Two-Way Radios Reviews

I bought one of these about three years ago and bought two others when they were discontinued about two years ago. I'm surprised to see these still in stock, so perhaps the new batch is different from the one I'm reviewing.

The push-to-talk button will wear out after about a year of daily use. The buttons wear out in the strangest of ways. It appears to transmit but doesn't transmit the subcode unless you really press the button down. Not sure what was going on there.

I highly recommend the GMRS version of this base station. It's much better and has a "bonus" removable portable radio. We're replacing the FRS1000 with the new version as their push-to-talk buttons break.

The battery life is very decent on the FRS1000--it lasts two days which is excellent for any FRS with subcodes turned on.

The configuration sequence is horribly confusing and the icons don't seem to represent anything in real life, so the manual should be kept close by.

We are in a rather noisy environment, RF-wise, so passing aircraft and vehicles with business radios will cause the unit to break squelch and emit a loud 1/2-second long blast of static and white noise. This happens even if you set the subcodes. Some ranges of subcodes false break squelch more often than others.

Transmitting audio is accompanied by an AC hum. The newer GMRS version has a quieter hum but it's still there. The power supply appears to be the culprit, as I have used ferrite cores to try and clean up the interference a bit and it doesn't have much affect.

If it's cheap, like twenty-five dollars, grab it. FRS base stations are very rare products that are much more useful than the basic home intercom system.

I have several of these fantastic radios! It has everything I look for in a base station FRS radio.

The Audiovox FRS1000 comes with all the necessary features for FRS radios. 14-Channels, 38 CTCSS tones, speaker/mic connection, weather reception, VOX, call tones, etc.

The FRS1000 has the speaker/mic connection that is most useful. It is compatible with standard Radio Shack/Icom speaker/mics which means you will be able to find one easily and it will not cost you a fortune. Most people don't use speaker/mics, but with this unit, you can use it in your car and with a speaker/mic, it is extremely useful.

Powering the unit is done in several ways. First, the radio comes with a 12-volt power transformer that you plug into the wall. Not only does it power the unit, but it also charges the rechargable NiMH batteies (included) stored in the back of the radio. HOT TIP!!! This is VERY important...Before you use the radio, charge the batteries for at least 24-hours. If you try to use the radio when the batteries are completely drained, the transformer will not have enough power. It makes the radio "seem" non-functioning, but you will find if you follow my advice, everything will be fine. Also, if you use alkaline batteries, make SURE!!!! you switch the charging option to "alkaline", otherwise, you may FRY the batteries. BTW...Pickup a 12-volt "cigarette lighter" plug from Radio Shack and you can power it in the car. I would recommend that you turn the battery charging option "off" when using the cigarette lighter plug...I don't know for sure if it will damage that rechargable batteries (I suspect not), but why take the chance.

A wonderful feature of this radio is the weather channel reception. It picks-up all major weather channels in your area and will even alert you when a warning is sent out. This even works when you are using the FRS radio.

Of course, there is a scan feature. It scans all 14-channels. It doesn't display the CTCSS tone used during scan like the GE 38540 radios does (see my review of that radio), but most FRS radios don't do this either, so I will not deduct points for that.

One thing I will deduct a point for (this is why I gave it a 4 instead of a 5) is that the VOX does not work well. I suspect that it doesn't work well on all of the FRS1000 radios because I have 5 and it works the same on all 5...Poorly!

All-in-all, it is a fantastic bargain if you want a base station or even a mobile FRS radio. Only fault I can see is the VOX problem I listed above. Go ahead and try one...You won't be sorry.

I just purchased the FRS-1000 Base station and I have to say I'm very pleased. It works fine with my BellSouth FRS Hand Held units. The station is small and compact, no larger than a standard intercom. The manual is a bit hard to figure out some of the functions but if you play with it, you'll get the hang of all it can do.
One function I especially love is it's ability to scan all 14 FRS channels, so I can monitor all channels for incoming signals. It also has a function whereby you can monitor two channels at once, if you have people using two different channels, you can hear conversations on both.

The NOAA weather function is a no-brainer, just press the button and you have instant weather information access. The unit also features a "Roger Beep", this is a short beep that is attached to the end of every transmission. (It can be turned off) I like it because it distinguishes when a transmission is coming from the base station. My hand held units do not have this beep so any transmission from base is clearly identified by this sound.

You can also sellect from 4 different "Call Tones". This allows you to define the type of call signal the unit emitts when signaling other units. If you have more than one base station this would be handy to differentiate them.
When they say "Two mile range" their not kidding, the unit belts out enough power to talk and listen somewhat beyond that. (a friend and I tested it, he on a bike with a hand held and me on the base!)
This unit could have many uses, I use it for camping and keeping up with friends hiking. It could be used in a factory too, or as a way to keep track of neighborhood kids. In fact, as I scan channels I often hear the neighborhood kids playing and talking. And with it's range, I hear other neighborhoods too.
I must admit it's fun to listen in on their play. Plus during the day I can hear workers who use FRS to talk to each other.
FRS is not as crowded as CB bandwiths, it's easy to find a clear quiet channel to use if you don't want distractions.
If you're looking for a unit to use for work or in a factory, I'd recommend you pick an odd channel like "3" or "6". Most units default to channel "1" when turned on and this is the channel that you'll hear the most chatter from the neighborhood.

The FRS-1000 is a great buy, it comes with rechargable batteries and they charge while the unit is on and plugged up with the supplied adapter. So you can use it portable or plugged in. It has a tall antenna that will swivel up or down depending on if you have it mounted on a wall or sitting on a table. The screen is backlit so you can easily read the display and you'll get used to the various display icons in no time. Look for other units like this to hit the market soon as FRS becomes more popular, this is really the way to go.

After receiving the Sony U655, I was so disappointed with its range and sound quality I obtained a Motorola 280 to compare. I didn't know if the poor quality was the Sony or all FRS 2-way radios. The Sony transmission was broken-up even at close range. The Motorola was nice and clear. I need a radio that I can use while paddling in my kayak, so hands free is important. I visited the Sony web site and called their customer service to try to obtain information on any hands free accessory. Sony has a separate mic and ear plug, but it is not voice activated. The Motorola has Voice Activation capabilities. I will be returning the Sony tomorrow. Sony does not appear to be seriously in the FRS 2-way radio business at the present time.

This Sony radio is top notch. Not even worth comparing to panasonic, vtech or any other.

5 stars

I have tried almost every single FRS radio available, I sellelectronics... Here are my observations. I have personally tried and used all of the Motorola units that I sell, that is the talkabout 250, talkabout basic, talkabout 101, & 280 slk. I also sell the Midland Micro-II, Kenwood & Conair, these being the less expensive units and if you are considering something [that costs] less then the Kenwood is probably the best in that area. If your consideration is quality first, price second, then there is no comparison. The Sony is BY FAR the very best unit I have personally ever used. The clarity exceeds every other FRS out there, regardless of price. The 2 mile distance claimed by all FRS radios is very subjective. All frs radios are regulated to the same micro-wattage and therefore are basically the same in identical conditions. For instance, good low cloud cover will extend the range. I have used the Sony to speak with someone at just over 2-1/2 miles away one cloudy evening, I have not been able to do that since though. The Sony has every possible feature to compete with any other unit out there but let's face it, what matters is sound quality. If you can't understand what the other person is saying, then all of the buttons and gadgets in the world won't help. The Sony is by far the clearest unit out there when held properly, a few inches from your mouth, not IN your mouth which is the natural tendency of most people, including myself. I do not sell the Sony U-CEIVER but it is the only unit I will even consider owning. I own 2 by the way, bought 'em right here.

I bought these radios intending to use them only occasionally and in an urban setting. Here is how it went:
The units themselves are very nice looking and have many useful features such as voice activated transmission, a backlit display and roger beep tone. You get 8 rechargeable batteries and swivel-belt clips along with the radios themselves and the dual desk-top charger. The range is about 2 miles although the manufacturer claims 5 miles. But most companies make these claims based on the range you might get under absolutely perfect conditions.
I was very happy with these radios but after only 2 months of very light use one of the radios failed. One of the radios is stuck in "busy" mode and thus it is basically useless (these units are manufactured in China).
My experience with Audiovox in the past has been good so I thought I was just unlucky so I went ahead and bought the "Audiovox GMRS6000-2PK 6-Mile GMRS 2-Way Radio Twin Pack with Bonus Package" which I have also reviewed so head over to that review to read the conclusion of my ordeal.

These radios have excellent range, good battery life and included the charger. I paid over TWICE as much for just the radios themselves WITHOUT batteries or the charger at a retail store one year ago.

I did some research as the manufactuerers page didnt give much infomration.

Good -

1. Extremly chic looking
2. Digital compass
3. FM radio.
4. Thermometer.
5. Good GMRS range.
6. Water resistant (good for outdoor adventure use)

The Bad-
1. Costs 110$ for a pair.
2. No batteries or Vox kit included.

The ugly-
1. Batteries cannot be charged in the unit. Need a seperate charger and batteries!
2. The transmission power is fixed to 2 watts. Cant reduce it when required.

I got this radio to replace a motorola talkabout 250 which I used at work for three years and it works great and sounds good.
It has good range and I like the weather and fm radio.

I received the radio yesterday and I like its size and features. Unfortunately, the unit cane with a set of four AAA 650mAh NiMH batts whos general quality is extremely poor: on two of the batteries, the positive end is either not properly plated, or is already corroding. Worse, a third one is shorted and will not take a charge. I called warranty support to see if they would simply send me a set of new batts, but they refused. I talked to a supervisor, and she refused, I then talked to the supervisor's supervisor and she refused. They want me to return the entire unit (at my expense) for for repair/replacement (possibly with a refurb unit).

I put in a set of alkalines and all works well. I'm going to mail back the 4 NiMH's tomorrow and see what Audiovox does.

After using the FRS1000 base stations for a couple of years, this unit was an excellent upgrade. I am about to get another one when it goes on sale. The last time it was on sale it was less than fifty dollars--anything higher is just too much for a glorified intercom which is how I use these. The no-name NiMH batteries are useless, but don't throw them in the garbage--take them to the hazmat section of your local dump. The hand-held unit works great with new batteries.

The channels that are GMRS can each be programmed in low/high power modes but you have to manually do this for each channel. The unit sometimes takes a while to recognize CTCSS codes from other units (even the FRS1000 which is also by Audiovox) but this appears to be the fault of the signal coming from some of the other units rather than of this unit. The coverage is excellent and the sound is much better than other base stations. The antenna is shorter than the FRS1000 but seems not to make any difference. I wonder how the close-by hand-held's antenna might affect the propagation of the main antenna, but so far so good. No AC hum in broadcasting from this unit, either, like the older FRS1000 had.

I don't use the handheld terribly much but it is very basic carry-around that I use when working in the yard. If they made this unit with just a base station it would be a perfect product, but it's nice to have the hand-held right next to the door with the expectation that you will return it to the cradle when you get back inside. This is a major plus since you won't lose it! I don't recall ever hearing a low-battery alert and have returned from working long hours in the yard several times to find the hand-held unit dead on my belt.

Like another reviewer said the battery backup is just for the hand-held. Unlike the FRS1000, which continues to run the base station when the power goes out, the GMRS3000 does not run. You can be stuck without the intercom when the power goes out. If the hand-held is not in the charging cradle and the power goes out the settings on the base station are lost so make sure you store the hand-held in the base station at all times.

The weather radio has better coverage than some others. I don't recall ever hearing a weather alert on this unit so I recommend that you get a dedicated weather radio with a really long antenna for that purpose. I use a Radio Shack unit with SAME technology, something that none of the FRS/GMRS radios have.

I'm always looking for good FRS and GMRS base stations. I'm puzzled how few there are, especially none from the "big" electronics companies and retailers who fought so long and so hard to create the FRS band.

This would have been a great ear piece if only it fit into the walkie talkie. The prongs were spaced to far apart to be compatible. But the length was good.

This earbuds are the best I have ever used. Great sound quality. I would definately recommend them.

This radio is great! My friend has one and i got to use it over the weekend. Its easy to take around, and fun to play with. The only bad thing is that it only has 3 chanels. other than that i loved it!

This radio is great! My friend has one and i got to use it over the weekend. Its easy to take around, and fun to play with. The only bad thing is that it only has 3 chanels. other than that i loved it!

Although I haven't much experience with 2-way radios, I have found it to be a most satisfactory device. It is very easy to use, and has excellent range. It is also very clear. The only things which might be considered faults are that it is not entirely water-resistent, and tends to act strangely in the cold weather. I found the multitude of functions quite impressive, such as the battery-level indicator and the temperature. The pager is also very handy, as is the ability to lock one's settings. I would definitely recommend this product.

The GE 35810 FRS radio has many features. First, contrary to the information posted on Amazon, this radio uses AA batteries. This is necessary to save money on power. Some radios use AAA batteries and cost a bundle to keep it powered.

The 35810 has all 38 CTCSS tones and they work great! Some radios don't do well on certain tones, but this one does. As an added bonus, there is a temperature display!

Only two minuses kept me from giving it 5 stars. One, the base is not squared to allow it to stand up on its own. Nothing major, but I do like a radio that stands up. Two, it scans channels but not CTCSS tones. Again, nothing major, but a nice feature to have.

Range and sound are very good. CTCSS tones are compatible with Motorola and Radio Shack radios as well as most other FRS radios.

These are rated at up to 2 miles. On testing this product it became clear that these 2 miles would have to be over VERY flat terrain. The terrain I tested them on was quite hilly and the signal was almost completely lost from about a half mile away, regardless of which channel was chosen.

So based on these tests, I can't say I was very satisfied with the product (2.5 stars), although, for the price (and at 462 MHz), I suppose I shouldn't have expected much more. You do get what you pay for.

IT HAS THE ABILITY TO HAVE TWO WAY TRANSACIONS

Attention buyers: Use of this product within the United States REQUIRES THE PURCHASE OF AN $80 FCC LICENSE because this product operates on radio frequencies in the General Mobile Radio Service. Unauthorized use of this product WILL RESULT IN A FINE OF UP TO $10,000! For more information, visit www.gmrs.net.tc or wireless.fcc.gov/services/personal/generalmobile.

FIRST, TO CLEAR UP THE FACTS ON THE LICENSE REQUIRMENT:

This radio uses BOTH GMRS AND FRS frequencies. It is perfectly legal for anyone to buy and use this radio on the FRS channels only, and not require a license. Even the OWNER'S MANUAL states that the FCC requires you get a license IF you use the GMRS frequencies. And even THAT is not completely correct, because many of the channels are SHARED by BOTH FRS AND GMRS!

On the shared channels, one without a license would only be able to use 1/2 watt instead of 1 watt.

This unit happens to use 1 watt on the shared channels, and 1/2 watt on the FRS only channels.

Thus, although it would be perfectly legal for anyone to buy and use this particular model on channels 8 - 14 without the FCC requiring you to have a license, channels 1 - 7 are also FRS, and would also be legal to use without a license, you just can not use 1 watt, which this unit does use on channels 1 - 7.

However, being a licensed radio technician holding both commercial and ham radio licenses, I can ASSURE you that there is NO WAY anyone listening to you on channels 1 - 7 would EVER be able to tell that you are using 1 watt instead of 1/2 watt! That is IMPOSSIBLE and don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

The ONLY way would be for someone to TAKE your radio and measure the output power directly, but if they are just listening to you talk on this, even with the most sophisticated technology and equipment, they would never be able to tell if you are using 1 watt or 1/2 watt.

Also be assured that no one, including the FCC is going to be driving around the country listening to the millions of kids using these radios, tracking them down, and checking to see if they are using licensed output power or not, especially since we are only talking 1 watt here! A CB radio uses 4 watts! And you don't need a license for that either.Now using channels 15 - 22 are GMRS ONLY frequencies, which means, although no one listening can tell how many watts you are using, no one without a license is supposed to be talking on those channels without a license no matter what output power. However, no one listening can tell if you have a license or not, they don't know who you are, or where you are at, let alone if you have a license or not unless they tracked you down and asked to see it, and not even a police officer has the authority to do that, only the FCC has the authority to do that, and they don't go around doing this, they only go out if there has been a complaint, and that is usually about people running high powered 100 watt or more pirate radio stations. Even then, the first case is a slap on the wrist telling you not to do it anymore. Only repeat offenders get fined for those much bigger violations,
no family using this radio, even on the licensed channels without a license, are ever going to have to worry about anything.

Every store from Walmart to Sporting Stores sell these radios and millions of American families are using them on the GMRS frequencies without getting a license.

In fact, at one time CB radio had a license requirement too. But in the 70s, most didn't bother to get a license for that service either, and the FCC isn't going to find and fine millions of American citizens, so instead, what did they do?

They ELIMINATED the license requirment for CB radio!

Now NO LICENSE is required for CB radio today, and very soon, the same will be true for GMRS frequencies, just as they recenlty became for the itinerant business band frequencies, because if millions of people don't follow the laws, then the laws change to follow the people.

But although at the time of this writing, yes, technically using the GMRS frequencies or one watt power of this particular model without a license is illegal, it is perfectly legal for you to own and use this radio on the FRS channels that operate with a half watt.

If you forget which ones are legal to use or not without the license, just look at the display. The channels with the light "walkie talkie" icon are legal for everyone to use, the dark colored icon displays on the channels using 1 watt, which require the license.

But again, I assure you, no one listening is going to HEAR or MEASURE a difference between 1 watt and a half watt! Just as if YOU listen to others on these radios, you can't tell who is using 1 watt or a half watt, who is licensed and who is not, and nor would YOU care or go and check other people to see if they are operating legaly or not either. Nor do you have the authority to demand to see anyone's FCC license.

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NOW ON TO THE REVIEW...

I have had and used this set for a few years already, and these radios are GREAT. Being a licensed ham radio operator, I have a set of 2-meter VHF "walkie talkies" that operate on 5 watts and do not have the range and reliability that these 1 watt radios do! I now only use this set, and retired the ham radios, and going to many hamfests (a flea market exclusively with ham radio equipment and computers) many other hams are doing the same thing as I see a lot of these around recently.

If you want to know about features, you can download the PDF file of the owner's manual to get that info.

About all I can add, is that I have found (and read other people saying the same thing on the internet) is that Motorola FRS radios tend to not pick up or hear other brand FRS radios as well as it's own, and this set even has a feature to insure that even more. I like this, as I don't want to hear other people with the cheap sets, only my friends and family. Since most people won't spend the money for a good set of Motorolas, and instead buy the $15 or $30 set at Walmart, This insures me I don't have to hear as many of those people, let them buy the inferior brands.

However, They still tend to hear you, but that is their problem, not yours.

Perhaps next time they will do some research BEFORE they go out and purchase something.