Good unit, but....

After some comparison research for an affordable, reliable two-way radio for hiking, camping and staying in touch between two cars en route to the trailhead, I’ve taken the plunge and bought the Motorola Talkabout SX700R.

As stated on the package “Up to 12 mile range under optimum conditions” is very unlikely in real world everyday use.

Unless you are in the middle of the ocean on a calm, clear day transmitting from atop the highest point on your ship, with no obstructions and/or radio interference, then “maybe” you may get the range to another unit situated within similar optimum conditions out to 12 miles. This is true of ANY 2 way radio.

Urban real world range is about less than 1 mile! The 2 watt power boost (GMRS mode) gives me about three extra blocks within a residential urban area. A direct line of sight is the most reliable indicator of assured clear communication. I did not notice a worthwhile difference from the FRS and the GMRS bands.

Antenna design and radio sensitivity seems to make a greater difference in real world radio range than does extra power output. Motorola seems to be well designed circuits.

It comes with a NiMH rechargeable battery pack or can also be powered by 4 AAA batteries, which is a nice option.


Suggested improvements – Wish it were waterproof. Rubber sides for better grip. Battery charge indicator on the unit or cradle instead of it on the recharging module which plugs into the wall.

Bottom line – It’s a nice unit with extra features like VibraCall vibrating alert, NOAA weather radio, iVOX hands-free operation, 22 channels, each with 121 privacy codes for 2,662 combinations which gives you a good chance of finding an unused frequency.

If you are expecting good range between two units, you are better off with a lower end model made by Motorola. The extra power boost and GMRS make a small difference in real world usage.