gmrs-frs two-way radios

I recently bought a pair of these little GMRS radios and I Love them! They are Very handy!I have other sets as well made by Cobra and the quality of these is equal to that of the Cobra 900 DX. The range is equal as well approx. 3.5 to five miles.( past 3 miles the reception has a great deal of static but is still understandable if the monitor button is used) They have many useful features such as a NOAA weather radio and channel scan function an call alert that has five different alert tones too! I would certainly reccomend these radios to anyone looking to purchase a set. They really are very useful items to have with you. I hope this review has been helpful

I have used two-way radios for many years and bought the first Motorola FRS radios in 1998 which still work very well but have no features such as call function, etc. The 1535's have both high and low power settings which is a must since operating at high UHF power over long periods of time is unhealthy (just look at the amateur radio license test if you don't believe me.) These units are small, very lightweight, and have all the features which can be turned on or off or can be adjusted (we hate Roger Beep so it' off). These also have good voice tone which is another improvement over the older Motorolas. High power gives you more range but does NOT have the range of my old Motorola FRS's at .5 watts. I decided to return these and try the Motorola T6400 GMRS. If your'e going to pay for a GMRS license, you should get the real performance. If you can find these radios cheap enough, their small size, miserly battery use, and features make these a decent altough not a high performing buy. I also had trouble using these with Motorola FRS radios - don't know which manufacturer is to blame.

Tips: Remember, even though this unit is an "FRS/GMRS*" radio, you need to get a license to use it from the FCC. An FCC GMRS license is currently $75 for 5-years, and is available online. Dual FRS/GMRS radios require an FCC license even though you may only want to use the FRS channels.

Pros: Quality manufacturing, and good look-and-feel for such an inexpensive radio.

Many useful features (e.g., Scan, NOAA WeatherRadio built-in, VOX mode option [i.e., Voice-Only-Transmission...no pushing of "talk" button], Dual Watch mode [i.e., "watch" 2 channels simultaneously], Call Ringer selection [like on your cell phone]).

Fairly easy to operate (although you'll want to familiarize yourself with all its operations before putting it to the test in the field).

Removable belt clip.

Cons: Not rugged-ized. It's made of some kind of hard plastic, and has no rubbery outside covering. Although of quality manufacture, it may get banged-up more than a rugged-ized radio.

No battery charger I can find [even on the AudioVox website], and it has two metal contacts on the bottom that 'look' like recharger contacts. So, you have to use disposable AAA batteries, or charge your own rechargeable batteries outside the unit. [This 'con' is a nit, in my opinion.]

No other accessories (e.g., leather case, swivel belt clips, etc.) I can find [even on the AudioVox website] other than a generic set of headphones. [This 'con' is a nit, in my opinion, too.]

Conclusion: A very nice radio for the price.

*FRS = Family Radio Service. Best for use with your family on informal outings. No FCC license required for FRS-only radios.
GMRS = General Mobile Radio Service. Best for more formal use [although business use not permitted], like a road rally, or bicycle competition, or the like, and slightly longer distance. Requires an FCC license, and can only be used with your family and close relatives. Friends need their own license according to FCC rules.

For most people, an FRS-only 2-way radio is a better choice for an informal, infrequently-used "walkie talkie"; you get [nearly] the same functionality without the need to get licensed.