2-way radio recommendation

[stockae92]

i am looking for a pair of the 2-way radio and seeking recommendation.

- i might use it when skiing, so they should be somewhat weather proof
- rechargeable (Li ion, no need to worry about battery memory effect. and universal voltage. able to use off the alkaline in case of emergency would be nice)
- good range (i don't know what the standard now) with sub-channel (less chance of interference, do they have something like coded channel so that there is no interference at all?)
- smaller in size
- headset/hand free operation would be nice

i am a newbie to this.

[CLHC]

Yes to wanting to know too! I am in need of such for this coming June 1, 2, 3. Don't know bo diddly squat about these FRS.

[GarageBoy]

Get your GRMS license, grab a pair of Icom F21 GMRS (yea, they're $150 each) and forget all about those cheezy little blisterpack radios (if not, theyre all the same, just make sure you get one which uses AA batteries or equivalent as higher input power usually translates into higher output power)

[John N]

Get your GRMS license, grab a pair of Icom F21 GMRS (yea, they're $150 each) and forget all about those cheezy little blisterpack radios (if not, theyre all the same, just make sure you get one which uses AA batteries or equivalent as higher input power usually translates into higher output power)

I think GarageBoy hit this squarely on the head.

-john

[stockae92]

what the some options that doesn't require a license?

[Eskimonio]

GarageBoy speak truth... Icom is very well known for quality and range.


HOWEVER, if you, like me, don't want to spend $300 for a pair of handhelds, I think you'll be really pleased with these units for $39.90:

http://shop4.outpost.com/product/488...H:MAIN_RSLT_PG

Make no mistake, these aren't "bare bones" or lower-end Motorola units. They very often go for $100+ http://wirelesspro.stores.yahoo.net/mot7aatabl2p.html

Certainly there will be NO COMPARISON to ICOMs, but I use these recreationally for camping, hiking, kayaking, etc. and don't need HAM Radio range.

It's too bad you didn't ask this question before April 30th, because I bought them that day, and they were $29.90 minus a $10 rebate, so I picked up two pair. This same deal had gone on last Sept/Oct. so if time is on your side, you may want to check in on them from time to time watching for a price drop.

Even at $40 a pair, these are a great deal, and I highly recommend them.

MY REVIEW:
(full disclosure - I posted this review on Amazon under the T7400R product code, but my review and the units I bought was based on the T7400AA units that use AA batteries and NOT the rechargeable battery pack -- they are the blue models that I purchased from Frys.com and have 'field tested' ranges per Motorola of 8 mi. on water and 6 mi. on open land.)

I have a fair amount of experience with FRS/GMRS radios that I've used over the years, most of my familiarity has been with smaller AAA sized units, and these Motorola T7400 units are far and away the BEST I HAVE EVER TOUCHED. The clarity of transmission REALLY impressed me - very clear when compared side to side with other units.

As an editorial comment I'd just like to say how really fraudulent it is that the government allows these radio manufacturers to make outlandish claims as to the range of their units. It seems like each company and each new model tries to one-up the previous. 8 miles, 12 miles, 18 miles!! Pure unadulterated b.s., and the problem with that is that people set their expectations unreasonably high, and are invariably disappointed with their purchases. What marketing GENIUS (sarcasm) decided to be the first to make an unsubstatiated claim of range? Hang him by his toes! Imagine if we allowed car manufacturers to advertise their vehicles as having a 0-60 speed of 2.9 seconds and then found out the 3,000 pound car has a 2 cylinder engine? Sure, 0-60 in 3.9 seconds when dropped from a helicopter!! ** end rant

Now on to my opinion of these units. Really really stellar. Again, with the above in mind, remember not to set your expectations too high. These units are big, measuring 9" from bottom of the unit to the tip of the antenna. BUT THAT IS A GOOD THING. It allows three things that IMHO really help these to have better transmission and reception downrange. 1. AA batteries put out more power than AAA batteries, and will allow more usage per charge, 2. The larger antenna allows a better 'throw' of the 2w of generated transmission power. 3. A larger speaker than smaller AAA models, allowing for plenty of volume upside.

Now to range - this was a very informal test, but it was as controlled as I could make it. The first night I received these units, I tested them vs. a pair of Midland AAA radios with an advertised range of 16 miles. Freshly charged Rayovac Hybrid NIMH rechargeables went into each, and I set both sets of units to GMRS channel 21. My 'test' here was done in my neigborhood, a densely populated area in Phoenix where 80+% of the households have WiFi internet systems, Cordless Home phones, etc. Not that they should interfere with this frequency, but it is a lot of a electronic 'noise' to burn through. Long story short, the Midlands were static-filled by the end of my street - about 200yds away, but the Motorolas stayed crystal clear. I was really impressed with the CLARITY of these units, and continued further and further away.

I ended the test @1.5 miles due to my tester getting cold from the high winds we were having. At 1.5 miles in a dense neighborhood, with high winds, and me inside a vehicle, these things were only beginning to get any static whatsoever, but transmissions were more than readable. When I stepped out of the Xterra, the signal regained clarity, and there was only the slightest hint of static induced by the range. What this means to me, is in a true outdoor application, I am sure to get all the range I need. 12 miles? Hmmm, probably not, but unless I'm in a crag in some canyon, I'm sure these will throw good signal a few miles, and in an open water situation or two vehicles road-tripping, I'll bet the range will be that much further.

As far as features, this has all I can foresee needing. Voice activated transmission and Weather Band are great reasons to keep these around when out in the bush or on the water. The belt clip, meh...I haven't put it to any stress, but I could see how it might be susceptible to breakage due to its high profile. If mine break, I'll call Motorola and have them send me the new lower profile ones others here have mentioned.

As for the person who said they are incompatible with other radios, due respect, but that is completely false. The problem lies in that the channel security code on these is set to '1' initially from the factory, which if changed to '0' will allow complete compatibility. Let me explain. Yes, this radio has 22 channels, but within each channel you can select any of 99 'security codes' - which is a misnomer. These do not make your conversations more secure, rather what they do is screen out other conversations on the same channel. Your transmissions will still be received by all other radios on that channel, you just will not be able to hear their conversations. Word of advice - when selecting a channel to use, listen first...if anyone else in your immediate area is using that channel, PICK ANOTHER CHANNEL. Now, if your buddy has a radio from another make and you both want to be compatible, set all units to the desired channel, then simply push your menu button the number of times required to change the security code (2 times I think), and when it highlights that little security code number (smaller number in the top right of the display), hit your down arrow and change that to 0. When on 0, you are disabling the feature and can hear all transmissions on that channel.

Well I hope this helps some. Remember there generally is a trade off on unit size vs. range, so if you want a radio that's the size of your thumbnail, don't expect it to throw signal 32 miles downrange. These units are sizeable, but still not unweildy at all, still pocketable and the larger batteries will allow you to have better reception and longer usage per charge.

Don't shy away from buying these units - with reasonable expectations of range, you will be very pleased.





Additionally, here's another review I found on these Frys.com T7400AA Blue Units: (This review was a primary reason for my purchase of these radios)


"The units have a pretty good feature set - 22 channels, 99 squelch codes (38 seems the norm), channel and code scan, vibrate alert mode, 8 weather channels, VOX (voice-operated transmit, great when you need both hands to do something else), and accessory (mic/ear audio) jacks.

Advertised range is "up to 8 miles". I always take these claims with a large grain of salt, but when I looked at the radios I was encouraged by (1) the larger physical size / antenna and (2) the fact that they used AA batteries. AA batteries have over twice the energy content of the AAAs used by many radios, and the battery price is about the same. I decided to risk $20 and give the radios a shot.

First of all, the claimed range is 8 miles over water and 6 on land, line-of-sight. We set out yesterday morning to check the range. I'm in Dallas, and it's hard to find a long straight stretch of road, but we wound up going out I-30 east toward Rockwall. I dropped my friend off at "Snuffers", a roadside restaurant with an outdoor patio, so he wouldn't have to stand in the sun. For those who want to check a map, Snuffers is at the Ridge Road exit on I-30, just east of Lake Ray Hubbard. I took off back down the highway toward Dallas.

I didn't expect to meet the claimed range, for several reasons. First, I assumed the claims would be optimistic; second, I was using rechargeable batteries which have lower terminal voltage than the fresh alkalines that were probably used for testing; and third, I wouldn't have true line-of-sight due to buildings, bridges, hills, etc.

Anyway, to make a long story short, we were reading one another pretty well at the 6-mile point (mfrs claimed land range), even though I was still sitting in the cab of my truck. Somewhere around 7 miles we started breaking up when I'd go down hills. At 8 miles I stopped on a high spot, got out of the truck, and found that we still had strong signal and clear audio. And we were still readable using the half-watt channels also.

The last point we checked had me at the intersection of I-30 and I-635 in Dallas, on high ground outside the truck, with him on the Snuffers patio back in Rockwall. At this point we were both getting some crackle on the audio. Distance is almost 10 miles, three of which were across water. Terrain was not ideal, but it was approximately line-of-sight.

I stopped the test at this point because it was going to take some major effort from where I had exited to get back on I-30 pointed west, and then there would be a 3-level highway interchange and some more hills between us anyway. Plus, we were both hungry for lunch.

Needless to say, my buddy is heading over to Fry's today to grab a couple of these sleepers before the sale is over."




I hope that helps...I would encourage you to stay away from smaller AAA radios with 1" nub antennae whatever you do.

[bluecrow76]

I bought a pair of Midland GXT-400's a couple years ago, and got my GMRS license. I'm also an amateur radio operator, but wanted some stuff to play on while traveling.

Three days after Hurricane Katrina, my company did some work recovering computer equipment from some buildings in New Orleans. We bought a couple sets of the cheap Motorola radios to use, and I brought along my Midland's. The building we were in was 32 stories (that's 442 feet), and my Midland radios were the only ones that would talk through all 32 floors. I have been VERY pleased with them. They came with NiMH battery packs (that crapped out really quick), but can also run off of 4 AA's.

[Eskimonio]

Roger that, Bluecrow...

It looks like those units are fairly well reviewed -- I noticed they also use AA batteries and not the AAAs, which is a good thing.

To be clear, in my comments above, I wasn't attempting to disparage Midland as a brand...just the crappy AAA pair that I paid too much for a year ago that claim a range 64 times the distance they'll actually function at.

[matrixshaman]

FRS = no license, GMRS = license.

[stockae92]

so any FRS recommendation? ;-)

[Eskimonio]

The radios I mentioned are FRS/GMRS, so you do not need a license if you utilize the FRS channels exclusively. I believe they're channels 1-7. So stay on those channels and you aren't breaking any rules.


FRS = no license = VERY short range
GMRS = technically needs a license, although 99% of the people out there do not use one, and provided you're not interfering with the communications of others chances are extremely slim that you will have any hassle.

I'm not recommending you to go without a license, but google GMRS license and read what people who have the licenses generally say.

Even if you want the GMRS license it's only $75/yr

OR you can use the same radios above on the FRS channels only and you will be in compliance. That way if you decide you need more range and want to get the license, you have that available as well without needing to buy another unit.

[ckthorp]

Here are some more specifics on the rules.
http://www.popularwireless.com/gmrsbppfaq.html

[stockae92]

will the sub channels and everything else works the same except for the range

i just don't use radio often enough to justify getting a license

[David_Campen]

Even if you want the GMRS license it's only $75/yr

The license term is more than 1 year, I think it is 5 years. I have a license but most people don't bother. If you are using the standard (less than 5 watt) handhelds for sport/personal use there is near zero chance that the FCC is going to want to see your license.

Channels 1-7 are either FRS (no license) or GMRS (license) depending on power level. Less than 1/2 watt is FRS and more than 1/2 watt is GMRS.

There really isn't any such thing as a "sub channel". What the radio vendors call a "privacy code" is really just a tone coded squelch. If you have your radio using a "privacy code" then you will not hear other radios on the same channel unless one of the radios is transmiting the "privacy code". Other radios on the same channel that are not using a "privacy code" will still be able to hear all conversations on that channel and if someone else transmits on a channel at the same time you do then the two will interfere even though you are using a "privacy code".

As was already stated, the marketing people have discovered that no one is policing their marketing claims and as a result the range claims for the radios are now outrageous and false.

[tomdooley62]

Bought these the other week at Wally World. Came with waterproof pouch, headset, batterpak ac and dc charger. I think they were 57 dollars or so a piece. You can also use aa in them i think that they require 4 aa. Long lasting great punch through and excellent volume and they also have weather alert.
http://www.midlandradio.com/comersus...idProduct=3117

[spacetroll]

Bought these the other week at Wally World. Came with waterproof pouch, headset, batterpak ac and dc charger. I think they were 57 dollars or so a piece. You can also use aa in them i think that they require 4 aa. Long lasting great punch through and excellent volume and they also have weather alert.
http://www.midlandradio.com/comersus...idProduct=3117

Those VHF Marine radios are not legal to use unless you are on the water, on the dock or on shore in a business servicing boaters.

Not that I give a $h*t just a fact.

[Robstorch]

I second Bluecrows recommendation on the Midlands. I have the GXT-400
set and they have a true 2 watt output. I googled a lot and found the FCC test data for them. Most others I checked put out about 1/2 watt or less. They run on AAs and my informal testing stopped at about 1.5 miles
blocked by buildings and stuff.

[rdwilson]

Ditto on the Icom but better is an older Motorola JT1000 which is very rugged and the battery lasts a long time. I would recommend getting an amateur radio license. Current fee is $14 for ten years. Yes, there is a bit of a learning curve but the benefits far outweigh the little time it takes to learn.

For example out local club provides training over a weekend ( 8 hours on Saturday and 4 Sunday including the test).

Your profile doesn't indicate the city in California but take a peek at all of the 2-meter (VHF) available in So-Cal:
http://rptrlist.w6jpl.ampr.org/2m.htm

[Lightbringer]

Anyone actually use the Icom F21? They are kind of expensive, but I may make the jump if users tell me how good they actually are! I have a midland pair and the Cobra LI6000-2 WX VP microTALK with Li-ion battery packs. They were ok, but no where near the 17 mile range they suggested. Also, does anyone have any pics, I'd like to get an idea of the actual size (the cobra's are pretty small, esp compared to the large motorola's).

Also, if anyone knows of a good vendor for the Icom's, i'd appreciate a link. Thanks.

[John N]

Also, if anyone knows of a good vendor for the Icom's, i'd appreciate a link. Thanks.

rahq.com seems to have good prices on the icom.

-john

[GarageBoy]

www.icom-usa.com

[mightysparrow]

I believe "channels" 1-14 on these radios are the family radio service frequencies (FRS), even though channels 8-14 are shared with GMRS. You don't need a license for these frequencies if you are transmitting at the lower power setting for FRS. Channels 15 and above are exclusively licensed frequencies for GMRS transmissions.

[firefly99]

Just purchased a few set of Motorola walkie talkies in the last 3 months. Trying to encourage my family to use these talkies to cut down handphone airtime charges.

a) a pair of Motorola SV700R talkabout series
2 Watt, 22 FRS/GMRS channels and rated for 12 miles range (line of sight)

b) Motorola GP2000
4 Watt, 99 channels, frequency range UHF 435-480Mhz, keypad programmable

I am very please with these walkie talkies, especially the GP2000 which is a professional unit. During my initial test, I was able to communicate with my family member at home from quite a distance away. The GP2000 even let me select how much power to use, 0.5W, 1W and 4 W.

In general, for any set that is 0.5W does not require a license in most countries. FRS is low power (0.5W), so no license required, while GMRS required a license because they are 5W unit.

For more details, you may want to browse this site.http://www.f-r-s.org/

[Sigman]

Interesting link firefly99, thanks for posting that. Sounds like a great idea for the neighborhood in times of need?!

[racer7]

ICOM makes good stuff as all serious radio users know. My marine handhelds are a pair of over 15 yr old ICOMs that still get the job done, though newer, smaller ones exist.

Re FRS, I've had some cheap Motorolas that I loan to my students at the track for paddock questions and they seem to have about 3/4 mile of reliable range in that situation.

And we use some cheap Midland LXT320s with charging stations and NiMHs at work. They cover inslide a 500,000 sg ft steel builiding just fine and last the shift before recharging despite the 4 AAA powerpacks.

For longer distances, you'll want to the added punch however. And if you want to go a couple days on a batt set, you'll need more capacity.

[Vincent]

I just have a moto Talk about.

[Russianesq]

Going away on vacation (outside of USA).

Cell usage is going to be a fortune, so I want to get some type of a walkie talkie to communicate with travel companion at the resort.

While doing research I ran into the alphabet soup of abbreviations for different type of walkie talkie technologies = FRS, GMRS, eXRS.

Did anyone have any good experience using a walkie talkie during vacation?

Any recommendations on equipment?

Thanks

[Bright Scouter]

GMRS and MURS give the best distance, normally. But check where ever you are going to see if they are legal to use in that country. Sometimes these radios may even transmit on police bands in another country. I can bet that may cause you some problems.

[Empath]

Radio regulations are different with each country. In the U.S. it's all regulated by the FCC, but their authority and the regulations don't extend beyond the U.S. Frequency allotments and assignments can be very different, or just different enough to be a nuisance in use. When it comes to radio equipment that broadcasts, the difference can be enough to make your equipment useless. Use of non-type-accepted can result in confiscation , hefty fines, or even jail.

[fieldops]

I cannot speak for other nations law's, but in the US, GMRS and MURS must only use "TYPE ACCEPTED" radios. You cannot use reprogrammed Motorola's or other commercial radios unless they are type accepted under PART 95 of the commission's rules. Commercial radios type accepted under part 90 (LMRS) are not legal for use on GMRS or MURS, unless they are also type accepted under part 95. Most commercial rigs are not part 95 accepted. It is possible to look up the radio's on the FCC site to see which type acceptance they were granted. Not many are likely to be checking type acceptance in the field, but those are the rules. Just an FYI