Scanners
Comments ▾
Tables ▾

Whistler WS1080 / WS1088 · Volume 4

Whistler WS1080 / WS1088 — Vol 4: Firmware, Upgrades & Buying

The GRE PSR-800 platform under the Whistler badge, and the PRO-668 and upgraded units that share it

4.1 About this volume

This volume answers the practical questions about owning or buying a radio from the WS1080 family in 2026. The short answers:

  • The firmware is finished. CPU U4.8 is the last release for the WS1080 and WS1088, and upgraded legacy radios run the same line. Nothing newer will come.
  • Software and library updates still work. Goliad hosts EZ-Scan 2.51.0.707 and the U4.8 updaters, and weekly RadioReference Library builds have flowed again since February 2025.
  • DMR is included on a WS1080 or WS1088 (free since 2016), but it follows talkgroups by scanning site frequencies rather than a control channel.
  • NXDN, ProVoice and encrypted voice are permanently out of reach. NXDN requires a TRX-1 or TRX-2.
  • The Whistler Official Upgrade, which turns a PSR-800, PRO-18 or PRO-668 into a WS1080, has conflicting availability reports in 2026. Confirm by email before shipping a radio.
  • Repair is effectively unavailable for these discontinued models. Buy with that in mind.

4.2 Start here: identify the radio and its firmware

Three things establish what a unit in this family actually is:

  1. The badge and keypad. A 10-key WS1080, a 23-key WS1088, a RadioShack PRO-668, or a GRE PSR-800 or RadioShack PRO-18.
  2. The boot (loader) version. A PSR-800, PRO-18 or PRO-668 that shows boot 2.0 has been through the Whistler Official Upgrade and is supported as a WS1080. A 2026 owner report says holding MENU at power-on displays the boot version; TRX-series owners use MENU at the welcome screen to show CPU and DSP versions, and the same method is reported for this family.
  3. The CPU and DSP versions. CPU U4.8 is final. A CPU 3.x build on a PSR-800 or PRO-668, or a DSP between 3.1 and 4.6 on a radio that was never officially upgraded, suggests the unofficial WS1080-derived firmware that carries a date lockout (below).

EZ-Scan also reports the radio’s model and firmware versions when it connects, which is the easiest check on a unit in hand. A seller can be asked for a photo of the power-on screen.

4.3 Firmware and updater paths

Normal updates go through EZ-Scan’s update check: it offers CPU firmware, DSP firmware and Library builds, and writes them over USB or to the card. The PSR-800 family’s standing advice applies: power off before changing cards, use a card reader for large transfers, and back up the card first (Vol 2).

Standalone CPU updaters exist for recovery, when the radio’s CPU firmware has been lost or corrupted. Goliad’s downloads page offers two for this family:

Table 1 — Standalone CPU updaters exist for recovery, when the radio's CPU firmware has been lost or corrupted. Goliad's downloads page offers two for this family

UpdaterFor
CPU Updater for WS1080, U4.8Factory WS1080 and WS1088 radios
CPU Updater WS1080, U4.8 Boot 2.0Radios with the newer boot 2.0 loader, which is what the Whistler Official Upgrade installs on legacy units

A 2021 RadioReference thread refers to a separate “Legacy” U4.8 updater for upgraded PSR-800s; the Boot 2.0 file on today’s page appears to be that updater, although the page does not say so. Firmware update mode is entered by holding MENU while plugging in the USB cable.

Two cautions:

  • Match the updater to the loader. Loading the wrong CPU image can erase the radio’s firmware; the community GREFwTool warns of the same failure with GRE’s application. When in doubt, ask Whistler support on RadioReference before flashing.
  • Do not use GRE’s PC application’s CPU update on an upgraded radio. An upgraded unit belongs to WS1080 EZ-Scan from then on.

The community GREFwTool (GPL-3.0) can read and write CPU and DSP firmware on the PSR-800, PRO-18, PRO-668 and WS1080 and is described in the PSR-800 Upgrades & Firmware volume. It is unofficial, and Whistler treats radios that have run unofficial firmware as a separate, more expensive upgrade case.

4.4 The Whistler Official Upgrade

4.4.1 What it is

Announced on RadioReference on 2017-05-19 and opened in June 2017, the Whistler Official Upgrade (WOU, also called the Legacy Upgrade) is a mail-in service for three radios:

  • the GRE PSR-800,
  • the RadioShack PRO-18,
  • the RadioShack PRO-668.

Whistler replaces the bootloader with its boot 2.0 loader and loads WS1080 CPU and DSP firmware. There is no hardware change; all four radios share the same CPU flash size. The radio must be in working order with no visible damage.

4.4.2 What it adds

Table 2 — What it adds

RadioGains from the upgrade
PSR-800DMR (conventional, Capacity Plus, Connect Plus, Linked Capacity Plus, Hytera XPT) and the WS1080’s later firmware fixes; P25 Phase II was already present from GRE’s firmware
PRO-18DMR and P25 Phase II, plus the WS1080 feature set and fixes
PRO-668DMR and the WS1080 firmware line (RadioShack’s CPU 2.4 was far behind)

It does not add NXDN; the flash limit applies to upgraded radios exactly as to factory WS1080s. The DMR support works by site-frequency scanning, as described in Vol 2.

After the upgrade the radio counts as a WS1080 for software and support. It needs the WS1080 driver and WS1080 EZ-Scan, not GRE’s application or RadioShack’s iScan. Whistler support confirmed in May 2026 that WS1080 EZ-Scan “works on all WS1080, WS1088, and Legacy Upgraded models just as before” — the firmest current statement about the upgrade.

4.4.3 Price history

Table 3 — Price history

WhenPriceTerms
June 2017 (launch)$59.99Owner ships in; Whistler pays return shipping; about two weeks
Later (RadioReference wiki, 2023–24)$69.99Units on correct model firmware
Later$99.99Units that have run unofficial or patched firmware; DMR may be cancelled and the loader, CPU and DSP locked on such units
Later$129.99With optional cosmetic repair
August 2026about $100One owner’s quote; see below

4.4.4 Status in 2026

Availability under Goliad is uncertain, and reports conflict:

  • May 2025: a Whistler representative reportedly said the upgrade “will be available”.
  • June 2026: owners were directed to [email protected] and told Goliad would reply with instructions and payment options.
  • July 2026: one owner was told Whistler is “NO LONGER upgrading the older units”.
  • August 2026: another owner received a quote of about $100 but no payment link after repeated calls.

Goliad’s downloads page lists no upgrade offer. Anyone considering the upgrade should get written confirmation of price, turnaround and the current shipping address before sending a radio; addresses in older forum posts predate Goliad. For a buyer, an already-upgraded unit is worth more than an unupgraded one that depends on the service.

4.5 Unofficial firmware and the date lockout

Around 2016–17, unofficial WS1080-derived firmware circulated as a way to add DMR to PSR-800 and PRO-668 radios. Some builds contain a date lockout: accounts differ, citing clock dates after 2017-05-31 (CPU 3.1 with DSP 4.6) or after 2017-07-01 (a late-June DSP 3.1 build). Past the trigger the radio locks up or loses DMR. Every present-day date is past both triggers. Whistler repaired affected radios for about $89 in 2017 and later priced upgrades of such radios at $99.99, warning that DMR could be permanently disabled.

A listing that says “upgraded to DMR” does not distinguish the official upgrade (boot 2.0, WS1080 firmware) from these builds. The details, and why a PSR-800’s clock loss after a battery change makes the lockout easy to trip, are in the PSR-800 Upgrades & Firmware volume.

4.6 Support under Goliad

Table 4 — Support under Goliad

AreaSituation in 2026
New salesNone of these models is sold. Goliad sells the TRX-1 ($599.99) and TRX-2 ($679.99) from this lineage.
SoftwareEZ-Scan 2.51.0.707 and the U4.8 updaters on the downloads page; confirmed working for WS1080, WS1088 and upgraded radios (May 2026).
LibraryWeekly builds through EZ-Scan since about 2025-02-22; a one-day server outage in June 2026. No subscription needed.
WarrantyPre-acquisition warranties honoured “to the best of our ability” per Goliad’s FAQ; every WS1080-family radio is long out of warranty.
RepairNot effectively available. In April 2026 a WS1088 owner reports a USB-port repair was declined with a TRX-1 trade-in suggested (unconfirmed). Radios at the old Whistler for repair in 2024 were reportedly not part of Goliad’s purchase.
Contact[email protected] and the contact form (confirmed); the Whistler_Support account on RadioReference (confirmed, active 2025–26); [email protected] (likely).

4.7 What the WS1080 family can’t hear

  • NXDN and Icom IDAS. Never, on any model in this family, upgraded or not.
  • EDACS ProVoice. Never.
  • Encrypted voice of any kind (DES, AES, ADP). The radio detects encryption and mutes; no consumer scanner can decrypt. See the Decrypting deep dive.
  • DMR on a stock PRO-668, PRO-18 or PSR-800 that has not been upgraded.
  • MotoTRBO Capacity Max (Tier III) and control-channel-dependent DMR features; DMR is followed only by scanning site frequencies.
  • D-STAR, System Fusion, dPMR, TETRA, OpenSky and other digital modes the platform was never designed for.
  • Out-of-coverage bands: nothing from 54 to 108 MHz (so no FM broadcast), 174–216 MHz, 512–764 MHz, and the blocked cellular segments.
  • LTE and FirstNet push-to-talk, which is carried over cellular data rather than land-mobile radio.
  • Simulcast P25 at the edge. Not a decode gap but a performance limit: owners and dealers consistently rate the platform weaker than Uniden’s SDS series on P25 simulcast (LSM) sites.

A RadioReference database listing for a system does not mean the radio can decode it; check the system type against this list.

4.8 Buying a used unit

4.8.1 Checklist

  1. Identify the model and firmware (Start here). Prefer CPU U4.8; for a PSR-800, PRO-18 or PRO-668, confirm boot 2.0 if it is sold as upgraded.
  2. Rule out unofficial firmware. CPU 3.x or DSP 3.1–4.6 on a never-upgraded legacy radio means the date-lockout risk and a costlier upgrade case.
  3. Check DMR if it matters. Load a DMR object, or ask the seller for a screen showing a DMR talkgroup.
  4. Card present and healthy. The microSD card is often missing from listings. The radio should boot without 03-xx (card) or 05-xx (configuration) errors.
  5. USB Mini-B jack. It is the only data and charging port, and repair is not available. Confirm the card mounts on a PC and the battery icon animates while charging.
  6. Battery compartment. Door latch, corrosion, and the ALK/NiMH switch set correctly.
  7. Keypad and display. Every key (23 on a WS1088), backlight, all LCD rows, the tri-color LED, the squelch knob and the BNC jack.
  8. Serial label. Often worn off; useful as evidence of the model if the badge has been swapped.
  9. Software. Confirm the seller’s model matches the software needed: WS1080 EZ-Scan for WS1080, WS1088 and upgraded radios; iScan only for a stock PRO-668.

4.8.2 Prices

Price data for these radios is weak. The last well-documented street prices are from 2016: about $350 for a WS1080 and $449.95 for a WS1088 new, and about $185–295 for used PRO-668s on eBay in December 2016. Completed-sale prices for 2025–26 could not be measured. The main anchor today is the new TRX-1 at $599.99, which caps what a discontinued, unrepairable WS1080 or WS1088 is worth. An officially upgraded legacy radio with its card, cable and manual sits near the WS1080; an unupgraded PRO-668 or PSR-800 sits well below it while the upgrade’s availability is in doubt.

4.8.3 Choosing within the family, and beyond

Table 5 — Choosing within the family, and beyond

NeedBest fit
P25 Phase II and analog trunking, lowest costA WS1080 or an upgraded legacy radio
Field programming without a PCWS1088
DMR on this platformWS1080 / WS1088 (factory) or an officially upgraded legacy radio
NXDN, a maker still building the radio, a protective case in the boxWhistler TRX-1, new — see the TRX-1 / TRX-2 deep dive
A base or mobile set on this platformWS1095 / WS1098 or TRX-2 — see the WS1095 / WS1098 deep dive
Heavy P25 simulcast, ProVoice, control-channel DMR/NXDN trunking, active manufacturer repairA Uniden SDS100 or SDS200 — see the SDS100 Upgrades & Firmware volume

4.9 Downloads and manuals

Table 6 — Downloads and manuals

ResourceUse
Whistler/Goliad downloads pageEZ-Scan 2.51.0.707 for WS1080, WS1088 and upgraded radios; CPU updater U4.8; U4.8 Boot 2.0
WS1080 / WS1088 Owner’s Manual, part 1 · part 2Whistler’s manual, as filed with the FCC
RadioShack PRO-668 Owner’s ManualStock PRO-668 operation
Whistler Remote Control Protocol v1.7Remote control and CC Dump for developers
RadioReference wiki: Whistler Official UpgradeUpgrade terms and history
GREFwToolUnofficial community firmware tool (use with the cautions above)

Sources

Comments (0)

  1. Loading…

Comments are held for moderation — nothing appears until approved.