The T5820 seems sturdy. A little bigger and heftier than the Audiovox, it's shaped to fit the hand, and has rubber grips and cushioning. I'd try to avoid dropping either unit (if you need milspec durability, get a Yaesu), but this unit is more likely to survive impact. It's also splashproof, though not submersible.
Audio quality is where the Motorola shines. It has a real volume knob rather than a button, which together with the better-quality speaker lets you hear more clearly at both loud and quiet settings. The roger beep is clear but not louder than the conversation, and the inevitable end-of-transmission click is muted. I also like the Moto call tones much better than the Audiovox bleeps, and there are more of them.
Operation is logical, the buttons are well-placed and the belt clip locks firmly and detaches easily.
The LCD is smaller than on the Audiovox but easy to read. Both units use a mode button to step you through the functions, both have 22 x 38 channels, and both LCDs have clear indicators of what's going on. The Moto LCD is better illuminated.
All radios are FCC-limited to .5 watt in the FRS range. The Audiovox has more output power in the GMRS range than the Moto (1.8 watts vs. 1w) and has an SMA-standard antenna you can switch out for more range. Its hands-off VOX function works with the built-in mic and speaker, while the Moto's works only with a mic plugged in. You can also monitor two channels simultaneously on the Audiovox. On the other hand, the T5820 can exclude noisy channels from the scan sequence, and has a silent vibration mode for discreet paging. Neither radio has a real squelch control, but both can stay on and scan while charging.
The big plusses of the Motorola are the quality of its mechanical design and its audio. After all, you use a radio to talk and listen. The big defect of the Audiovox is its difficulty picking up transmissions from non-Audiovox radios! Something about the frequency deviation made the reception unintelligibly choppy on most of the traffic I heard.
I've done no range testing yet. We expect to use this radio mostly around the neighborhood, and while shopping and running errands. For all that the 2-mile FRS range will do fine. When we next go on a climbing or boating trip I'll get the FCC license ... that's needed to use the 5-mile range GMRS channels.
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I have used ICOM IC-4008A FRS-type radios for the past several years and wanted an output power upgrade for distance. The black ("graphite") T5820 units were on special, and after the rebate I paid $60 for the pair.Thay have been satisfactory for all the uses I have, with one modification and one upgrade. The upgrade was to install the rechargeable battery packs, which allowed me to do the modification, which was sealing the hole in the battery compartment cover.
The Motorolas have worked for me during beach and boating use, and during hiking. They have been used in the rain and occasionally splashed with no harm done. The speakers are made from polymer and sealed around their periphery (according to the factory guy I talked to) and the battery compartment cover has a rubber gasket, which is hard to see since it is black on black. This leaves the hole in the battery compartment cover. The hole allows the cover's latch to be opened, but also is an entry point for water. I solved this by going to the nicad rechargeable batteries (so the batteries do not have to be changed frequently) and also attaching a piece of black vinyl electrician's tape over the latch hole and past the bottom edge of the cover a bit. This closes the hole and keeps the battery compartment cover from falling off if the unit is dropped.
With these changes, the radios are great for my purposes. I have obtained about 3 miles over the water they may go further, but I haven't had a way to test them over 3 miles.
I like them so much that I am buying another pair with the nicad battery option.
Best Deals for Motorola TalkAbout T5820 AA 5-Mile 22-Channel FRS/GMRS Two-Way
These are, even on sale, more expensive than a lot of these FRS/GMRS units. However, they have a nice heft and feel; solid little units that work very nicely.I haven't pushed their distance ratings to their limits -they work terrificly for kids going into the woods or down the road, talking to home base.
With Motorola's "Interference Eliminator Codes", I haven't had any problems finding an unused channel & code combination.
Some notes:
Motorola's Interference Eliminator Codes aren't compatible with all other makes of FRS/GMRS radios, so you'll have to check that if you want to use multiple brands of radios together.
Uses 3 AA batteries each, 6 total. They will last all day monitoring, with moderate talking, but you'll want a big stock of batteries or a set of rechargeable AAs.
There is a built-in NiCd rechargeable battery unit that replaces the standard 3 AAs of this model radio, available as an extra purchase. However, also look in to the other T5820 units that come with the NiCd built in. (search for T5820 to see the various options and colors.) ...
FRS is a low-power (1/2 watt, "2 miles") mode, free like the old Citizen's Band, while GMRS is higher power (1 watt, "5 miles") and requires an FCC license. This unit does both FRS and GMRS (though only a portion of the channels of each). A GMRS license is (relatively) easy to get ..., but you'll pay ... for one license to cover the whole family for 2 years, any number of radios. ("Relatively easy" means online government forms that are far easier than, say, filing your taxes. You have to get an "FRN" number, and then apply for the license.)
Honest reviews on Motorola TalkAbout T5820 AA 5-Mile 22-Channel FRS/GMRS Two-Way
My fiance and I play a lot of airsoft (kinda like paintball) and we use radios like this a lot. I have to say, I am not very fond of our Motorola radios! We constantly had issues with sound quality, even within short distances. Half the radios we bought ended up broken after only a few uses!Another annoyance with the radios is the talk button which is sunk in to the side and annoying to press, especially when you're wearing gloves! It takes a pretty hard push to activate, which I found very aggravating. We also had issues with accidentally messing with the volume all the time because of poor placement of the volume control.
These might work better for people who are not so rough on their radios, but for us they just weren't acceptable. There are much better choices out there, especially for the price!
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Motorola TalkAbout T5820 AA 5-Mile 22-Channel FRS/GMRS Two-Way
These are, even on sale, more expensive than a lot of these FRS/GMRS units. However, they have a nice heft and feel; solid little units that work very nicely.I haven't pushed their distance ratings to their limits -they work terrificly for kids going into the woods or down the road, talking to home base.
With Motorola's "Interference Eliminator Codes", I haven't had any problems finding an unused channel & code combination.
Some notes:
Motorola's Interference Eliminator Codes aren't compatible with all other makes of FRS/GMRS radios, so you'll have to check that if you want to use multiple brands of radios together.
Uses 3 AA batteries each, 6 total. They will last all day monitoring, with moderate talking, but you'll want a big stock of batteries or a set of rechargeable AAs.
There is a built-in NiCd rechargeable battery unit that replaces the standard 3 AAs of this model radio, available as an extra purchase. However, also look in to the other T5820 units that come with the NiCd built in. ....
FRS is a low-power (1/2 watt, "2 miles") mode, free like the old Citizen's Band, while GMRS is higher power (1 watt, "5 miles") and requires an FCC license. This unit does both FRS and GMRS (though only a portion of the channels of each). A GMRS license is (relatively) easy to get through [wedsite], but you'll pay [$$] for one license to cover the whole family for 2 years, any number of radios. ("Relatively easy" means online government forms that are far easier than, say, filing your taxes. You have to get an "FRN" number, and then apply for the license.)
