Wrist Radio Review: from Troop 2\'s Real-World (tm) Labs

Frank Ingle writes...





On the weekend of Apr 21 - 22, Boy Scout Troop 2 put
Walmart's new Wrist Radios ($23/pair) to the ultimate
torture test: a full day of use by VERY active 11-year
old testers! Initial reaction to the product was
positive ( "Awesome, dude! ), and there were no
complaints about color coordination with current
fashions, or about the slightly "Buck Rogers" appearance
of the radios.


Since our testers were already familiar with FRS radios,
learning time was negligible, and the fun started before
they were more than 3 feet apart. Our testers found the
non-adjustable volume level to be "just right" except
when several nearby Scouts were talking at once. (Sadly
not uncommon.) The absence of any squelch circuit was
taken in stride with no complaints.



Our testers determined quickly that the maximum range for
dependable communications was about 100 feet, but this
restriction did not prove to be a hindrance to prohibited
communications between tents after lights-out.



Shortly after breakfast, things took a disappointing turn
for the worse when one of our testers reported that his
unit had stopped receiving and also stopped telling time.
It would still transmit just fine. This combination was
a bit surprising because the watch and the transceiver
are completely independent circuits with separate power
supplies. A careful examination of the unit revealed no
signs of external trauma, however a small amount of
condensation did appear to be on the inside of the case.
We assumed that the unit had failed from infant mortality
issues, but to our surprise, about 4 hours later it
suddenly started working again (both radio and watch,
although the time was now wrong.)



After giving the matter some thought, your reviewer
remembered that the tester who had reported the problem
had been assigned to K.P. after breakfast, so he had been
washing pots and pans while wearing the wrist radio.
Suffice it to say that I think we have demonstrated that
the units are clearly not waterproof. This hypothesis
was given additional weight when further examination of
the formerly broken unit revealed that the mysterious
condensation inside had now vanished.



All in all, the wrist radios received a kid-tested 28
thumbs up. Those wishing to do further study are
cautioned on just two points 1) life will be much simpler
if you have a unit for each child present, and 2) radios
should be turned in prior to commencing K.P. or aquatic
activities.