Motorola T9500XLR 25-Mile Two-Way Radios

RANGE TEST: The effective range of this device is far worse than it claimed. I got about half a mile before it started dropping off and only transmitted gibberish. About 3/4 mile and it stopped transmitting altogether. Switching channels did not improve anything. I guess if you use it within the same building then it could be very effectie. As a matter of fact, I have seen people used them in a Chninese retaurant and it worked really well for them.

So depend on what you need it for. But don't think you can use it for more than half a mile.

I will update this review as I test other features.

This is my second pair of two-way radios. The first set picked up quite a bit of extraneous noise--wind, static, etc--but this pair worked much better and was clearer.
We used them for two days (my son and I) to try them out at the beach, at home and at a big park. Once we found the right channels, they worked perfectly all places. I did try to test the distances (difficult while walking), but we did try them at least 2 miles apart and they worked fine. There was a bit a static at the beach, but not too much.
They are not as clear as your cell phone, but if you are out and about at a amusement park or park with your child, they'll work fine.

Primarily we use these radios on shopping malls, camping and theme parks. This pair has the most features compared to the previous 3 pairs that we have used before. You need to read the manual to really take advantage of all the features the unit offers. For the price, it is a good value.

The Pros & Features:

-It comes with NiMh battery packs. You can use ordinary alkaline or your own rechargeable "AA's" batteries. But the charging dock station will only work with the supplied battery packs. Still, it is nice to be able to use regular batteries on the road if you forget to charge the battery pack.
-The dock not only makes sure you have the radios charged and ready to use, it also makes it easier to find where they are. Before, we just throw them away in the drawers and finding them the next time we need them becomes a challenge.
-Combination GMRS/FRS channels. Upper part of the PTT (Push To Talk) button is high power/lower part is low power.
-Weather channels, just press "+" for 3 seconds.
-Attaching the removeable clip is easy. They are also easy to lose as they are pretty small. Nice feature about the clip is that it swivels. This lessen the stress on the radio when you move or sits.
-Multiple alert tones to choice from. "Vibra-Alert" is a really a welcomed feature as we often could not hear the other party calling around a noisier environment like busy shopping malls.
-privacy codes
-Hands-free communication with or without headset, accessories - you have to turn on IVOX
-Nice to have a choice between a black and yellow faceplates. Changing the faceplate is easy but a little tricky. You do not need to unscrew anything. The faceplate is just a snap on.


Room for Improvement:

-This is my 4th pair of radios, still I have not found one that can really make a good trasmission/reception even at 5 miles distance. Everybody advertise transmission up to 25 miles distance, but the only device I know that I can depend on is my cell phone.
-Sleeker design is welcome. Can the antennas be a little shorter?
-Hands-free communication is difficult. The first few words always gets cut off. Also, it is very easy to accidentally press on the PTT button while on IVOX, and that automatically cancels the hands-free back to Push-To-Talk. It takes several presses on the buttons to go back to IVOX.

It's great to see a package complete with charger/adapter, rechargeable batteries (if the recargeable batteries die out one day, you can also use AA rechargeable batteries), changeable face plates and belt clip. I can talk to my wife while next block for free. Reception and voice is clear. The minus side is the size and mass, less comfortable for females. The antenna is rather big.

Will update when I got my results on long range communication.

Though the radios had some good features, the bad sound quality trumped all of them. I had to frequently ask for repeats because the sound was so bad, even at close range. I don't know whether it is really cheap speakers or bad processing but it sounds like you are talking down a long length of plastic tubing.

There are other radios for under $100.00 that work much, much better.

I just returned the T9500XLRs.