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/4885200;jsessionid=klID3jyruVedrS9-jhh-lg**.node1?site=sr:SEARCH: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.
