Motorola Two-Way Radio
Inexpensive walkie talkies
For a consumer level walkie-talkie, I recommend the Motorola MH230R ($47), or for slightly longer range, the MR350R ($54). I lived for several years in the Eastern Sierra where we used these for hiking. Usually they were good for 2-3 miles over mountainous terrain, and of course much further if users were in line of sight. I know from personal experience they are good for at least 11 miles as I used them to talk with my wife via a direct line-of-sight. But while they are rated for 23 and 35 miles respectively, for practical purposes, I’ve never relied on them unless we were within a few miles of each other, with no major obstructions. You can also use them for NOAA weather. They’re light & cheap enough to be practical, require AA batteries (rechargeables work fine) and are durable. On some hikes we’d have 5 or 6 deployed, carried by hikers of varying speeds, so we could keep tabs on where everyone was, and for that purpose they worked rather well — not perfect, but mostly good enough. If you’re within a few hundred yards of another radio, they always worked, even around large obstacles.
03/17/14(These replace the Motorola model we previously reviewed. -- KK — editors)
Motorola MH230R 23-Mile Range 22-Channel FRS/GMRS Two-Way Radio (Pair) $47
