Motorola Talkabout T42 Triple Walkie-Talkie (Review and Range Test)

Discover why walkie-talkies such as the Motorola Talkabout T42 are so popular in Europe.
Part 1 - Motorola T42 on Amazon* ➜ http://geni.us/WmU7z
Part 2 - Unboxing ➜ (3:46min)
Part 3 - Range Test ➜ (11:21min)
Part 4 - Summary & Conclusion ➜ (14:47min)

*If you are located in the United States please make sure to use a FRS radio instead:
For example - Motorola Talkabout T100 ➜ https://geni.us/BBwBaP

In this product review, we will have a closer look at two license-free 2-way radios from Motorola.

While we find a maximum range of 4 km (2,5 miles) listed on the package, in my opinion, such distances are only reached under optimal conditions (e.g. open line of sight).

More realistic is to assume a shorter range, because houses, trees, and other obstacles can reduce the signal quality significantly.

According to government regulation, PMR446 radios are not allowed to have a replaceable antenna, and can only transmit at a low output power of 0.5 watts.

Because of this, it is perfectly normal that these radios perform best in close range communication.

At first, a short range may seem like a disadvantage, but if you think about it, it also has advantages.

In a city with many users, simultaneous transmissions on the same channel, are less likely if the radios only have a short range.
The benefit, users are not constantly bothering each other on one of the 8-16 available PMR frequencies.

In addition, the low output power extends battery life, and you can use the radios longer while consuming less power.

Also, if your radio would transmit over longer distances, more people could listen in, which is also avoided by the weak transmission power. Because a potential eavesdropper would always have to be close enough to receive the signal.

In my test, the communication quality was good, but with the increased distance the quality would sometimes start to deteriorate.

If you need a longer range, you should look at other solutions such as CB radio, because there are more channels and significantly higher transmission power.

Personally, I think the Talkabout T42 Triple set is best suited for beginners who don’t use the radios on a regular basis.

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// This video does not include product placement. I got the product myself. //