Rating: Summary: Just one flaw. Review: I've only had this radio for a few days and am generally very pleased with it. It has all the features you really need and feels quite solid, with one exception, the battery compartment cover. At first glance I thought it looked well designed and would be easy to open. Little did I know how easy it would be to open. Even when closed there is a good fingernail's thickness of space between the bottom end of the cover and the radio body. Stick your fingernail in the gap and apply about the amount of effort it takes to flip open a zippo lighter and the cover comes right off, without ever touching the latch button. Used carefully this may not be a problem but I can imagine that somewhere along the way it will snag on something and come off. Otherwise, this radio is a great value.
Rating: Summary: Motorola T5200 Review: I've only owned my T5200 Talkabouts for a week so don't have lots of use yet. We did a distance test and lost effective communication at 9/10 mile. One was in a car and the other was in the top of a 2-story house. We used them between cars as well when we took two cars home from Christmas and that worked fine as long as you can see the other car. The only reason I didn't rate them 5 stars is because of the 2 mile claim. I think if they claim 2 miles then typical users should get 2 miles.
Rating: Summary: Short battery life but a good product Review: just got it off from the package and we tested it immediately. after testing it for about 15-20 minutes, we noticed that battery indicator decreased 1 bar even though batteries are new. same thing happened with the other units (we bought 2 pairs). according to the manual, batteries lasts for 3hrs (talk time) and 27hrs (standby). after more than 45-60 min of usage, low battery alert started to beep. we plan to put new batteries after the former one runs out and see if it still the same. if same thing happens, i will suggest to use rechargable batteries. other than that, this is product is competitively priced, has a decent range, crystal clear audio and better than uniden's frs 400 echo series which we immediately dispose of...
Rating: Summary: Keeping in touch with our kids Review: Keeping in touch with our kids while they are out-and-about is a priority anymore, these radios have helped us accomplish that. We bought ours in April, put batteries in, picked a channel for each radio, and have not had one problem. Whether the kids are at the park, going to the corner store or playing with friends in the neighborhood, we know they are ok. They work an amazing distance, especially for me and my wife staying here inside the house, we've tested the boundaries to make sure and they cover the whole neighborhood so far!
Rating: Summary: Excellent meat n potatoes FRS Review: Let me start out by saying that I am a ham radio operator and know a thing or two about radios. I first picked up a pair of Uniden FRS-420's, looked nice(bit toylike however), loved the carabiner clip idea and th price was right ($40). Nice form, poor function however. Steady static fron 0.1 to 1.5 miles, button placement was problematic and the audio was inadequate (not loud enough and the radio would break up at full volume). Back to the store thay went. My next purchase was set of Motorola T6620's (many nice features)which added up to $35 a piece with the rebate (not bad). Audio problems were evident (muddy sound, need for more mic gain even with menu gain adjustment) and I could only attribute it to the mic placement UNDER a button. Bad idea, the mic location should be evident and it should be open to the audio source (ie: your mouth). Second problem was the battery cover. Poor fit and finish here with a 1/8" gap after the cover is secured (and I use that term loosely since the cover becomes UNsecured very easily and will likely lead to many lost battery covers). Not very weatherproof construction and just plain cheesy. Cmon' Motorola, get it together! Back to the store they went. Finally picked up a pair of T5200's for $50 and am very satisfied. Good audio (at FULL volume) and mic placement, good range with minimal static at 1.75 miles line of sight transmissions, basic functions with CTCSS codes only (which is good for me since I will be using a "special" radio with these two 0.5 watt models-can't use scramble or QuieT6000 feature of T6220 anyway and it is no guarantee of secure transmissions anyway so ALWAYS use these radios as if someone is always listening to you), lock function is good, no scan or button beep on/off -too bad but no biggie, CTCSS automatically stores on all channels making programming easier, cheesy belt clip (I use a split ring and plastic key hook attached to the radio lanyard hookup to secure the things to belt hoops, diaper bags, strollers etc), simple to operate (good for XYL), like the conventional on/off volume control (no probs with this at all re: unwanted changes in volume). This is an inexpensive FRS radio that performs as well as it should with the necessary CTCSS functions - no fluff, and it doesn't look like a toy. If you want other functions, buy another radio, but beware that even the "better" models may not be the better choice. Nice job Motorola. PL
Rating: Summary: Andrew Martinez Review: The Motorola T5200 is a great radio for camping, walking in the woods,and for other uses.The one thing I like about this radio is that it has alot of features in it and it is palm sized.But the thing is that it only goes up to two(2)miles and after you out of range you cant hear the other person.The other issue is you have to be buying batteries for it.What I would recommend is if they can make it with rechargable batteries. But other than that, I think this is a great pair of radios.
Rating: Summary: Great radios, great price... Review: These are really nice radios, get them now. I used to waste 15 to 20 min looking for my wife at wal-mart, and 1 Hour minimun looking for her at the mall. But not anymore with this radios. If possible get the T5200, the sub codes really work; also, try rechargable batteries they will pay for themselves.
Rating: Summary: Excellent meat n potatoes FRS Review: This is the least expensive Motorola you can buy and still get privacy codes. Models without privacy codes are NOT worth buying. ... In summary: this is the top performance you need at the lowest price to be found.
Rating: Summary: Top Price/Performance Value! Review: This is the least expensive Motorola you can buy and still get privacy codes. Models without privacy codes are NOT worth buying. ... In summary: this is the top performance you need at the lowest price to be found.
Rating: Summary: Who designed this anyway? Review: This radio works great but the ergonomic engineers were not allowed in the building during design. They put the Push-to-Talk button right in the middle of the face of this thing so you have to talk through your hand. The PTT should be on the upper-left of the radio. The other controls are well placed and function really well. Batteries last a long time-we used a pair of them for over 10 hours across TX,LA, & MS and still had good battery strength. It's a good radio but it could be better.
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