Motorola T9500XLR 25-Mile 2-Way Radio Pair
by Motorola
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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Today the walkie-talkie has been replaced by the two-way radio, a much smaller communications device than we had a decade ago, and almost all of these have ranges from one to two miles, making them handy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.
Customer Review: Not ideal for crowded resorts. Nice otherwise.
Summary: 4 Stars
I own both the TriSquare and Motorola Talkabout radios Those of you who like to take your kids outdoors or skiing, may find this of interest.
Motorola T9500XLR 25-Mile 2-Way Radio
This is a typical walkie talkie. It 22 channels in the 462 MHz range and has 2 watts of power using GMRS/FRS protocols. The "25-mile" range is the theoretical max (i.e. on the lunar surface).
The main problem with this technology is, well, other people. Imagine 1,000 people sharing 22 channels at Disney World. Motorola goes through great lengths to filter out other people. This is achieved by
(1) A special filter that blocks non-Motorola radios. A nice idea, but unfortunately 90% of walkie talkies are made by Motorola.
(2) A special privacy code which is assigned to each channel. Thus, all your Motorola radios have to be configured to the same privacy code in order to work with each other. Codes range from 1 to 121.
Nonetheless, even with filters and privacy encryption, if someone else is transmitting on your channel, there will be significant interference.
TriSquare TSX-300 eXRS 900MHz FHSS 2-Way Radio
These use a completely different technology. They transmit on 900 MHz in a 100% digital protocol. They sort of work like cell phones, without the service provider. Each radio is assigned a unique 10-digit number. No matter how crowded the ski resort, you'll always have a private channel for your family. These radios use 1 watt of power. The manufacturer does not provide distance performace, but claim that the radios have a range equal to or better than the Motorola Talkabouts.
Comparison
I took both brands with me and drove around town - a typical suburban setting with residential and commercial areas. I rated voice quality on a scale of 0 to 3 as follows:
0 no reception
1 unintelligible
2 intelligible but noisy or garbled
3 intelligible and clear
I then plotted the average rating as a function of distance. The digital eXRS technology was superior to the GMRS/FRS model. The eXRS average rating was 25% better than the Motorola Talkabout. The max distance I could get in my area (having lots of trees and buildings) was .45 miles with either radio. The Motorola box claims "2 miles in an urban setting", which is just not true in my case.
The Motorol wins in overall voice quality. When the signal is strong, the voice quality of the Motorola was quite clear, whereas the eXRS unit always had a some background white noise.
Conclusion
The TriSquare eXRS radios lack a bit in overall voice quality. However, having great voice quality in a Motorola radio is worthless if you can't get through on a crowded channel. The benefits of the eXRS radios out way the one or two shortcomings, in my opinion. I tried the TriSquare units at a ski resort. They work just as advertised. No interference from other people whatsoever.
The TriSquare comes with two vox headsets, which work fairly well. The Motorola talkabout did not come with headsets, which cost $20 a piece at Radio Shack.
Niether the Motorola Talkabout nor the TriSquare eXRS seem particularly rugged or weather resistant, so I'd rate them the same in that regard.
The NOAA weather reception on the TriSquare was pretty bad. I have two other NOAA radios, which work just fine in my area. The Talkabout had very good NOAA reception.
Customer Review: Test of Motorola T9500XLR 2 Way Radios
Summary: 3 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
We have been testing these T9500XLR 2 way radios from Motorola for 2 weeks now from my law office in downtown Louisville, Kentucky. This review is based on those tests. Bottom line is we award 3 stars.
I start with range. The longest range we could get for these units in downtown Louisville was just over 2 miles. Anything over 2 miles and the transmission quality was seriously degraded (breaking up, etc). To get the 2 mile range downtown we used 1 of the GMRS (not FRS) channels. Channels 1 thru 14 are FRS (Family Radio Service) channels and you will never get any serious range on an FRS channel as federal law limits broadcast power on those channels (1 thru 14) to just 1/2 watt. No FCC license is required to use an FRS channel. The GMRS (General Mobile Radio Service) channels are channels 15 thru 22. The units use their maximum broadcast power on these GMRS channels, which do require an FCC license to use (yes I have one, they cost $85 for a 5 year license). We got our maximum range using GMRS channel 16, with interferance code 52 and QT (Quiet Technology) turned on. Another trick with these units is that you must press the transmit (PTT) button down from the top not the bottom to get max range (this push to talk button is actually a rocker switch, and if you push it from bottom you are telling the unit to use low power to save batteries, pushing from top tells the unit to use high power). Although all manufacturers overstate range on these types of products, I suspect that many of the range complaints in other reviews actually result from users not knowing the tricks to get maximum range (e.g., use a GMRS channel, not an FRS channel, have QT on, push talk button from top not bottom, and have both units keyed to the same interference code (codes higher than 38 are digital, we used 52).
We were actually impressed to get slightly over a 2 mile range in downtown Louisville as most other units we have tested over the years have gotten only 2 to 4 blocks. We are pleased with the range given the environment (multiple skyscrapers, metal buildings etc).
We were not pleased with the speaker quality. We found it average, not as bad as some other reviewers, but certainly nothing to brag about. The units do have an earphone jack and we recommend you use it if in normal to noisey environments. Battery life between charges is close to what Motorola claims.
Two things we did not like are the fragile (cheap plastic) nature of these things and the belt clips. Drop one on a sidewalk and you can probably kiss it goodbye. As for belt clips, we had difficulty once on getting them unfastened. I would recommend these for purchase not because they are great, but because they are better than over half we have tested over the years. For communication between office buildings a few blocks apart these are your answer. There are better and worse units available.
Customer Review: Good Pair for our Family Outings
Summary: 4 Stars
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
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.
Customer Review: Great radios !
Summary: 5 Stars
The T9500 radios are great radios and are the best I have used in the GMRS/FRS consumer family of radios for under $100. These radios have a great quick release belt clip and seem to be well built. The weather channels are a plus and sound clear through the T9500's speaker. I like the way the transmit button works. It has two switches built in. Press the button on the bottom and your radio transmits on low power (.5 watt). Press it on the top and your radio will transmit high power (2 watts on GMRS frequencies only).
Ok power, yes the T9500 transmits at 2 watts max power. It was hard for me to find this little known fact as this site and Motorola's own site conveniently neglect this info. I had to search the web and finally found it advertised on REI's web site. I am assuming the Motorola marketing folks thought this was a smart move as most consumers falsely believe more watts equates to longer transmission range.
I used to think watts were like horse power, the more the better. If you took two identical handheld radios one radio putting out 2 watts and the other radio putting out 5 watts you would get about a ¼ mile increase in transmission range under real world conditions with the 5 watt unit, all things being equal. But things are not equal from brand to brand and thank goodness for Motorola that this fact holds true. I have discovered over the years after using many different handhelds that what matters more is the quality of the electronic components, good circuit design, antenna elevation and electromagnetic conditions. Mostly what people will find with those other company's 5 watt units is they will use their battery up faster. If you think by getting an FCC license ($85) and a nice fancy new 2 - 5 watt high power GMRS radio you are going to see some massive improvement over your old .5 watt FRS radios think again. You will be lucky to get double the range of a FRS radio all other conditions being equal. I had the 5 watt Midland radios and took them back to get these and could not be happier with my decision. I don't see any difference in transmission range between the two sets and the Motorola's sound better and have better features.