Frequently Asked Questions

No. Goliad Products is housed in the USA and is dedicated to providing the same level and quality of service.

Warranties within the warranty period will still be honored to the best of our ability through the end of the period.

To get the backlight to stay on, follow these steps:

1) Hold the PGM button
2) While holding the PGM button, press and release the light button. The unit will beep
3) Release PGM

The backlight will now remain on.

NOTE: This procedure is required each time the unit is turned on.

WS1040, WS1065: Check our scanner downloads page to see if there is an update.

WS1080/88, WS1095/98 & TRX 1/2: Launch the EZ Scan software that came with the scanner. Normally it will automatically look for all updates. If launched in the last few days and you want to force the check, click on the Updates tab and select Check for All Updates.

Trunking systems are best programmed using 3rd party PC software. If programming is not done correctly it can make the scanner not function properly.

1. Press PROG. 3 menu items show up above the F keys (F1, F2, F3)
2. Press F1 (NEW) then F2 (CONV)
3. Flashing cursor is on Scan lists. Default Scan list is Scan list 1 (*01). The * indicates that Scan list is selected.
4. Press the Down button to FREQ:
5. Press the SEL button. Enter the frequency you want to listen to. Make sure that you use the decimal point when entering in frequencies, i.e., 154.235
6. Press F1 (DONE) when completed entering in the frequency.
7. Press Down again to the TAG: option. Here is where you would name the Frequency.
8. When finished press F1 (Done)
9. Optional: Press Down again to the SQ Mode option for squelch type and code.
10. For LED options, press the Down button to LED Mode and LED Color settings.
11. When finished press F1 (Save)
12. When saved you can add another frequency by repeating from step 2, or press SCAN button to finish.

You can also watch a video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ebba-OpycNc

Note: Above video is not associated with The Whistler Group.

NOTE: It is best to use 3rd party PC software. If programming is not done correctly it can make the scanner not function properly.

Creating the System:

1. Press PROG. 3 menu items show up above the F keys (F1, F2, F3)
2. Press F1 (NEW) then F1 (TGRP)
3. Flashing cursor is on Scan lists. Default Scan list is Scan list 1 (*01).
4. Press the Down button to TSYS:
5. Press the SEL button. Use the Right or Left arrows to select the correct Trunking System type.
6. Press Down again to the TAG: option to name the Trunking System.
7. Press F1 (Done) when naming the TAG field.
8. Press the Down button to Frequencies: Press SEL
9. Flashing cursor is on the "Ch01" Frequency for the trunking system.
10. Press the SEL button. Enter the first frequency (Primary Frequency).
11. Press F1 (Done) to save. Press Down to the next frequency (Ch02).
12. Repeat for remaining Primary and Secondary frequencies.
13. Press F1 (Save) twice when completed.

Creating/adding a TalkGroup to a System:

1. Flashing cursor is on TSYS:. It should show the System name.
2. Press Down to ID: Default is WILDCARD.
3. Press FUNC/CL to remove WILDCARD text and enter the talkgroup number.
4. Press Down to TYPE: select Group or Private.
5. Press Down to TAG: name the TalkGroup.
6. Press F1 (Save) when completed.

You can also watch these videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWrOAEaTRv0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjGhAydPPmo

Note: Above videos are not associated with The Whistler Group.

NOTE: This article is not applicable to the WS1010, WS1025, WS1040 or the WS1065.

The EZ Scan software comes on the scanner's SD Card. Connect the cable to your Windows PC or alternately, turn the scanner off, remove the SD card and put it in your PC's SD card reader. After a moment, your PC will recognize the SD card and give it a drive assignment. Browse to the Software folder and launch the setup.exe file. Follow the prompts.

In the event that you cannot find the setup file, it can be downloaded from our Scanner Download page. Each model has a different version, so be sure to download the version for your scanner.

You can view the PSREdit500 guide here:

Using PSREdit500

No, the protective case is only available for the PSR-800, Pro-18, Pro-668, WS1080, WS1088 and the TRX-1.

No, Whistler scanners are only radio scanners. They do not have the ability to transmit and are strictly only receivers. You will not be able to communicate using the scanner, only listen to the transmission.

Most likely you unchecked the Scan Set 01 box. Please go to the "What is a Scan Set" FAQ for a complete explanation.

The quick fix: From the Main Menu scroll down to Scan Sets. Press the right arrow. Press Select to put a checkmark in Scan Set 01. Press the left arrow to exit. Done!

01-00 General heap error — Contact Support and provide error code information

01-01 Unable to allocate from heap — Contact Support and provide error code information

02-00 Unknown object type in data — Use PC Application to delete any corrupted objects or create a new configuration

02-01 Unknown TSYS type in data — Use PC Application to delete any corrupted TSYS objects or create a new configuration

03-00 No MicroSD card inserted — Ensure that a properly formatted MicroSD card is fully inserted and locked in the MicroSD slot.

03-01 General error initializing file system — Reinsert the SD card to ensure it is fully inserted. If necessary, reformat the SD card using the PC Application "Prepare SD Card for use" option.

03-02 Cluster size bad — Reinsert the MicroSD card. If necessary, reformat using PC Application. Replace if the problem persists.

03-03 Error reading SD card — Reinsert the MicroSD card. Reformat if necessary. Replace if the problem persists.

03-04 Error writing SD card — Reinsert the MicroSD card. Reformat if necessary. Replace if the problem persists.

03-05 MicroSD card is full — Reduce size of configuration, remove unnecessary audio recordings or switch to a MicroSD card with more capacity.

03-06 MicroSD card write protected — Reinsert the MicroSD card. Reformat if necessary. Replace if the problem persists.

03-07 Mass storage mode is active — Under normal conditions this error should not appear. Disconnect the radio from the computer, wait a few seconds, then reconnect. Contact Support if the problem persists.

03-08 Unknown MicroSD card read/write error — Reinsert the MicroSD card. Reformat if necessary. Replace if the problem persists.

04-00 / 04-01 / 04-02 Initialization / Firmware load error — Contact Support and provide error code information.

05-00 Unable to load CONFIG_.BIN — Reformat the SD card using the PC Application "Prepare SD Card for use" option.

05-01 / 05-02 / 05-03 CONFIG_.BIN file error — Reformat the MicroSD card using the PC Application. Replace if the problem persists.

Launch the EZ Scan software, connect the USB cable to your PC and the scanner. The scanner must be off. Click on the Scanner/SD card tab and select Prepare Scanner Memory/SD Card for Use. Check ALL THREE boxes. Confirm the correct drive is highlighted, click FORMAT. At the prompt, press ENTER and follow the prompts.

The same process works and is faster if you have an SD Card reader on your PC. When done, click CLOSE, reinstall the SD card if using a card reader. Power up the scanner. If you stored your programming data in the EZ Scan software everything is up and running again. If you never saved it to the PC, then your scanner is restored to factory defaults and is ready to program again.

Most states do not restrict use of a scanner. If your state does, check with your local Sheriff's office or City Police. If you have a valid reason to have a scanner they can issue a permit.

A Heap Error can be caused when you are entering a new talkgroup ID (manually programming) and fail to assign a TSYS (leaving it set to "NEW"). This is rather like saying deliver this package, but not providing a method to deliver it.

If your scanner will let you review objects, search for an object where the name of the TSYS is "NEW" and either delete it or assign it to the correct TSYS.

One of two issues causes this error:

1. No frequencies have been programmed into the scanner
2. One of the banks are not turned on

To correct #1, press PGM and enter a frequency.

To correct #2, look at the top of the display and you will see BANK and numbers 1-10. They all should be underlined. If one of them is not, let's say Bank 1, then simply press 1 to turn on that bank. The error should clear right away.

Windows 8.0, 8.1, and 10 require digitally signed drivers. There is a way to get around this:

1. Go to Start Menu
2. Hold down Shift key and press Restart under Power menu item
3. Under Choose an Option, select "Troubleshoot"
4. Select "Advanced Options"
5. Select "Startup Settings"
6. Press Restart
7. Press 7 for Unsigned Drivers

Once restarted, login as normal, then:

1. Go to Device Manager in Control Panel
2. Select Ports (Com + LPT)
3. You should see "USB Serial Device (ComX)" when your scanner is connected
4. Right click on the USB device and select "Update Driver Software"
5. Select "Browse My Computer for Driver Software"
6. At the bottom, select "Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer"
7. Highlight the scanner Serial Device as applicable
8. Click Next
9. Select "Install this driver software anyway"
10. Click Close

The driver will now be installed.

This will depend on the scanner that you have and what you would like to hear.

A basic VHF/UHF scanner covers both the VHF and UHF business bands, all NOAA weather broadcast frequencies, Skywarn, some satellite frequencies, Civil Air Patrol search and rescue frequencies, all FRS and GMRS frequencies, three ham bands (6 meters, 2 meters and 70 cm), the full marine radio band, railroad communications, government services, professional race car drivers (including NASCAR and Indy leagues), and the full commercial aircraft band. Many VHF scanners tune down to 25 MHz so they can also tune the CB radio band.

A 700/800 MHz trunking scanner is needed to monitor most Police, Fire and Emergency Frequencies. Check your county at www.radioreference.com to learn what type of radio system is used in your area.

All scanners have birdie frequencies, which are signals created inside a scanner that can cause interference.

To find the birdies in your scanner:

1. Disconnect the antenna, and make sure that no other nearby radio or TV sets are turned on.
2. Search every frequency range from its lowest frequency to the highest. Occasionally, the searching will stop as if it has found a signal, often without any sound. This is a birdie.
3. Make a list of all the birdies in your scanner for future reference.

It is an organized collection of scannable objects. A scanlist can be 1 object or as many as you like. Generally you would organize your scanlists by community and by service.

Examples:

• Hurst Police
• Hurst Fire
• Southlake Police
• Southlake Fire
• Traffic Helo's
• Medivac
• Skywarn

A bank is a group of memory channels. A scanner with 200 channels will most likely be organized into 10 banks of 20 channels each. If you program 5 frequencies into the first bank, then more in bank 2, then 15 memory channels are left empty in bank 1, but the advantage is that you can turn banks on and off, so it gives you a way to select what you want to scan by bank.

Today, new scanner designs allocate memory dynamically into Scanlists. Scanlists can contain as few as one item or as many as you like so they do not waste memory.

A Scan Set is very different than a Scanlist. A Scanlist is a group of objects you want to scan. A Scan Set allows you to enable or disable groups of Scanlists.

Let's say you live in one county and work in another. You can create a Scan Set for work county and another for home county. Then by turning on one Scan Set and the other off, you can completely switch large groups of Scanlists without toggling all the Scanlists.

By default, Scan Set 01 is set to on and every Scanlist is a member of that Scan Set. If you go to Scan Sets and uncheck Scan Set 01 you will get an error, "Nothing to Scan." This is because the scanner first goes to Scan Sets to see which Scanlists are enabled. Simply go back to Scan Sets and put a check in the Scan Set 01 position.

There are a few different pieces of software that you can use to program your WS1040 and WS1065. These are all 3rd party software and more information regarding download and/or purchase can be found on their respective websites.

• PSREdit500 - PSREdit
• BuTel ARC500 - BuTel

No. The WS1010 is only capable of receiving analog signals.

It is illegal to use a scanner to listen to an encrypted channel therefore the scanner will not decode those channels.

Squelch may not be properly adjusted. To correct:

1. Remove antenna
2. Press the Storm Cloud button
3. Turn Squelch knob to MIN, you should hear static — Now turn it slowly clockwise just so the static stops.
4. Replace antenna and if the unit is programmed press the SCAN button. If not, then press one of the pre-programmed services (Aircraft/Marine/Ham/Fire-Police).

This indicates that the frequency is not within the range limits of the scanner. See the Specifications section of the manual for covered frequency ranges.

If you pressed the FIRE icon button it is possible that the frequencies pre-programmed in the scanner do not include your area. These pre-programmed frequencies are generally common Police/Fire frequencies.

Please visit www.radioreference.com and click on the database button. Select your state and county to find the correct frequencies for your area.

The Keyboard is locked. There should be a key icon in the upper right corner of the display. To turn off the Keyboard Lock, press and hold the Light button until the key icon turns off.

To fully charge rechargeable batteries its best to use an external battery charger. The scanner only provides a maintenance charge.

Laser detectors are completely legal in every state when used in automobiles or light trucks (under 10,000 lbs.). Similarly, when used in automobiles or light trucks, radar detectors are legal in almost every state. Exceptions are Virginia and Washington DC, which have local regulations restricting the use of radar receivers in any vehicle.

Concerning trucks over 10,000 lbs., the Federal Highway Administration (FHwA) issued a regulation, effective January 19, 1994, which prohibits nationally radar and laser detector use in these types of vehicles. Federal law, specifically a Department of Defense (DoD) instruction, prohibits the use of radar detectors on all military bases and installations.

Yes and No! Some countries use the same frequencies as we do. Some countries use K band combined with other bands not used here. Before bringing a detector overseas you need to first determine if radar detectors are legal in that country.

Just a word of warning for those overseas planning on visiting the USA. While visiting, you may want to purchase a radar detector over here but be careful. Some retailers may mark an inexpensive unit and say that they are "Euro Ready" or "Retuned for European radar". Whistler does not sell European units in the USA, nor do we "retune" them for sale in the USA. We have overseas distributors to handle these types of sales. As most consumer advocates warn — "buyer beware".

No, the MMIC is reserved for our Maximum Performance models.

Highway mode provides full audio and visual warning of laser/radar systems while maintaining full sensitivity. Highway mode is the default setting of all Whistler's laser/radar detectors.

City mode helps reduce the annoyance of automatic door openers and burglar alarm alerts by providing an initial alert (same distance as Highway Mode) then remaining quiet unless the signal strength becomes very strong.

Which do you use? It's really up to you. There is no performance advantage either way. If you have a quiet vehicle then using City mode will be fine. If your vehicle is a convertible or is noisy, then Highway is best so you will not miss any alarms.

NOTE: City Mode(s) does not affect laser reception.

Before choosing a firmware file, please run the Radar FW&DB Download Tool located under Downloads > Domestic Downloads > Radar Detectors > Update Program or by clicking here.

Then connect your radar detector to the PC to learn the Full Model name and FW Version. Once the model and version are confirmed, check to see if a newer model version is available from our website. If a newer version is available, it will need to be downloaded to a PC before it can be selected by the FW button of the Radar FW&DB Download tool.

Laser transmits an invisible light beam at a wavelength of 905 nanometers. Since laser guns use a specific light frequency or wavelength, it is possible to detect a laser's signature light pulse rates. Different laser guns operate at different light pulse rates. All Whistler radar/laser detectors receive all current laser guns in use.

Keep in mind that laser detectors act differently than radar detectors. Since the narrow laser beam produces very little "scatter", it is much harder to detect than a powerful radar gun. Laser guns operate exclusively in instant-on mode and usually target vehicles at short range. Your laser detector usually will offer less advance warning because at 1,000 feet the beam is only 3 feet wide, and the officer aims at your license plate or headlights.

A police radar gun operates by transmitting radio waves at certain frequencies which reflects off objects (your vehicle) and are then picked up by the radar gun's receiving section. When radar waves reflect off a moving target, a measurable frequency shift occurs. The radar unit converts this shift into miles per hour to determine the target's speed.

Two basic types of radar are used — stationary and moving. Stationary radar must be used from a static site, typically a patrol car parked alongside the road. With a single antenna moving radar, an officer can clock approaching vehicles while driving on patrol. Moving radar with two antennae — one facing forward, the other aimed out the back of the cruiser — can also clock vehicles even after they have passed by, headed in the opposite direction.

To change the time you will need to adjust settings in the Option Select Mode:

1. Press the MENU button to enter the Option Select Mode
2. Each time you press MENU, you will cycle to the next option
3. Look for an option that says "GMT -5" (the number may vary)
4. Use the DARK or QUIET button to adjust the number based on your timezone:

• Eastern = GMT -5
• Central = GMT -6
• Mountain = GMT -7
• Pacific = GMT -8
• Hawaii-Aleutian = GMT -10

Press MENU one more time to get to the option "DST YES" or "DST NO". Press the DARK or QUIET button to turn Daylight Savings Time on (YES) or off (NO).

Wait 20 seconds or press POWER to exit. Two beeps will indicate the changes were saved.

One end of the power cord plugs directly into the detector. Two connectors are located on the other end: the "horseshoe" or "U" connector (ground "-") and a "blade" connector (positive "+").

To make the detector go on/off with the key:

• Attach the "U" ground connector to chassis ground of the vehicle (a metal area that makes contact with the vehicle's metal).
• Locate an optional plug-in connector in the fuse box marked "IGN" or "ACC" and plug the spade connector in. If unavailable, select a circuit that has power only when the key is on (e.g., radio fuse), remove the fuse, strip the positive wire about 1/4 to 1/2 inch, wrap around one of the fuse's metal tabs and replace.

To make the detector stay on all the time:

• Attach the ground connector as above.
• Locate a plug-in connector marked "BAT" in the fuse box, or select a circuit with constant power (e.g., dome light fuse) and wire as described above.