TRX-1: TRX-1 Reviews Wanted

[FoeHammer]

Alight my SDS100 has just died out of warranty & I am deciding weather to throw more money at it or give the trx-1 a try , As far as I can tell the only thing I would really be giving up to the sds is the simulcast reception , bummer to lose that , but then it seemed like it was the only thing my sds was good at , when it came to conventional air & marine , it was not good , What I am interested in is ease of use ,can I quickly scan just what i want easily ? Durability do you feel the TRX-1 is delicate or tough ? I have browsed the forums here briefly & dont seem to see alot of widespread issues , And what about support , how long do you think the radio will be supported ? how often are firmware & database updated , If you have had a TRX-1 for some time now , How has it aged ? Is it just as good as when you got it ? would you recommend buying one in 2021?

 

[k5xs]

I love my TRX-1 for everything but the simulcast issues.

I keep the rubber case on it, and it seems plenty rugged.

You can easily update its database and select services by Zip code or county.

 

[Enjoi19]

I had a TRX-1 for a bit before I jumped to the Uniden ship. I used it mainly in the Toronto area.

Pros:

- It felt like a brick. With the case on it, figured it could take a small fall and survive fine.
- The P25 audio was quite good I found, very clear.
- BNC connector was nice to have
- Software wasn’t too bad, I jumped in pretty quick with it.
- I only briefly tried the DMR on it. I feel it would be nice for single frequencies (since it doesn’t properly trunk track)
- Kinda liked the programming in some ways; making individual lists / sets was handy for building lists of services.

Cons:

- It was pretty bad on simulcast as previously noted. Now when it did work, it sounded fantastic. But was mostly not usable.
- Would have liked it to be more clear what I was currently scanning - it just scrolls a list of what you're scanning as opposed to Uniden's display that really tells you what it's doing.
- The case. It made its overly difficult to keep the case on and swap batteries.
- Speaker was a bit too quiet. Found I sorta had it cranked all the time to really hear much. (Always volume 20-25+)

 

[commscanaus]

I use my TRX-1 daily, mostly mobile installed in my work vehicle.
It is the best hand held scanner for my needs and is like a Swiss Army Multitool due to the versatility of all the digital modes it covers.
Need to listen to P25, DMR and NXDN on my travels.

Pros:

- Good size for me, not too large or too small. Easily removed and stored/carried when vehicle is parked.
- Power can be supplied by USB or AA batteries. No messing around with weird lithium packs and external chargers.
AA's last a good while and scanner can run for days on a good USB power bank.
- BNC connector for antenna as previously mentioned. Much more robust for mobile use.
- Backlight can be selected for both keypad AND/OR display.
- Is quite robust but I still managed to crack the case front next to the display
- Once you get your head around the programming, adding frequencies and systems in software is fairly straight forward.
- Digital audio is very good (particularly P25) and not fatiguing to listen to for long periods
- Receiver is pretty good and really only melts down on an external gain antenna in town.

Cons:

- Whoever the heck it was on the design team for this model that decided the knob on top is for the squelch only on the TRX-1, is an idiot.
Need to quickly adjust volume when mobile without looking at the radio to find the down arrow and press it repeatedly is a pain, especially with a carry case fitted that has a plastic window across the front. NO- JUST NO! The knob on the top is practically useless.
Thank goodness you can select volume on the TRX-2 rotary control!
- That rubber thing Whistler supplied is horrible, makes changing the batteries a nightmare and bulks up the radios size.
- P25 Phase 2 audio is 5 times louder than Phase 1 (may be a system issue rather than scanner?) and can be very distracting when driving.
This also occurs on the TRX-2, and I have tried audio boost on Phase 1 TG's, DAC gain settings etc, but with limited success.
- Display backlight color is fixed. Would like red for night time. I use a piece of red plexiglass from an old barcode scanner slid into the case over the display.
- I miss Close Call (patent issue) with the Whistlers and Spectrum Sweep just isn't the same!
- No 3rd party support for software unfortunately although the supplied software is adequate.

But overall I really like the TRX-1 and it is my EDC scanner (despite the top rotary knob which really is the most annoying con for me.)
Would really like to have seen an SDS100 style product from Whistler.

Commscanaus.

 

[RaleighGuy]

Check out this objective review of Uniden vs Whistler

Uniden Close Call vs Whistler Signal Stalker - Scanner School

Head to Head shoot out: Close Call vs Signal Stalker. Which is better? Uniden's Close Call or Whistler's Signal Stalker / Spectrum Sweeper?

www.scannerschool.com

 

[FoeHammer]

It has been mentioned it does not trunktrack dmr or nxdn ? How does tis work ? can you still follow conversations or hold on a TGID ? And can you search for new tgids?

 

[buddrousa]

The GRE/WHISTLER way is to SCAN THE VOICE CHANNELS for activity.
This is why there is no CONTROL CHANNEL only scanning in the GRE/WHISTLERS for DMR/NXDN.

 

[FoeHammer]

so It is not possible to hold on a particular tgid?

 

[jaspence]

Look up "The Scanner Guys" for their presentation next week. It is supposed to be about adjusting for the similcast issue on the Whistler scanner. I have a RS Pro 18 and a GRE PSR 800 with the factory upgrade, and they both are very good in my simulcast situation. The Uniden is a newer design and should be better, but in some situations the TRX will do a good job.

If a DMR system is not real busy, I have had no issues. My test bed for DMR is the football crowd (over 100,000) at the largest college owned stadium in the world. The last real chance to listen was before covid, but I was able to follow traffic easily, and it can be very interesting at times.

 

[RaleighGuy]

It has been mentioned it does not trunktrack dmr or nxdn ? How does tis work ? can you still follow conversations or hold on a TGID ? And can you search for new tgids?

Yes, on a DMR/NXDN trunked system you can search for new TGs by adding a wildcard to the system, and you can hold on a TG. The only thing @buddrousa was saying was you must program all the frequencies in for the system and the TRX-1 scans them all for voice traffic.

Also, as @jaspence said, in some situations they work fine in simulcast systems, I have no issues at home on all my Whistlers. It all depends on your location.

 

[Swipesy]

I am a diehard GRE/Whistler fan, but keep in mind everything Whistler is selling in their scanner line is 10 + years old in technology. I would get the Uniden SDS fixed.

 

[gmclam]

Here's a review I posted a couple of years ago. A FEW of the software issues were changed, but IMHO, it's still Klunky.

 

[daddyjohn]

Yes, on a DMR/NXDN trunked system you can search for new TGs by adding a wildcard to the system, and you can hold on a TG. The only thing @buddrousa was saying was you must program all the frequencies in for the system and the TRX-1 scans them all for voice traffic.

Also, as @jaspence said, in some situations they work fine in simulcast systems, I have no issues at home on all my Whistlers. It all depends on your location.

Totally agree

 

[Ubbe]

Alight my SDS100 has just died out of warranty & I am deciding weather to throw more money at it or give the trx-1 a try

Send it to @jonwienke to have him do an assessment.

What I am interested in is ease of use ,can I quickly scan just what i want easily ?

It's overly complicated and really needs the EZ-Scan software to be used but is still wierd and strange to program.

how long do you think the radio will be supported ?

There's probably no more firmware upgrades to be had for Whistler scanners. Their repair support and database updates will probably continue as it is now and only stop when sales have dropped off too much to not make it worthwhile to continue.

It has been mentioned it does not trunktrack dmr or nxdn ? How does tis work ? can you still follow conversations or hold on a TGID ? And can you search for new tgids?

It looks for a particular TG by scanning the voice channels. If there are many busy voice channels it could be a conciderable delay that makes you miss the first word. I have at most 6 voice channels active in a site and it have never been a problem. Uniden sometimes misses a whole convesation so the TRX are working better in that respect. But if you have a busy system with 12 or more voice channels it might be a nuisance.

It has a better way of tracking unknown TG's than Uniden and displaying actual user ID's seems to work much better than Uniden and the recording functions and alerts and lights are much more superior than Uniden. The signal stalker have a much larger coverage than closecall but are also slower to detect a signal, it has to be present for a longer time.

I can't sell either the TRX or the SDS and be happy about it, I need both as they operate and perform so much differently.

/Ubbe

 

[Reconrider]

I have the trx1 and i do enjoy it. the record is so much better at replay on the unit than the sds BUT with that said, i would gladly buy another sds over the trx1. Here in CT we have pretty much heavy heavy simulcast almost anywhere you go/drive so the trx1 do not do good for me with my state.
It does analog amazing though. Sound is great but like someone said, you have to have the scanner up around 20s to actually hear it more than a few feet away - it's also possible the console and radios from pub safety are turned down.

Either way, I'm glad I have it, but i would gladly sell it in a heart beat and use the money to fund another sds.


Also, what issues are you having with said sds? I know @jonwienke does repairs on the sds units a lot.

 

[FoeHammer]

My sds has the cold solder joint issue & I am in Canada , I am trying to find someone here that can fix it , but with the cost of shipping across the border and the repair , I just don't know if I want to put another 300 or so dollars into this radio , I feel like if the Trx performs just as well except for simulcast, but is more durable a d robust , then I would be willing to sacrifice that for a more robust and consistent radio , I am really disappointed in it right now

 

[StoliRaz]

I had ordered one off Amazon earlier this year, it came defective and wouldn't work off batteries. It would only work plugged in, came looking used and had a non-factory microSD card in it. So it was obviously someone's return. I decided to keep it for a week and test it to see if I wanted to get another one or something different. The TRX1 sounded good on P25 frequencies and you don't have to pay for DMR upgrades but in the end I ended up returning it for a 436hp. I decided removing the case would be a royal pain to change batteries. Also the cover on the battery case was difficult to remove at least on that one. I really wanted to like it but oh well. I'm now looking into a WS1040 for a 2nd digital scanner for simple P25 stuff

 

[ScannerPaul]

I love my TRX 1.
It's a bummer Uniden charges a fee for upgrades to DMR and the such.
The battery life is not as good as it could be and the top knob not involving volume is a pain in the neck but other than that this is a great scanner and my favorite by far..

 

[red8]

I have a Trx-1,and I have been quite pleased on p25 phase 1. I have had the opportunity the TDMA phase 2.

 

[trentbob]

I would investigate all of the reviews available though your favorite search engine and a search of radio reference posts. Pretty much says it all, including this thread.

When the psr-800 came out in 2011, all we were dealing with was digital type ll smartzone systems, GRE had the edge, over Uniden with clear modulation over muffled transmissions, but we knew what was coming, Some of us then said get ready, No one could figure out why Don Starr or whoever, came up with the iTune configuration LOL. The screaming started for a keyboard which of course should have been included initially. GRE already got closed down by China over a domestic domain situation, whatever, and Whistler bought the company Lock, Stock & Barrel. They finally released the PSR900, after we waited over a year which was called the Ws 1095. I'm figuring it had been in existence for at least a year. I got one of the first ones and I remember calling Whistler and speaking to a nice lady who told me that they were just learning about the radios themselves. I'll leave it up to you to who that might have been...

Anyway, the radio suffered from front end overload and lack of good filtering, just like GRE previous RadioShack, rebranded radios did. When the phase II firmware came out for the entire line, I was very upset that it absolutely didn't work a lick. I went on a rant because I had bought a TRX1 and it didn't work any better than my psr-800 with the firmware update. I tossed the thing in a drawer where it is now, What a beautiful radio with the keyboard and I've always loved the display. A wonderful radio, as long as you don't live in an inner-city where you're susceptible to the front end overload and lack of filtering. If you are in a simulcast hell like I am on the northeast coast, it's not even a good paper weight, as it's so lite and compact.

When WW announced that they were producing a simulcast capable radio, I was one of those who was sitting on my chair with a fistful of money for a couple months anyway, not the whole year it took to admit it didn't exist, it did however result in the sds100 probably being introduced before it was ready LOL. Thank God Paul was alive to keep it a work in progress. I was hoping Whistler could fit a simulcast capable radio in the carcass of a psr-800 but as it turns out, they never made a radio of their own, ever.

I would never sell my trx1. It's worth a lot more than I could get for it. You never know, as I get older, I could move with relatives in an area that's not tdma phase ll, I would prefer that radio over anything else. By the way the first thing I did when I got my TRX 1 was to take off that spare tire rubber bumper LOL, I don't even know where it is now. 73's.