Two-Way Radios Reviews

This is a very interesting radio. It replaces and way exceeds the now obsolete M-series Motorola Mu24cvs 4 channel radios. The M-series radios were so good that the XTN would have go a bit to beat them. Beat them it does.

A few points: These new radios are six (6) channels selecting from a library of 56 internal frequencies whereas the M radios were only four (4) channels selecting from a library of 8 internal frequencies. The XTN radios also can use the digital (DPL) privacy or private line codes that were not available to the M series. The XTN radios are compatible with the M series and they do work well together. Battery life is double for the XTN units: nearly 16 hours use before recharging. The old M series radios barely did 6 hours. The output power is a solid and full 2 real watts something sadly one never finds on the M series radios after only a little use. Those old guys only test out at about 1.4 watts average on the bench. The VOX really works on the newer XTN's and was pretty poor on the M series. Also VOX will work with the internal radio mic if desired which is a plus not found on the M series. The charging systems are way advanced over the M series systems and the batteries are amazing and last seemingly forever.

The bottom line is the XU2600 is one of the best UHF small business radios Motorola makes. They are nearly impossible to kill by dropping unlike the M series. The XTN radios produce a killer receive volume level making them useful in the nosiest environments; they also speak in a low whisper so very clearly. The transmit audio is truly great and the operating range is tops with the new compression and transmission algorithms. Side by side no M series radio of the same wattage talks nearly as far.

About the only things we find on the down side is that the antenna cannot be removed, so an external antenna impossible, and the volume control knob can be knocked off with the right accidental bump.

These radios are not toys and operate on assigned business frequencies/ A valid FCC license must be obtained prior to use. The license can be applied for online at the FCC website but it is way better to simply pay a frequency coordination company to do this complex work for you.

This rugged little radio is heavy enough to feel good in your hand but is small enough to fit inside your jacket pocket. The sturdy clip keeps the radio secure on your belt, but the radio's small size allows you to sit comfortably in your car seat while wearing it. And when you're not using your radio, you can store it in its desktop recharging unit.

Great buy for any serious boater!

This latest unit from Uniden lives up to the Uniden tradition. Built solid and rugged. This radio has an awsome look and can be made to scream with the right tuneup. The weather channels are nice to have as well!

I took these pair up to the ski resort where I gave one to my son and I kept the other. Needless to say it was just below zero. They worked great. The rechargeable battery pack that it comes with easily operated my radios all day long. The 5 mile range seemed to be good enough for us. I especially like the small size; not to big to put in our pockets. I am buying another pair since this time my wife and daughter will join us on the mountain. 2-way radios are a must on the resort.

This unit looks and works great. Installation was easy and the performance has been great. Has all the adjustments that I was looking for plus the weather channels. I didn't really want the weather channels at the time of purchase, but I'm glad I have them now.

The cosmetics are great -- chrome dials, silver face, green back-lighting, analog signal meter.

The unit is not a compact unit, but I was able to fit it under the radio in my '96 Ford Ranger without too much trouble. The 9' microphone cord seemed really long to me when I saw that on the spec sheet, but it is actually about perfect.

There are a couple of downsides: The Dynamic Squelch Control is completely useless. As far as I can tell, it just automatically sets the squelch to a higher-than-appropriate level. With DSC on, you miss all low-powered transmissions and some high-powered ones. DSC works great if you're only interested in a ~300' radius. I never turn mine on.

The other downside is that it's nearly impossible to determine the knob positions by sight. That is, you can't easily look down and see that the volume is at 1/2 and squelch is at 1/8, e.g.

Neither of these downsides are that big of a deal, though.

BTW, I use the RF Gain control much more than squelch to fine tune my reception. Don't buy a CB radio without RF Gain.

This thing has great clarity, both transmitting and receiving. However, make sure not to skimp on your antenna.

I had this radio in my car and worked great. It is a Clear talker ... but remeber , to recieve and transmit well you must have a good antenna. A good radio is useless without a good antenna.

I just recieved these two way radios last week in the mail, and I have been nothing but impressed with what I have found. Right out of the box they are very attractive, however, finding eight AAA batteries was another story. After installation of the batteries the radios were very easy to use, with just a few buttons which control the entire unit. However I must admit the whole memory function is a little confusing and I am still trying to figure it out... but hey! who doesn't want a good challenge every once in a while? The subcode function is very useful when using these radios in an area with a high concentration of other FRS users. Most two way family radios on the market today only offer 14 channels for it's user. However these radios offer 38 subcodes on each channel which basically boils down to about 546 different frequencies that you can communicate on, which makes interfering with an unwanted conversation very unlikely. The battery life of these units is rather impressive, with about 26 hours of use per radio, however I would recomend getting rechargable batteries and the plug-in adaptor to avoid having to purchase too many new batteries, when the old ones die. Anyone in the market for two way radios should stronly consider these for there good performance, and ease of use.

Got the radio for a family trip to the beach and it worked great. Didn't have a problem with too many other people using the frequencies, but appreciated the 38 sub channels. I especially liked the large talk button- made it easy to find when communicating. We had some other radios with us with small same size buttons which made it harder to find to talk. The range was fine, as we also used it in our cars on our way to the beach. Cheaper and easier than making cell phone calls to each other all the time. I also recommend getting the Aquapac waterproof cover. The covers are a little pricey but worth it. I can't tell you how many times I waded into the water to fish only to have a wave come up and drench me. The covers also keep out the sand and other junk from messing up the radio. No problem with hearing or speaking through the cover.

My husband, young daughters and I own horses, and trailride at least once a week. Santa brought us four of these lovely little two-ways this year at Christmas, and I couldn't be more pleased. We've had none of the troubles noted in the other reviews, (although we don't ride on mountaintops), and my children find the radios simple to use and easy to understand (not to mention the cool factor!).

The radios are durable; we've dropped them in snowbanks, had them grawed on by curious horses, and thumped around in saddlebags. They're certainly useful, we know if one of us gets separated from the others they'll be able to radio in and figure out where we are. And for what we use them for, they're just perfect. We looked at a bunch of GPS handhelds, and decided we didn't need anything quite that high end. For the average family who hikes or skis, trailrides or just goes to the Mall of America, these are the perfect belt accessory. Go for it!

We put these little radios through several tests hiking and camping the Cascades this summer and they passed with flying colors. The range was much better than expected. The kids found them easy to use and they took a beating. Somehow the radios came out in great shape and will be used for many other activities.

This device is good, but there are much smaller radios on the market. It also does NOT include NOAA weather channels.

I recently picked one of these up on Amazon.com because I had a ... gift certificate that was about to be expired. I'm one of those people who always buys technology that he doesn't need just because it's "cool". What can I say...I'm a technology junky!

Anyway, I received it in the mail yesterday and have actually found it quite useful. It's fun to talk to a friend (or even a complete stranger) and it has pretty good range.

I am one of a team of 6 disaster search dog handlers that use the radios during training. We have found that the radios are very sturdy and reliable. Our job exposes these radios to concrete dust, dirt, mud, rain and various forms of shock from dropping them to banging them on the narrow tunnels we crawl through. We find the VOX feature on the 250 very useful when used with the VOX inline mic and ear buddy, because we usually have our hands full with the dog and uncovering people who are buried. Although the team owns many of these radios, I have just ordered one for my personal use. I am sure that we will carry the 250's into real searches and they will be a valuable tool for our communication.