Cobra Electronics MicroTalk LI5600-2DX (14 Channels) Two Way Radio

Beep
?Marge??
?Frank??
?Marge??
?Frank??
?Marge, do you read me??
?Frank??

Beep
?Barbara??
?Yeah, John.?
?How much do you want for the green vase??
?20 bucks.?
?Okay.?

Beep
?Adam!?
?What, Mom??
?Stop horsing around with that radio.?
?Can?t hear you, Mom.?

Beep
?Barbara??
?Yeah, John.?
?They said they?d give me 15.?
?Good enough.?

Beep
?Dad??
?Yes??
?Dad??
?Yes, I read you.?
?Dad??
?Yes, go ahead.?
?Dad, Katie and I are going to the car now.?
?Sorry, wrong Dad.?

Beep
?Marge??
?Frank??
?Marge??
?Frank??


And, I thought that 2-way radios were a good idea?

I am a flea market junkie. Well, one flea market in particular. Every summer and fall, there?s a wonderful Antiques Show and Flea Market held at the Stormville Airport in Stormville, NY. Once a month, like a salmon genetically programmed to battle its way back to its glorious beginnings only to suffer the consequences of such an exhausting act, I make my journey to this Upstate NY haven for the serious junk (er, antique) aficionado.

Battling the crowds of treasure hunters who purposefully shop ?til they drop is a challenge for anyone who wants to navigate the maze of booths at his or her pace and still keep tabs on the fellow salmon who are relying on him for a safe ride back downstream.

I used to employ my cell phone to touch base with straggling comrades in antiques.
?Where are you??
?I just passed the information booth. I?m near the Snapple? counter and am heading toward the dealer that has the shower head in the shape of Richard Nixon?s face.?
?Ok, I?m one aisle to your left. Can you come by here? I need an opinion on this Moroccan camel seat I?m considering.?
?On my way.?

That system was okay if several factors worked in conjunction. Someone other than I had to remember to bring a cell phone, all of the phones had to be capable of receiving a signal in a mountainous area and the ringers on the phones had to be set loud enough to be heard over the white noise of a crowded bazaar. Much to my chagrin, the sounds of haggling often drowned out the less than melodious strains of Beethoven?s Fifth announcing an incoming call on my phone.

Not to mention the fact that, being out of my home rate area, the cellular calls, with their roaming fees and long distance charges, often added dearly to the price of any of the bargains I hoped to score.

Last year, I began to notice people walking around the show communicating with each other through brightly colored 2-way radios. Wow! Now that?s inspired! I soon became obsessed with the idea of securing a pair for myself. Alas, I could not justify the price. It just didn?t make sense to plunk down a small fortune solely to facilitate my search for a good buy.

So, I continued the cell phone game until I finally turned up a pair of radios at a wonderful price: the Cobra MicroTalk 1, a basic, inexpensive unit that would be more than sufficient for my limited usage. Or, so I believed.

Beep
?Marge??
?John??
?Marge??
?No.?
?Who is this??
?Barbara.?
?Frank, is that you?
?Barbara??
?No, it?s Marge. Frank, who?s Barbara??

The MicroTalk 1 happens to be a great little radio. It?s small enough to carry in your pocket or clip to your belt without necessitating a trip to the chiropractor. For use, it fits comfortably in your left hand. The controls are conveniently placed so that a slight movement of the thumb is all you need to switch back and forth between call, talk and range buttons. The manually adept can operate the unit one-handed by raising and lowering the antenna with a flick of the thumb, turning the volume button with the index finger and switching channels with the middle finger. Which leaves your right hand free to do whatever you?d rather it was doing. I appreciated this ergonomic design. My southpaw son, however, was somewhat impaired by having to dedicate his dominant hand to the task of operating this ?annoying? thing that Mom insisted he keep on at all times. (Much to my chagrin, he shut it off more than once.)

The MicroTalk 1 features an operating range of up to two miles at an effective power of 500mW. While I haven?t yet pushed it to its limits, I was able to keep in communication for some distance without ever having to override the range-limiting auto-squelch noise reduction filter. And, I must say, the clarity of reception is quite impressive. I dealt with very few crackles, pops and buzzes even though I used these radios in the mountains and during a torrential rainstorm.

Each unit operates efficiently on 4 AAA batteries (an optional rechargeable battery and charger is available) and goes into battery saving mode after 10 seconds of silence. There are other accessories offered for the gadget-inclined, including a variety of microphones and headsets. The optional camouflage cover and carrying case is, I assume, a must for the outdoorsman who refuses to commit the fashion faux pas of letting a deer spot him toting a radio that clashes with his outfit.

Beep
?Mom? Mom? Mom, are you there??
I jumped when I realized that I was finally receiving a communication meant for me.
?Yes. Where are you??
?I?m at booth A326. We have to meet Chris? parents at 12:00 at the Pretzel place. What time is it now??
?Well, it?s only 9:15.?
?Oh, okay. Thanks, Mom.?
?Don?t call me Mom. Call me Sara. There are 357 other people using this channel who answer to the name Mom.?
?Okay, Mom. Bye.?

So, why am I less than 100% enthused with these radios? It?s not their fault really. I just bought the wrong model for my type of usage. You see, the MicroTalk 1 is a basic unit with only two channels (FRS Channels 8 and 12). There are other models that make use of all 14 of the FCC?s Family Radio Frequencies. And, I had considered them at the time of purchase. Frankly, I was too frugal to spend the extra cash for a higher-end pair. With the generous rebate that was available on the entry level MicroTalk 1, the cost of the next model up was difficult to justify. So, what happens is that I get endless, yet remarkably clear reception of other people?s conversations.

I can?t begin to tell you how many people were carrying around one model of two-way radio or another at the latest flea market. But, suffice it to say that the technology has become quite popular. Perhaps it?s no coincidence that it has also become more affordable. Were those equipped with 14 channels less bothered than I? With that many radios in use I can?t say for sure. But, I can only attest to the fact that a great many people were probably tempted to throw their's into the nearest trash receptacle, if only for a moment?s peace and quiet.

Will I be bringing the radios to next month?s Antiques Show? Absolutely. The security of knowing you can reach someone when you need to outweighs the annoyance of all the traffic on the limited number of channels.

Is this model right for you? It depends on how you?ll be using it. If you?ll be in an isolated area, away from other FRS radio users, the Cobra MicroTalk 1 is definitely a good bang for the buck (sorry hunters, no pun intended). If you?ll be in operating range of scores of other users, you may want to splurge for a higher-end model. Unless, of course, you?re fascinated by what Frank and Marge have to say.