Uniden GMRS520-2 22-Channel 2-Mile GMRS/FRS 2-Way Radios (Pair) – Customer Reviews
Cheap and OK, eats batteries quick
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I use this where I work, and it's range is good. But if I use it for 3 days, the batteries are dead. Definitely worth it for occasional use, but not daily.
3/16/2006 12:00 AM | Rating:
Convenient. Period.
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First, these radios don't have a great range (we get about 1/2 mile or so in our neighborhood). They use little AAA batteries. They don't have privacy codes, etc. But, I rarely have one away from my side.
Our old house has an intercom system which probably hasn't worked since the Bradys were happily married. Replacing it would have cost over a grand. FRS to the rescue.
We bought the pair, as well as 12 rechargeable batteries and a charger, and now we just put in the batteries and clip them to our belts or drop them in our pockets and go about our business. The next day, we swap out the old batteries, and they are good for another day.
The squelch works great, but rarely, we get mild interference, so we switch channels. (To be honest, I doubt we do that more than once a week.)
The bottom line is that they are small enough, that you forget you have it on until the other person needs to reach you.
Get a charger, you wouldn't want to have to feed these things batteries.5/8/2003 12:00 AM | Rating:
Feature rich and resonably priced
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The unit uses AA batteries so they are cheaper and longer lasting than AAA. It has a battery strength indicator.
The unit is feature rich with NOAA weather channel, 22 chanels and subcodes, and even several ring tones. You can turn off the subcode feature to be compatible with older radios. It is compact. It has a keypad lock feature so you can put it in your coat pocket or purse and still receive transmission.
The only drawback is the belt clip should be tighter. It can drop if you bend down to pick up a child.
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4/26/2003 12:00 AM | Rating:
Great product for the price
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I purchased a pair of these radios a few days ago ... and have been very pleased with them... I was still very pleased with the performance and range of these units. We seem to be able to get ~1 mile range through some fairly heavy forest without any real trouble, and quite a bit further depending on terrain. The sound quality is quite good, with the person on the other end remaining clear out to the very extremes of the radio's range. The auto-squelch is also nice, although it would be useful to be able to turn it off (which you can do on more expensive Uniden models) as I am convinced that I could get a bit further range that way. These are also really, really small; the entire unit fits in the palm of my hand. For comparison, it's only 2/3 the size of my Nokia 3360 cell phone.
I would have to recommend these radios for the casual user. If you need 5+ miles range under all conditions, you should re-evaluate your price range. If you need some walkie-talkies for family use a few times a year, I don't think you will find a better product. Frankly... if we ever need better radios, these will make great toys for the kids!
2/28/2003 12:00 AM | Rating:
Great Value
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Does everything it is supposed to do for that price and more. Can communicate with any other FRS/GMRS radio, is lightweight and small, and range is decent. Unless you're in a mall where everybody's using radios, you don't need privacy codes (they prevent you from hearing others but don't prevent others from eavesdropping on you). You don't need charging as the 3AAA batteries last for at least one day of extensive usage.
2/9/2003 12:00 AM | Rating: