Motorola Talkabout T6400 (22 Channels) Two Way Radio
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- Maximum Range: 4 Miles
- Battery Indicator: With Battery Indicator
- Power Output: 1 Watt
- Channels: 22
- LCD Display: With LCD Display
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Motorola T6400 - A Better Walkie-Talkie
Pros
Great range, rugged design, not much interference, GMRS
Cons
Expensive, Rechargeables are extra, Belt clip is awful
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
Buy them with a case if you want a good 2-way family radio set.
We were looking for a set of 2-way radios that would allow my wife and I to stay in touch when we were separated while hiking, camping and at theme parks. The T6400s fit the bill. We found that the communications was generally clear, even when inside buildings. The volume can be cranked way up for very noisy areas. The privacy and scramble codes ensure that you don't get interrupted by someone else using the same channel. In practice this works really well - we rarely heard anyone else. The units have a clock with an alarm - useful for meeting back up with the family at a set time.
These are FRS/GMRS units. You get more power (1 watt versus 0.5 watts) on GMRS channels, but you need an FCC license ($75 for up to 5 units for 5 years as I recall). It's worth it. The extra power is needed for urban areas, and the FRS channels (which lower-cost units use, and which don't require a license) are much busier. Although the privacy codes ensure that you don't hear others, if others are talking when you try to use the channel, all your other party hears is static.
Some features I wasn't looking for but like:
- VibraCall vibrates the unit when you receive a call after being idle for more than a few minutes. In noisy areas (remember those theme parks?) this was the only way I knew someone was calling.
- "Roger" tone tells you when the other party has stopped transmitting.
- Call tone lets you send an alarm to other unit - this is pretty loud and is good for times when the radio isn't with you (e.g. at the campsite).
- Auto power off - This is great if your family is like mine and never turns off battery-driven devices when finished with them.
Some issues I have with these units:
- Battery life - we used two packs of batteries (3 AAs in each unit) in 6 days of theme parking. Rechargeable batteries are an extra-cost option.
- Belt clip is very fragile - both of ours broke within a month. If you're hiking with these, stick them in a pocket or get a belt case.
UPDATE: I bought the Motorola belt/arm case - it's great as an upper arm case because you can use the radio one-handed without taking it out of the case. However the fit is very tight, it's hard to get in and out, and if you were using it as a belt case (requiring you to take the radio out of the case to use it) then I think it would rapidly become annoying.
These are FRS/GMRS units. You get more power (1 watt versus 0.5 watts) on GMRS channels, but you need an FCC license ($75 for up to 5 units for 5 years as I recall). It's worth it. The extra power is needed for urban areas, and the FRS channels (which lower-cost units use, and which don't require a license) are much busier. Although the privacy codes ensure that you don't hear others, if others are talking when you try to use the channel, all your other party hears is static.
Some features I wasn't looking for but like:
- VibraCall vibrates the unit when you receive a call after being idle for more than a few minutes. In noisy areas (remember those theme parks?) this was the only way I knew someone was calling.
- "Roger" tone tells you when the other party has stopped transmitting.
- Call tone lets you send an alarm to other unit - this is pretty loud and is good for times when the radio isn't with you (e.g. at the campsite).
- Auto power off - This is great if your family is like mine and never turns off battery-driven devices when finished with them.
Some issues I have with these units:
- Battery life - we used two packs of batteries (3 AAs in each unit) in 6 days of theme parking. Rechargeable batteries are an extra-cost option.
- Belt clip is very fragile - both of ours broke within a month. If you're hiking with these, stick them in a pocket or get a belt case.
UPDATE: I bought the Motorola belt/arm case - it's great as an upper arm case because you can use the radio one-handed without taking it out of the case. However the fit is very tight, it's hard to get in and out, and if you were using it as a belt case (requiring you to take the radio out of the case to use it) then I think it would rapidly become annoying.
