3dGameMan …to the point news and reviews !

This is NOT your brother’s toy walkie-talkie or your old CB radio! Talk about high-tech gizmos and gadgets–Motorola’s TalkAbout Plus Two-Way Radios make staying in touch with family and friends absolutely awesome!

Forget about getting a beeper for your kids! These two-way radios, which weigh a mere 7 ounces (including batteries) and measure in at 4.5 inches tall, don’t require monthly billings or licensing. Instead, they’ll set you back $179 each (you’ll need at least two of them!). The good news is that it’s a one-time charge.

Sure, they’re more expensive than your brother’s walkie-talkie–but the long list of advantages speaks for itself. Users of TalkAbout radios have access to 14 channels on the Family Radio Service (FRS) and 38 interference eliminators–a total of 532 different user combinations! In case you’re not familiar with FRS, it’s a re-classified band of radio frequencies which the Federal Communications Commision has specified for family and outdoor recreation use. One thing you have to remember is that to talk to others in your group (or just one other person), you all must be set to the same channel and code.

Amazing to me was the static-free, clear communications-up to two miles, depending on terrain. Whether you’re hiking a mountain or driving a truck, this is one heck of a two-way radio. These high impact plastic radios look tough and are rugged! In fact, they’re shock, vibration and water resistant. We tested the shock-resistance of one of the radios inadvertently when our 5-year-old took a tumble trying to stand on the porch swing. The impact of plastic versus concrete isn’t pretty–to our surprise, the radio was unscuffed. Timmy was OK, too, despite bumping his head.

Whether you want to communicate with the kids on a family picnic; you’re doing the Alps with a group of skiing buddies; you like to bike, fish, backpack, or camp with buddies or you’re doing the city slicker thing in the mall trying to locate your 12-year-old daughter, you won’t be disappointed with Motorola’s TalkAbout Plus. The radios we tested were Khaki Green in color and would look swell in a Jeep or Hummer (or just about anywhere). The TalkAbout Plus Radios also come in other hip colors such as Advantage Camouflage, Sunstreak Yellow, Dark Pewter and Cobalt Blue.

Okay, they look tough and they play tough..there’s nothing tough about operating them, either. Just press the large “Push to Talk” button and you’re en communicado! I liked the easy-to-read backlit LCD display which has large numbers (indicating the channel and interference eliminator number) and the convenient red power button. The Channel Scroll is absolutely a time saver–it takes seconds to move to other channels. Oh, you can use all of your CB lingo, if you want to, when communicating with gang. Impress ‘em and wow their socks off when you ask what their 10-20 is or repeatedly say 10-9! Yeah, I did the CB thing..can you tell?

Another big plus of Motorola’s TalkAbout Plus radios–the batteries seem to last forever! Powered by three AA alkaline batteries, they can provide up to 30 hours of use (about 3 hours of talk and 27 hours of standby time). Memo to self: forget the cellular phone next time!

Should the batteries get low, the radio chirps a couple of seconds after turning the power on, and then about every 10 minutes and after release of the Push To Talk button. I kept my eyes on the handy Battery Meter Indicator–which is divided into three bars (each bar represents one third of the batter life). As power is used, the bars will disappear. Again, a super Motorola design function!

Although you can buy nifty audio and carrying-case accessories (including speaker/microphone, headsets, flexible ear receivers, arm, shoulder and fanny packs, waterproof bags, 12-volt vehicular adapters and a belt carry case), we found the built-in belt clip extremely sufficient. These radios, by the way, are the perfect size to fit into your pockets on your jeans, in case you’re not the belt-wearing type!

As a parent in the 90s, you can use the TalkAbout Plus radios to communicate with your child in your own neighborhood or an adjacent one. Don’t worry about per-call charges, whether you’re talking on a weekday or weekend, and the usual hassles of cellular phones and pagers. I tested these radios under conditions which most families would use these radios–kids can play at the neighborhood tennis court, for instance, and you can gently remind them that dinner is ready and it’s time to come home; your child can take a TalkAbout Plus Radio with him or her on a bicycle and give you the scoop on the neighborhood garage sale; or teens can keep them in their backpacks and turn them on after school to let you know if they’re coming straight home, going to a friends house, or walking home from the bus stop. That gives you the perfect opportunity to ask them if they have homework BEFORE they go to their friend’s house!

If you’re into recreation, you’ll find these radios great for camping and fishing trips–especially when your group divides up and the daring ones decide to venture a little farther while others decide to head back to camp. If someone should twist an ankle and need help, it’s the perfect way to come in loud and clear.

Best of all, you’re well connected–these super clear, professional quality two way portable radios have a range that leave walkie-talkies in the dust!

Motorola’s TalkAbout Plus radios are all that! Retailing for $179 each, Motorola backs the TalkAbout Plus radios with a one-year warranty.