TriSquare TSX300 eXRS Digital Two-Way Radio
From TriSquare
900 Mhz Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (Fhss); 10 Billion Channels; Features Hands-Free (Vox) Capabilities; Secure ConversationNo Eavesdropping; Phonebook Stores Up To 100 Contacts; Backlit Dot-Matrix Lcd Display; Call/Talk With Group Or Individual;
- Amazon Sales Rank: #39216 in Consumer Electronics
- Brand: TriSquare
- Model: TSX300
- Dimensions: .69 pounds
Two's company, three's a crowd
The advantage of this frequency-hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) radio is unless someone knows what "channel" (of 10 billion) you select, eavesdropping by a third party is highly improbable. It also means you won't be disturbed by others who are using the same frequency, as with FRS/GMRS radios, even with so-called privacy codes.
The TSX300 works fairly well when there are two units on the same channel -- their frequency hopping seems to stay in synchronization. Audio quality is generally good. In my experince, distance is on-par with other 1-watt UHF 2-way radios.
Having more than 2 radios on the same channel consistently has one or more getting out of sync with the others. This means one or more radios will not be able to hear others' transmissions and vice versa. This is a real showstopper for my requirements.
The good news is, private communication between any two radios (using a radio's private channel) seems reliable, regardless of how many radios are active. So, you can treat these like telephones -- one unit can communicate with any other -- just avoid using a common broadcast channel.
The other issue with this model is its battery life. Because these are FHSS devices, they must actively transmit in order to maintain synchronization. This uses significantly more power than a device that only receives during standby, and battery life suffers as a result.
The ability to send short text messages is neat, but I personally haven't found a practical application for it, especially given there is no guarantee of delivery. A message may or may not be delivered, and there's no feedback to the sender one way or the other.
Overall, for the price, if you're only using a pair of radios, the TSX300 is a good value. If you try to add a third radio to the party, you're probably going to be disappointed.
TriSquare TSX-300 is adequate but not superb
I purchased the pair of TriSquare TSX-300 900MHz FHSS 2-way radios with an extra recharging station and two extra batteries (four total batteries, two recharching stations).
I used them while deployed in Iraq, and dropped them several times. They held up and did not break, so that is a feature worth commenting about. I liked the FHS feature, and the choice for channels is virtually unlimited. The texting works well also. I enjoyed using them to keep in touch with the other party, but interestingly enough, the range is not all that remarkable. However, it did manage to transmit and receive through buildings and worked within less than 1/2 mile without problems. I loved being able to load saved channels into another radio remotely and immediately (cloning feature).
Features I did not like: The battery life. While using the radios and not transmitting, they will drop their charge in only a couple of hours...without warning you at all. The 'power save' function will continue to display the battery life the last time you used the device while active; this means it will constantly drain while still displaying a false battery read. When you go to TX, the backlight will come on and the radio will beep and THAT is when you find out your battery is dead. Another point which is lacking, is the range itself. I really was disappointed with not being able to TX/REC longer distances.
Overall, this radio set is worth the money, but just keep in mind that despite all of the fantastic features, they still require additional "beefing up" of the most basic ones.
