# Motrola T6500 Talkabout



## Scrib (Jun 28, 2005)

The first thing I bought for our new Outback was a set of radios. We have some friends that use radios to back their rig into tight spaces, and it always looked like a smooth operation, to us.

Stopped by the local Best Buy last week and grabbed a set of Motorola radios. I've used various Motorola's for years, and have always had good luck with them. These particular ones are T6500 radios, in the popular "Talkabout" line. Much (and I mean MUCH!) to my surprise, these things are the worst performing radios I've ever had the misfortune to come across, and I spent 12 years in the military! They will sometimes transmit some staticy, garbled noise - but usually they will not transmit anything. I'm not sure how Motorola gets away with calling them radios? Oh well, back to Best Buy today to swap them for some kind of Uniden product.


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## PDX_Doug (Nov 16, 2004)

Scrib,

We have a pair of Motorola TalkAbouts ourselves (T5950), and they have worked great for us. Maybe you just got a bad unit?









Happy Trails,
Doug


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## Ghosty (Jan 17, 2005)

Sounds like you just got a bad pair -- i would swap them out for another -- we used the T6500's at work for about a year before geting some better ones but they worked great for us -- I am on the third floor of a 7 story building and they worked really well.... in convoys we got almost 2 mile range .. and they were clear ...

I really likd the weather channel and weather alert features....


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

I'm guessing you got a bad pair...we've had great luck with our Motorola radios. Kids like to use them in the Suburban to talk back and forth with the their friends traveling with us.


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## Scrib (Jun 28, 2005)

I thought it must be a bad pair too (never had any problem with Motorola before), but then I started looking around the Internet at reviews of the T6500's - there seems to be a lot of complaints about these.


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## CJ999 (Aug 11, 2005)

Have you tried them somewhere beside your house? Maybe they are picking up interference from something. Our Motorolas work wonderfully. They are T5710's though..... very reliable over a couple of miles.


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## NDJollyMon (Aug 22, 2003)

I've got a new pair of Motorola SX700R FRS/GMRS radios.
I used them on the cruise ship and in Hawaii. (In fact, I left one in Hawaii)

The little bit I've used them, they seemed fine. Mine have a range of up to 12 miles, but that seems a bit lengthy to me. Love the weather radio feature.

No problems for me, and I replaced my old UNIDEN FRS radios with these. I like them much better.

PS...Thrifty Car Rental in Nawiliwili, Kauai found my radio in my rental car, and shipped it back to me for free.

Gotta love 'em!


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## Thor (Apr 7, 2004)

We switched from uniden to motorola

Thor


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## Moosegut (Sep 24, 2005)

T6400s here and love them. Been using them for a few years. Like others have said, maybe you got a bad set.


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## Scrib (Jun 28, 2005)

Okay, so DW swapped those out for a new set and they're working great! I feel kinda foolish for going off on a rant now


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## PDX_Doug (Nov 16, 2004)

No problem! That's what we are here for.









Happy Trails,
Doug


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

Scrib said:


> Okay, so DW swapped those out for a new set and they're working great! I feel kinda foolish for going off on a rant now
> 
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> 
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No problem...we like to chat anyway. Glad everything turned out ok.


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## LateralG (Feb 11, 2006)

Anybody solve the FCC on-line maze & get GMRS license?


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## PDX_Doug (Nov 16, 2004)

LateralG said:


> Anybody solve the FCC on-line maze & get GMRS license?
> [snapback]91504[/snapback]​










ROTFLMAO!









You guys slay me!!!

Happy Trails,
Doug


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## Dreamtimers (Mar 7, 2005)

PDX_Doug said:


> LateralG said:
> 
> 
> > Anybody solve the FCC on-line maze & get GMRS license?
> ...


What he said!!!


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## NDJollyMon (Aug 22, 2003)

I plead the 5th on that one.


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## outbackgeorgia (Jan 28, 2004)

One good reason for moving to Motorola from Uniden is my Unidens switch on and run down the batteries as the on/off is a button.java script:emoticon('







')
smilie
Most of the Motorolas turn on as you rotate the volume control so they stay off and you can toss them on a bag and not find dead batteries later.java script:emoticon('







')
smilie

Outbackgeorgia


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

outbackgeorgia said:


> One good reason for moving to Motorola from Uniden is my Unidens switch on and run down the batteries as the on/off is a button.java script:emoticon('
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Yep...Motorola has a really nice design with these devices.


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## wolfwood (Sep 19, 2005)

OK - so we all have Motorolas....now we need a dedicatged Outbackers channel!!!!


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## Sluggo54 (Jun 15, 2005)

NDJollyMon said:


> PS...Thrifty Car Rental in Nawiliwili, Kauai found my radio in my rental car, and shipped it back to me for free.
> 
> Gotta love 'em!
> 
> ...










Man, you gotta love Nawiliwili just for the sound of it... We saw The Spirit of Hawaii docked there. Okay, in the Thrifty office, there was this huge gal who checked us in, totally uninterested in anything - just the island "hang loose" attitude, I think. There was a HUGE boombox on top of a cabinet, I remember that. PK dropped a large case on her foot and cut it pretty badly. Big Momma had no bandaids









We spent our honeymoon here last July - to celebrate our 40th.

http://www.outrigger.com/hotels_detail.aspx?hotel=43

To stay barely on topic, we have two different pairs of Cobras, FRS 225 and MicroTalk. Each works well, with the range advantage to the MicroTalks. However, they run on little bitty AAA rechargeables, but not for long. They take much longer to recharge than they last. The FRS225's run on alkaline AA's, and last a lot longer. Didn't leave any in Hawaii, though.









Slug


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## NDJollyMon (Aug 22, 2003)

That really is a COOL island!


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## Thor (Apr 7, 2004)

wolfwood said:


> OK - so we all have Motorolas....now we need a dedicatged Outbackers channel!!!!
> [snapback]93028[/snapback]​


A channel that is nation wide









Thor


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## HootBob (Apr 26, 2004)

wolfwood said:


> OK - so we all have Motorolas....now we need a dedicatged Outbackers channel!!!!
> [snapback]93028[/snapback]​


Sounds cool to me









Don


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## NDJollyMon (Aug 22, 2003)

Pick a good one. Preferably on a channel capable of the 12 mile range. There may be someone out there with a license. Or not.


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## PDX_Doug (Nov 16, 2004)

NDJollyMon said:


> Pick a good one. Preferably on a channel capable of the 12 mile range. There may be someone out there with a license. Or not.
> [snapback]94395[/snapback]​


Are some channels capable of more range than others?

I guess that makes sense, as lower frequencies do travel further, but I would have guessed these were all so close together as to be essentially equal in that regard.

Happy Trails,
Doug


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

PDX_Doug said:


> NDJollyMon said:
> 
> 
> > Pick a good one. Preferably on a channel capable of the 12 mile range. There may be someone out there with a license. Or not.
> ...


That's news to me. Who's in charge of selecting the Outbacker Channel?


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## PDX_Doug (Nov 16, 2004)

Oregon_Camper said:


> PDX_Doug said:
> 
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> > NDJollyMon said:
> ...


I guess that would be the first one to broach the subject.... Pete.

Happy Trails,
Doug


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## HootBob (Apr 26, 2004)

PDX_Doug said:


> Oregon_Camper said:
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> > PDX_Doug said:
> ...


THat would work for me








Don


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## W4DRR (May 17, 2005)

Don't forget, some of the "combo" radios only cover half of the FRS channels and half of the GMRS channels. I have a couple of the older Cobra radios, and I believe channels 1-7 are GMRS and 8-14 are FRS (or maybe it is the other way around). I guess I need to break out the manual and read it again to be sure.
Maybe that is where the thinking that some channels have more range than others is coming from.

Bob


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## NDJollyMon (Aug 22, 2003)

Heck...I'd have to look it up in the manual.


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## MaeJae (May 12, 2005)

My vote is for 7&7 â€¦ you know the whisky station! LOL









MaeJae sunny


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## Thor (Apr 7, 2004)

MaeJae said:


> My vote is for 7&7 â€¦ you know the whisky station! LOL
> 
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> 
> ...


Outbacker koolaid station









Thor


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## HootBob (Apr 26, 2004)

Thor said:


> MaeJae said:
> 
> 
> > My vote is for 7&7 â€¦Â you know the whisky station!Â LOLÂ
> ...


There you go









Don


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## LateralG (Feb 11, 2006)

PDX_Doug said:


> NDJollyMon said:
> 
> 
> > Pick a good one. Preferably on a channel capable of the 12 mile range. There may be someone out there with a license. Or not.
> ...


The higher-powered GMRS channels, those that "require" a license, are 1-7, and 15-22.

There's another game in town for the GMRS/FRS units:

The Midland GTX 500 VP1
Max allowable power (5 watt)
VOX headset with earphones & mike.
Lots of good features including weather.
A/C & car charger
Nice feeling, sturdy, quality construction

http://www.gpsdiscount.com/products/index.html?p=881

$69.32 Out-the-Door. I've been doing business with GPS Discount for years, and am 100% satisfied.


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## 7heaven (Jun 4, 2005)

LateralG, Do you own these Midland radios? My old CB (showing my age) is a Midland and it was a good brand.


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## LateralG (Feb 11, 2006)

7heaven said:


> LateralG,Â Do you own these Midland radios?Â My old CB (showing my age) is a Midland and it was a good brand.
> [snapback]95049[/snapback]​


Yes I do own them & couldn't be happier.

A really cool feature is the combined mike & earphones, with hands-free VOX operation. Easy to communicate with your spotter when backing.

Here's a link to reviews on Amazon. And a slightly better price if Amazon doesn't charge tax.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00081URO...5Fencoding=UTF8


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