Motorola T9500XLR 25-Mile Two-Way Radios Reviews

• Great radios !

  
  By A37UK4T3QXT0A1 on 2007-06-09
  The T9500 radios are great radios and are the best I have used in the GMRS/FRS consumer family of radios for under $100. These radios have a great quick release belt clip and seem to be well built. The weather channels are a plus and sound clear through the T9500's speaker. I like the way the transmit button works. It has two switches built in. Press the button on the bottom and your radio transmits on low power (.5 watt). Press it on the top and your radio will transmit high power (2 watts on GMRS frequencies only).
  
  Ok power, yes the T9500 transmits at 2 watts max power. It was hard for me to find this little known fact as this site and Motorola's own site conveniently neglect this info. I had to search the web and finally found it advertised on REI's web site. I am assuming the Motorola marketing folks thought this was a smart move as most consumers falsely believe more watts equates to longer transmission range.
  
  I used to think watts were like horse power, the more the better. If you took two identical handheld radios one radio putting out 2 watts and the other radio putting out 5 watts you would get about a ¼ mile increase in transmission range under real world conditions with the 5 watt unit, all things being equal. But things are not equal from brand to brand and thank goodness for Motorola that this fact holds true. I have discovered over the years after using many different handhelds that what matters more is the quality of the electronic components, good circuit design, antenna elevation and electromagnetic conditions. Mostly what people will find with those other company's 5 watt units is they will use their battery up faster. If you think by getting an FCC license ($85) and a nice fancy new 2 - 5 watt high power GMRS radio you are going to see some massive improvement over your old .5 watt FRS radios think again. You will be lucky to get double the range of a FRS radio all other conditions being equal. I had the 5 watt Midland radios and took them back to get these and could not be happier with my decision. I don't see any difference in transmission range between the two sets and the Motorola's sound better and have better features.
  
  

• You get what you pay for

  
  By AWUNX3SM3DV0Z on 2007-07-03
  I had seen the claim of 25 miles on these radios and hoped that they would be a good replacement for my bigger and bulkier Talkabout Distance DPS units that we had paid over $200 each for a few years ago. I had figured if the old radios only claimed a 5 mile range, and these claimed 25, that hopefully they would be similar. We use these radios when hunting in the mountains of Colorado and it's important to stay in touch with the members of the group.
  
  After getting the units, I read the manual and played around with them for a while. The NOAA feature is nice, just a little static... I figured that would have warned us about that blizzard that came in last year.
  
  When first trying to use the radios, their true quality became clear... like a tin can and a string. Within sight of one of my friends who was out in a boat, we could not make out what each other was saying. Either the quality of the microphones or the quality of the speakers was so poor that conversation was impossible at any distance. I do hold out some hope that the earbud and PTT microphone might solve some of the sound quality issues, but am not too optimistic at this point.
  
  

• Not ideal for crowded resorts. Nice otherwise.

  
  By APSV02SOZ0LNY on 2007-12-24
  I own both the TriSquare and Motorola Talkabout radios Those of you who like to take your kids outdoors or skiing, may find this of interest.
  
  Motorola T9500XLR 25-Mile 2-Way Radio
  ======================================
  
  This is a typical walkie talkie. It 22 channels in the 462 MHz range and has 2 watts of power using GMRS/FRS protocols. The "25-mile" range is the theoretical max (i.e. on the lunar surface).
  
  
  The main problem with this technology is, well, other people. Imagine 1,000 people sharing 22 channels at Disney World. Motorola goes through great lengths to filter out other people. This is achieved by
  
  
  (1) A special filter that blocks non-Motorola radios. A nice idea, but unfortunately 90% of walkie talkies are made by Motorola.
  
  (2) A special privacy code which is assigned to each channel. Thus, all your Motorola radios have to be configured to the same privacy code in order to work with each other. Codes range from 1 to 121.
  
  Nonetheless, even with filters and privacy encryption, if someone else is transmitting on your channel, there will be significant interference.
  
  TriSquare TSX-300 eXRS 900MHz FHSS 2-Way Radio
  ================================================
  
  These use a completely different technology. They transmit on 900 MHz in a 100% digital protocol. They sort of work like cell phones, without the service provider. Each radio is assigned a unique 10-digit number. No matter how crowded the ski resort, you'll always have a private channel for your family. These radios use 1 watt of power. The manufacturer does not provide distance performace, but claim that the radios have a range equal to or better than the Motorola Talkabouts.
  
  
  Comparison
  ==========
  
  I took both brands with me and drove around town - a typical suburban setting with residential and commercial areas. I rated voice quality on a scale of 0 to 3 as follows:
  
  0 no reception
  1 unintelligible
  2 intelligible but noisy or garbled
  3 intelligible and clear
  
  I then plotted the average rating as a function of distance. The digital eXRS technology was superior to the GMRS/FRS model. The eXRS average rating was 25% better than the Motorola Talkabout. The max distance I could get in my area (having lots of trees and buildings) was .45 miles with either radio. The Motorola box claims "2 miles in an urban setting", which is just not true in my case.
  
  
  The Motorol wins in overall voice quality. When the signal is strong, the voice quality of the Motorola was quite clear, whereas the eXRS unit always had a some background white noise.
  
  Conclusion
  ===========
  
  
  The TriSquare eXRS radios lack a bit in overall voice quality. However, having great voice quality in a Motorola radio is worthless if you can't get through on a crowded channel. The benefits of the eXRS radios out way the one or two shortcomings, in my opinion. I tried the TriSquare units at a ski resort. They work just as advertised. No interference from other people whatsoever.
  
  The TriSquare comes with two vox headsets, which work fairly well. The Motorola talkabout did not come with headsets, which cost $20 a piece at Radio Shack.
  
  Niether the Motorola Talkabout nor the TriSquare eXRS seem particularly rugged or weather resistant, so I'd rate them the same in that regard.
  
  The NOAA weather reception on the TriSquare was pretty bad. I have two other NOAA radios, which work just fine in my area. The Talkabout had very good NOAA reception.
  
  
  

• Very Poor Audio. Design Flaw Has Voice "cut out"

  
  By A1YG4NADF6DIKH on 2007-07-10
  WARNING! DO NOT BUY THESE RADIOS!!!
  
  I have alot of experience with two way radios. I live and work in the mountains of Montana and I know the limits and quirks of most types and brands of 2-way radios. I've had no less than a dozen or so models going all the way back to when Uniden had the top of the line with the 5 mile rangers. Anyway, I feel pretty confident that these radios have a serious design flaw whith the symptom of a sporadic cutout of the voice while talking. Its slight but very noticable with regular use. I feel personally that it may be a frequency thing but can't be certain. In addition, the sound of the audio is HORRIBLE! I was willing to overlook the sound quality in exchange for range but it simply isn't worth it. The sound is so bad that it strikes me that maybe Motorola should recall this product. It a serious dissapointment from a company who's name typically means quality. These may be the worst radio's I have ever owned. Sorry folks, this pair of radios are not worth the box they're shipped in.
  
  

• Almost useless audio and intolerable PTT delay

  
  By A1B9MIUSLOXCAG on 2007-07-02
  I buy a pair of FRS radios pr. year, on the average. Radios like these are great to tack on to the kids when they run around the neighbourhood. I bought my first pair in 1999 - I feel I have some experience, this pair of radios beeing my 8th pair or so.
  The radios looked cool, although bigger than expected. The charging stand is practical, the kids use batteries like I owned a battery factory, so I can appreciate anything rechargeable. The range is better than I am used to, I guess it is mostly due to the fairly long antennas.
  Now to my main two gripes:
  The audio is beyond awful. I am a ham radio operator with a comprehensive understanding of radio electronics, also professionally. And I fail to understand what they have done to make the audio so incredibly bad. It sounds like someone is talking through a very long plastic tube. It's garbled, distorted and metallic sounding. This -must- be a design flaw, I cannot think that this passed basic Q/A testing. My 10-year old, after trying to talk to me many times, finally broke down and called me on the phone from his friends house. I have had Unidens, Cobras and Midlands, but these are my first Motorolas.
  My second gripe is just as serious when you try to make 10-year olds call home for dinner - the radios do not start to transmit audio until maybe half a second after you push the PTT. This translates into much difficulty when you are used to an instant reaction when you key. Even my old tube HF set is faster than this. Again, this must be a design flaw. All my old, beat-up Unidens are instant (as well as smaller and with crystal clear audio, I might add).
  Sorry, Motorola-guys, you need a second look at this design. I will make sure to field-test your FRS radios before considering another purchase.
  
  
  
• Don't Buy These
  By A3M0EXVP39PZ60 on 2007-08-23
  We use 6 - 8 handheld radios at our business to communicate across multiple floors and buildings. We have gone through two generations of Motorola Talkabouts, with this line being the third. These are the worst of them all. The last generation of blue and black ones was fairly bad, with several ceasing to work within days of purchase, and so we thought we would upgrade to the next model up. Of the 6 we purchased, 5 did not have adequate sound transmission - cutting off at the beginning and end of transmission or not working at all. These are junk, don't waste your money! (My one star is because they are attractive to look at.)
  
  
• Great features but lousy sound quality.
  By AS1B8U7NAL2N7 on 2007-09-06
  I use two-way radios at work and on weekends and vacations. Until now I've been very happy with many different Motorola and Midland models. The T9500 has great features but the sound quality is lousy which makes it virtually unusable.
  
  
• Terrible Sound Quality, Cheap Housing
  By AVMEC1TN0AFY9 on 2007-06-26
  I was immediately disappointed with the sound quality of these radios. It was frequently very difficult/impossible to understand what the other person was saying (confirmed in both directions). This wasn't an issue of being out of range or choppiness or such. Simply, it sounds like the voice is digitized and degraded. I have an FCC license and have owned numerous Motorola radios over the years. This set was a real disappointment. A radio that can "ideally" communicate over such a great distance is useless if you can't understand what the other person is saying -- even from a very short distance away.
  
  Furthermore, the housing of these radios lacks durability. The rugged rubberized bumpers that served to protect the former models is gone -- just cheap-feeling plastic now.
  
  
• Pretty Poor
  By A3QNX5KWHDV0GD on 2007-10-19
  I bought these because the MINI club I drive with use 2-way radios for communication.
  
  The came with headsets, and either with or without them it was almost impossible to hear what people were saying. Range was poor, too.
  
  Save your money and buy something cheaper. These just don't live up to their claims.
  
  
• Terrible audio quality
  By ARJBI2EUD8Q5M on 2007-07-22
  As many people have noted.. the audio quality of these radio's is terrible. I also had an issue with the radios cutting out on me and times when I had to turn the radios off and on just to get them to communicate again.
  
  
• They are OK
  By A1GTC3YLGQFL46 on 2007-07-23
  I have purchased Motorola 2-way radios in the past to use in our place of business. Because it was time to replace the radios, I read the reviews and purchased these.
  
  The biggest problem I have with the radios is the lack of clarity. It is very difficult to understand what anyone says.
  
  They hold a charge nicely, and seem to be sturdy, but if you can't understand what someone says, they don't seem to stand up to the hype.
  
  
• flawed
  By A2CWDYT0P6ASU9 on 2007-08-20
  I purchased these radios a few months ago and essentially have been unable to use them. The voice clarity does not exist. No one is able to understand anyone. It cuts out sporadically. I would say that the distance is terrible also, but I can't tell if the radio is cutting out or I just can't understand anyone. Called MOTO and they actually confirm that there is a problem!!! with this and another new model. They recommended that I get the sx800r model! At first they wouldn't even take it back.
  Oh, the NOAA channels are great and CLEAR!?
  Design is also good.
  
  
• What a waste of money
  By AMW4GQR6VKW6Z on 2007-10-25
  These radio's are the worst! You cannot hear anything. It does not matter if you are 5 feet away from the other person or 100 feet. They look nice but that about covers it. I have no idea why they are still being sold and have not had a recall.
  On the up side. I called Motorola and they are aware of the problem. They are sending me new ones and a different "better model". They are also sending me return postage so I can send them these awful things back.
  I will let you know how the new ones are.
  
  
• tempermental and barely ok on sound quality
  By AF19ZLFXCX31S on 2007-09-30
  You can't just hand one to a friend or family member and go: between setting the codes; being sure to push the right talk button; being sure to speak clearly, and not too close to the mic; these are temperamental radios.
  
  The range is pretty good, but never what you want it to be.
  
  The sound quality is muffled and poor. You'll be repeating yourselves many many times to get the message across.
  
  All in all, it's hard work to use this product.
  
  
• Wasted Purchase
  By AFD0NRDKPTN8B on 2007-10-23
  Purchased two twin packs of the T9500R radio and the sound quality is so poor they're absolutely useless for transmitting. I can hear other radios well enough but any transmit attempts are not understood by other radios.
  
  Do not purchase!!
  
  
• Motorola 2-Way Radios
  By A3LEBM0BBRPP1R on 2007-06-26
  The ordering and shipping on this product was super fast. I received it a few days after ordering. Like the product. Plan on using it for outdoor activities. Would recommend this product and it is cheaper than I saw advertised anywhere else.
  
  
• Works but limited
  By A10DZE99G0BWLW on 2007-07-07
  The product worked but only about 500 yards. This may be due to trees, etc. I suppose in an open foield you might achieve long range conversation.
  
  
• Exceptional features!
  By A2G4KSCIC1MD04 on 2007-08-01
  Wow, have walkie-talkies changed in four years! These are packed with some pretty sophisticated features, including NOAA Weather Alert and are very user-friendly. Strongly recommend!!
  
  
• Sorely disappointed in low quality.
  By A1K09PW4CW7VJU on 2008-02-27
  After owning 2-way FRS/GMRS radios by Bellsouth, Cobra, and Motorola, Motorola radios were always the highest quality. They may not have been the best in every area, but they were always consistently high quality and they always worked. The last 3 models I've owned have all been Motorola.
  
  I purchased the T9500XLR (their current top-of-the-line 26-mile radio) the other day to replace my T4900s. I was appalled at them. The sound quality from the speaker sucks compared to the older, cheaper T4900s. And worse yet, the sound transmitted cuts in and out continually - at any range and at any transmit power. Whether in the next room or half a mile away, the sound was the same low quality with voices cutting in and out. No settings affected this.
  
  I ordered a pair of Midland GXT710VP3 radios instead. They're *way* better. They're what the T9500XLRs should be.
  
  
• Motorola POS
  By A3MM7G8V0NM532 on 2008-03-06
  Wow, what junk. These worked fine for about two weeks, then worked intermittently and are now dead. Now comes the hassle of sending them back to Motorola and probably paying more to have them fixed than buying new ones. These never should have made it off the drawing board.
  
  
• POOR Quality For MOTOROLA Get your act together!!
  By A1D212XEZZ8VIK on 2007-11-17
  I got these radios because I own two talkabout t5950's. I figured that I would upgrade to a newer better model. Was I wrong!!! They do transmit farther than my prevous model, but you can't understand what is being said. I am a loyal Motorola fan, but they had better step up the qaulity. I will be returning these radios and I will go back to the old stand-by for another year.
  
  
• good product service
  By AE9LKENEJLL79 on 2008-04-28
  The original units would not work right, I called morotola and they said those? were the deffective ones? They sent me new ones that work just fine, I sent the old ones back so they could experiment on them, motorola provided post paid return envelope....a good final experience....it pays to go with a name brand that has service department and cares about their customers
  
  
• Test of Motorola T9500XLR 2 Way Radios
  By A1DO9LRCO23EOM on 2008-08-13
  We have been testing these T9500XLR 2 way radios from Motorola for 2 weeks now from my law office in downtown Louisville, Kentucky. This review is based on those tests. Bottom line is we award 3 stars.
  
  I start with range. The longest range we could get for these units in downtown Louisville was just over 2 miles. Anything over 2 miles and the transmission quality was seriously degraded (breaking up, etc). To get the 2 mile range downtown we used 1 of the GMRS (not FRS) channels. Channels 1 thru 14 are FRS (Family Radio Service) channels and you will never get any serious range on an FRS channel as federal law limits broadcast power on those channels (1 thru 14) to just 1/2 watt. No FCC license is required to use an FRS channel. The GMRS (General Mobile Radio Service) channels are channels 15 thru 22. The units use their maximum broadcast power on these GMRS channels, which do require an FCC license to use (yes I have one, they cost $85 for a 5 year license). We got our maximum range using GMRS channel 16, with interferance code 52 and QT (Quiet Technology) turned on. Another trick with these units is that you must press the transmit (PTT) button down from the top not the bottom to get max range (this push to talk button is actually a rocker switch, and if you push it from bottom you are telling the unit to use low power to save batteries, pushing from top tells the unit to use high power). Although all manufacturers overstate range on these types of products, I suspect that many of the range complaints in other reviews actually result from users not knowing the tricks to get maximum range (e.g., use a GMRS channel, not an FRS channel, have QT on, push talk button from top not bottom, and have both units keyed to the same interference code (codes higher than 38 are digital, we used 52).
  
  We were actually impressed to get slightly over a 2 mile range in downtown Louisville as most other units we have tested over the years have gotten only 2 to 4 blocks. We are pleased with the range given the environment (multiple skyscrapers, metal buildings etc).
  
  We were not pleased with the speaker quality. We found it average, not as bad as some other reviewers, but certainly nothing to brag about. The units do have an earphone jack and we recommend you use it if in normal to noisey environments. Battery life between charges is close to what Motorola claims.
  
  Two things we did not like are the fragile (cheap plastic) nature of these things and the belt clips. Drop one on a sidewalk and you can probably kiss it goodbye. As for belt clips, we had difficulty once on getting them unfastened. I would recommend these for purchase not because they are great, but because they are better than over half we have tested over the years. For communication between office buildings a few blocks apart these are your answer. There are better and worse units available.
  
  
• Can't beat Motorola
  By ADQ69I0XMH2LH on 2007-11-01
  Great price and loaded with man features.
  Hard to imagine not going with Motorola.
  
  
  
• as bad as it can get
  By A1LV4V0KZWL1BK on 2007-11-10
  This was a real bad decision. When people say it all in the name, they don't mean Motorola T9500R
  
  
• Motorola's worst ever radio!
  By A37RQDI9A2B5TP on 2007-11-24
  The audio quality is really poor compared to other manufacturers. You can't understand other users even over quite short distances and this not helped when the signal keeps dropping in and out.
  
  Whatever you do . . . DON'T be beguiled by the MOTOROLA name and DON'T expect any support from Motorola regarding this problem.
  
  THEY WILL NOT DO ANYTHING ABOUT THESE POOR QUALITY PRODUCTS.
  
  I complained to the UK and USA offices of Motorola and both fobbed me off.
  
  I have some really cheap Uniden radios which have a superb sound compared to these . . . you can expect better quality from two tin cans and a length of string than Motorola's T9500XLR radios.
  
  
  
  
• Motorola T9500xlr radio
  By A231K711IMCHLE on 2008-01-20
  Dont like this item .Do well to get 2 mile range cant understand what other person says 1/2 mile away.
  
  
• Newer isn't always better
  By A1DK90DKX730F on 2008-02-08
  I purchased these to replace my aging T7200's, but there is no comparison. The 7200's are far better. The 9500XLR have very poor sound quality (very tinny, like talking in a can), the volume doesn't go high enough, and the reception is poor. I spent a few days using these two models side-by-side and the weaknesses in these radios jump out immediately. I am happy to say that Amazon accepted my return. Don't make the same mistake I did. Look for a different model.
  
  
• Necessary for noisy environment
  By A1L9FUPKI7U5IQ on 2008-05-02
  Don't buy the Motorola handled radios without this or the ear phone based product if you plan to use the radio in a noisy environment (particularly if they are required to wear hearing protection). Even with the vibrate alarm, our employees were often missing talk requests. With the clip on speaker and microphone, the sound is placed closer to the ears and is heard much easier. The radio also need not be removed from the worn position to talk back...
  
  
• radio bits are good, audio bits are bad
  By A172PXL8K8DO74 on 2008-06-05
  For all of the features and capability they put into these radios, Motorola forgot one key element...sound quality. Other reviews that mention 'can't understand what someone is saying 1/2 mile away' aren't referencing range but the garbled noise that comes out of the speakers.
  
  With only a passing knowledge of audio electronics, it would seem that Motorola is overdriving the amplifier or speaker, as the sound is very 'clipped' sounding and horribly distorted. They could also use a modest compressor on the input, as the quality is very sensitive to mic etiquette on the part of the speaker. For a radio that's marketed as a 'family' product, they should realize that many kids are going to think of these as phones and hold them right up to their face when they talk. After 20 minutes of coaching my five year old on how to use it, i still couldn't get anything more than a sentence or two of intelligible speech out.
  
  These are getting returned, unfortunately, as they seem to have all the features i want. We'll try again with Midland i think.
  
  

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