0ur opinion:

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lncluded Accessories: 2 belt clips, 1 dual charger, 1 charging adapter, 2 NiMH rechargeable battery packs, 2 black faceplates (removable)

Motorola's T9500R 25-mile 2-way Radios makes certain that you're never alone, no matter where you go. lt gives you a range of up to 25 miles and up to 27 hours of talk time -- meaning you can wander far from camp for a long time, while staying in touch. These radios also have 11 N0AA weather channels, giving you up-to-date weather information and keeping you prepared. The Backlit display makes it easier to use even in the dark. Great for hiking and camping with friends. 11 N0AA weather channels with Alert feature VibraCall vibrating alert Backlit LCD display with LCD battery meter Battery Save & audible Low Battery Alert Talk time - 27 hours with AA alkaline; 9 hours on NiMH Keypad lock Priority scan

Review:
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 N0AA 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.

ln 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. lt earns our praise as a top performer for those who need the most out of a two way radio.

Pros

• Excellent range
• Good interference elimination
• Rugged

Cons

• A bit big for small pockets

What's in the Box
2 T9500XLR radios, 2 battery packs, charging stand, black faceplates, AC adapter, 2 belt clips, and user's manual.


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Buyer's feedback: - * Emergency preparedness ...
I have not had much chance to use it as I purchased it for use as an emergency preparedness block captain in my city. We have practiced using it, but I will not really know until a disaster of some type happens. I am pleased to have it for that purpose.

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Buyer's feedback: - Worked fine
Despite the problems some other reviewers have reported, I haven't seen them myself. The radios could be more durable, but for the money they seem like a good value. Some friends of mine recently took them beach camping and said they had no trouble with the signal, though the users were never more than a few miles away from each other. The kids liked the interchangeable covers.

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Buyer's feedback: - * Great set of radios! ...
I take this set with me on multiple-car road trips, hiking and camping trips. The battery life is excellent, often lasting an entire weekend's worth of use with no problems at all. I've tested the range up to about 20 miles in clear terrain. The sound is clear, delay minimal, and I've experienced little interference from other RF devices. Excellent choice in areas where cell coverage is minimal or completely non-existent.
Being able to pick up NOAA broadcasts is a good safety feature especially when camping or hiking. The radio can be a bit bulky since we are all used to internal antennas from cell phones. Getting the channel and security code set properly to get both or more radios to talk with each other can be a bit of a hassle. Overall, highly recommended.

The pros: Excellent battery life, durable, clear, NOAA weather broadcasts
The cons: Bit expensive, not the smallest set, confusing security channel system

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Buyer's feedback: - Range overstated
Wow! 25 miles! You see this on the packaging and you think all is going to be great. Well, in suburban/urban environments, it's more like 2 miles or less. Now that's not bad, but better off bringing your cell phone when possible..

After about a mile, things garble up on both ends. I didn't experience interference on any channels, so perhaps the filtering channels were doing their job, but I didn't test these out in a resort area either. The menu system (UI) also takes a bit of getting used to. You've got to push a bunch of buttons to change channels and such. The button placement is good and the size of the radios are reasonable. Rechargeable batteries that are included are fine, though charging time is 10+ hours, a bit high even for modern day NiMH. Li-ion would probably raise the cost significantly. Also, no hands-free accessories are included like similar packages (adding about $20 the cost if you need to pair), though there is supposedly an iVox function (works like a baby monitor.)

Better off sticking with cheap FRS radios here if you just need short distances, and then there's no need for the GMRS licensing (though I'm assuming most people go without this, but technically you're supposed to pay $85 to the FCC.)

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Buyer's feedback: - * Good way t keep in touch at large outdoor event ...
I looked forward to receiving these radios because my husband and I were soon to attend a large outdoor event held each summer at our state fairgrounds. This four-day event features more than 11,000 classic cars as well as large indoor exhibits, so there is a lot of area to cover and we like to go our separate ways at times. In years past, we used our cell phones to keep in touch. This year, we saved our minutes and used these radios very successfully, including communicating while my husband was deep in the parking area, surrounded by noisy cars, and I was deep inside a building surrounded by the echoes you get from large crowds of people in cavernous buildings.

I liked that I could push a button to send an attention-getting beep when I wanted to talk, rather then just starting up a conversation and hoping I wasn't talking to myself.

I was especially interested in the weather alert feature of these radios, which I plan to use anytime we're away from home, but I knew from experience that they may be a life saver when we attended the event I mentioned above. You would think you could count on being warned of severe weather when you're at a large state-operated facility, where you know a public address system is available because you hear frequent announcements that a car needs to be moved, somebody left their lights on, or who is in concert. But one recent year we were among the tens of thousands out in the open parking lot who were never warned of 70 mph winds. Fortunately the weather was excellent this year, so I'm happy to say I can't review the weather warning option. It's just one of those things you're glad to have and even more glad to not need.