Other functions include a room monitor, a silent setting for those Secret Squirrel missions and paint ball outings, a group mode and the ability to assign specific handsets with names so you can see whose handset you are talking to.
Motorola reckons the range of the T7 is “up to 10km”, or 6.2 miles. Well, maybe on the Bonneville Salt Flats, where you have line of sight, no obstructions higher than an inch and the nearest radio transmitter is in the next state, but in a moderately built up suburban area we only managed about half a mile.
The package includes a twin charger tray for both handsets
While rambling in the Kielder Forest, things improved to a little under 1.5 miles, and while cycling on flat terrain in Cheshire we got about 2-2.5 miles. All in all we thought the effective range reasonable enough.
So long as we were within range sound quality proved remarkably crisp and clear, so a normal conversation could be had with little need to ask people to repeat what they'd said. The handset speakers have a good volume range too which could come in handy if they are being used in a noisy work environment.
Motorola say a full charge is good for round 16 hours use, while a couple of new AAAs should get you 24 hours. We charged our handsets fully before we started testing them and after what must have been a good 12 hours of use the charge indicators still showed about 30 per cent left so we'd say the manufacturer's numbers are about right.
The T7 comes in at £90, which is a fair chunk of change unless your lifestyle suggests you'll get regular use from it. For many, the £30-cheaper Motorola TLKR T5 may do just as well as the only basic differences are shorter range – 5km vs 10km – and the absence of a “roger” beep.
Verdict
The T7 is robust, usable and all together great for messing about with your chums in the great outdoors. We suspect they could prove tactically advantageous in large scale paintball combat too. The range was a little disappointing after the 10km claim on the box but other than that, there's not a lot to complain about.
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Motorola TLKR T7 two-way radio
COMMENTS
more flexible is the Alinco DJ-V466
with a simple snip (of the hidden blue wire!) it goes from 8 fixed channels to the expanded frequency range 420.000 to 473.990 MHz , and it goes from 500mW fixed (legal) RF output to selectable up-to five watts.
If you don't fancy snipping wires then 1) Turn the DJ-V466 off.
2) press at the same time the PTT and SET button whilst turning-on
The display should now show a small H (about 2 watts, PMR446 and LPD-mode), M (about 1 watt, PMR446 and LPD-mode) or L (about 0.5 watts, PMR446 and LPD-mode)
Alinco DJ-V466's are a few years old now, although still available in German "Funk" shops for around 140Euros
These are actually useful
I used to work on film sets, particularly when you are iether in a large indoor set or evenon large location shoots, you can´t beat these things, their long distance range is phenominal, we would often send out a PA to pick up some KFC in the nearest village about 5km away, and he would radio back confirming everyone´s order!! Great fun, and an awesome tool... So to answer the first posters question, yes, it is a piece of great kit and a worthwhile review if you actually are someone who gets off the couch and puts down the remote / laptop from time to time!
And here...
I was hoping for some sort of iDen based walkie, sort of like a Nextel phone's DirecTalk mode, without the rest of the phone features.
Great... Another one!
Use them on the worksite -- no problem.
use them in the field -- fine.
...But am I the only one who ALWAYS ends up in the train car with the fuckwit that uses one of these so they don't drop out in the dead zones and spends the entire trip making everybody listen to BOTH sides of their utterly inane conversation AND the annoying *BEEP* every 2.5 seconds!??!
When's someone going to invent a portable EMP unit so I can fry these toys of Satan, that's what I want to know.
@jeff
Anyone who uses pmr radios regularly, knows that they are not the same, at all.
Unfortunately the one that everyone seems to agree is the dogs b*llocks. is the motorola xtn, which they helpfully discontinued.
although, yeas, all of the £30 argos type one are exactly the same, nice toys but no real use to anyone.
