Motorola has long been a giant in the world of FRS/GMRS two way radios. The company's Talkabout line is well known among consumers and the iconic peanut shape previously incorporated into many of these models is widely recognized as an established image of the Motorola brand. However, in the last year or so, Motorola introduced an entirely new line of TalkAbout radios to replace them, with new features, new options and a whole new look.
Why the makeover?
Simply put, the old or legacy Talkabouts, as Motorola now calls them, were not actually manufactured by the radio giant itself, but by another giant, namely a company known as Giant International. The Motorola name was licensed to Giant on a contractual basis, and Giant produced and distributed the familiar peanut style radios worldwide under the Motorola Talkabout® label as part of that agreement.
The contract was not renewed. Motorola took over the manufacturing of the Talkabout line and designed a new generation of radios around it. Known as the Motorola Talkabout T-Series, these new radios were sent to distribution by Motorola directly, in preparation for the eventual replacement of the legacy models once the Giant contract ended.
The contract with Giant ended in March 2017. From that point onward, manufacturing of the legacy models by Giant ceased and by April they could only sell to distributors and retailers what they had in stock.
What about compatibility?
With millions of legacy Talkabout radios already sold and still currently in use, the obvious question would be about compatibility with the new Motorola models. As far as the FRS and GMRS is concerned, no worries. Nearly all contemporary FRS/GMRS combination radios are compatible with one another, so it is not an issue at all.
However, when it comes to matching old and new Talkabout hardware, there are limitations. Users of the old Giant models will need to switch to the new Motorola models when they upgrade or add to an existing fleet of Talkabout radios. Some components such as chargers and belt clips will not be interchangeable. Some rechargeable battery packs may be interchangeable, but not all. However, models that can also use standard alkaline batteries may be cross compatible. As for audio accessories, Motorola kept their standard M6 connector used on the legacy models, so existing earpieces, headsets and speaker microphones designed for the old radios should be fully compatible with the new models.
Are the old Talkabout radios still available?
If component compatibility or exact model matching is a must, there are still a few legacy radios available to purchase, although in very limited quantity. Some models are already sold out and are no longer available. As for the models still in stock, get them while you can. At the current rate of depletion, we anticipate all series of legacy Talkabout radios will be sold by the end of May 2017. The entire line of current Motorola Talkabout® T-Series radios is now available from our warehouse at Buy Two Way Radios.
To simplify the process, here's a handy dandy chart to help migrate from old to new models. The chart below compares the old legacy Talkabout models produced for Motorola by Giant International with their new equivalent replacements manufactured by Motorola. We also have a Two Way Radio Product Comparison tool so you can choose between any two specific models of these or any other two way radios on our site for a feature-for-feature comparison between them.
Motorola Talkabout® FRS/GMRS Two Way Radio Replacement Chart
| Old Model | Range* | Compatible Accessories | New Model | Range* | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MG160A |  | Low | AAA Batteries | T100 |  | Low |
| MG167A |  | Low | AAA Batteries | T107 |  | Low |
| MD200R |  | Low | AA Batteries PMNN4477AR Battery Audio Accessories | T200 |  | Low |
| MD200TPR |  | Low | AA Batteries PMNN4477AR Battery Audio Accessories | T200TP |  | Low |
| MD207R |  | Low | AA Batteries PMNN4477AR Battery Audio Accessories | T200 | | Low |
| MH230R |  | Mid | Audio Accessories | T260 |  | Mid |
| MH230TPR |  | Mid | Audio Accessories | T260TP |  | Mid |
| MJ270R |  | Mid | AA Batteries PMNN4477AR Battery Audio Accessories | T400 |  | Mid |
| MR350R |  | Mid | AA Batteries PMNN4477AR Battery Audio Accessories | T460 |  | Mid |
| MR350TPR |  | Mid | AA Batteries PMNN4477AR Battery Audio Accessories | T460 | | Mid |
| MR355R |  | Mid | AA Batteries PMNN4477AR Battery Audio Accessories | T465 |  | Mid |
| MS350R |  | Mid | AA Batteries PMNN4477AR Battery Audio Accessories | T600 |  | Mid |
| MS355R |  | Mid | AA Batteries PMNN4477AR Battery Audio Accessories | T605 |  | Mid |
| MT350R |  | Mid | AA Batteries PMNN4477AR Battery Audio Accessories | T460 | | Mid |
| MT352R |  | Mid | AA Batteries PMNN4477AR Battery Audio Accessories | T460 | | Mid |
| MT352TPR |  | Mid | AA Batteries PMNN4477AR Battery Audio Accessories | T460 | | Mid |
| MU350R |  | Mid | -- | --N/A-- | ||
| MU354R |  | Mid | -- | --N/A-- | ||
*Motorola advertises FRS/GMRS radio range in miles, however your actual range may vary as it depends on a number of variables. In this chart, we to refer to range as Low, Mid or High. For a brief introduction on two way radio range, watch our short video Radio 101 - The Truth About FRS/GMRS Two Way Radio Range.
For a more accurate, real world estimation of actual range, refer to Rick's Simple GMRS Radio Range Chart.
I have a SX 900 FRS. What model replaces that?
Technically, any FRS radios will work with the SX900, but if you want a like-for-like replacement, the closest model would be the Motorola T402.
We have Motorola talk about 200 yellow walk-in talkie missing the black button that turns on one of the device. Can we order a replacement button?
Where can I find other radios manufactured by Giant similar to the MT350R?
Thank you!