Handheld Reviews

I'm a newbie scanner and was looking for a good, all round scanner. I knew most of the bigger systems out there are using the "Trunk Tracking" technology, so decieded to buy a scanner that could track those systems (duh). After programming the freqs into the scanner banks (daunting at first but once you do the first couple it's pretty easy and quick) I was surprised by how 'quiet' certain airways were. After a little research I discovered that some of the larger agencies systems are actually DIGITAL, and this scanner can not listen into them. That was a little annoying. Uniden now have Digital scanners and Trunk Tracking III capability, so if your area is digital (check before you buy) then you might be better holding off for the newer generation scanner. Apart from that little snafu I am very happy with the product overall and have enjoyed several hours of listening to airport and other frequencies. Wish it could monitor FM and TV audio (I have a radio-reciever, yet can't listen to local radio broadcasts on it, seems a bit weird). There is a gap in coverage between 512 - 805 MHz for some reason, so I miss some airport tower chat. Not a huge deal. In summary, ignore some of the hype that it has Trunk Tracking II capabilities, if your area is digital, it makes no difference. I'll probably wait until the prices come down to a sensible level and get a digital & analog system. Happy Listening.

This scanner is Uniden's answer to key complaints about their first generation "Trunk Tracker" scanners. The BC-245XLT will now track multiple trunked radio systems simultaneously, it will scan conventional and trunked systems simultaneously, and it will now track EDACS (TM) trunked radio systems.

Other new features include computer interface port, "Smart Scanner" programmability via telephone modem (a feature requiring a 900-number call at $0.99/min.), and cloning capability.

Otherwise, this radio is similar in operation and functionality to its predecessor, the BC-235XLT. It features 300 channels, 12 band coverage from 29-956 MHz (excluding cellular and 512-806MHz), Service Search, attenuator, automatic display lighting, and other unique features.

On the downside, the radio delays for 5 seconds between scanning trunk systems even if no signals are detected.

Overall, this is a great radio for the money. It is the best available technology for scanning enthusiasts who want to monitor the modern trunked radio systems in use by numerous public service agencies worldwide.

The Uniden BC245XLT is a scanning radio that many scanner enthusiasts would love to own. It is known as the Trunktracker II because of the ability it has to capture trunk radio frequencies. This is a recent scanner innovation.

The programming was relatively easy for someone who has experience with scanners. Basic scanner functions were easy to see and accessible. The trunk tracking ability is useful and great to use, once you figure out which type of system you are tracking.

The only problem found with this scanner was not even the scanner itself. The computer interface using the Smartscanner software seemed to work fine. However, the phone number, which you call to download scanner frequencies, would never complete the download.

Having been a scanner enthusiast for over 10 years, I recommend this as an excellent scanner for the radio enthusiast. It has clear sound, and the trunk tracking abilities work well!! With a wide range of frequencies, you will be able to keep up with all the action in your neighborhood.

This is the latest version of a radio Sony has been producing for years (I own the original version). The radio performs like a champ, with great sensitivity, selectivity, and clean audio. Use it virtually anywhere. Although you have to get an a.c. adapter separately for it, the unit gets great mileage and plenty of sound out of 3 AA batteries. The controls are precise and convenient. Put this radio up against any other in its price and size range, and I guarantee you'll go with this one! Every so often, Sony produces a product with great design, perfomance, durability, size, and value: a "Sony classic". This radio is one of those products. If it is the type of portable radio you are looking for, look no further.

Buy this radio-- but buy the plug along with it!!!
I love these Radios w/TV sound reception!! (great for the office, kitchen, bathroom, BLACKOUTS!!) I've owned others- a Sony, a GE and a hand held portable/transistor - so I've got a lot to compare.
This radio is VERY nicely designed--compact and portable; easy to read and set. Sound quality is VERY clear and it's nice to have the sleep timer and push button tuning (MUCH better than to fish for the stations on a dial).
The color: "putty" is a bit outdated. (Black would have been better), but it'll do.
All and all it's a GREAT little radio!!!
But....here's the disappointing news....There's NO adaptor included!! NO way to plug it in.
WHY??
You'd think those adaptors would be the easiest thing to include. (how many old ones have I thrown out??!)
Anyway, it says that you HAVE to use a 4.5v adaptor (and of course what's left in my junk drawer are a 3, a 9 and a 5.5v).
So now I have to figure out where to pick up this adaptor!
And that's why it only received 4 stars!
Also--I don't remember being prompted by Amazon to make this additonal purchase when I added this item to my shopping cart. (...Hint to Amazon...)

Anyway, just be sure to purchase the adaptor when you buy this radio and you'll be a happy camper (these TV/radios are GREAT for camping, too...)

I needed a radio with great AM sensitivity and portability. I checked out a number of radios and found the GE 7-2887 Superadio III to be the best, but the size was just too big.

The AM sensitivity of this Sony unit is great! I live in a mountainous region of Arizona and use the unit mainly to listen to talk radio. The daytime AM station is almost 100 miles away and most radios have difficulty even picking it up. This one shines! I attribute this mainly to the larger than normal internal ferrite bar antenna and decent circuitry.

The speaker is large enough to listen at volume, without distortion, and with very good tonal quality for a 3" speaker. I did not notice distortion at "normal" listening levels, nor did I expect to have stereo sound in a radio of this price range.

When listening to AM I use rechargeable batteries. They last 60 hours on average.

FM sensitivity is also very good when compared to other units I tested. The digital frequency readout also appears to be accurate, a problem that often plagues cheaper units. Due to my remote location I could not verify the selectivity of the unit (ability to separate strong radio signals that are close to each other in frequency).

The radio seems to pick up weather stations that have at least a moderate signal. Weak signals simply will not be heard. The unit also has problems with selectivity on this band as even a moderate signal (mine is 30 miles away) washes over onto all the weather frequencies. This is not a problem for most folks, but would be a concern if you live mid-point between two transmitting weather stations.

As "over the air" TV reception is not possible in my area this feature could not be evaluated.

The shuttle style tuner, clock, sleep and activation timer is a great plus!

Bottom line... this is the best portable radio you can buy in this price range!

Intrigued by Garmin's Geko 201 Personal Navigator®? It's smaller than an eTrex and dwarfed by many standard GPS units. But is the Geko a real GPS or just a toy?

First, the Geko 201 is a serious GPS receiver. It features WAAS differential correction; memory for 500 waypoints, twenty routes, a whopping 10,000 track points and ten saved tracks; and it connects to external power or to your PC for data transfer with an optional cable. It floats. The array of five buttons is easy to use. The screen is tiny, but it's not that hard to read. Menu choices allow configuration of the data screens to your liking. The back is rubberized, so you can lay it on your dashboard (where it works quite well) and not have it slide around. Using only two AAA batteries, the unit is light as well as small enough to fit in a shirt pocket (but the limited power supply may be an issue for some as explained below). The Geko also has four built-in arcade games, a novelty to emphasize that GPS can be fun.

The Geko doesn't show base maps but is adept at recording points and lines (keeping track of where you've been, locations you want to remember and where you'd like to go). If you want a GPS unit to use primarily for hiking or recording locations, the absence of base maps isn't that significant. Fact is that the base maps in many GPS units don't provide enough detail to be of much use at a close-in scale unless you can download more features from a CD. If you need map detail, a Geko easily connects to a PDA or laptop computer to display your location in navigation programs or even projected on aerial photos.

The Geko utilizes a built-in "patch" antenna (a square plate inside the unit, located under the lizard logo). I found the antenna remarkably sensitive when the unit is held correctly. It works best in a horizontal orientation, the top edge of the unit pointed to the horizon. That way the antenna can look up to the sky. Hang it around your neck on a lanyard, though, and the reception will drop. (Note: Unlike receivers with a patch antenna, GPS units like the Garmin 72 and 76 series using a quadrifilar helix antenna should be operated with the top edge pointed skyward.)

As an experiment, I took both a big Garmin GPSMAP 76S and the Geko 201 on a hike through a forest area. I wanted to see if the Geko could perform as well and hold a track in a wooded situation. After the hike I downloaded the data with a freeware mapping program (USAPhotoMaps) to overlay the GPS tracks on a TerraServer aerial photo. That's the best way to visualize where you've been. To my surprise the tracks and waypoints recorded by the two units were nearly identical. The Geko had no problem holding a signal in the test, even while I walked through a crowded pine plantation.

On the downside, Geko's rather feeble power supply - two AAA batteries - disappoints me. Garmin claims that two AAA alkaline batteries can last up to twelve hours (on battery saver mode). For economy, however, I use NiMH rechargeable batteries. I know that NiMH power cells don't last as long as alkaline, but the duration was far shorter than I expected - only 40 minutes set on standard mode in 32° F March weather. At 60° F (~16° C) the Geko ran just two hours on fresh NiMH batteries. It operated five and a half hours in battery saver mode with NiMH batteries on the warm dashboard of my car. It's also peculiar that the Geko manual extols lithium batteries for cold weather use and long life when nobody manufactures AAA lithium batteries. Only AA-cell batteries from Energizer are available in a lithium formulation. They can operate to -40°F and last four times longer than alkaline batteries, but sadly do not fit a Geko.

Although you may rely on a more complex GPS for serious tasks, having a miniature Geko tucked in your pocket or bag could be handy. If you toss the Geko to your kids in the back seat to play arcade games en route to your destination, however, the batteries could be dead by the time you arrive. You might prefer a recreational GPS unit using AA batteries for extended outdoor activities, but a Geko is a good buy for educational, casual or backup use.

This little GPS, while not having any removeable memory nor a large bank of memory, does VERY well with what it does have. It easily stored a 6 hour hike in it's memory, with less than half the memory used. For street mapping, it has a connection for a computer -- And coupled with Delorme Street Atlas USA, is a high-end solution for in car navigation. (Requires the cables and a serial/USB converter, which are reasonably priced and excellently assembled at the pfranc project.) The eTrex cable/converter is the same for this Geko.

The battery life isn't really a negative -- ten to twelve hours of operation is just fine, and you can replace low batteries without losing information, so nothing is hurting there. Overall, the price for this unit makes this unit an excellent purchase. Only complaint is that the color is a bit ugly -- And the stretch holster offered by Garmin doesn't do anything for its appearance either.

I bought the Geko 201 as a replacement for my very old Magellen Blazer 12. The difference is night and day.

Although both had parallel processing, the Geko picks up signals much faster. From a cold, fresh-out-of-the-box start, it took the Geko less than a minute to figure out where it was. The Blazer 12 took about 10 minutes even when given hints.

The screens are simple and extremely useful. Even with my very bad eyesight, the display was very readable. The buttons make sense, no manual necessary.

A few people have mentioned a "flaw" with the power button. I have carried this Geko around for almost two months, keeping it in my pocket almost every day. The unit has NEVER come on by accident. The power button is recessed and takes a good push to get it going.

As a hiker and backpacker, my power usage might be less demanding than others. I find that the battery lasts about 8-9 hours on battery save mode. This mode even works well in forests. The only time the Geko is kept powered on is if I'm mapping a trail. Otherwise, it is used for waypoints and position checks only.

The lack of displayed maps is irrelevent as I have yet to see a GPS with enough detail to be worth it. I have linked the Geko to DeLorme's Topo 5 with excellent results. Routes, tracks, waypoints can all be moved freely back and forth. This is great for mapping new trails or discovering hard-to-find trailheads. The memory is more than enough, I've never gotten past 12% full after a weekend jaunt.

Of course, the size is amazing. The color is also nice as I can actually find it! This is an excellent buy and a great choice for those who want GPS served up straight, stripped of all the annoying "features" of other units. I just purchased a second 201 for my hiking friend, she loves hers as much as I do!

I bought this so I can watch football at work. Its small and easy to hide from supervisors. Its light weight so its easy to secretly transport it around. Has a good picture, colors are nice, and also has good sound as well. While other people are moping around missing the game, I'm cheering on my team! Take that stupid bosses, AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!

I just bought one and what a great little TV it is. It's very well made and its reception is wonderful. The screen is a bit grainy, even when on a station that comes in clearly, but still very viewable. The single speaker on top sounds very good and is capable of very high volume; I usually have my volume set at around 3 which is plenty loud. I'm able to get stations from other cities easily, and even a few stations that are too far away to get a perfect reception, the sound generally comes in clearly enough to listen to comfortably. And when I'm tuning my way through static, the sound of it is very diminished and not as annoying as one might expect. I really like the tuning line that appears on the screen; it makes tuning in stations a sinch. Add a quality set of walkman-like headphones and you'll be set. The only downside I can think of is probably comon to all handhelds like this: it's a battery hog! My solution is quite simple, I use rechargable batteries which last about 3 hours, whereas normal batteries will probably get you 5 hours. I highly recommend this TV!

This TV is the best non-cable TV I have ever used!!
I was at some bodies house in Boynton Beach, FL and it pulled up TV Channels 100% great all the way 2 Miami.
This is an excellent TV!

There really isn't too much to say about the cradle. Drop in the Palm, hit the button and it syncs. However, save yourself a few dollars and buy the serial cable instead. It is cheaper, more portable, and most importantly for me, easier to plug into my Palm because I keep it secured in a carrying case.

I ordered a cradle for my Palm IIIxe and it came in just a few days. I plugged it in and it works like it's supposed to. I would order from Glenn again, no problem. Top notch seller!

Excellent service. Product arrived promptly and in original box. I am happy I found it at a very good price. I'll buy from the seller again when I need to.

Palm comes with a stylus. If you lose it then buy this, otherwise it's a waste. And by the way, if you have long fingernails you can use that to input into your Palm when you're too lazy to take the stylus out

The styli are of sufficient quality for me to be satisfied with them (= they work), but I have two complaints about this product :

- The product is said to be "same as stylus provided with product" and a "genuine Palm quality product". It is neither. These styli do not fit the silo perfectly and the screws at the top and bottom are badly made, in contrast to the perfect screws and silo fitting of those that were provided with the product.

- The price is excessive. Why should a simple piece of mass produced plastic cost over three U.S.$s, especially considering the mediocre quality of the product ?

High-quality stylus, 3 of them even! They even seem better than the one that was actually included with my Palm Pilot. A stylus is an easy thing to misplace, lose, just like a pen, so its great to have a few in your briefcase or purse!

I had a Handspring Visor Edge and the battery died on me, so, I thought it was about time to upgrade my PDA. I purchased the Sony PEG TJ27. I was shocked on how easy it was to convert all of my calendar and addresses information from my old PDA to my new one. The jog dial is very nice and the camera is a nice perk. The camera does not compare to a real digital camera, but it is fun to have. I do think that I should have paid the extra $100 to get the PEG TJ37 with the sound and wireless capabilities, but overall I enjoy my new PDA and I am very happy with my decision. As far as battery life, I have not yet tested, but it does require a lot more charging than the Handspring Visor Edge.

The TJ27 isn't a terribly exciting PDA-it has no sound capabilities so it can't play MP3s or video (with audio)-even though the rest of the hardware is more than up to the task. What it does have is Sony's typically high build quality and reliability. The screen is excellent (and unlike most PalmOne models, it doesn't hum loudly, and the backlight can be toggled on and off).
The button layout is questionable. A jog dial sits between two left/right buttons in the location that most PDAs have either up/down buttons or a 5-way navigator. Depending on the program, the left/right buttons sometimes function the same as up/down buttons on older PalmOS models, and sometimes the jog dial and left/right buttons function the same as a 5-way navigator. The 4 application buttons are a bit too small, too close to the left/right buttons, and are connected together. (The calendar and address book buttons are connected, and the to-do and memo buttons are connected). So the layout isn't the greatest, but it does work okay.
The camera, as with all integrated cameras, is almost completely worthless, but since it doesn't really raise the price any, it's not a big deal.
System speed is excellent. The TJ27's 200Mhz i.MXL CPU (Motorola's ARM chip) benchmarks only 27% slower than Intel's 400Mhz xScale. Of course that power is basically complete overkill, especially since the TJ27 can't really play video, but programs like Documents to Go, and the basic PIM apps respond very quickly.

All in all, this is possibly the best "basic" PDA on the market right now. No audio, a somewhat strange button layout, but far better reliability than you'll get from other companies.

I researched PDAs fairly extensively before I settled on my Sony Clie TJ27. Well it has been about a month, and I am delighted with it so far. Originally I was interested in a Palm but was frightened away by all the negative reviews everywhere. My Clie came with free Dataviz software (upon registration of the product on the Sony website), including word, excel and "Slides to Go" (similar to Powerpoint) and I have had no trouble transferring data from files on my PC to my Clie and performing hot sync operations.

I've taken pictures (okay, you need to get fairly close to your subject with the 2x zoom limitation, but if you want topnotch photography, buy a digital camera). The only area needing improvement is the battery power. When you use the camera, it eats batteries faster than if you were just working with data. All in all, I love it and would highly recommend, especially to first time users who don't expect it to be their morning alarm clock (honestly, who would rely on a handheld for this); a top-notch digital camera or their desktop. It is what it is - a great value for the price.

This product is definitely for the "form follows function" crowd. It's ugly and expensive. However, if you are like me and prone to drop your PDA, it might be a necessary evil. I thought about shelling out the extra bucks for a Palm V just because there are at least 2 or 3 elegant hard cases available for it. The Visor has no such good fortune, so you're stuck with either a leather case or this titanium one. Unfortunately, the titanium case runs at $99. There is a myth that titanium is extremely hard to work with, which is true if you're making a bicycle, but for that amount of money I would really expect a more compact, possibly contoured shape. It would also be nice if the visor snapped into place rather than being held in by the friction against neoprene tape. All in all, i say that if you have the opportunity, spend half an hour in a metal shop and make your own case out of some sheet metal. It would look and work about as well, and only cost you about five bucks and an hour of labor. Otherwise, go ahead and get the titanium one. If you drop your PDA, this is its best chance for survival.

My first thought when I received the product was that it was cheap. The metal was very thin, and opening and closing was very metallic sounding and somewhat unrefined feeling. But once I put the visor into the case, everything seemed to come together nicely. The visor fits PERFECTLY. No movement whatsoever, and even though it is only sitting in place, and isn't held in in any way, I have no fear that it will fall out. The fit is quite snug. I really like the case, the titanium is thin, but it won't bend. I don't think many women would like this case, but I have no regrets. The only downside is that in my opinion, the stylus is a bit difficult to remove; I have gotten used to it, but a little more space around the stylus would have been nice. EXCELLENT PRODUCT; WELL WORTH THE PRICE!
Wouldn't have any other case after using this one.

After cracking the screen on my first hangspring Visor, I decided to try the Rhinoskin Ti slider case for my second visor. Despite the added bulk that the case adds, it is very workable overall. But my love for the case came one day at work when I was up on a 15' tall tower and accidentally knocked the case off my belt (I have rhinoskin's matching belt case for the Ti-slider). The case enclode handspring dropped about 18 feet to the concrete floor. I climbed down and pulled the cse out of the belt pouch, then opened the case. Not a mark on the handspring. Still works perfectly. The case has already payed for itself...

This product is definitely for the "form follows function" crowd. It's ugly and expensive. However, if you are like me and prone to drop your PDA, it might be a necessary evil. I thought about shelling out the extra bucks for a Palm V just because there are at least 2 or 3 elegant hard cases available for it. The Visor has no such good fortune, so you're stuck with either a leather case or this titanium one. Unfortunately, the titanium case runs at $99. There is a myth that titanium is extremely hard to work with, which is true if you're making a bicycle, but for that amount of money I would really expect a more compact, possibly contoured shape. It would also be nice if the visor snapped into place rather than being held in by the friction against neoprene tape. All in all, i say that if you have the opportunity, spend half an hour in a metal shop and make your own case out of some sheet metal. It would look and work about as well, and only cost you about five bucks and an hour of labor. Otherwise, go ahead and get the titanium one. If you drop your PDA, this is its best chance for survival.

My first thought when I received the product was that it was cheap. The metal was very thin, and opening and closing was very metallic sounding and somewhat unrefined feeling. But once I put the visor into the case, everything seemed to come together nicely. The visor fits PERFECTLY. No movement whatsoever, and even though it is only sitting in place, and isn't held in in any way, I have no fear that it will fall out. The fit is quite snug. I really like the case, the titanium is thin, but it won't bend. I don't think many women would like this case, but I have no regrets. The only downside is that in my opinion, the stylus is a bit difficult to remove; I have gotten used to it, but a little more space around the stylus would have been nice. EXCELLENT PRODUCT; WELL WORTH THE PRICE!
Wouldn't have any other case after using this one.

After cracking the screen on my first hangspring Visor, I decided to try the Rhinoskin Ti slider case for my second visor. Despite the added bulk that the case adds, it is very workable overall. But my love for the case came one day at work when I was up on a 15' tall tower and accidentally knocked the case off my belt (I have rhinoskin's matching belt case for the Ti-slider). The case enclode handspring dropped about 18 feet to the concrete floor. I climbed down and pulled the cse out of the belt pouch, then opened the case. Not a mark on the handspring. Still works perfectly. The case has already payed for itself...

I was first skeptical about buying this stylus, esspecially after reading that it sticks out of the Visor slightly. But this stylus is great. The weight of the pen makes it much easier to use than the stylus that comes with the Visor and the reset tool is a great idea. I recomend it to anyone who has a Visor

I love the feel of it, the weight and heft. It can be a little slippery, but I don't squeeze it as much as I seemed to do the first couple of plastic styli I tried, so it hasn't been a problem.
It fits perfectly in the slot of my Prism, and the top is enough larger than the shaft to be able to easily push it out of the slot when I want to use it.
I love the look of the bright shiny chrome, and the orange tip does help with visibilty on the screen. This is especially good for a person of limited depth perception (me). The tip is smooth besides, and doesn't dig into the screen. I do use screen protectors against everyday wear.
The only thing I would change, if I ran the zoo, would be to add a screwdriver point like the Handspring stylus has.
I love this stylus.

Want to make your Visor handheld even more attractive? Add this great looking stylus onto your wish list. It's not too expensive, it feels great to use, and basically it just looks awesome. I bought one with my visor and I have loved it since the day I got it.