TL;DR - These are good radios, and a solid buy. I'm not a HAM radio expert, and I didn't want to go through the trouble of learning a ton of information and obtaining a license just to be able to stay in touch with my family. So after a few hours of reading about specs and reviews for various walkie talkies on Amazon, I bit the bullet, pulled the trigger, and bought these radios Motorola Talkabout T402 Rechargeable Two-Way Radios (the two-pack). I was seriously considering the Baofeng walkie talkies which were cheaper, but they seem shady, illegal, and I couldn't get a straight answer from anyone as to whether they'd even be able to be programed to make them legal. Here's the BAD news about the Motorola walkie talkies: - The range isn't as advertised. It never is. Get over it. Every single one of these radio companies lies. They are dishonest, and intentionally lie about the capabilities of their radios in order to attempt to distinguish them from their competitors, and sell more radios. But see below. - The battery compartment sucks. You have to use a flathead screwdriver to open the compartment, and that is totally ridiculous given how often you'll have to swap out batteries if you run the radios hard on a backpacking or camping trip, or during an emergency. Not only does the fact that you have to use a screwdriver things bad, the screw itself is cut in s strange manner like a muffin top, so unless you have the perfect size flathead, you will slip out of the screw while trying to turn it. It's hard to explain, but you'll see. Royal pain in the butt and makes no sense from a design, engineering, or ergonomic/usability standpoint. - The faux metal-painted plastic trim is tacky and stupid. For no reason at all, there are two gold paint-colored plastic straps with the logo on them, and they should not exist at all or be straight-up plastic. They add weight and breakup what could otherwise be a nice profile for the hand. - You get two radios, but no charger. In my best Sam Sam Kinison voice, "Hmm, let's see: This wouldn't be a problem if I didn't buy the radios because THERE WILL BE PHYSICAL DISTANCE BETWEEN ME AND THE OTHER RADIO! How is the other person supposed to CHARGE THEIR RADIO if they are a mile away and WITHOUT A CHARGER!?" Hahaha! I mean, c'mon. There ought to be two chargers. Here's the GOOD news about the Motorola walkie talkies: + They are simple to use. I was able to switch channels and privacy codes and start testing the radios literally within seconds of having batteries installed, and without reading the manual. You simply turn the knob on the top, you'll hear and feel a nice click, adjust your volume to your liking, and then push the button to talk. + They have a nice feel to them with a solid plastic case, rubber buttons, and an easy-to-read display. The two stupid faux metal straps aside, they are otherwise pretty ergonomic and visually appealing. + Their range isn't nearly as bad as some of the angry reviews say. These people who say the radios were unusable on the highway even when following behind the other person on the radio? Yeah, those reviewers are straight-up lying. I don't know why, but that's impossible unless they were on the wrong channel. Hehehe. To make my point, I actually did a test with the radios around my neighborhood. None of the testing was done line of sight-- it was all through walls of a house, trees, and into/out of my car. At a mile, I was able to clearly transmit and hear the transmissions (0.8 miles, as the crow flies, to be exact, was as far as I tested). Now, I will say that I believe that's approaching the upper limit of what you can do with any obstructions. On the recording I made of my voice, I could hear the radio starting to break up a bit, but it was still clear-enough that I could make out every single word. But the idea that you might get 20+ miles out of these is a joke. Totally impossible. So why am I putting this in the "GOOD" list, because I personally only want these walkie talkies to be able to radio my young son when he's at his mom's house a mile away, and he's not old enough for a cell yet. I also think I'll use these with him for fun playing hide and seek. If you intend to use these for a commercial application or at distances over a mile or so, your mileage may vary (no pun intended). I hope you found this review helpful. Cheers, and stay in touch!
