Customer Reviews

Motorola TalkAbout T289AA 2-Mile 14-Channel Two-Way Radio (Purple Haze)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is one of the most usefull things I've ever gotten. These radios are excelent in design, durability & performance. The Nicad is a must since you recharge it as a celular & it last long enough for one full day with the kids.

I initially I bougth 2 and planning to buy 2 more for the kids. (first two were for the kids). Specially great when you go shopping around and you can go away on your own keeping in touch with the rest of the group. It means freedom!!

I couldn't find many faults with this radio after putting it through a fairly rigorous workout. Perfect for hiking, I tested its range through hilly, woodsy terrain. Came close to 2 miles even in these conditions. It was also raining, & even though I foolishly left it uncovered, it worked fine. Perhaps it should also claim "water resistant?"

It is nice & compact - with a sturdy clip on that doesn't cause any fumbling around w/ cold & wet fingers. The only relatively small complaint I have is that it would have been nice to have the talk button on the side, for easier access.

I love these little radios. We tested them in the car (one stayed in a wooded park while the other drove around town). Estimated 3 miles before we hit even the smallest amount of static. The only thing I would recommend is a handsfree headset so you can ride bikes, etc without having to hold anything. I read the other reviews before buying mine and they had a great influence. All are true except the pesky annoyance everyone talks about with the "push to talk" button. I personally can't find anything wrong with it. I just hold it differently. The microphone where you talk into is NOT located directly below the button, but off to the side, almost on the edge of the radio. The only weight of these little buggers is from the three AA. Basically, put three AA batteries in your hand and that is a simulation of what these radios feel like. I can't wait to try them skiing and hiking. We have played like kids on them for over a week now and haven't gotten tired of them. I would buy them all over again if I had to. Definately worth buying- don't look any where else (believe me I looked and looked)

I mainly use these on the ski slope, where they have been a blessing. No longer do you have to coordinate times and meeting locations with other people. The reception is pretty good, though it varies widely depending on the terrain and weather. At large ski resorts I have been able to clearly talk to other people on completely different peaks. Not surprisingly, when someone goes behind a ridge reception drops to almost nothing. Also, the small size of the radios allows them to fit comfortably in a jacket pocket.

Personally, I don't think rechargeable batteries are necessary. I usually get almost an entire ski season out of one sec of batteries per radio so I don't think recharegeables are worth the extra money/hassle.

The only problem I've come across is the usability of some of the buttons. When you are wearning large ski gloves, the "Talk" button is the only one you can easily operate. All of the other buttons usually require the removal of a gloval. Luckily, you rarely need to touch the other buttons once the radio is on and everything is set.

This is a great item. I did all the research before I bought my second set of hand helds. Yes this is my second attempt because I didn't read reviews My first attempt was a failure since I bought the motorola fr 50's don't get me wrong great product also if you want them your kids. I love the T289 it is small and light weight. The big selling point for me was that you could have the 38 privacy codes so you could feel more private no interuptions.If your wife is like mine she won't use them if someone is cutting in on your conversations. Another feature was the buttons were a little more organized than the T250 which is still a nice hand held but it is larger and my wife didn't want something big to carry I to also agreed. My advice if you want a great hand held you can't go wrong with Motorola T289 get yourself a set and you will see. Nice and clear coversations. Yes you might find a cheaper brand out there but you can't beat Motorola's quality.

This is the coolest radio I have ever gotten. In fact I have 2. The design, durability & performance of this Motorola are unmatched. The NiCad battery allows you recharge it as a cellular & it lasts long enough for one full day out in the woods or where ever you are. Plus you don't have to keep buying new batteries for it.

I play paintball in the woods with friends a lot and started off with the 250s. I like these even more. You can easily get 2 miles of coverage in the woods between friends with these. If you plan on using these in the woods I would recommend using an earbud and mic or the headset with boom mic to allow the VOX system to operate more effectively. With the limitations of the paintball mask I can only use the earbud with mic. We even plan on using these during hunting season this year, but that is another story.

I've just bought two of these radios and find them just great. I use them in the badlands area of Alberta, hiking and rafting. They are very clear under the 2 miles. I really like the battery pack, it lasts the whole day on standbye, can get about a dozen or so calls out of it. The only thing I don't like is they don't seem very sturdy. I think if one was dropped it would break easily so I deducted a star for this.

I would really recomend buying this product. I allready have two and they work perfectly. The AA battery option is great and offers up to 30 hours of work. Privacy Codes make it very hard for you to be on the same frequency as someone else! I would recomend this product for sking or a trip to the mall or theme park. I would recomend buying the BOOM MIC accessory, offers to keep the conversation private (right in your ear) and you can talk without even touching the walkie talkie (With VOX option)

THIS IS A GREAT PRODUCT I WOULD RECOMEND YOU BUYING IT!

I bought 2 of these units, with 4 more backordered. This has been a great unit for staying in contact while shopping, hiking, driving, etc. The kids love it, and the belt attachment makes it easy to hook on a handbag strap, belt, etc.
The difficulty I have with it is with the VOX mode. You have to make a sound before it activates. If you don't, you lose the first few words before it kicks in.
I have the nicad, rechargeable unit. I like it because it saves on battery purchases.
All in all, I would recommend this unit.

we did a lot of research and found motorola to have the best reputation. we chose this model because it cannot be turned off by turning a dial, like the ta50's it has one of the longest battery life capacities and can be programed to shut down after a pre deturmined time to save battery life. plus the size is hard to beat. with all of the frequencies available you can talk to just about any other fsr even if they are not motorola; it is just a matter of finding the compatable channel.