The Motorola Talkabout 2-Way Radio T9500XLR is a sophisticated FRS/GMRS radio that is approved for use in the United States and Canada. The T9500XLR package comes with two handheld radios and a charging base. Each radio contains its own NiMH rechargeable battery pack.

These Talkabout radios have a sleek black body with a swithcable faceplates and silver control buttons. A flexible rubber-coated antenna provides excellent reception over short distances. Motorola claims the units operate up to 25 miles apart under optimum conditions with no obstructions, or from 2 to 10 miles in wooded or urban settings. Ten miles proved a good estimate during our testing.

Each T9500XLR radio has a push-to-talk (PTT) button for transmitting signals, as well as a built-in receiver to receive transmissions from its partner or another compatible unit. The radios operate on General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) frequencies and are subject to the rules and regulations of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). A radio license is required to use all GMRS and high power frequencies, so check www.fcc.gov for more details.

These radios function very well over short distances, and they are ideal for companions who are hiking, bicycling, canoeing or skiing and need to keep in touch. As long as both units are turned on and set to the same frequency, the T9500XLR's instant call feature lets you send a message to the other radio immediately. There is also a handy alert that transmits a loud tone to the companion unit.

The small buttons on the front of the radios are not intuitive, so be sure to review the instruction booklet to identify the various functions. All of the buttons beep loudly when pressed. When turned on, the T9500XLR briefly lights up and displays whatever settings were saved to memory. Pressing the MENU button lets you select a channel, and there are also 121 unique interference eliminator codes to block unwanted transmissions.

The talk-and-listen functionality of the Talkabout radios couldn't be easier to operate. Simply push and hold the soft-touch PTT button to send a message, then release it to receive. The button has an upper and lower section, which is something we did not initially notice but was addressed in the instruction manual. Holding either section works for transmitting, while pushing the upper section boosts the power of the GMRS channels. For extra security, a Quiet Talk (QT) feature only allows the radios to communicate with other Motorola-compatible units.

One of the T9500XLR's handiest features is its ability to receive weather broadcasts from the U.S. National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Radio and Environment Canada Weather radio. The weather radio stations cover specific areas, so service may be limited. Other features include hands-free transmission that detects and transmits voices, a VibraCall vibrating alert feature, a scanning feature that automatically searches for other transmitters, a keypad lock and a handy backlight. If you need an effective and easy-to-use method for keeping in touch, the Motorola Talkabout 2-Way Radio T9500XLR proves very effective.


Pros: Easy to use, weather-radio compatible, hands-free transmission, vibrating alert, multiple privacy features
Cons: Limited range, sounds can be muffled at longer distances

Warranty
1 year, parts and labor