Motorola T9500XLR 25-Mile Two-Way Radios

We got these radios as a replacement for some old Motorolas we'd had for 6 years which finally quit working.

We use 2 way radios quite a bit. We live on a big lot, with 2 big outbuildings, so shouting isn't really an option. We also ride dirt bikes, and use the radios (one at the front of the group, one in back)to keep the gang together, which is tough, since we're all a bunch of independent old cusses.

We initially purchased the Midland GXT710VP3 radios, these work adequately. I hate to admit it, but I don't like them because they're clunky and ugly. I'm normally not a slave to fashion, but these radios just look and feel like a brick. An ugly brick.

So, when the Motorolas were offered, I snagged them. With the price difference between the Motorola T9500XLR and the Midlands, I expected a lesser quality in the Motorola, but was pleasantly surprised.

I know all these radios claim that '25 mile' standard, but in our experience, line of sight use is about 3 miles, in the woods or in a populated area, it drops down to about a mile.

We have not tested the radios in densely populated situations (city, amusement park, etc.), but can attest to the fact that they work very well in rural situations (our home), and in the woods (motorcycle trails).

They suit our purpose, they're easy to use, the batteries last more than 10 hours, and they've even got the Weather radio built in.

The Motorola T9500XLR suits our needs.

I have not had much chance to use it as I purchased it for use as an emergency preparedness block captain in my city. We have practiced using it, but I will not really know until a disaster of some type happens. I am pleased to have it for that purpose.

Despite the problems some other reviewers have reported, I haven't seen them myself. The radios could be more durable, but for the money they seem like a good value. Some friends of mine recently took them beach camping and said they had no trouble with the signal, though the users were never more than a few miles away from each other. The kids liked the interchangeable covers.

I take this set with me on multiple-car road trips, hiking and camping trips. The battery life is excellent, often lasting an entire weekend's worth of use with no problems at all. I've tested the range up to about 20 miles in clear terrain. The sound is clear, delay minimal, and I've experienced little interference from other RF devices. Excellent choice in areas where cell coverage is minimal or completely non-existent.
Being able to pick up NOAA broadcasts is a good safety feature especially when camping or hiking. The radio can be a bit bulky since we are all used to internal antennas from cell phones. Getting the channel and security code set properly to get both or more radios to talk with each other can be a bit of a hassle. Overall, highly recommended.

The pros: Excellent battery life, durable, clear, NOAA weather broadcasts
The cons: Bit expensive, not the smallest set, confusing security channel system

Wow! 25 miles! You see this on the packaging and you think all is going to be great. Well, in suburban/urban environments, it's more like 2 miles or less. Now that's not bad, but better off bringing your cell phone when possible..

After about a mile, things garble up on both ends. I didn't experience interference on any channels, so perhaps the filtering channels were doing their job, but I didn't test these out in a resort area either. The menu system (UI) also takes a bit of getting used to. You've got to push a bunch of buttons to change channels and such. The button placement is good and the size of the radios are reasonable. Rechargeable batteries that are included are fine, though charging time is 10+ hours, a bit high even for modern day NiMH. Li-ion would probably raise the cost significantly. Also, no hands-free accessories are included like similar packages (adding about $20 the cost if you need to pair), though there is supposedly an iVox function (works like a baby monitor.)

Better off sticking with cheap FRS radios here if you just need short distances, and then there's no need for the GMRS licensing (though I'm assuming most people go without this, but technically you're supposed to pay $85 to the FCC.)