Durable, works, maybe a bit big
by - Written: Sep 29 '06 (Updated Oct 02 '06)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Tough, water resistant, well thought out design. Works like they are supposed to!
Cons: Accessories not interchangeable with past model accessories in some cases.
The Bottom Line: Good radio for any use. A bit large, but robust. reliable operation.
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| chesshire_cat's Full Review: Midland GXT650VP4 (14 Channels) Two Way Radio |
I was not too sure about the camouflage finish (Hey, I loose equipment easy enough... I really didn't need radios that hide from me.) but they were in stock, and reasonably priced. They have lived through a few weeks of hard job-site life, and never missed a beat. Being pretty much a cheapskate, I and purchased the gtx650AV1 pack (Packaged without charger/rechargeable batteries) The logic seemed sound at the time, I had a pair of older GTX400 radios, and thought I could use that charger/battery from the older radios with the new ones... Yep, you guessed it... not interchangeable. Midland just HAD to make the 650 that tiny bit too big, with contacts just a fraction out of alignment. They do not interchange at all with previous GTX series radios. Hmmmm, had to order (midland #AV4) set of rechargeable batteries & the desktop charger.
The VOX can be a bit overly sensitive, even on it's lowest setting it occasionally will not release transmit in high noise environments (when used by operator in skid-steer as example) It would have been nice to have one more level there.
The funny animal-sound calls are entertaining, not really something I wanted, but there never the less. Yes, I did entertain myself on one rainy day, by putting one in a drawer, and tormenting my shop-dog with moose-noises.
Average job-site range runs around 2 miles in cluttered conditions, to about 8 on flat plains, or across bodies of water. (where do Mfgrs test this stuff to get 18 mile range? Maybe some realistic advertisements are in order for all of this industry)
The selective digital squelch system is a must have. With 30+ security codes, the possibility of having your radio crackle, and stop everything... just to hear some mother trying to get her children to meet her in front of the pizza place at the mall is now a thing of the past!
Volume levels with both the headset, and the speaker are generous, although I would like to see a bit more external noise exclusion with the headset.
The menu system is a bit busy, but easy to learn. All functions lock, and the settings are hard to accidentally change.
Battery life (once I installed the OEM rechargeable packs) is excellent. I have yet to see one go dead through the workday. (the AV4 pack has a car-adapter for the charger base, just in case) I have left the radios in the near-freezing night conditions without finding the batteries dead from the cold. Forget using alkaline AA cells if you plan to use the radios much, they are pretty hungry for the disposable batteries.
All in all, they do exactly what I expected of them, what more can a person ask?
Recommended:
Yes
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