Whistler WS1040 Handheld Digital Scanner – P25 Phase I, Trunking, Same Weather Alerts, Multi-System Support, Programmable, PC Interface, LED & Audio Alerts

If programming a scanner scares you, maybe I can help and save you a few bucks. I’ve been there. I’ll explain later.First off, the WS-1040 is a fantastic scanner. When programmed correctly, it has more bells and whistles than a circus train and leaves nothing to be desired in the way of a scanner. The specs are on the money and correct to a T.The most difficult part is the programming.If you wish to do it yourself, WIN500 from Radio Reference or Starrsoft is highly recommended but it is a PC based program. It will not work on Mac.Butel, ARC500 software is what I use. It is also PC based.Here's a WARNING based on my 4 years of experience starting as a dummy knowing nothing.In 2012, I didn't know anyone who could program a scanner for me. Numerous negative reviews stating “difficult to program” scared me away from trying it myself. So, I ordered a GRE PSR500 from an online SCANNER retailer that offered pre-programming for 1 county for $70.00. I thought it would be great to have my scanner working right out of the box. This was a huge mistake. I felt like I’d just had a bad night at Vegas and didn’t even get a kiss.The scanner did not work out of the box. An expensive amplifier was a waste. I emailed the seller twice and explained my problem. They told me to call them.Having worked on an I.T. help desk for a major corporation for years, I fully understand the obstacles involved in communication between the trained and untrained even when both parties speak the same language fluently. That's seldom the case anymore. I've written trouble-shooting flow charts and know they exist on any help desk, however, they are not about to email them to a customer. Programming a digital scanner is a complicated process. Attempting to do so over the telephone was more than I was willing to endure.Finally, through an Internet search, I located a local HAM radio club. Almost immediately, a half dozen members responded who were willing to help me out. I was totally impressed and pleasantly surprised.Amateur (ham) radio operators are a great group of guys. As Yogi Bear might say, “They are smarter than the average bear.”I live in a small county with only eight frequencies. The SCANNER seller had not programmed any of them. The amateur (ham) operator deleted all incorrect data and cloned my GRE PSR500 to his. The results were amazing.Whistler bought GRE. GRE made Radio Shack scanners. Therefore, the Pro106, Pro107 and GRE PSR500 are internally the same as the WS-1040. They can all be cloned from each other by pressing 3 keys. The SIMPLE instructions are on page 19 of the WS-1040 owner’s manual. All that’s needed is a cable with a 1/8-inch(3.5 mm) male stereo phone plug on each end, NOT INCLUDED. I use Amazon Basics.The WS1040 is compatible with the following scannermodels: PRO-106, PRO-197, PRO-651, PRO-652, GREPSR-500, PSR-600, WS1040, and WS1065.To clone a scanner: 1. Connect the two scanners at their PC/IF ports. 2. Turn on both scanners. 3. On the source scanner, press PGM. 4. Press the GLOB softkey. 5. Use the 4-direction keypad to locate the CloneSend option. 6. Press SEL to transfer data.Since my GRE PSR500 settings were saved on ARC500 software in my PC. I plugged in my WS-1040 with the supplied data cable and uploaded. I was scanning in one minute.The WS-1040 has 7 color coded lights that can be set by the programmer to flash or stay steady indicating which agency is transmitting. I love this feature. I listen to two police departments, county sheriff’s office, EMS and Fire. I can tell by the color and flashing sequence of the lights which agency is transmitting from across the room. This is really helpful anytime you're not holding the scanner in your hand. The LED and keypad can also be programmed to illuminate as the user desires. This is a great amenity in low light conditions.Pre-programming services do NOT program such luxury features.There is NO refund on pre-programming service whether it works or not. A pre-programming service is not for the benefit of the buyer, it merely helps the online retailer make more sales to nervous first-time buyers like myself. And making sales is what business is all about.Had the SCANNER online help desk been able to get me up and running over the phone, I would have never realized what I was missing and would have probably been willing to accept the very minimum this scanner has to offer.If a new, pre-programmed scanner DOES work out of the box, it will be the very minimum at best and most users will probably be willing to accept it. As a result, they will never know what they're missing.Here’s the SUGAR FROSTING: Someone in your area owns one of the above mentioned radios and probably has it programmed exactly as you would like. Start by searching the Internet for local HAM Radio clubs and send them an email. They are willing to help beginners get started and will clone it for you in a heartbeat at NO charge. If they have a frequency that you do not want like the FAA tower, delete it.Do it right from the beginning and you will be a HAPPY SCANNER.I didn’t do it right from the beginning and it cost me big.In 2012, the GRE PSR500 was $500.00.IN 2016, the WS-1040 is about $265.00.SCANNING IS GETTING CHEAPER AND THAT MAKES ME A HAPPY SCANNER.UPDATE 9/9/21. I cloned 2 WS1040 scanners. Here are easier-to-follow instructions on cloning.CLONING WHISTLER WS1040 SCANNERAll that’s needed is a cable with a 1/8-inch(3.5 mm) male stereo phone plug on each end.Connect the two scanners at their PC/IF ports.Turn on both scanners.On the source scanner, press PGM.Press the GLOB softkey F3. Will be lit.GLOB will appear on screen above.Use the 4-direction keypad to locate the CloneSend option.Press SEL to transfer data.Disconnect cable.Press SCAN key and you’re in business.

So-far so-good. It has only been a few days though. So I am a ham operator and been a scanner hobbyist since I got my first police scanner from my grandpa at age 7. I wanted a scanner that was capable of receiving a large variety of digital signals without breaking the bank for software keys like other scanners.So the TL;DR is, It of course is picking up all the analog signals just fine in my local immediate area. At my house it does get a weak signal on the P25 Starcom system but that is expected as I don't live immediately close to a transmitter and I've only been using the rubber ducky antenna supplied with the scanner. Keep in mind, with digital it is different than analog. The signal is either there or not there. With UHF, location, altitude & the antenna mean everything. So I ordered a BNC adapter to try hooking it up to an antenna on my roof. So inside my home right now, the P25 system comes and goes to the point I can't understand anything. However, when I was on the road yesterday, as soon as I got out closer to areas that actually use the Starcom P25 Phase 2 system, it was working great! I also tried it with DMR and it worked great with that system as well. Our schools are using an NXDN system but since its summer break I haven't been able to test it on that mode yet.I travel state to state quite often in areas that mostly only use P25 Phase 1 without any encryption so it should work just fine if programed for the proper towers I will be near (and like i said, i am a licensed amateur radio operator so I can scan & drive legally before the Karens wine about it). It has also been working with Starcom as well for now like I said, but I don't plan on using it for that system as reliable sources that work for the state have told me several times that Motorola is planning on making the entire statewide starcom system encrypted soon. So just a heads up to anyone that wants to make a purchase solely for listening to starcom related traffic (although they have been saying that for quite a while now).I'll edit if my thoughts on the product or anything changes in the next month or two.73s