I'm very pleased with my Trisquares. For the low price and many features offered, when used within their design perameters, they are great radios. Where else can you get a line of sight radio with so many features, almost 100% unreadable by anyone else, no interfearence for $74.00, 2 radios, batteries, charger and cheap ear buds. These radios flat work. I'm pretty sure I can get a little more range from my Midland GMRS, but not much. All radios are stock and were used with fully charged batteries.
They do have 700 channels, the 10 numbers you put into the radio determine what the 700 channels will be.
Yes they can be copied by near field equipment, but 99.9% of the time, they are secure unless someone really wants to hear your conversation and follows you around.
In the sloping valley I live in, scattered homes, we have transmitted over 5 miles with GMRS radios, with the Trisquare, the most I have got distance wise was 3.5 miles, that was with my friend standing on his front porch and me in my vehicle driving and holding the radio somewhat out of the window. I finally made a turn and got behind a bunch of larger buildings and lost sync. He was at a slightly higher elevation than I was. I drove about 3/4 of a mile down his road to a highwy, 3.5 miles down the highway, turned and within 300 yds got behind the buildings where I lost sync.
Placing yourself in the right places, these radios can have a decent amount of usable distance.
Urban settings, I have not tried them, so I really cannot comment. We were on the valley floor, not on the mountains around us.
I need to try more tests, so much depends on the height between radios as well as houses, trees, buildings etc, but I more than pleased with them in a rural setting.
I doubt a commercial handheld would get much more range in my area.
One has to remember that they have 1 watt, limited antenna and I'm sure not as much sensitivity as the higher priced radios. Before putting them down too much, try a set of commercial hand helds right next to them, I think you'll see it takes a lot more money for just a little more distance.
They may be more in the toy catagory, but they work. If you really need more disance, go to 2 meters and hit a repeater. Being retired, very limited income, they have allowed me to have a short range, secure radio. It free's up some $$$ for other projects. I would not have spent the money to get commercial radios in the 900 MHZ band otherwise and am tired of the rude, unlicensed people on GMRS.
My Best, John
