Motorola T9500XLR 25-Mile 2-Way Radio Pair

Motorola T9500XLR 25-Mile 2-Way Radio Pair
by Motorola

List Price: ~~$79.99~~
Our Price: $19.95
You Save: $60.04 (75%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Category: Car Audio or Theater
See more product details

Customers in the UK, buy this product at amazon.co.uk for British Pounds

Digital Photo Product Details

Manufacturer: Motorola
Brand: Motorola
Edition: Electronics
Format: CD
Model: T9500XLR
Publisher: Motorola
Studio: Motorola
Music Label: Motorola
Product features:

Up To 25-Mile Range
22 Channels
121 Privacy Codes For 2662 Combinations
27 Hours
3 AA Alkaline Or 9-Hour Nimh Estimated Talk Time

Accessories:

Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Motorola T9500XLR 25-Mile 2-Way Radio Pair

Customer Review: A solid two-way consumer radio twin pack
Summary: 5 Stars

Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)

Years ago many kids in the United States longed for something that we called walkie-talkies, and many of us can remember going into Radio Shack and other stores, lusting after these products. When the CB radio craze hit the country, many of these kids could now indulge themselves with the same fantasies from the drivers seat of their cars, conversing with truck drivers or anyone else who would answer.

Today the walkie-talkie has been replaced by the two-way radio, a much smaller communications device than we had a decade ago, and almost all of these have ranges from one to two miles, making them handy for camping, hunting, cycling, hiking or just keeping in touch with the kids. Comparing them with cell phones, there are no per-minute charges, and there are places in the wilderness where cell phones don't always function.

Motorola makes some of the best handheld two-way radios on the market. The Motorola T9500XLR 25-Mile 2-Way Radios are probably the most powerful consumer radios you can buy, and it's important to make a distinction between consumer radios and higher prices professional or business radios, such as the Motorola CLS1110 Professional UHF 2-Way Radio, and then you have to buy two of those to communicate. Big difference, but pick the tools that you need!

The new T9500XLR has a rubberized antenna an claims a possible maximum range of 25 miles in the best conditions, but about two miles in urban areas. It really shines as a weather radio, with support for ten NOAA weather channels. The VOX hands-free feature works quite well, and its vibrating alert is a a good alternative to a ring alert when silent operation is necessary.

These two-way radios support all 22 FRS and GMRS channels, and there are 121 privacy codes per channel. They offer a backlit display, a channel scanning feature and 10 call tone alerts. You also get black and yellow faceplates along with Ni-MH rechargeable batteries for each one, and the set comes with a dual-pocket desktop charger.

The 25-mile range is a bit optimistic, but the printed material indicates that this is for line-of-sight communication, and that's in optimal weather. They note that the range is up to two miles in an urban setting, which seems about right, and is pretty adequate for a consumer two-way radio of this type.

Pros:

- Excellent range, just don't expect 25 miles in a city
- Good interference elimination, first-rate volume control
- Rugged, and the rubber ducky antenna seems sturdy
- Very practical dual-pocket charging stand
- Built-in Ni-MH rechargeable batteries 9 hours of talk time
- Also operates on 3 AA batteries for 27 hours of talk time
- Good ergonomics, either right or left handed

Cons:

- A bit large for small pockets
- Missing the rubberized bumpers that protected former models
- Slight delay when you press the PTT button

Please do note that GMRS operation requires an FCC license. You can apply online at http://wireless.fcc.gov/uls/.

In summary, have found that this is a decent choice for trail or mountain biking, and is quite handy for neighborhood communication with kids. The NOAA feature is excellent, with better reception than expected.

Write your own review about Motorola T9500XLR 25-Mile 2-Way Radio Pair

More Motorola T9500XLR 25-Mile 2-Way Radio Pair reviews:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Description of Motorola T9500XLR 25-Mile 2-Way Radio Pair

The Motorola Talk about T9500XLR is the ultimate communication tool for the serious outdoor enthusiast. With a range of up to 25 miles and loaded with features, you are ready to tackle the great outdoors.

Feature-packed and amazingly versatile, Motorola's T9500XLR 2-way radios blur the line between professional and consumer models. With an astounding maximum range of 25 miles, weather alerts, digital privacy codes, hands-free transmission, and more, these little yellow wonders pack a lot under the hood. But how do they perform in the real world? To find out, we put the radios to the test in the urban jungle.

Design
Compact and easy to hold, the T9500XLR's are also rugged and up to the task of any outdoor adventure. While they aren't completely waterproof, the ports and buttons have rubberized covers for keeping the elements out. The controls are relatively simple to figure out, and after a brief glance at the user's manual, you'll be up and running. The antenna on the radios is rather large--necessary for boosting range, but it might be stretch to tuck one into a small coat or pants pocket.

The all-important transmit button is easy to depress and hold. Pressing on the top portion of the button places the radio in "Power Boost" mode, which maximizes the transmission range. You'll save battery by using the lower power mode when talking to parties that you know are closeby. The radios are powered by included NiMH battery packs, which are rechargeable (a charger comes with the radios, too). You can also opt to use old fashioned AA batteries (three of them per radio) if you're on an extended expedition without AC power.

Features
The T9500XLR supports up to 22 channels across the GMRS and FRS spectrum. GMRS channels offer high range and power for longer distance communication. There are also 121 interference elimination codes, also known as privacy codes. Codes 39-121 are digital, and they offer superior interference blocking when both radios are set to the same code. There's also an additional noise filter that filters out unwanted transmissions from other radios, something that's especially useful in places where there is a lot of radio traffic, such as a ski resort.

You can also take advantage of the T9500XLR's unique "iVox" feature, which allows you to transmit without pressing a button. The radio detects the sound of your voice and automatically sends the transmission. No other accessories or headsets are required. You can also use the traditional "Vox" mode which does require a headset. The "VibraCall Alert" vibrates the radio when you receive a transmission--great for use in noisy environments, or when you want to keep things discreet.

The radio can even scan its 22 channels for transmissions from other parties. Not only is this fun and often entertaining, it also also allows you to scan for members of your party who may have changed channels inadvertantly. Another handy feature is NOAA weather reception, which lets you listen to weather reports and bulletins right on your radio.

Real World Testing
Motorola claims a 25-mile range for the T9500XLR, but they add that this is really only attainable under ideal conditions, such as transmitting from the top of a mountain down into a wide open valley. Moto says a range of 10 miles is more feasible in day-to-day use, while two miles is the maximum range in dense urban areas.

In downtown Seattle, that turned out to be pretty much true. Reception was good throughout the urban core, but when one tester ventured beyond that magical 2-mile radius reception started to fade. The radios did a good job filtering out unwanted transmissions, thanks to the privacy codes, and the number of available channels. Finding an unused channel in a busy city is a challenge, though. When in range, transmissions were clear and distortion-free.

All in all, the T9500XLR is a top-notch radio with features one would expect on a product twice or three times the price. It earns our praise as a top performer for those who need the most out of a two way radio.

Pros