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Whistler TRX-1 / TRX-2 · Volume 3

Whistler TRX-1 / TRX-2 — Vol 3: Reference

The last PSR-800-lineage scanners, with DMR and NXDN, sold new under Goliad Products

3.1 About this volume

This volume collects the TRX-1 and TRX-2 reference data:

  • the published specifications and the US coverage table
  • how the TRX-1, TRX-2 and international E versions differ
  • what each decodes
  • a dated firmware and software history
  • known issues and practical tips
  • the resources behind this dive

Values are from Whistler’s user guides unless noted. The platform-wide microSD error codes and the PSR-800’s own specifications are in the GRE PSR-800 dive’s Vol 4.

3.2 Specifications

Table 1 — Specifications

ParameterTRX-1 (handheld)TRX-2 (base/mobile)
Receiving modesAM, FM, FM-MOT (Motorola), LTR (EF Johnson), CTCSS, DCS, NAC on P25, EDACS wide/narrow, P25 Phase I, X2-TDMA, P25 Phase II, DMR, MotoTRBO Tier II, NXDNSame
Receiving systemTriple-conversion PLL superheterodyneSame
Intermediate frequencies380.8 MHz, 21.4 MHz, 455 kHzSame
Weather frequencies162.400–162.550 MHz (seven channels)Same
DisplayFull dot-matrix bitmap LCD, 132 × 65 dotsSame, on the remote head
Sensitivity, VHF low0.2 µV (12 dB SINAD)Same
Sensitivity, VHF aircraft (AM)0.4 µVSame
Sensitivity, 137–174 MHz0.3 µVSame
Sensitivity, 216–300 MHz0.4 µVSame
Sensitivity, 300–406 MHz0.8 µVSame
Sensitivity, 406–512 MHz0.4 µVSame
Sensitivity, 764–960 MHz0.5 µVSame
Sensitivity, 1240–1300 MHz0.5 µVSame
Squelch thresholdAM/FM 0.5 µV; tight (S+N)/N AM 20 dB, FM 25 dBSame
Spurious rejection40 dB at 154.1 MHz (except primary image)Same
Signal-to-noise35–40 dB typical at 100 µVSame
Scan rate (no trunking)70 channels/s (138–147.9 MHz, 100 kHz intervals)Same
Search rate80 steps/s (162.25–167.25 MHz)Same
Scan/search delay2 sSame
Audio output500 mW BTL into 8 ΩSame
SpeakerBuilt-in 36 mm, 8 Ω77 mm, 8 Ω in the base (manual); the RadioReference wiki says 36 mm
Antenna impedance50 Ω (BNC)50 Ω (BNC, rear panel)
Power4 × AA: 4.8 V NiMH or 6 V alkaline; USB 5 V, 500 mA external power and charging12–14.4 V DC (13.8 V nominal), rated 600 mA, centre positive; 3 A in-line fuse
Current drain170 mA squelched, backlight off, not charging (5 V external)170 mA squelched (RadioReference wiki)
CardmicroSD, up to 32 GBFull-size SD behind the head, up to 32 GB
Dimensions (H × W × D)135 × 67 × 28 mm (5.31 × 2.12 × 1.06 in)45 × 180 × 135 mm (1.75 × 7.125 × 5.31 in)
Weight210 g (7.4 oz) without antenna and batteriesAbout 950 g (33.5 oz; the manual misprints “9500g”)
Operating temperature (optimal)−10 to 60 °CSame
FCC IDHSXSC10 (IC 1698A-SC10)HSXSC11 (IC 1698A-SC11)

3.3 US frequency coverage

The US band plan in both guides:

Table 2 — The US band plan in both guides

Range (MHz)Notes
25.000–54.000Low band, including CB and 6 m; mixed AM/FM by segment
108.000–136.9916Aircraft AM, 8.33 kHz steps
137.000–174.000VHF high
216.000–512.000Includes military aircraft AM (225–380) and UHF/UHF-T
764.000–781.996875700 MHz public safety, 3.125 kHz steps
791.000–796.996875700 MHz public safety, 3.125 kHz steps
806.000–823.9875800 MHz
849.000–868.9875800 MHz
894.000–960.000900 MHz
1240.000–1300.00023 cm amateur

Gaps are 54–108 MHz (no FM broadcast band), 174–216 MHz, 782–791 MHz and 797–806 MHz. The cellular blocks, 824–849 and 869–894 MHz, are excluded, as the law requires. A Canada band plan is selectable. The E band plans are summarized in Vol 1.

3.4 TRX-1, TRX-2 and the E versions

Table 3 — TRX-1, TRX-2 and the E versions

ItemTRX-1TRX-2TRX-1E / TRX-2E
FormHandheldBase/mobile, detachable magnetic headSame hardware as TRX-1 / TRX-2
Announced / shipped17 May 2016 / late June 201617 May 2016 / late June 2016August 2019 (firmware conversion)
Whistler MSRP$649.95 (press release); $539.95 in the July 2016 Scanner Master review$729.95 (press release); $599.95 in the reviewVaries by distributor
New price, September 2026$599.99$679.99Sold through international dealers
EZ-Scan (2026)3.48.0.7083.48.0.7083.45.0.723
CPU updater (2026)U5.9U5.0U7.4
Band plansUSA / CanadaUSA / CanadaEighteen countries in the 2022 addendum; weather radio removed (reported)
In the boxScanner, antenna, USB cable, microSD (installed), belt clip, protective case, guidesScanner with head, antenna, AC adapter, DC cable with fuse, USB cable, head LAN cable, brackets and hardware, SD card (installed), guidesPer dealer

The two launch prices conflict. The December 2016 press release states the MSRPs, while the review’s figures were most likely dealer prices.

3.5 What each decodes

Table 4 — What each decodes

Signal typeTRX-1 / TRX-2How
Conventional AM, FM, narrow FMYes—
CTCSS, DCS, P25 NACYes—
Motorola Type I, II, IIi (SmartNet, SmartZone)YesControl-channel trunking
EDACS wide and narrowAnalog voice onlyControl-channel trunking; no ProVoice
LTR (EF Johnson)YesTrunked
P25 Phase IYesControl-channel trunking and conventional
P25 Phase II and X2-TDMAYesControl-channel trunking; simulcast (LSM) reception reported weak
DMR / MotoTRBO Tier II: conventional, Capacity Plus, Connect Plus, Linked Capacity Plus, Hytera XPTYesSite-frequency scanning with talkgroup matching; no control-channel tracking
DMR Tier III / Capacity MaxNot documented—
NXDN 4800 and 9600 (NEXEDGE, Icom IDAS)Yes, since 15 December 2016Site-frequency scanning
Encrypted voice (any algorithm)Detected and maskedEncMode: noise, silence or tone
Modes not listed in the guides (for example D-STAR, System Fusion, dPMR, TETRA)No—

3.6 Firmware and software history

Table 5 — Firmware and software history

DateRelease or eventConfidence
17 May 2016TRX-1 and TRX-2 announced; NXDN promised as a future free updateConfirmed
Late June 2016Shipping, with DMR (conventional, Capacity Plus, Connect Plus, Linked Capacity Plus, XPT)Confirmed
15 December 2016Free NXDN update (NXDN48/96), released at noon CST; DSP 3.0Confirmed (DSP number likely)
1 March 2017PC application 3.3 and CPU 5.2: tune mode (Fn+0), object search (Fn+9), NXDN ID fixes in playback, Canada/UK band-plan changes, Zeromatic enhancementsLikely
June 2017Firmware for the WS and TRX models adds current-channel information to the remote-control protocolConfirmed (protocol v1.7)
1 August 2017Remote Control Protocol v1.7 publishedConfirmed
About February 2018CPU 5.7Likely
August 2018CPU U5.8Unconfirmed
August 2019TRX-1E / TRX-2E international conversion announcedLikely
March 2021Owners report U5.8 CPU and DSP 3.2 as currentLikely
22 November 2022International EZ-Scan 3.45Likely
September 2023TRX-2E reported at CPU 7.4 / DSP 3.2Likely
November 2024Last library build (894) before Whistler’s shutdownLikely
About 22 February 2025Library updates resume under GoliadLikely
24 April 2026EZ-Scan 3.47 (domestic): library-database handlingLikely
11 May 2026Whistler_Support: domestic EZ-Scan updates in preparation for future database updatesConfirmed
23–24 June 2026Library server outage (server upgrade)Confirmed
25 August 2026EZ-Scan 3.48 (domestic): FlexStep 3.125 kHz rounding fixLikely
September 2026Downloads list TRX-1 CPU updater U5.9 and TRX-2 U5.0 (release dates not shown)Confirmed

No CPU or DSP firmware changelog has been published since Goliad took over. Whether U5.9 changes anything over U5.8 was not established. No evidence was found of a Signal Stalker II feature on any TRX firmware. The Whistler and GRE name for the near-field search is Spectrum Sweeper; “Signal Stalker” is RadioShack’s term.

3.7 Known issues

  • P25 simulcast. Owners on large P25 simulcast systems report weak or broken audio, and forum advice routinely points those users to Uniden’s SDS series. This is a forum consensus, not a measurement.

  • DMR and NXDN on multi-site systems. Because the scanner sweeps site frequencies (Vol 2), missed call beginnings grow with the number of enabled frequencies. Lock out distant sites.

  • Auto mode dropouts. Mixing analog and digital on one object in “Auto” causes dropouts; separate FM and DMR objects are the reported fix.

  • “Waiting For Main Unit” (TRX-2). The head reports that it cannot reach the base. Reported causes (unconfirmed):

    • non-SanDisk SD cards
    • powering on while connected by USB
    • dirty head contacts

    Reported fixes:

    • a 30-second power-button reset
    • running the head on the LAN cable
    • cleaning the contacts
    • updating the card in a card reader

  • Windows USB drivers. The scanner may not be recognized, Windows Update may replace the driver, or only some ports may work. Card-reader updates avoid the problem.

  • Occasional P25 “digital chirp”, noted in the Scanner Master review.

  • Old DSP on new stock. Units have shipped with older DSP builds, so update after purchase.

  • Alert LED yellow renders yellow-green; RGB F84035 gives a truer yellow.

  • Unconfirmed forum reports:

    • The NXDN 4800 “T” icon behaves differently from the guide’s description.
    • Some owners rolled back from later CPU firmware to 5.1, citing missed transmissions.
    • The faceplate may look scratched from manufacture.

3.8 Tips

  • Lock out distant sites on every DMR and NXDN system before judging performance.
  • Add a talkgroup wildcard to each DMR and NXDN system. Unlisted talkgroups are common.
  • Update the card in a card reader when USB is unreliable. It is also faster.
  • Use SanDisk cards and copy the whole card before updates.
  • Keep the installers. Download and archive the EZ-Scan installer and CPU updater for the exact model; the download host went away once in 2024.
  • Record the installed versions. Note the CPU, DSP and library versions (hold MENU at the welcome screen) before sending a radio anywhere or asking for help.
  • On the TRX-2, use only straight network cables for the head. A crossover cable can damage both units.
  • Mount an external speaker for remote-head installs. The TRX-2’s speaker is in the base.

3.9 Resources and sources

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