Whistler WS1010 Scanner

Manufacturer's SKU or unique product number.

There are two scanner manufacturers: Whistler and Uniden.

There are 3 'types' of scanners:
Handheld
Home
Vehicle

Handhelds account for 75% of all scanner sales.

Scanners are able to monitor 4 format types:
Digital Phase 2 (APCO P25)
Digital Phase 1
Trunked
Analog

Digital Phase 2 scanners can pick up all 4 formats. All communication is moving to Digital Phase 2, and we highly recommend buying this format.

Scanners are able to monitor 4 format types:
Digital Phase 2 (APCO P25)
Digital Phase 1
Trunked
Analog

Phase 1 digital scanners can only pick up Digital Phase 1, Trunked, and Analog formats. All communication is moving to Digital Phase 2, so we highly recommend buying that format.

Scanners are able to monitor 4 format types:
Digital Phase 2 (APCO P25)
Digital Phase 1
Trunked
Analog

Trunking or Trunked scanners can pick up Trunked & Analog, but not Digital Phase 1 or 2. All communication is moving to Digital Phase 2, so we highly recommend buying that format.

Scanners are able to monitor 4 format types:
Digital Phase 2 (APCO P25)
Digital Phase 1
Trunked
Analog

Analog scanners can only pick up Analog, and not Trunked, Digital Phase 1 or 2. All communication is moving to Digital Phase 2, so we highly recommend buying that format.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and all emergency weather communication is broadcast on the analog format throughout the US.

These are all a suite of standards that basically mean
Digital Phase 2:

P25
TDMA
APCO-25
LTR
Analog Motorola
Digital Motorola

If you purchase a Digital Phase 2 scanner, you can access all of these.

EDACS is a Digital Phase 2 format used sparingly in the US. Only a few scanners can pick up EDACS, and some require an upgrade to do this.

Want to know if your area is affected? EDACS Questions?

Learn About EDACS Press esc to close

Scanners pick up frequencies in the 25-1300 Mhz range. This gets needlessly technical, so we recommend focusing on the 4 formats:

Digital Phase 2
Phase 1 Digital
Trunked
Analog

Basically the Digital Phase 2 scanners can pick up the full spectrum (25-1300Mhz) of frequencies, and the other 'formats' can only pick up certain segments of it.

Some scanners are able to pick up AM & FM radio.

The number of channels or frequencies that can be saved to this scanner.

Some Digital Phase 1 & 2 scanners are GPS capable. GPS allows users in vehicles to pinpoint their exact location, allowing new frequencies to load onto their scanner as they move to new areas. In order to use GPS on your scanner, a GPS device is required.

Alpha tags are short descriptions under 12 characters used to label frequencies and talk groups.

Network Access Code (NAC) is a user programmable 12-bit code that prefixes every packet of data sent (including voice packets). NAC codes minimize co-channel interference and allow repeater addressing. Example: 156 = DEA, 330 = FBI

Essentially this allows the scanner to operate in a standby mode and only respond to fire tone-outs, which are audible tones that alert specific resources. In this setting, no radio transmissions are audible until a specific set of tones are broadcast.

Location-based scanning allows you to control which systems/sites and channel groups are scanned based on your exact location. This frees you from having to manually enable and disable channel groups or systems as you change location.

Rapidly detects and monitors frequencies close by. Can be used to pick up nearby radio transmissions when on-the-go.

Allows you to record conversations for later playback.

A backlit keypad allows the scanner to be used easily in the dark.

All scanners use buttons to interface with the device, except the HomePatrol 1 and the HomePatrol 2. Users accustomed to using iPads & smartphones may prefer using a touchscreen instead of buttons.

The scanner has an audio AV input that can be used with a headset or an external speaker.

All scanners can be programmed via PCs, but not Mac's. There is no Mac compatible software. If you have a Mac, we can program your scanner for you.

All scanners can be programmed via PCs, but not Mac's. There is no Mac compatible software. If you have a Mac, we can program your scanner for you.

Scanner comes with software and frequencies, but still requires set up.

Some digital scanners come with software, which allows you to program your scanner on a PC computer and upload to your device. Depending on the model, there is aftermarket software available for most scanners costing $0-$50.

Some digital scanners come with US & Canadian frequencies. If Radio Reference lists what you want to hear, it's on the scanner.

Memory - this only affects digital scanners driven via SD cards. 2 GB of memory is far more than most users will ever use, unless recording hundreds of hours of conversations.

Simple and older scanner models have dynamic memory. The memory of newer digital scanners is driven via an SD card, which has many benefits.

Estimated scanner reception range without antenna upgrade. Scanners work on line-of-sight, not satellites, so topography makes a large difference. Anything from a tree, hill, or a factory can affect reception.

All battery operated police scanners use AA batteries.

The available scanner use on a single charge.

Pro Tip: We highly recommend buying the high power batteries on this page for the maximum scanner lifetime."

Both Whistler & Uniden scanner radios have a 1-year warranty.