Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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99 of 103 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Little Radio, February 23, 2005
I purchased these radios (and got them in 48 hours), got my FCC license and took them on a trip to Minneapolis. We were driving 2 cars and the communication between the cars was great. At times we were 5 miles apart, and we could hear just like you were next door. I envision that these radios will be very usefull when we go mushrooming, deer hunting, and fishing.
In addition, these radios can use 4AA alkaline batteries, so if the rechrgeable battery runs out, just carry 4 AA cells with you. The batteries actually last longer than the rechargeable battery.
Yes, you will need a FCC liscense for the GMRS portion of these radios. You can go to FCC.GOV and apply online, and within 10-13 days you will get your license (80.00 for 5 years).
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19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great set of radios - Buy them and Use them, May 6, 2007
First let me say I have extensive experience with handheld FRS/GMRS radios. I've owned them for years, and have the opportunity to test frequently as I live in a warm weather state and camp/fish/kayak/hike often
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Right off the bat, I will say most of my familiarity has been with smaller AAA sized units, and these Motorola T7400 units are far and away the BEST I HAVE EVER TOUCHED. The clarity of transmission REALLY impressed me - very clear when compared side to side with other units.
As an editorial comment I'd just like to say how really fraudulent it is that the government allows these radio manufacturers to make outlandish claims as to the range of their units. It seems like each company and each new model tries to one-up the previous. 8 miles, 12 miles, 18 miles!! Pure unadulterated b.s., and the problem with that is that people set their expectations unreasonably high, and are invariably disappointed with their purchases. What marketing GENIUS (sarcasm) decided to be the first to make an unsubstatiated claim of range? Hang him by his toes! Imagine if we allowed car manufacturers to advertise their vehicles as having a 0-60 speed of 2.9 seconds and then found out the 3,000 pound car has a 2 cylinder engine? Sure, 0-60 in 3.9 seconds when dropped from a helicopter!! ** end rant
Now on to my opinion of these units. Really really stellar. Again, with the above in mind, remember not to set your expectations too high. These units are big, measuring 9" from bottom of the unit to the tip of the antenna. BUT THAT IS A GOOD THING. It allows three things that IMHO really help these to have better transmission and reception downrange. 1. AA batteries put out more power than AAA batteries, and will allow more usage per charge, 2. The larger antenna allows a better 'throw' of the 2w of generated transmission power. 3. A larger speaker than smaller AAA models, allowing for plenty of volume upside.
You'll notice I said AA batteries, and didn't mention the NIMH charging pack...I believe that will put out good power and will ease charging of these units, but personally, I prefer a good set of NIMH rechargeable AA batteries with a fresh top-off for best results.
Now to range - this was a very informal test, but it was as controlled as I could make it. The first night I received these units, I tested them vs. a pair of Midland AAA radios with an advertised range of 16 miles. Freshly charged Rayovac Hybrid NIMH rechargeables went into each, and I set both sets of units to GMRS channel 21. My 'test' here was done in my neigborhood, a densely populated area in Phoenix where 80+% of the households have WiFi internet systems, Cordless Home phones, etc. Not that they should interfere with this frequency, but it is a lot of a electronic 'noise' to burn through. Long story short, the Midlands were static-filled by the end of my street - about 200yds away, but the Motorolas stayed crystal clear. I was really impressed with the CLARITY of these units, and continued further and further away.
I ended the test @1.5 miles due to my tester getting cold from the high winds we were having. At 1.5 miles in a dense neighborhood, with high winds, and me inside a vehicle, these things were only beginning to get any static whatsoever, but transmissions were more than readable. When I stepped out of the Xterra, the signal regained clarity, and there was only the slightest hint of static induced by the range. What this means to me, is in a true outdoor application, I am sure to get all the range I need. 12 miles? Hmmm, probably not, but unless I'm in a crag in some canyon, I'm sure these will throw good signal a few miles, and in an open water situation or two vehicles road-tripping, I'll bet the range will be that much further.
As far as features, this has all I can foresee needing. Voice activated transmission and Weather Band are great reasons to keep these around when out in the bush or on the water. The belt clip, meh...I haven't put it to any stress, but I could see how it might be susceptible to breakage due to its high profile. If mine break, I'll call Motorola and have them send me the new lower profile ones others here have mentioned.
As for the person who said they are incompatible with other radios, due respect, but that is completely false. The problem lies in that the channel security code on these is set to '1' initially from the factory, which if changed to '0' will allow complete compatibility. Let me explain. Yes, this radio has 22 channels, but within each channel you can select any of 99 'security codes' - which is a misnomer. These do not make your conversations more secure, rather what they do is screen out other conversations on the same channel. Your transmissions will still be received by all other radios on that channel, you just will not be able to hear their conversations. Word of advice - when selecting a channel to use, listen first...if anyone else in your immediate area is using that channel, PICK ANOTHER CHANNEL. Now, if your buddy has a radio from another make and you both want to be compatible, set all units to the desired channel, then simply push your menu button the number of times required to change the security code (2 times I think), and when it highlights that little security code number (smaller number in the top right of the display), hit your down arrow and change that to 0. When on 0, you are disabling the feature and can hear all transmissions on that channel.
Well I hope this helps some. Remember there generally is a trade off on unit size vs. range, so if you want a radio that's the size of your thumbnail, don't expect it to throw signal 32 miles downrange. These units are sizeable, but still not unweildy at all, still pocketable and the larger batteries will allow you to have better reception and longer usage per charge.
Don't shy away from buying these units - with reasonable expectations of range, you will be very pleased.
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22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Motorola T7400R GMRS , February 22, 2006
Nice pieces of equipment, but not what I was led to believe. They delivered what they promised, EXCEPT FOR THE RANGE. No, I did not expect "12 miles" of range, even within a line of site. I came into this deal expecting and requiring a range of only two miles as the crow flies to communicate with other parties. Unfortunatly, all the Moto's could muster was 7 tenths of a mile through light foilage (pine trees). Nice two-way radio's, but unless you are within a line of site, forget their promise of distance. If you can see the target, then you will connect. If not, use your cellular.
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