Cobra Electronics MicroTalk LI 6000 WX VP (14 Channels) Two Way Radio

Important facts to know about FRS/GMRS "Family/Emergency" two way radios before you buy / get mad / return / write bad reviews about not getting 17 miles of range.

As everyone else who ever touched this topic, over the years, I kept buying walkie-talkies, I kept trying them, I kept getting disappointed, and returning them or throwing them away in the attic / basement / garbage. Then the next year, I would be tempted by the lower price and higher range (wow, they do 15 miles now ?!? look! they got the 30 miles version out!!). Then one day I decided to open my browser and look it up online (what a great original idea that was). Here's a brief summary of what I found. It is important that I write this, prior to actually reviewing the product in question.

For those who are looking for high range walkie-talkies that work for over one mile range, please note the following facts (I shall gladly stand corrected if I made any factual misrepresentations):

::1:: Somehow, somewhere, "somewhy", the marketing people in charge of making the products appear superior from those of the competition and sell better, were left to their own devices and started making outrageous claims on range. A certain war, with certain unwritten rules silently respected by all involved, started. The radios from years past, with a range of 2 miles all of a sudden jumped to a range of 5 miles. The 5 miles ones, all of a sudden jumped to 10. If you look online close enough, you'll notice how year after year, the range grows and grows, and grows (and grows some more). At the time of writing, I can find FRS/GMRS radios that claim a 30 mile range. If nobody steps up in order to stop the range race, by year 2020 we will have 10 dollar plastic two-way radios at the local grocery store that will claim a 3600 mile range, promising that you can talk directly to your friends on the other side of the planet and not even worry about the curvature of the Earth, and other radio propagation things (let the geeks worry about that, we are consumers, we trust whatever we are told).

There's one little issue with all this, however. In those past years, other than the labels pasted on the packages, nothing else changed in terms of the FCC allowing range boosting, conventional ways being detachable antennas and more transmission power (not the watts that the speaker can deliver, but the power of the radio signal...) Also, I don't believe the laws of physics changed that much in the past few years. Radio waves still travel in a straight line, still bounce around our steel and cement architectural masterpieces. I'm pretty sure we would have heard on the evening news that all of a sudden, through a miraculous discovery of the leaders in radio communications (and marketing), the same radio waves from yesterday finally figured out how to get smarter, faster, better, stronger and generally more in tune with today's current economical issues and global warming.

I am not 100% sure if you are sensing my deep sarcasm here, but folks, really, it's marketing at its very best. And in this case, it did get the best of us... There is just no such thing as a 17 mile range FRS/GMRS walkie-talkie from Walmart, Kmart, Xmart, whatever, in the United States of America. And I don't think there should be any hard feelings towards the FCC - they just try to prevent chaos and still allow us to play, or towards the radio makers - they let us enjoy hi tech devices that most of us did not have as kids, and break federal laws, for around 20 bucks. One way to fix the mess is to stop believing everything that's thrown our way by sales and marketing teams. Their job is to charm us. Our job is to inform ourselves and not fall for it.

So, the only way to properly review these devices is to understand the physical truth behind their operation and take them for what they are: 2 way radios that allow about 1 mile of range. Maybe more, maybe less, depending on obstacles, like buildings, trees, etc., depending on band and power features, depending on antenna, etc. Then, we can judge them by quality of workmanship, quality of materials used, features, bells and whistles, longevity of battery, etc... Everything else is just pure marketing, as a consumer driven society we should know these things. Marketing actually works, as it did make you buy a 1 mile radio believing it can beam to 17 miles.... Manufacturers now use all sorts of disclaimers, the most common one is "in ideal conditions". Ideal conditions are defined as dry weather, complete line of sight (like person A sees person B, whether you are on a lake, or one of you is on a mountain), etc. In theory, if you take these radios on your next trip to the Moon, you might get the 17 miles range out of them.

I still don't get why these outrageous claims are still allowed, are not widely uncovered and criticized (only few people who are "into" radio hobbies seem to pay attention to this subject - I haven't found yet one "reputable" site to talk about this, it's usually radio hobby specific sites that have info on this and call it a "marketing ploy"), and there is no organization/mechanism (FCC, somebody, anybody?) to regulate them, but this is for a different topic.

::2:: The radios we are reviewing here are called "bubble pack" toys by people who operate radios of all kinds and sorts on a professional or hobby level. If you bought this "bubble pack" toy and are using GMRS channels without a license, besides breaking US federal laws, don't ask for help in radio forums.... as you just became a "bubble pack radio pirate".

::3:: If you bought these radios for serious reasons, such as a safety communication tool for your family to use in case of emergencies, know that it is an excellent choice for its category. The category is of course radios with 1 mile range max. and I'm saying it's an excellent choice because these radios are very tiny (if you have kids, you'll appreciate that) and most importantly, they run on amazingly awesome (sorry, couldn't help it) batteries based on 2x3.7V Lithium-Ion cells. These little batteries outperform by many, many hours, the most expensive old-fashioned radios that run on Ni-Mh batteries. In case of emergency, what good is a radio that dies in 6 hours? These little guys can go 12 hours and more (depends on how much you use them, of course) with no problem at all. Also, there is no memory effect, you can partially charge them whenever you want. One other cool thing (which is actually a feature of the charging mechanism, not the battery itself) is the fact that you can leave them in the charger for long periods of time, without damaging the battery. Li-Ions are quite simple when it comes to charging: You apply current, when it reaches top voltage, you stop the current. There is no need for trickle-charging, slow charging, etc. , as with Ni-Cd and Ni-Mh. Again, a good "emergency" system, because emergencies hit when you don't expect them, not when you think about "did I charge the radios this week", so you can always have these little guys ready for action.

::4:: You need an FCC license to operate GMRS channels in high power, in the US. And that's that.

This has nothing to do with this product or this manufacturer in particular. These are rules and regulations enforced by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), an independent agency of the US Government. If you live in another country, you most likely have a different set of rules. Rumor says if you break those rules in the US, you can be fined $10,000 and get on the federal radar scope.

Most "bubble pack" radios come with 22 channels. Normally, the channels are divided like this (some manufacturers introduce exceptions, just to make it complicated):

A. Channels 1 through 7 are shared between FRS (Family Radio Service) and GMRS (General Mobile Radio Service) and always operate at low power, which is 1/2 Watt. You don't need a license.

B. Channels 8 through 14 are pure FRS and always operate at low power. You don't need a license.

C. Channels 15 through 22 are pure GMRS and *CAN* operate at high power, *IF* your radio supports it, and *IF* your radio is specifically programmed to do so. You *DO NEED* a license to operate on these channels. Higher power means higher range. You can achieve one mile plus. 5 Watts are allowed as max.

::5:: Just because I've seen hundreds of threads on this topic in various forums, I want to make something else very clear: Getting an FCC license does not magically unlock special long ranges for your radio. It merely gives you the right to operate on GMRS frequencies within US federal laws, if your radio can transmit in "high power" and if you are using channels 15 through 22. However, if you get your license, you can then acquire and operate equipment up to 50 watts of power and install special antennas which will give you higher ranges, perhaps 5 miles or even more, but the little family radios you bought will not do anything more than they did before you got your license.

::6:: By FCC law, in the US, these radios are only for you and your family. The FRS/GMRS frequency bands were designed especially so the American families can enjoy the gift of radio communication. The license you get from the FCC to talk on GMRS frequencies is valid for you and your immediate family/household and yes, this includes kids, small or big! You can take the radios on camping trips, car caravans, excursions to the mall, cruise (at sea, your cell phone will stop working, as it needs repeater towers to operate, as it is nothing but a fancy two-way radio!), etc. You are not allowed to use them for business - you need a different license for that.

This rule is actually useful, as it keeps the allocated bands free for family activities, and also keeps the business people from being upset about kids babbling onto their radios... It's a restriction that actually brings more freedom.... wait, is this possible?

::7:: Privacy codes do not make your conversation private. There are designed to filter all communication that comes to you on that particular channel, except the people you actually want to talk to, who are also tuned on the same channel same code. Basically, you only hear your family, and they only hear you. However, anyone else with a radio tuned to your channel and no privacy code set can hear you (so does anyone with a scanner), so do not take the work "privacy" literally.

The Cobra microTALK LI 6000 WX VP

OK, now that I cleared out a bit of basics dust regarding these radios, let's review the LI6000 offering from Cobra (no idea what VP stands for)!

First, this radio comes with 22 channels, not 14 (7 FRS/GMRS, 7 FRS and 8 full GMRS). The same applies to the LI6050 model.

The radios reviewed here *DO* have the option to turn transmit power to High for individual channels from 16 through 22. Factory default is Low. I am willing to bet 3 sandwiches on the fact that the vast majority of those enraged about the half-mile range did not bother to read the manual and switch to high power (and get a license, naturally, prior to doing so).

Features

Feature-wise, these radios have almost every bell and every whistle. To name but a few (and to not be accused of plagiarizing the manual or some sales description):

* Switchable Hi/Med/Low power output (Hi = more range);
* Auto-squelch that can be disabled (can increase range);
* Vibrator - provides a silent alert for incoming calls;
* 121 privacy codes (see -7- above on privacy codes);
* 10 channel memory - you can program your favorite channel/privacy code combinations;
* Scan - you can scan all channels or your 10 channel memory - you can effectively have multiple talk groups;
* 10 NOAA Channels - you can get maritime or local weather alerts, depending on where you live and NOAA channels coverage;
* 10 tone calls;
* Weather resistant is one of the touted sales features, however the manual says don't drop, don't scratch, don't put water on them, etc... to me, they look solid, but not rugged;
* Li-Ion battery - all gizmos should come with these batteries;
* Voice activated communication possible;
* End-of-transmission ("roger") tone;

Pros:

- Capable of Hi power transmission levels for the pure GMRS bands. Don't expect any miracles, but you can almost double the range (from lets say 1/2 mile to up to 1 mile, a reasonable expectation) by operating at the maximum power level allowed by US federal law. I'm not going into debating how many real Watts this radio outputs (definitely not the max. allowed of 5 Watts), but I noticed a very clear difference (from the FRS maximum 0.5 or ½ Watt). In my car tests (set 2 receiving radios in front of a voice recorder, while driving around with the other 2, one Cobra LI6000 and one Motorola Talkabout), one time it even went over 1.5 miles on Hi power, which was almost impossible in FRS / Low power modes. Like I already said, my top-of-the-line Motorola Talkabouts, while looking more "professional" with their rugged rubber, special belt clip and red display (and being heavy and big enough to be used as weapons), do not perform better.

- Tiny. Really small and compact. Great if you want to keep them in your pocket (couldn't do that with my old Motorola bricks). Also great if you have kids - tiny hands can operate them, they can also put them on their belts without falling over from the weight. Charging base is also small, the charging DC adapter is also small, and can charge the radios (one at a time) through a plug, without the base.

- Most of the features, bells and whistles that you've seen other manufacturers cram into these kind of things. Auto-squelch works well, if you want more range (but can live with hissing/crackling) it can be disabled. There is also voice activated transmission, the so-called privacy codes, the lit LCD screen, the power saving mode, all sorts of beeps and tones, a plug for hands-free communication devices (which makes these radios useful for security / body guarding applications).

- My package came with headphone and microphone, really cool, you can keep the radios on your belt and talk Jack Bauer style. Was included in price, I would not buy them separately, so for me that was a pro.

- Li-Ion batteries. I know I'm raving about these in every section of this review (and I also know they can explode if overcharged, heated or otherwise mistreated), but this is really the battery technology that should be used in every device. Your cell phone and your laptop has them, and you are enjoying hours of power intensive stuff, why not use them everywhere? Some of the properties of these batteries are: incredibly long shelf live (meaning you can charge them and forget about them for a long time, they will preserve the charge much longer than other batteries), they pack more juice and last longer. This is one of the main reasons I started looking at Cobra's new offerings. One thing that always annoyed me about these "family" radios is the very short operating time range when used with conventional alkaline, NiCd or NiMh batteries. My expensive, large and heavy Motorolas would die if left a week without charge and would die in about 3-4 hours on a bike trail ride. These little guys lasted an entire day of abuse. I think they are very conservatively rated (how come they don't lie about this in their marketing blurbs, I'm baffled) at 12 hours max. Folks, they can last much longer (if you're not a chatter box, of course).

- Good, loud speaker, almost unexpected for this size.

- You can keep the radios in their charging bay, plugged. This will not ruin the life of the batteries. Also, interestingly enough, the manual says that Cobra does not recommend that the radios are turned on while charging. Wow! They are not saying "under no circumstances", "total destruction", "void warranty", etc.... In my book, that means you can keep them in the cradle, on and scanning!

Cons:

- No provision for "regular" type batteries (like AA or AAA, whether primary or rechargeable) in case of emergency, when the Li-Ion is depleted. I'm guessing the main reason is the difficulty to obtain a voltage close to the 7.4V of the Li-Ion pack. Or maybe there was no room and no other way to keep the radios that small (did I mention they are tiny?) From what I've read about Li-Ions, the life cycle should be 500-1000 charges max. Their "shelf life" however is extraordinary, so they will not die by just sitting on your shelf (no pun intended) and you will not need to charge them too frequently. You'll also find plenty of sites who'll sell you replacements online.

- Belt clip lock mechanism feels flimsy. Strangely enough, I have seen this design for years, it is used by every manufacturer. Every radio I had in the past (a few Radio Shack and some Midland) ended with a broken clip lock. I used to crazy glue them, which was ok to operate, but made difficult opening the cover to change batteries. I guess in this case, you'll rarely open the door, since you're stuck with the proprietary rechargeable pack.

- Not really a con (yet), but I figured if I don't add some more stuff here, people might believe I own stock in Cobra or whatever the company behind this product is really called. The contacts in the charging base are at the bottom of the receptacle, and making a proper contact is actually left to gravity. These radios are rather small and light so they don't push that hard on those contacts. Those of us who had wireless phones with this kind of design in the late 80s and early 90s know that eventually, the contacts will become corroded and stop touching properly. It has not happened and it is not an issue I'm experiencing, but I only had this product for a few months, just looking into potential future issues...

Conclusion:

So do I recommend these radios? Yes! Absolutely! I don't of course recommend them for those who expect 17 miles of range. To those folks, I say go buy some professional two-way radios from Motorola, Kenwood, Cobra, Midland, etc. Expect to pay at least a couple of hundred dollars for one radio (yes, they are not sold in pairs, in "bubble packs" and yes, they do cost hundreds of dollars). Get a license from the FCC, if you want to operate in GMRS. Eventually, get a 50 Watt base station with an antenna 20 feet above your roof. Get a mobile station for your car. Then you'll possibly get your 17 miles range. For everyone else, who understands that a "family" radios pack from a convenience store has significant and very well defined (by the FCC) limits, this a very nice choice. They look and feel solid, they are small, they are packed with features and their batteries last very long. I got these radios on sale for the very decent price of 36 bucks (including headphones for each) and since I got approved by the FCC to operate in GMRS, I plan to get more to outfit my entire family.

Why only 4 stars? Because even if I like the product very much, I dislike that Cobra is misleading us into believing that a 17 miles range can be achieved here, on Earth.