Rating: 
Summary: Great Product
Review: Cannot say enough good about the product. Having a family of 5 and always being on the go, many times someone in the group will get separated. No problem, simply talk to them. Now, when the family goes separate ways to see different things, the other group can always reach you. Originally, I purchased two of these for a pending vacation, but we have ended up using it everywhere in the meantime. Now, I cannot imagine going anywhere without them, and we now keep them in the dash for even local trips.
Rating: 
Summary: Stay in touch...the cheap way
Review: I bought 2 of these units, with 4 more backordered. This has been a great unit for staying in contact while shopping, hiking, driving, etc. The kids love it, and the belt attachment makes it easy to hook on a handbag strap, belt, etc.
The difficulty I have with it is with the VOX mode. You have to make a sound before it activates. If you don't, you lose the first few words before it kicks in.
I have the nicad, rechargeable unit. I like it because it saves on battery purchases.
All in all, I would recommend this unit.
Rating:
Summary: Perfectly clear
Review: I couldn't find many faults with this radio after putting it through a fairly rigorous workout. Perfect for hiking, I tested its range through hilly, woodsy terrain. Came close to 2 miles even in these conditions. It was also raining, & even though I foolishly left it uncovered, it worked fine. Perhaps it should also claim "water resistant?"It is nice & compact - with a sturdy clip on that doesn't cause any fumbling around w/ cold & wet fingers. The only relatively small complaint I have is that it would have been nice to have the talk button on the side, for easier access.
Rating:
Summary: What a great FRS!
Review: I finally found the best FRS for under [$]! The quality on these units are the best. Best reception, best transmission range, best looking...& so on. I tried out both the 289 & the 250. Both very exceptional FRS. I really did like the 250, but since it did not have a channel lock, & call button, & was a bit bigger than the 289. About the 250 though, one of my daughters did drop that FRS & it survived! No lose of communication, or anything. Pretty tough little FRS. I hope the 289 can take drops just as well. I am returning it b/c the 289 has the features I am looking for. My family & I went to Disneyland today, so it was a great testing ground for these FRS. I noticed many people w/ FRS at the park. But only a few times did I get somebody not in my group on the same channel. Only lost reception when my wife was in an inside attraction, ie-Indiana Jones ride. For the most part, outside reception was best. We were able to communicate even if we were in different stores in the park, where there is not much radio signals. I really like that the 289 has 14 channels & 32 sub channels. Also it has a built-in VOX feature. I did not try this out at Disneyland, due to the fact that it is pretty loud there & it will activate the VOX feature. I was able to clip it on my Backpack, using a Body Glove cover & strap. So it was close to hear incoming calls from my wife. Weight was never an issue. They are pretty light, seems pretty durable also. Only gripe I have is when I had the 289 inside a Body Glove carry case. I like the Body Glove b/c it protected the 289 to a point, & kept it clean. Only real gripe is the clear plastic by the buttons. The clear plastic is a bit stiff, so most of the time, I had to really push the buttons to make it work. A bit of a drag, but since I set the channel & volume, I really do not have to mess w/ the settings. I only messed around w/ the settings to test them out. ...
Rating:
Summary: Talkabouts Are Great
Review: I have a talk-about and I really like it because you can talk and be heard very clearly
Rating:
Summary: SIMPLY THE BEST
Review: I just received a pair of these, and they are more than what I expected. I bought them for a overseas trip. The batteries last longer than other FRS competitiors. I have researched FRS radios for the past two months and these ones meet the best compared to their counterparts for compact size,lightweight, durability, reliability, ease of use,and overall appearance. The transmission of up to a 2 mile range is excellent-it surpasses. The channel scan is easy to use and locks you into the best frequency. It has so many extra's than the other frs competitors. I would not consider the cheaper motorola's because they are bulkier and some models use more batterie life. They also don't have the additional bells and whistles which are pertinent if your are a serious investor and want quality. I could not beleive how small these radios actually were-like a smaller sized cell phone. You could fit it in a small sze waist pack(just let the antennae stick out of the side zipper for transmission, with your wallet and keys and still have room. I also purchased the earbud/transmitter ..., then you don't have to pull the radio out everytime you want to chat, and you can protect the radio from being stolen, damaged, etc. Get your waist pack somewhere else, don't waist money on the frs ones. They are VERY Durabale-my kids dropped them and no losses. The earbud/microphones worked great as well. Kids pretend they are in the secret service with the ear buds and enjoy hours of play.... Prior to purchasing the recharger, I used 3 AA standard duracell batteries and they lasted about 30 or more hours. They make great XMAS GIFTS! Another money saving idea-turn your radio off and establish a check-in time say 1 hour or so away to save on batteries. You will be pleased with these radios, it's worth the few extra bucks and the earbuds are great for when you are at noisy places and don't want others listening to your conversation. Good Luck with your decision.
Rating:
Summary: Simply The Best!
Review: I just received these and I cannot believe how much they have to offer: 1. The 3 AA batteries required practically entail the size of the body of the motorola unit. The entire unit including the antennae is about the length of my hand-I am a woman with a small hand. It weighs less than my palm IIIxe, and fits nice in my pocket book with all my electronic gadgets. 2. The communication is great, the channel lock is a benefit. Well constructed, and we were able to receive reception past the 2 mile limitation. 3. Buy the earbud/talk accessorie, because you constantly don't need to pull the unit out of your pocket to talk. It's worth the investment. 4. My kids dropped one unit and it works great-really rugged. 5. Save yourself money and buy at either... rechargable NIMH batteries, and a recharger. A standard alkaline will last you the thirty hours, but it's worth the investment overtime if you buy rechargable batteries. .., . 6. GREAT XMAS GIFT FOR BOYS-MY KIDS HAVE NOT PUT THEM DOWN-THEY LIKE THE EARBUDS-LIKE THE SECRET SERVICE MEN. 7. These units are worth every bit of the extra money, I am glad I spent the extra bucks for the size, reliability, durability, and nimh capability. GO FOR IT!
Rating:
Summary: Slim and sleek
Review: I love these little radios. We tested them in the car (one stayed in a wooded park while the other drove around town). Estimated 3 miles before we hit even the smallest amount of static. The only thing I would recommend is a handsfree headset so you can ride bikes, etc without having to hold anything. I read the other reviews before buying mine and they had a great influence. All are true except the pesky annoyance everyone talks about with the "push to talk" button. I personally can't find anything wrong with it. I just hold it differently. The microphone where you talk into is NOT located directly below the button, but off to the side, almost on the edge of the radio. The only weight of these little buggers is from the three AA. Basically, put three AA batteries in your hand and that is a simulation of what these radios feel like. I can't wait to try them skiing and hiking. We have played like kids on them for over a week now and haven't gotten tired of them. I would buy them all over again if I had to. Definately worth buying- don't look any where else (believe me I looked and looked)
Rating:
Summary: Great for skiing and more
Review: I mainly use these on the ski slope, where they have been a blessing. No longer do you have to coordinate times and meeting locations with other people. The reception is pretty good, though it varies widely depending on the terrain and weather. At large ski resorts I have been able to clearly talk to other people on completely different peaks. Not surprisingly, when someone goes behind a ridge reception drops to almost nothing. Also, the small size of the radios allows them to fit comfortably in a jacket pocket. Personally, I don't think rechargeable batteries are necessary. I usually get almost an entire ski season out of one sec of batteries per radio so I don't think recharegeables are worth the extra money/hassle. The only problem I've come across is the usability of some of the buttons. When you are wearning large ski gloves, the "Talk" button is the only one you can easily operate. All of the other buttons usually require the removal of a gloval. Luckily, you rarely need to touch the other buttons once the radio is on and everything is set.
Rating:
Summary: So many uses!, it's worth every penny
Review: I originally bought a pair of these to keep in touch with buddies at concerts, when snowboarding/hiking/camping, and to keep in touch while in separate vehicles on road trips. They've worked wonderfully and have lived up to every expectation I've had. They're great for car/boat shows and outdoor events like art or craft fairs. They come in very handy if you're doing any kind of wiring in your house or office. I've used them countless times to run wires through the attic at home and across the roof at work, it's very helpful to be able to talk to the person that's feeding the wires, and especially when one person is working at each end of the wire (no more yelling at the top of your lungs). This 289 model is worth the extra price, it's significantly smaller and has more features. If you're on a budget though, go with the 250 model (or even cheaper the FR50 or 60), it's still a wonderful radio, and they all work with eachother. Motorola is soon coming out with a new line of radios, the 6300 series which have a new design, a stopwatch and alarm built in, and also an FM radio tuner on some models. On a sidenote, if you're the extravagant gift giving type, give your adolescent son/daughter/nephew/neice a pair of these as walkie-talkies, they'll love you forever.
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