Customer Reviews

Motorola FR50 2-Mile 14-Channel FRS Two-Way Radio

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The FR50 is perfect if all you want to do is communicate between cars in a caravan.

Its shortcomings are quickly realized when you bring it to place where everybody and his brother allready has one. I bought the FR50 thinking that I could save myself a couple of bucks instead of getting the FR60. Then i went skiing. The constant yammering of yahoos was so anoying that the radio had to be turned down to almost inaudible levels. (This sort of makes them usless).

Spend the extra couple of bucks and get the FR60. The difference is that the FR60 has 38 sub channels that it recieves on for each of the 14 main frequencies that it transmits on. That works out to about 532 unique combinations. The point is, that while the yahoos might hear you... you cant hear them, (except for the yahoos in your group who are on the same sub frequency)

Trust me on this one.

Oh.. one last thing... they sell optional accessories such as a push to talk clip on mic. you might think that this would be a good idea.... e.g. you dont have to pull the radio out of your parka every time you want to say something. Other then the fact that these accessories (both the speaker/mic & the earbud version) reduce the range to within 50 feet or less and make you sound like you are on the bottom of a swimming pool, they work fine. No seriously... avoid them, they don't work at all.

One other peice of advise, don't opt for the FR250 over the FR60. The only difference between the two is that the FR250 has a universal jack instead of the single 2.5mm jack that the FR60 has for use with the optional accesories. Since my review was so glowing re the accesories i would hope you might conclude that there is no point in wasting the extra 20 bucks per radio for the FR250's.

I purchased the fr50 to use at Walt Disney World. Great for letting people go there own directions and meeting up with later. The problem is that even with a 14 channels there are dozens of people trying to carry a conversation. It still worked great for us but I'd recommend the FR60. It costs more but because you can use special transmission codes you'll get a lot less clutter and be able to communicate clearer. It's either that or get a radio liscense.

The FR50 performed admirably under the conditions created by my family. It is perfect for keeping track of each other in ski resorts, theme parks, or even between your house and your friends'. You can't beat the price, and with 14 channels you can find an empty one for you to use, even without privacy codes.

Since I own both these products I had a chance to compare both of them side by side.

RANGE-> The FR-50s have a slightly better range (about 100 ft more) than the Cobras and both of them have a range of about 1.2 miles seperated by buildings. I guess in open air they would perform better.

FEATURES-> * Cobra has a talk confirm tone which is missing in the FR-50. * Cobra is a little smaller (and cute) when compared to the FR-50. Allthough the clip-on stand can be a bit bothering

BATTERY LIFE-> * Both these units consume the same amount of battery and I would advise you folks to buy a set of rechargeable batteries in case you wish to use them constantly.

* The FR-50s use 3 AA batteries whereas the Cobras use 4 AAA cells. So if U already own AA rechargeable cells U can use them in the FR-50 (BTW AAA rechargeable cells are not very commonly used)

WHICH ONE TO BUY-> I would go with either one of them. The only deciding factors might be:

* Looks * Battery type

* Range (though the difference is negligible) * Confirmation tone (Found in Cobra FRS 110)

Have fun!!!

It's a cheap motorola radio, nice for outddoor biking, walking, lound and clear voice. The signal is bad when using between buildings (lost of sound occationally, eventhough the distance is a lot less than 1 mile). Baterries consuming rate is high, 20 hours is the STANDBY time not the real talk time (last ~1.5-2 hours if you talk all the times), you should use the rechargable batterirs. The call feature is handy, just like a pager. If you want radios for your kid to play or intend to use in open areas, this is it.

We bought a pair of these for use with our new baby -- since I'm nursing and babe only sleeps on my lap, there were a lot of times where I had been stuck on the couch in the dark. Not anymore; even when my husband is two floors away, he is still at my beck and call :) And when babe and I go for a walk, I can keep him informed about where we are and when we'll be back. We've also used them for convoy-style car trips with my sister and her husband, which is really a lot of fun, and saves all kinds of hassle when one of us gets lost or needs to stop. I think these are a must for new families. My only problem: we bought ours at Best Buy for $90 (pair), and I just found out it would have only been $74/pair here! Argh!

My wife and I use the FR50 around the house and in the yard. She has a workshop in the basement and cannot hear anything while down there. We use the FR50 to communicate (it's better than shouting or stomping on the floor). It's also handy while working in the yard for relaying phone calls or to announce that lunch is ready. Because we're out in the boondocks, the extra channels of the FR60 are not needed. It's a great radio for basic needs.

With the many types of FRS radios out there. You can expect the same range of receptions. You do not need the senseless features other radios have to offer. The Motorola FR 50 is all is needed. 14 Channels are plenty to move around if you feel you need privacy to chat with your parties. The down far of this radio like many others, it does not offer a rechargable battery and charging jack. You either buy alkines or a separate charging outlet and rechargable batteries.

the fr50 is a good radio if other people around are not using frs radios. because it does not have any sub channals it is hard to find a clear channal in a buzy area. it also does not have a scan feature. i think getting the fr60 would be a better choice.

This unit performed fine. Does not have channel scan feature found in the FR250. Display was not as nice as 250. Size was also slightly larger. Range etc. should be same as FR250.