I read many reviews on radios. I educated myself on how they work & decided on what type (FRS vs. GMRS) & decided for my needs, the FRS would work fine. I also made notes on what frequency to stay on so I would be legal.
I needed a simple set of radios to use on an 800 mile trip to college with two vehicles needing to stay in contact. Thought this would be easier and safer than dealing with texting via phone or using an app on the phone that still relies on tower service. I was correct in how easy and safe these were to use.
The range was a little over a 1/4 mile between the cars, if we were more than that it was either no reception or very broken up reception. I had expected on a straight road for it to be a little more, but it was adequate. Once we knew this range, we made sure to stay within it and it worked well.
I loved how easy it was to grab the radio and communicate with the other car. No getting my phone woke up, no looking at the phone while driving....just grab and key the mic and talk. This worked well as I was in a car alone. We were able to quickly alert about lane changes due to traffic issues, up coming exits etc. It was so easy and safe!
The battery life was very good. We used it for the duration of 12 hours on the road with no charge and it still was showing one bar. We didn't play around on the radio, only used it for what we needed. So it you have your kid playing on it, it wouldn't last that long. Once the battery life was down to one bar, it did seem to be a little more static in the transmission. I felt the battery life was very good and loved the feature that I could plug it into the phone charger in my car if need be since it uses the same one.
I chose a FRS frequency and sub frequency and never had the need to change. I never heard anyone else on this channel. As long as we were within a 1/4 mile or so, the voice was extremely clear. We were traveling on interstate highway for the entire trip through several large cities and still never heard anyone else.
As far as durability, I did drop it once on concrete and it doesn't even look like it was dropped. No marks or anything and it works perfectly.
I am very happy with this purchase, and since I got them on sale, I feel they were more than worth what I paid. We can use it for other uses, but just on my journeys to college and back, they are worth the price.
Must Have Features for Me: 1. Small & Compact Size 2. Phone style charge ability in my car 3. FRS frequencies 4. Rechargeable batteries but can put regular batteries in if needed 5. Decent Range (with my realistic expectations)
The battery pack is sized as if it should be three AA batteries, but if you read the capacity rating (800 mAh), you will realize that's less than half the capacity of a typical AA.
Replacing the pack with rechargable AA batteries will more than double the battery life, but you lose the ability to recharge via the micro USB port. Luckily this is easy to fix: all you need is foil and scotch tape, and 3 NiMH rechargable AA's.
1. Remove supplied battery pack from compartment and set aside.
2. Tear and fold foil into two small bars approx. 3/8" x 1" that will bridge (cover) two of the contacts in the battery compartment. It helps if it's a few layers thick for durability, but it has to still be thin enough for a AA battery to squeeze into the compartment.
3. Cover the back of each foil 'bar' with tape (insulator), then hold one bar in the lower left while inserting a AA battery. The battery contacts should press against the exposed foil, while the insulator on the opposite side touches the radio contacts.
4. Place the second (middle battery) against the exposed probably of the lower foil bar, then hold the second foil piece against the upper end of that battery as you seat it into position. This should leave the second foil bar in the upper right position with the foil side exposed to the batteries.
5. Insert the final battery against the upper foil and test the radio. If it powers on and indicates that it is charging when plugged into a micro USB port, then you have succeeded!
When we bought this set we were thrilled, until we could not get the batteries to fully charge. Thinking it was the batteries, we returned the original and received a second set. Again we had issues getting the batteries to fully charge in the units. We bought new batteries but still had the issue. When my husband noticed the plug-in was the same as his cell phone, he tried his cell phone cord and VOILA', the 'charging bar appeared on both phones and within 12 hours the batteries were fully charged. The batteries were not the problem. The split charging cord is. We have purchased 2 cell phone cords and now all is right as rain. We love this set and hope Motorola resolves this issue soon so future purchasers don't go through the same problem.
Used these on a vacation caravaning to Disney World. No problems car to car, as far as a mile or so, after that it's iffy. The provided battery's don't seem to detect charge right as we would charge them up full, they would drop to 1 bar really fast and then work fine for hours.
Fantastic long-range broadcast ability. Have noticed they perform better with 3 AA batteries than they do with the rechargeable battery pack. The rechargeable pack loses its charge after roughly 90 minutes, which was the only real draw back. Very clear audio, great privacy channel options.
Feature Product
- Power through Your Adventures: There are two ways to power your radio: use the included NiMH rechargeable batteries for up to 10 hours or use 3 AA batteries for up to 29 hours.
- Know the Weather In Advance: Keep updated with real-time weather conditions by turning on one of 11 weather channels or initiating weather alerts. NOAA radio service may not be available in all areas.
- Quickly Find a Channel: Use the scanning feature to see which channels are currently in use. Low Battery Alert: Low battery alert reminds you when batteries are running low.
- 22 Channels Each with 121 Privacy Codes: With 22 channels and 121 privacy codes, totaling 2,662 combinations, it's easy to find an available channel. Accessory connector : Single pin is 2.5mm
- Compatible with Any Radio: You can communicate with other FRS/GMRS radios regardless of brand by being on the same channel and privacy codes.
Description
Stay outside, stay connected, stay informed. With a range of up to 25 miles and the freedom to communicate wirelessly, the T260 lets you stay in touch with family and friends, whether tackling a back country trail or camping in the woods. This lightweight, compact and durable radio comes packed with essential features, like NOAA weather channels and alerts, and iVOX/VOX hands-free communication, so it’s easy to stay in touch -and stay safe -no matter what your situation. The T260 is available in a twin-pack or a triple-pack. How far can I expect my radios to communicate? The communication range quoted is calculated based on an unobstructed line of sight test under optimum conditions. Actual range will vary depending on terrain and conditions, and is often less than the maximum possible. Your actual range will be limited by several factors including, but not limited to: terrain, weather conditions, electromagnetic interference and obstructions. Charge the NiMH batteries once every 3 months when not, An empty battery will be fully charged in 12 hours in use, Up to 29 Hours with 3AA Alkaline Batteries, Up to 12 Hours with NiMH Battery
We have used the radios five days per week for over a month with no problems. The sound quality is great and the units are compact. The price is very reasonable. Like most people we only need two functions: broadcast and receive. Unfortunately the scan function is easily accidently triggered and communications are lost until the unit is turned off and on again. The other negative. Also the rechargeable battery has a low storage capacity and takes a couple of days to fully charged.
I wish Motorola come out with a quality FRS radio without all the extraneous bells and whistles.
If you realize these are really for communicating for very short distances, you won’t be disappointed. How short? In my residential neighborhood with large homes, we had success at a 1/4 mile. FCS or GMRS freqs did not make a difference at all. Perhaps, carpooling on the open road would be considerably better,
We bought these primarily for use in wilderness preserves when caravanning to stay in touch with other drivers in close range for wildlife viewing. These units work well for that.
We spend a great deal of time traveling and we go places most don't. We used to use radios with freq that most don't have. But we had limited distance. These have worked great. We never have an issue with others on the same freq. We get about 1/2 mile to a mile with average terrain.
The clarity is good. We used it on our RV trip with another family. We drove a separate RVs and the walkie talkies are good for immediate talk rather than calling each other on cell phones while on the road
Awesome walki talkies. I bought these for my kids who were using some cheap ones prior, the radios with the distortion. The item shipped as described, nice carrying case with the lithium batteries. I currently use AA and haven’t lose any battery life for a couple months. The volume control, call option and the locking feature is exactly what I needed.
0 comments:
Post a Comment