Two-Way Radios Reviews

I've had several over the years. All have had interference problems. These don't, because of the privacy codes. The range is also the best I've ever had. Very easy to use, even in the dark. An excellent buy.

they work great. they have all the power you would ever need. you can't beat the warranty. the price was the best I found. very happy with the product.

The midland gxt 550 is really the kind of radio that Im looking for. When I received the radio after a couple of weeks, It was really what I expect - specially the color of the radio - I liked it very much. Transmit and receive is perfect. It's even more sensitive than icom f21gm. It's the best radio I ever had.
I'll buy more of them..

These FRS radios worked ok but have a terrible, very hard to see display. The LCD backlight color is RED. Very poor contrast and hard to see display functions. Also since buying them I have seen many other brands with many more features for less money.

This walkie talkie is great! I just got it a couple of days ago and the quality of the sound is clear. It's also smaller than I expected. It could easily fit in your pocket. One great option about the T6200 two-way radio is that if you have more than two people on the channel you can set an individual ring so when you call someone they know its you. The walkie talkies are well worth the price and if you don't want to pay too much then these are good for you.

I had a pair of older motorola talkabouts. I was pretty happy with those, but I decided to up grade to the T6200. I'm really glad that I did. Overall this product is great. I have tried it both inside and outside of the house and on the road. I have found that I can't get the whole 2 mile range, but over all it's clear and easy to understand the other person. They are pretty lightweight and the looks arn't bad. These things are a great buy. It was cool

Big Truck

14.99$ for a Carry case? I can get a PANASONIC 2 way radio at 30$ after 30$ rebate. This price for two cases might be more acceptable!

I bought these to use with my Motorola FRS50 radios while deer hunting. I didn't know if they would work with this brand of radio, boy, was I surprized. They not only worked well but my neighbors who also have this same brand of radio are going to order some for themselves.

Great item for my needs. Works well with the Motorola radio.

I don't own a Panasonic FRS, but use this case for another brand of FRS. This case will also hold a small cell phone. It is made of wet suit material and comes with a velcro arm strap. It can stretch a little bit, but don't try to fit the older generation cell phone inside. I don't have it in front of me, so I can't give the measurements, maybe next time. At Amazon.com's clearance price of about a couple of dollars, it is well worth the price.

I have used both Motorolla and VTEC. And the COBORA had the worst range of all brands. Very staticy at even 100 yards.

I bought one of these mainly because of the built in radio to use at the gym and it of course also doubles as an frs radio. Only drawback is the lack of ctss codes and the roger beep cannot be turned off. Does have a call button. If these aren't a problem and you want a dual purpose radio, these are fine.

Used it up in the mountains (washakie wilderness) with lots of trees to interfer however that was not a problem, it had better then a two mile range, Once I was in the creek bottom and was able to talk to the others at camp a good 3 miles a way and the camp was surrounded by trees

The Cobra 1000 is a basic and reliable 2-way radio. It could be better with the addition of some other useful functions like a scan mode or privacy mode. As a receiver, it lacks sensitivity at times to catch the faint signals but in the trasmit mode, it really sounds very good. My only major problem with the radio is the design of the battery compartment. It is a "snap" cover which doesnt really snap that well and which will be a problem as the radio is used more frequently. I already have to use a rubber band around one of the radios to keep the battery in place.

I recently purchased 2 of these radios, first thing I did was get rechargeable batteries, a recharger and DC car adaptor. I then went to my local professional radio shop and purchased 2,6 inch, 1/4wave rubber antennas cut for 460 mhz. I also purchased 2 mobile magnet mount antennas cut for the right frequency. All antennas and accessories improved radios peformance dramatically, especially the two mobile antennas. It was no problem for my brother and I to talk 15-20 kilometers (roughly 9 1/2 to 12 1/2 miles) with our two vehicles through our hilly, vegetation terrain here in Atlantic Canada. My next step is to purchase a base antenna for the house and the Audiovox 2000 GMRS Base Station.

I bout a pair of cobra PR1000 at officemax store. They put out 2.0 watts on high power and 1/2 watts on low power.They have a high/low RF power output.They are a good gmrs and frs radio. Channels 1-7 are frs channels 8-15 are gmrs frequencis not frs.Up to a 5 mile range. I haven't test them out yet to see how far they go for a range on these radios. Can someone give me a range how far a 2 watt radio goes.

We bought these so we could keep in contact with our kids at the greenbelt just down the street from our house. They worked great and the sound quality was good. Our only problem was my kids were there when the sprinklers came on, so they were playing in them. You guessed it, the unit was pretty soaked, so we let it dry out but it still doesn't work. The next pair I look for will be water resistant.

I had to return a set because one radio display was bad. The replacement set has one radio that doesn't display the transmit and receive signal indicators. I kept this pair because of the range and price but quality control of the display could be better.

therese are the best and their cost effective in the frs two mile range these are number one avoid others it will take two weeks to learn to use them!!!!!!!!!!!!

Since I have had this unit it works only when it wants to. I have had it into several CB shops and they all say the same thing. It Sucks. STAY AWAY from this unit.

I have only had a short time, and I am very happy. The features are great, especially the weather channel. I think this is a great value! I do agree with another review do get a good antenna, and you will enjoy it more.

I bought my 77-115 about 5 months ago and it has been wonderful. I also have a K40 5'6" whip on my car and I love it.

I think with ALL these 2 mile + walkie-talkie brands, the ONLY reason they DO NOT REACH their SAID RANGE is because the USERS don't GET THEIR FCC LISCENSES! THE RANGE ONLY WORKS IF YOU HAVE AN FCC LISCENSE! IF YOU AREN'T WILLING TO GET THE LISCENSE, DON'T COMPLAIN ABOUT THE WALKIE-TALKIE RANGE.

Everyone please understands that getting the FCC license for any GMRS radio does ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to increase the range of the radio. The license is a piece of paper so the FCC may track who is using GMRS frequencies, nothing more. They used to do the same for CB users in the 70's. They do not track FRS freqs because of the low output power of FRS radios. Range is affected by output power of the radio but mostly by obstacles between you and the other radio. Trees, walls, buildings, hills, etc. reduce the range considerably. A true test of range is on open water or unobstructed Line-Of-Sight from one hilltop to another. (Not everyone has a boat) Buy three different sets from different brands and try them near a lake to test, return the ones that are not to your liking.

Since I already owned a cheaper pair of two way radios, I had a hard time justifying the purchase of these. But the $25 rebates convinced me that this was the time to do it. I have used my older ones while working on the house. In my case, I was on the roof and just wanted to be in contact with someone in case I needed help. Have also used them when traveling as a group, staying in contact with someone in a car ahead and perhaps clarifying directions or upcoming turns, etc. Have also used them while shopping at the mall.

I anticipate using the T-6300 for the same things as well as staying in touch with the shore while kayaking. One of the features which was also a selling point was the inclusion of the weather channel. I could have lived without the clock and stop watch functions (since I have them on my watch). I would like to have had the added features of the T6320, but when would I really need an altimeter and barometer? The compass would have been useful though. Regarding the 6310 with its FM radio, I really would not want to be using up my batteries if I were on an extended hiking trip. The perfect combination for me would be to include the compass and drop the stopwatch. However I think I will be pretty happy with my new units and even happier when the rebate checks come in.

Trying to figure out how to operate all of the features does seem a little formidable, initially, but it gets easier as you practice. It does have some great features such as the vibrating alert, changes in call tones, voice activation etc. I am a little nervous depending upon the built in swivel beltclip but for relatively passive activities like going to the mall it should be fine. I am having a hard time finding a holster for it probably because Motorola felt there was no need to supply one since it comes with the built in detachable clip. They do make a holster which also is an armband holder, but it is a little pricey.

Regarding the reception, I have not found them to be any stronger than my older units but I have not had the opportunity to test them very much yet.

All in all, I think it is an excellent unit. It looks nice, has a lot of features, is ergonomically designed, and has several accessories. I think my favorite will the the headset with microphone which can be used with the voice activation feature.
Overall it was the features, rebates and Motorola reputation that led me to buy this unit.

Tried GMRS, wasnt any better than the FRS channels (< 1/4 mile) within a sub.
Got it coz it was cheap, and can use one in most rooms, or give to the family so was can all stay in touch at the mall.

These are not bad radios, but I didn't like that they run on AAA batteries, because hi-capacity AAA's just don't exist...I prefer AA cells. Currently, AAA Ni-MH cells are available in 1000mAH capacity, the higher the number the better.

I used these on a 10-acre location with plenty of trees and a few buildings. The owner was inside a trailer, which is referred to in geek terms as a Faraday cage, since it's surrounded in metal.

The 638's performed flawlessly, and with very good audio. We used channel 13 with a privacy code, with no difficulty.

Normally, I'm a Motorola user, but I'd take a pair of these just because they're lower-priced. But, if I'm gonna switch to using Uniden radios, I may as well get their top-of-the-line with "all the tricks", because it'd be worth the money.

Bottom line: GET THESE if you want a basic radio with basic tone squelch (privacy codes) and you'll do just fine. Otherwise, look at Uniden's more expensive models with weather alert and more privacy codes.

I'm not sure about the claimed 6 mile range but I use these to communicate with coworkers on the NYC Subway system.It comes in loud and clear from the 1st car to the last ,getting past all that metal,glass and electrical interference with no problem.

I already own a couple FRS, the Motorola 289, & these are the best available.

I bought the FR540 for my kids. I like the fact that I can communicate w/ my wife where ever we go someplace. But I started thinking that when we go to amusement parks or anywhere there are large crowds, that I can't communicate w/ my kids. At one time, we lost track of them & let me tell you how nerve racking that was.

I've looked at most models of FRS here on Amazon.com, that I considered would be perfect for kids. I decided & bought the 540's since they are very compact units. Not too heavy for the kids to carry around. They are also very easy to use, I set them to the channel(s) I want to use, channel lock them, & viola, we can keep in contact.

Only real gripe I have about the FR540, I can't seem to find carry cases for them, like the Body Glove cases I have for the 289's. What's nice about having a case is, they usually supply them w/ neck straps. I don't feel comfortable having the kids just clip them to there packs or shorts. It seems that it would be easily lost. I've rigged my own carry strap, but it doesn't protect the FRS, which is another reason I like having carry cases for them. So if you use this item, & have a carry case that fits the 540, please let me know. Last gripe is these take 3 AAA batteries, compared to the 3 AA the 289 uses. It would be nice to have just one type of battery to buy. Oh well, can't have everything, can we? Lastly, I am a bit concerned about the fold down antenna. It doesn't seem as sturdy as some other models, I hope I am wrong about this.

I am only giving these FRS a 3, since they have not been field tested as of yet. Audiovox claims a 2 mile range, that I would like to check out. Even if it's just a mile or so, that is fine w/ me. As long as I can stay in contact w/ my kids in an amusement park or similar situation, then my money was well spent. But it sure is nice that I can use a different brand of FRS, set the channels, & we are all in contact.

These are very nice FRS, if you are looking for a pair that are very compact, easily carried, & have many features found in the more expensive models, then this is for you. Sound quality is also good, now I need to test its distance.

Finally had chance to really use the 540. First of all, they work wonderfully w/ the Motorola 289's I have. I can communicate w/ the kids, no problem. Only realy problem is keeping the kids from playing w/ them, oh well.

Here's some afterthoughts........the 540's work good w/ the antenna folded down, you can walk some distance while in the down position. But, you need to have the antenna upright if you want to have a strong signal, so you can't have the antenna down when you are far apart.

Reception is good, a bit of static comes in when the battery wears down, don't know if this is apparent w/ other FRS. As stated it's very easy for kids to use, I channel locked their 540's, so all they have to do is press the talk key to communicate.

Fairly durable, one of my kids went tumbling down a hill w/ the radio around her neck. It took the punishment, works well, but have some minor scratches. The radios almost got soaked when the kids went to pet the dolphins.

I did find a couple carry cases w/ neck straps. Amazon.com sells a Case Logic carry case in their radio accessories section that fit the 540 nicely. Only gripe is, it's not a real snug/secure fit, but it works. I really needed a carry case w/ a neck strap & this model you can cinch them some, so the radios are not dangling low on your kids.

I still think that the 540 is a good radio. If it just had the same performance as the Motorola 289, I would give it 5 stars. I did get the extended warranty on the radios, I just don't know how durable or long lasting the 540's are.

I like this product because it is very useful. THis could help anyone for working in the yard or skiing or snowbaording when you are on the mountain so you dont get lost.