Hamstation!, Your one stop on-line source for amateur radio fun.

 

[SirJ]

I have both units. I'll warn you that you are in for a very rude awakening if you think the WS1080 software will be as easy to use as the 106 software. It takes several adult beverages and patience to get the hang of the so called EZ Scan software.
As for audio, they are about equal. The 106 sounds a bit more crisp in my opinion.
Both units are top notch in properly tracking digital trunking systems and they both receive VHF frequencies quite well.

Even when I had a home patrol 1 I still built my own banks./ lists I rarely used the location based software. Hopefully this is do able on the ws1080. I was able to obtain a copy of the whistler software. It's very different then others

 

[Nasby]

Not saying you won't be able to master the software for the 1088, it's just very, very different from the PRO-106 software.

 

[AggieCon]

The software is the worst thing about Whister scanners. You will not be able to export anything from the software. You can import, but it is buggy; not all fields import properly. Also, there is bug when moving scanlists around. If you want, I can post some links to other threads detailing the software.

To be fair, it is slowly improving... Since the update, you can actually see the frequencies in your scanlists...