Father’s Day is just around the corner. Have you found the perfect gift for that special man in your life yet?
If you have a father (or husband) who loves to fish, go camping, hike, ski or anything else that takes him outdoors and far from civilization, you might want to consider getting in a set of Motorola Talkabout MT350R Radios.
The Motorola Talkabout MT350R Radios are a must have, especially when you are going outside of cellphone range. As hard as it is to believe there are still plenty of places in the US where there is no cellphone service. Not far from where I live there is an area on the Palisades Interstate Parkway that is void of any cellphone service. If your car breaks down you best hope that a nice passer-by stops to help you or else you are out of luck.
These hand held radios provide you and your loved one reliable two way communication, up to a 35 mile range. Please note that mountains, buildings and other things can lessen the available range. Up to 35 miles would be more reasonable for people who live out in the mid-West with not too many things blocking their way. Here in New York where we live we’ve only been able to get about 2-3 miles away.
Here are some more specs and features about the two way radios that you might be interested in.
- Up to a 35 mile range
- 22 channels, each with 121 privacy codes for 2,662 different combinations
- 15 hours of alkaline (3AA) or 10 hours of NiMH (estimated) battery life
- Weatherproof
- Emergency Alert Button
- Built-in Flashlight
- Dual Watch Receiver
- Mini-USB charging port with fast charging capabilities
- Audio Accessory Jack
- Weather Radio Scan
- 11 Channel weather receiver (7 NOAA) with an alert feature
- Hands Free Communication
- Retail price: $89.99
My family are not necessarily an “outdoorsy” type of family. My husband hates camping and my kids have never been fishing (I want to take them someday!). We do like to hike at the state parks. Having something like this would come in handy, especially when we become separated. I tend to be a bit slow and it takes me longer to climb up and down rocks compared to my family. Having one of these radios on me will help ensure that my family doesn’t become separated.
One of the features that I was most interested in with these radios is the weather channels with alert feature. My husband works across the river. He has to drive up and around a very steep and dangerous mountain on his way to/from work. Even on a bright, sunny day that mountain road can be treacherous, let alone during inclement weather. I thought having the weather channels and alerts could alert him to bad weather giving him the opportunity to get home before the worst of it hits (he’s about a 1/2 hour drive from home).
My husband also drives on the part of the Palisades Interstate Parkway that doesn’t get cell phone reception. I wanted him to have one of the radios in the event something happen to his car on the way to/from work. He could contact me with the Motorola Talkabout MT350R Radio and let me know where he is and what the emergency is. Thankfully we have not had such a need for the two way radios (and I hope we never do).
My kids are enjoying the radios too. Take for example my daughter. Sometimes her friend comes over to visit and they like to walk down the street to Dunkin Donuts, and then walk around our complex and our neighborhood. Since my daughter lives, breaths, eats and sleeps her cellphone it’s not always fully charged. Having the two way radio on hand means that I am always able to reach out to her (and vice versa) so that I know where she is and that she is safe, especially if she doesn’t have a charge on her cellphone.
My daughter is also able to go to our condo complex pool by herself now that she’s 16. Instead of her risking getting her iPhone stolen, wet or broken she can take one of the radios with her instead. That way we can keep in contact with one another so I know where she is and when she’s on her way back from the pool.
I can see why these radios are a must for men (and women) who are the outdoorsy type. It’s always a wise idea to make sure you have a way of reaching out to others in case of an emergency. You need a reliable form of communication and these hand held radios are the perfect choice. The weather channels, alerts and hands free communication (they have clips you can use to attach to things) are a bonus.
My husband does the food shopping every Sunday morning. He said occasionally he sees an older couple who use these types of radios to communicate with each other within the store. I thought that was funny but I can also see why that would be a great idea too.
The Motorola Talkabout MT350R Radios can be found at Bass Pro, REI and Amazon.com.
If you would like more information please visit www.MotorolaSolutions.com/Talkabout.
Kimberly
*I received free product samples in order to do this review. There was no compensation. The opinion expressed are my own and not influenced in any way.
