Lots of radio gadgets have a high whiz-bang factor, but there's no practical reason to run out and buy them - at least not right away.
That's how the Hartford Hobby Radio Examiner feels about consumer-grade spread spectrum radios, which combine walkie talkie features with those of cell phones and pagers, but without user fees.
TriSquare Electronics is marketing two portable transceivers that operate in its trademarked "Extreme Radio Service" and offer better coverage than FM radios in the FRS and GMRS service. The spread spectrum radios work in the low power 900 MHz ISM (Industrial, Scientific and Medical) band, by continuously changing frequencies in a sequence shared by other radios in the group.
TriSquare sells a basic voice-only model, the TSX100, and the more advanced TSX300, which includes text messaging, more channel combinations, and a built-in weather receiver.
Motorola, the market leader in two-way, sells a heftier, commercial grade series of spread spectrum gear.
The Motorola DTR410, 550 and 650 are mil-spec rugged radios that include an advanced voice encoder/decoder, SMS text messaging and downloadable software to program the radios on a computer. Texting is done with an add-on keyboard that has to be purchased separately.
The DTR radios are sold individually, while the TriSquare units are sold in pairs, and in an optional camouflage color scheme for outdoorsmen. The Motorola radios cost about three times more than the TriSquare units, making them more suited for business and industry than for casual and family use.
In the world of spread spectrum, each radio is identified by a 10 or 11 digit number that can be replaced ("aliased") with a common name, such as "security officer," "warehouse," or even "Joe's radio."
They can be used in a fleet format, where every radio hears ever other radio, or in a private one-to-one setting.
TriSquare says in its technical literature than 100,000 users within talk range can enjoy uninterrupted communications at the same time. The TSX300 radio has 10 billion channel combinations available, while the smaller TSX100 has 1000 channels, the company says.
What about range? Spread spectrum radios operate at one watt in the 900 MHz band, so they're ideal in a concrete and steel environment, where signals get around walls and floors. Outdoors, the radios might maintain a one mile range, on average.
The real selling point of spread spectrum is that they don't need a license, are interference free, and offer privacy because they can't be picked up on scanners.
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