Kenwood FreeTalk UBZ-LH14 2-Mile 14-Channel FRS Two-Way Radio (Silver)

by Kenwood

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B00004TJ32
• Item model number: UBZLH14SLK
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

Kenwood's UBZ-LH14 FreeTalk radio is a sleek little Family Radio Service unit that can handle all 14 FRS channels along with 38 subcodes per channel, making it ideal for crowded environments. It offers plenty of features and great expandability.

The radio isn't the smallest we've seen, and its three AA batteries add to the weight, but we're certain most users will be able to overlook these minor drawbacks once they start tapping the FreeTalk's abilities. For example, a scanning function automatically finds free channels, eliminating the typical trial-and-error process. And although the FreeTalk doesn't have many buttons cluttering its face, there are many advanced options that can be configured through a hidden menu.

The FreeTalk's many features are spelled out in the well-written manual, and we needed only a few minutes to set up the radio once we learned what the cryptic menu entries stood for. The menu let us change call tones, enable the automatic power off feature, and eliminate the beeps that sounded every time a key was pressed. The FreeTalk can even tell if a member of your party has wandered out of range, a feature we typically don't see on FRS devices in this price range.

Portability is enhanced by a swing-down antenna that stows behind the unit, a testament to the unit's carefully considered physical design. The rubber-coated push-to-talk button is easy to press, yet difficult to press accidentally. The microphone and external speaker jacks are covered by separate rubber plugs that keep them nice and clean when the peripherals are not attached. Kenwood even threw in a belt clip.

We were happy to learn that FreeTalk performed as well as it looked, with a range comparable to all the other FRS radios we've tested and with excellent transmission quality. The sound sometimes crackled a bit at maximum volume, but we rarely had to turn our radio up that loud. Overall, this is an excellent unit, boasting several useful features that actually justify the price. --T. Byrl Baker

Pros:

• Many advanced features, including call tones and out-of-range alerts
• Swing-down antenna makes the device easier to carry
• Excellent documentation

Cons:

• Establishing settings is nearly impossible without consulting the manual
• Sound quality suffers slightly at high volume levels

Amazon.com Product Description

Talk with your family and friends while on the slopes, hiking trail, or city streets with the silver Kenwood UBZ-LH14BK Free Talk radio. It features auto channel select from up to 14 channels, so you don't have to fuss with finding a static-free channel while you are skiing or hiking. Four different ring tones alert you even in noisy environments. It features an extra-large LCD screen and 120 hours of use on standby.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Kenwood Free Talk Radio Quality, November 3, 2000

By 

"higgy116" (Florida United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kenwood FreeTalk UBZ-LH14 2-Mile 14-Channel FRS Two-Way Radio (Black) (Electronics)

I purchased two of these radios for my son, I am not able to walk very well and he felt they would be useful when he and his wife took me places to save me some steps. He has been a long time user of Kenwood communication products, and searched for some time before finding anyone that had any in stock. After receiving the radios from Amazon.com he understood why they were hard to find. He was very pleased to find that the Kenwood quality he was used to was made into these small radios. The Kenwood UBZ-LH14 has many feature not found in other brands of family radios such as,in range, voice scrambler, and power saver to list only a few. The Kenwood UBZ-LH14 is slightly more difficult to operate than some others due to the many options it offers, and it is helpful if you have some knowledge of operating electronics to make full use of all the features it has. I give the radio five stars for the quality of the product, number of features and the amazingly low price that Amazon.com has offered the radio for.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Move over Motorola., October 6, 2000

By 

Creeb (Clayton, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kenwood FreeTalk UBZ-LH14 2-Mile 14-Channel FRS Two-Way Radio (Yellow) (Electronics)

I've used the lower end VTechs and the Motorola-FRS series, which are fine products. But these Kenwoods seem to run longer and thus extends battery life substantially. All the FRS use the same freq so you can talk to your Motorola buddies; but the quality on these puppies can't be beat. 5 stars (actually 4.8)!! Don

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best radios out there, December 31, 2001

By 

John J Marsal (Menlo Park, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kenwood FreeTalk UBZ-LH14 2-Mile 14-Channel FRS Two-Way Radio (Silver) (Electronics)

I bought about 7 different models of FRS radios. This particular Kenwood model is about the best you can get. It has good range, excellent voice clarity, good ease of use, good battery life.

That said, NONE of the consumer FRS radios has really loud sound. So, if you're at a noisy event (sports, etc.) you'll have a tough time communicating.

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