Motorola MotoTRBO SL300 First Impressions

Motorola MotoTRBO SL300

First Impressions

10/22/2014 © twowaydigitalradio.com 1

SL300 Open Box Contents

RadioAntenna (Stubby)Battery Battery Back CoverWall Charger (Micro‐USB)

ManualCan upgrade to Drop In Charger with spare battery slot ($25)


SL300 (Front) Premium look and feel Modern styling Light weight Durable Good build quality Solid PTT Top power button and channel selector switch are

high grade construction Remarkably when the LED is not lit one can not

tell there is an Active View Display which is beneath the case material

Most people don’t realize the display will show channel aliases and it scrolls long text

Top left attachment point next to antenna for nylon wrist strap


Battery Door and Compartment

Battery door has attachment points at top and bottom and battery latch has metal mechanism, closes solidly

Height of the radio appears to be more related to the internal patented antenna long range max technology than with the BT type battery form factor at 2300mah


Antenna

Small diameter threaded postNo center feed pinNew design appears to be related to patented antenna long range max technology


SL300 (Bottom)

Recessed metal bar is for bottom attachment point for the Flexible Hand StrapInstalled hand strap does not interfere with the charger or carry holder


Flexible Hand Strap

Several carry options as accessoriesBesides the traditional nylon thin wrist strap, there is a heavy duty belt clip that attaches directly to the back of the radio

There is also an innovative Flexible Hand Strap made of wide nylon stretch material, user inserts hand between the back of the radio and the hand strap


Carry Holder (Front) Typical Motorola carry holder engineering, very slick and well thought out

Strong Durable Light weight Composite material Radio is inserted at the bottom and with tension the top of the radio is snapped in

To remove the radio, release either one or both of the dog ears at the top


Carry Holder (Rear)

Belt Clip attached to carry holderBelt clip has swivel positions


Radio in Carry Holder (Front)

Slim molded form factor adds minimal size and weight to the radioRadio can be inserted face in or face out


Carry Holder (Back)

Note the top rear attachment point above the belt clipNote the top and rear center of the carry holder which appears to allow the Flexible Hand Strap to remain installed while in the carry holder


SL300 (Back)

Note the attachment point top center for the heavy duty belt clipNote battery latch middle of the radioNote the texture on the back of the radio


SL Comparison (Top)

SL300 has thickness of 0.87”

SL7550 has thickness of 0.68” at battery compartment area

SL300 thickness is uniform the length of the radio

Both SLs have same width at 2.17”


SL Comparison (Up)

SL300 height is 4.95”SL7550 height is 4.75”


SL Comparison (Down)

SL300 has weight of 5.84 ozSL7550 has weight of 5.39 ozSL7550 thickness narrows above the battery compartment


SL 300/XPR Gen 2 Comparison


Dimensions SL300 XPR3500

Weight 5.84 oz 10 oz

Thickness 0.87” 1.43”

Height 4.95” 4.80”

Width 2.17” 2.20”

Overall Observations Initially, before I got the radios in, I was concerned because of the price point

some of the features would be less than standard quality of the professional series, that does not appear to be the case, it is as good as anything else in the MotoTRBO line and this despite being in the commercial series portfolio (although the ear jack and charging/programming port have individual rubber seal flaps instead of a sealed side accessory connector)

The option to carry this radio is for someone looking for smaller and lighter (than say the XPR3000 series)

This radio does not replace the SL7550 with greater features but offers a good compromise in a very similar form factor at a much lower price point AND IT WILL ALSO DO ANALOG

Performance is said to be same or better than Gen 2 (Audio output, sensitivity) As a rule of thumb, engineers have stated that because of the patented antenna

long range max technology the performance of this radio with a stubby at 2 watts Analog or 3 watts Digital is about 90% of the 4 watt models with the full whip antenna


Ken Bryant, K1DMR (Formerly KF4CZB)www.twowaydigitalradio.com

706‐896‐[email protected]

Thanks for your interest!


Technology

Motorola MotoTRBO SL300 First Impressions