FRS-Two-Way-Radio Reviews

As it often happens, new model *LOST* some nice features of older model (frs 250):

1) swing antenna 2) belt clip 3) strap

also, "call" feature is not compatible with older model, so if you want additional stations -- you can talk, but "call" tone from old model won't get to the new one.

Battery indicater is not very linear and once its not full-- get ready to replace 4 AAAs. When batteries are low, high tone pitch replaces incoming voice until you lower the volume

Apart from that, Cobra provides perfect communicator for the money with all you need -- 14x38 channels, good battery life, weather resistant. No need to pay more to get Motorolla.

To consider: 1) audiovox (model with 14x38 channels) 2) higher end Cobra with vibra alert 3) never buy FRS with less than 14x38 channels as air is saturated with users!

This radio is great! My friend has one and i got to use it over the weekend. Its easy to take around, and fun to play with. The only bad thing is that it only has 3 chanels. other than that i loved it!

This was the first pair of frs radios i have OWNED, i have used other frs radios mainly motorolas, i find the buton placement on these radios to be far soupire to any of the motorola radios i have used. the range may not be the best but it is decent, i say these would be much beter if they included rechargeable batteries, and the manuels could be better but the radio is defently a keeper.

I enjoy the radio, it's features and useability is very simple. However the belt clip stinks. At least 50% of the reason I purchased was because of the clip. Both clips broke within 3 days of use by two different users. I emailed Motorala and they were non-responsive as to replacement or problem.

I have used the Talkabout 250's for about 1 year. The 6310 performs just as well, and has many additional features that I find useful. Also, I get about twice the battery life over the 250.

The only drawback that I have found over the 250, is that it is not as easy to change channels. Also, the user interface is not very intuitive.

However, if you can use the extra features, the 6310 is a great radio.

We used these radios split between vehicles on a one month road trip. While in the vehicles the range is short (only line of sight), it is a viable option as the vehicles we used didn't have CBs or HF radios. We used a small 75W inverter to charge them up (no in-car charger available, unfortunately).

Outside of the vehicles the range was longer, ideal for setting up photo and video shoots.

And at this price, if they break, buy some more!

After having bad experience with my old Motorola TalkAbout 250 radios, I decided to give these a try (I didn't want to reward Motorola with another sale, many of the Motorola radios were receiving mixed reviews here on Amazon, and I really like my Uniden cordless telephones).

These are really good radios. Audio quality is very good, and their communication range far exceeds that of my Motorolas, even when they were working correctly (which wasn't very often). I was able to communicate clearly through flat, wooded terrain with the radios 2 miles apart. I also like that the PTT button is where it belongs on the side of the radio, not in the middle of the front as on the Motorolas.

The Unidens have some nice features like weather radio, selectable call tones, a nice big display, VOX when you use the radios with the included headset/microphone (a feature that I don't like to use, but might be useful to some people), water-resistant construction, channel scan, etc. But the main feature I was looking for was long communication range, and I got that with these radios.

I have some issues that keep this from being the perfect (5-star) radio; you decide if they are show-stoppers for you:

1) Volume Control--These radios don't have a continuously variable volume knob; instead they have +/- push buttons to select 8 different volume levels (one of which is fully off). The problem is that the lowest volume level that isn't fully off is too loud if you're in a really quiet environment. It's fine if you're outside or in a noisy mall or something. But if you need to set the audio whisper quiet, you can't do it with these radios.

2) Size & Weight: These radios are bigger and heavier than many on the market. This is a natural side effect of buying a radio with more transmit power than most of the competition. These radios run on 4 AA batteries vs. 3 AA batteries in my Motorolas. To give you a sense of the difference, the Uniden's dimensions (not including the antenna or belt clip) is 5.25" long X 2.25" wide X 1.375" thick. The Motorola TalkAbout 250's dimensions are 4.5" long X 2.5" wide X 1" thick. I don't have a scale, so I can't tell you how much heavier the Uniden is, but I can tell that it does weigh more.

Other than those two complaints, these radios are perfect. It's up to you to decide, based on how you'll be using the radios, whether these issues are show-stoppers for you or not. They aren't for me; I'm delighted with the performance of these Uniden radios.

I bought the Rhino 120 for Hiking with my Daughter & we also ride quads & motorcycles on remote trails. The GPS was simply awesome. Accurate & easy to use the basic features, their are alot of features & I am still working on learning them. The basics are easy to learn so you don't get lost & it is easy to find your way back with the tracking & waypoints. We used the radio, however it did not seem to work that well with other brand FRS radio's. The range was very limited, but this may not be Rhino's fault, but rather the different brands of radio's, I did not get the opportunity to give a good range test on GMRS. Anyway, my riding buddy was so impressed he is going to get one as well. I am pleased.

I have just purchased my second unit and have a few things to share with the first time buyer.

This unit comes with a serial cable that is used for programming the unit and sending GPS data to the computer. after getting a new unit, check for updated firmware at garmin.com. the newest firmware helped the start time of my unit (the time it took to find a satellite) and improved its reception capability. after I updated the firmware I got a solid sat. lock from my living room couch.

some of the older units are effected by a poor audio quality due most likely to a faulty microphone in the unit. read the footnote at [website] and it says Rino 120 - Serial Numbers 38905977 through 38941463 are recalled. I have two units in this range. they are usable but you have to speak at just the right level. I will be returning them and getting updated ones when they become available in my area.

The FRS radio works well with my other motorola radios, and from my limited testing the sub channels (0-38) appear to all use the same tones as motorola. the FRS radio has the ability to 'scan' for conversation. something that is very useful if you were using it in conjunction with search and rescue (trying to find someone that you knew had an FRS radio)

some people have commented that when you are driving down the road the unit shows you as being off the road. the reason for this is that the basemap is VECTOR based (straight line between points) and there is a limited number of points stored in memory. If it bothers you to have your point shown off the road, there is a feature that you can use 'snap to road' or something like that. The actual position reported by this is VERY accurate. I have gotten the unit to 9ft of accuracy which is helpful for such things as geocaching.

There is limited third party software to generate your own map. do a search for 'garmin custom map' at google.com

this device is a great integration of GPS and FRS. the... pricetag seems steep until you realize that the exact same GPS WITHOUT a radio (and the vibrator that is in the model) is about that price. The features over the 110 are well worth it. it has a basemap of North/south america, 8 meg of memory for downloading map data, and a vibrator that will vibrate when you receive a call after 45 seconds.

I was delighted to see the RINO models, as we found that carrying both a GPS and a separate radio while hunting was a real juggling act. This combination was an answer to prayers. I expect a significant number of my family and hunting friends will end up with these units.

Some of the reviews mentioned problems with radio compatibility with the Motorola FRS units. We have six of the Motorola units and have had no problems between them and the Garmin. I have also, so far, not had problems with battery life, and have used the unit in all combinations of operation. One hopes these problems were isolated events.

I find the RINO's operation to be very intuitive, little or no reference to the manual was necessary (though I have now read the entire thing). The unit is certainly the easiest of all the various GPS units I've used. This one even picks up signal while in our house, something no other unit I've seen has done.

A factor I had never considered with other units is how well the machine fits/holds in the hand.

So far, in our short association, I'm both very impressed and pleased with the machine. I would recommend it highly.

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June 03.
The RINO and I have now been together for a number of months. It continues to be an excellent tool.

In addressing the reports of battery life and radio reception, I feel it necessary to report that I STILL have not had problems with battery life. I get two full days of 8-10 hour use from a set of batteries, with power left over.

Between my wife and kids, we have five different Motorola units and have zero problems communicating with them. Both my parents and my in laws have generic "no name" radio sets and the Rino also "talks" to them with zero problems. My unit has software version 2.10, and that may be a factor.

With the many types of FRS radios out there. You can expect the same range of receptions. You do not need the senseless features other radios have to offer. The Motorola FR 50 is all is needed. 14 Channels are plenty to move around if you feel you need privacy to chat with your parties. The down far of this radio like many others, it does not offer a rechargable battery and charging jack. You either buy alkines or a separate charging outlet and rechargable batteries.

It's pretty durable (we drop them quite a lot at work and they keep on a working), simple to use (the more expensive ones have all those options you never use), OK range (2 miles real world or inside a factory), OK battery (the rechargeable batteries we use usually last an entire shift if we don't transmit that much), and it's CHEAP!!! Much cheaper than those other radios with the SAME wattage.

I'm only writing this because it's a pretty good way to keep in touch with my five year old daughter and three year old son when they are out and about the neighborhood. It's simple enough for my son and daughter to use. I don't let my son take one much because I know he'll lose it.

Final thoughts: This is the only radio I would buy because the more expensive ones are just a waste of money in most cases.

Perfect radio for going to anywhere in two miles.Great for bike riding or just taking a walk.

These are cheap, but you get what you pay for. I have 3, but after only 10 hours of use, 1 died. It transmits but does not receive. They DRINK batteries ! Get a rechargeable model.

I bought 6 of these radios, 4 for gifts and a pair for me and my wife. We have used them in local malls and they work very well across the mall. The clarity of sound is very good. I do notice that you have to put your mouth very near to the radio for good voice pickup... any further than a few inches reduces pickup notably. The basic features of the radio are easy to use, but the advanced features require multiple keypresses along with turning the radio on or off. Those advanced features (key lock, backlight timer, scan etc) will not be used much since they are annoying to program. We just set the channel/CTSS and keep the key lock on for foolproof operation.

Having owned the equivalent Motorola model that costs twice as much, I can tell you that these are a great buy. Well built, with pretty much the same feature set as the Motorola brand. Battery life is the same as the Motorolas; the more you talk the less battery life you get, as transmission burns up the battery life much more than reception.

I think the most important purchase criteria here is how you intend to use them, as usable distance varies considerable with terrain. If you are in flat farmlands then you can expect 2 miles, otherwise it is typically less than a 1 mile of effective range. In cities I've found it to sometimes be as little as 200 or 300 feet (that's less than 1/10 of a mile).

FRS radios can be used with great success in many situations, such as at Disneyworld (yep, you can stay in touch with lose your kids or significant other), shopping in big cities (I hang out on the street while my wife takes the girls inside), when the kids are biking near the house, etc. If that's what you have in mind, then this is a good purchase.