Two Way Radios

Buy Two Way Radios will be open for business Saturday, December 18, 2010 from 12 Noon to 5 PM EST. If you need assistance please give us a call at 1-800-584-1445. You can also send us an e-mail, visit our forums or enter our live online chat by clicking the button below and we will be happy to assist you!

If you're like me you are probably still doing a bit of holiday shopping. If you are searching for a fun and useful gift, a set of walkie talkies may be the perfect present. For the last few weeks we have been working with friends and customers to help them find the best radios to give to loved ones. Two way radios are always a big hit with kids of all ages! From those who are just discovering the joys of radio, to the outdoor enthusiast, to someone looking to stay in touch with a spouse or relative, a set of two way radios is truly a gift that keeps on giving.

We discounted several items just for last minute holiday shoppers, such as our ever popular Midland GXT1000VP4 Radios With Headsets and Charger and the full featured Motorola TALKABOUT MR350R. You can browse our full list to find just what you need! In addition, we are also offering a FREE $15 earbud with most Motorola Talkabout radios! It's our way of saying thank you for shopping with Buy Two Way Radios and it's a little something extra to put in your present at no extra cost!

This year, wrap up your shopping fast and easy. Browse our selection of new, discounted and top selling products. As always, don't hesitate to call us toll free at 1-800-584-1445, send us an e-mail or enter our live online chat if you have any questions or need a bit of help shopping for the perfect gift!

Winter is here, and with it comes winter related sports and activities. Skiing is popular this time of year and it's a peak period for many ski resorts. They are generally packed, particularly on the weekends, with multitudes of seasoned and novice skiers alike hitting the slopes for a short vacation getaway. On such occasions, having a two way radio isn't a luxury, it's an indispensable asset. David can attest to that.

David is an avid skier who skims down the slopes on weekend jaunts. Recently David went on a weekend ski trip to Sugar Mountain with a group of his friends. The party of six stayed in a slope side condo his friend owns on the east side of the mountain. They packed their skis and plenty of warm clothes in anticipation of a fun-filled getaway in the cold mountain air.

They also took along some Midland GXT1000 two way radios.

The 115 acre ski resort of Sugar Mountain is located on the 4,400 ft. high peak in Banner Elk, North Carolina. It features 20 slopes and trails for skiing at all levels of expertise. In addition to the slopes, Sugar Mountain offers snowboarding, ice skating, tubing, shopping and snowshoeing. It's a family friendly resort with activities for everyone who enjoys winter sports; with so much to do, keeping track of everyone as a group can be a challenge.

For that reason, according to David, taking the Midland radios was a logical decision. "Lots of times the group dissipates", David explained." You end up eating by yourself and skiing by yourself because you can't find the rest of your group".

However, David made it clear the decision to carry two way radios wasn't just for convenience. It was for safety and security, as well. "You want everyone to know where you are," David pointed out. "If you get injured you want to be able to tell your friends you are at the infirmary."

David observed the Sugar Mountain Ski Patrol uses Kenwood radios, such as the TK- 3300 . Although he considers the 3300 a good radio, he prefers the Midland GXT1000 on the slopes instead. "Having the 28 additional preset channels allows you to tell your group to go to channels 23-50 when the chatter gets to be too much on the normal GMRS channels," David noted. "The GXT1000 radios are waterproof, too, so if you fall down a lot and get wet you don't have to worry about your radio."

David said when he reached the top of the slope he would call to find out where everybody was. Typically, his group would be in various spots around the mountain. At the top of the mountain his GXT1000 had optimal coverage over the entire area as everything below him was in line of sight, with nothing to obstruct the signal. He said some members of his party had varying degrees of success with the signal, depending on where they were in relation to each other along the slope and what buildings or other obstructions were in the way. However, at the top he had great reception and could hear them all quite clearly.

The one drawback of carrying a two way radio on the slopes, lamented David, was the chore of having to constantly pull out the radio from his jacket to make a call. He had a hands-free headset for his GXT1000 radio but was unable to wear it. "A Lot of resorts will not allow headsets on the slopes", he said. But he has a solution. "Next time I go I will definitely carry a speaker mic".

Overall, David concluded, taking a radio on the ski trip to Sugar Mountain was a great idea and one he plans to implement on future excursions. "It was definitely an asset, absolutely", he asserted. "It kept the group together and saved us a lot of aggravation and a lot of time keeping up with everybody".

Buy Two Way Radios would like to wish everyone a safe and happy Thanksgiving! Our offices will be closed Friday November 26, 2010. If you need assistance please send us an e-mail, visit our forums or give us a call after 8 AM EST Monday, November 29, 2010. Please stay safe while traveling.

Two way radios make excellent gifts for families at home or on the go. They can be useful for camping, hiking, fishing, and other outdoor activities. For the kids, walkie talkies can be just plain fun. Here are three models of two way radios that are popular gifts during the holidays.

The Midland GXT1000VP4 is our most popular consumer radio and is an all-around great value. It is a powerful radio with a great feature set, is JIS4 waterproof, and includes popular accessories. Features include support for NOAA weather channels, group mode, dual channel watch, and support for hands-free use. The set includes two radios, rechargeable batteries, charger, DC vehicle charging adapter, and two headsets. It's a little bulkier than most radios, but the power and clarity make it a good choice for just about any use.

The Motorola MR350R is smaller and lighter than the GXT1000VP4, yet still delivers above average range has a few unique features. It is equipped with an LED flashlight and emergency functions, which make it a nice addition to safety kits and a useful tool for activities such as camping or hunting. NOAA weather channels and hands-free use are also supported. This model comes standard with rechargeable batteries and a charging base.

The Cobra CXT125 is a very small and lightweight radio that is a good choice for short range communications. This model is typically good for staying in touch outdoors at a distance between a quarter and one half mile, so this is a good choice when longer range isn't required and price is a concern or when it is imperative to have a smaller radio. This radio would be great for staying in touch with the family at a resort or camp site , or as a gift for a child to keep in touch with his friends around the house.

Walkie talkies can be useful, practical and fun gifts just about anyone can enjoy. The Midland GXT1000VP4, Motorola MR350R and Cobra CXT125 deliver in all three ways.

The holiday meal has ended and the sun has set. The Thanksgiving Day is done. Dawn is hours away but there's no time to waste. Black Friday is about to begin.

Mom and Aunt Edna are ready. They've been planning this shopping excursion for weeks. They know the mall will be a madhouse and the traffic will be terrible but they've done it all before and this year they are fully prepared. They are veteran Black Friday shoppers and they know what to expect.

The family is up before 4 AM Friday morning, and by five they are at the mall. Mom divides the family into four groups and each is armed with a shopping list, store circulars, coupons, gift cards, cash and a two way radio.

Dad purchased a set of Motorola TALKABOUT MR350R Two Way Radios for a camping trip earlier in the year and Mom knows they will be crucial for their shopping trip today. But there will be four groups of family members roaming the mall this year, so she purchased a second set of MR350R radios and some extra batteries from buytwowayradios.com the week before, and they arrived just in time. They are now good to go.

Communication between the groups will be critical to the success of the shopping trip through the mall, and Mom wants everyone to stay on top of the deals and in touch with each other throughout the day. She makes sure the batteries for each radio are fully charged and ready to go. She also checks to be sure each group has the extra batteries and there is a 12v charging adapter in the car, just in case.

Mom and Dad discuss some last minute details and the four parties head off in different directions as assigned. It's like a scavenger hunt, Dad notes aloud and says he hopes they find everything before it's gone, as the four groups dive into a sea of other shoppers and quickly disappear.

Dad and young Barry are headed for the other end of the mall in search of a large screen TV, while Aunt Edna and the sisters are headed for the Gap. Mom and Molly are looking for toys and Uncle Bob is stealthily making his way through the crowds to the golf store on his own.

The call comes over his radio first. It's Aunt Edna. She wants to know if he can locate an appliance at a store nearby that she overheard another shopper say was just placed on sale. Uncle Bob begrudgingly puts down a shiny new club and says he's on his way.

Immediately Aunt Edna gets another call on her radio. It's Mom. She found that toy for the twins they wanted but there is only one left. She wants to know if Aunt Edna can find one at the other toy store and at a comparable price. If not, they'll have to get the twins something else. Aunt Edna finds three and they are two dollars less than the one Mom found. Mom tells her to buy them.

Fifteen minutes later Mom's radio crackles. It's Aunt Edna and the girls at the Gap. She asks Mom to temporarily switch to another channel for a private chat. Their TALKABOUT MR350R radios have 22 channels and 121 privacy codes, so this is not a problem. Mom switches to the specified channel.

Aunt Edna tells Mom the slacks Edna wanted to buy for Uncle Bob are gone. There are different slacks in the same color but there is only one pair left. Mom asks what size they are. The girls tell her. Mom informs them the slacks are a bit long but she can work with them to make them fit Uncle Bob. The girls buy the slacks.

Meanwhile Dad and Barry are checking out the TVs. The one Mom circled in the flyer is not available. They find it at a different store, but it's also a different price, about fifty dollars more. He radios Mom. She tells him it's still within budget, but he doesn't have enough left on his credit card. She can put it on her card but she needs to get it to him ASAP before someone else buys it. Mom gives the card to Molly and tells her to sprint across the mall to Dad as quickly as possible.

Molly starts off but Mom calls her back. She gives Molly her TALKABOUT MR350R radio and tells her to call Dad if she can't locate him or in case of an emergency. She tells Molly she will meet everyone at the pre-arranged rendezvous point in the food court in half an hour. Molly takes the radio. It's a big mall, but the MR350R has a strong signal and great range, so Mom isn't worried.

Molly arrives at the store but Dad is nowhere in sight. She becomes anxious and calls him on the radio. He is in the restroom but fortunately for Molly, Dad is wearing his headset and responds immediately. His MR350R radio features hands-free Vox functionality, so Dad is able to answer Molly without delay and prevent a panic. He meets her a few minutes later in Electronics and buys the TV.

Twenty minutes later the family meets up at the food court with their purchases. Everyone, that is, except Mom. Molly insists Mom said she would meet them at the rendezvous spot directly and there is no other stop scheduled on her list. Since Mom gave her radio to Molly, there is no way to contact her, either.

Dad formulates a plan. Since the mall is divided into four areas, one team will scour each area in search of Mom and notify everyone when she is found by pressing the red emergency alert button on top of the MR350R radio and then broadcast her location. That is where they will meet.

The groups split up and search for Mom, store by store. Presently a loud alert blasts over all four radios simultaneously. It's Uncle Bob. He tells them Mom is sitting on a bench at the west end of the mall, fast asleep.

The family meets at the bench. Barry suggests they wake Mom but Dad says to let her sleep a few minutes more. After all, he says, she earned it.

When the family arrives home, Mom tells Dad she is glad she purchased the second set of TALKABOUT MR350R radios. She says they really made Black Friday a good one. After all, she says, the family that shops together, stays together. Dad wholeheartedly agrees.

That afternoon, Dad gets on the internet and goes to buytwowayradios.com. He orders another set of Motorola TALKABOUT MR350R Two Way Radios. He says he is ordering one of them just for Mom.

We like to talk about the Motorola Talkabout two way radios because they are easy to use, affordable and, well, just plain fun. Now we have one more reason to talk about them. Free stuff!

For the month of November, with every set of Motorola Talkabout radios purchased you will receive one FREE push-to-talk earbud, model XLT EB100-MT. This PTT earbud is a $15 value.

The EB100-MT earbud from XLT Communications is a lightweight earpiece with a Push-to-talk (PTT) microphone on a lapel clip. It works in right or left ear and is great to have handy when you need a lightweight solution. It fits single pin Motorola FRS/GMRS consumer radios, so you can use it with any of our Talkabouts.

This special free offer isn't limited to just one item, either. Purchase multiple items in the same or different models and you'll get a FREE earbud with each set of Talkabouts you order. For instance, let's say you purchase a set of Motorola TALKABOUT MR356R two way radios for yourself and a set of MC220R radios for your kids. Each set would include one free PTT earbud!

To receive the earbud, all you need to do is order the radios. The free earbud will be automatically added to your order at the time of checkout. This is a limited time offer and is available only while supplies last, so order early before the earbuds are all gone.

If you've been looking for a true dedicated MURS radio, your search is over. Motorola has just released two models, creating their new RDM series of MURS Two-Way Radios!

MURS (Multi Use Radio Service) is a set of five VHF frequencies allotted for both personal and business communications without the need of a license. Motorola is the first manufacturer we know of to produce a true MURS radio, complete with Part 95 approval and support for all five MURS frequencies.

The Motorola RDM Series MURS Two-Way Radios are high quality, business grade products that also meet military specs for durability. The RDM Series radios are also compatible with default frequencies on other popular but now discontinued 2 watt VHF radios such as the Kenwood TK-2200 and Motorola XTN XV1100, XTN XV2100, and XTN VX2600 series radios.

The Motorola RDM series launched with two models and we have them both! The Motorola RDM2020 MURS Two Way Radio has 2 channels and is simple to use. It features a tri-color LED to indicate transmit, receive and battery status. It also has two user programmable buttons so you can customize the functionality of the radio according to your needs.

The Motorola RDM2080d MURS Two Way Radio has 8 channels with aliasing and five user programmable buttons. In addition to the tri-color LED and other features of the RDM2020, the RDM2080d sports a display to accommodate additional features such as a battery gauge and signal strength indicator.

Both models offer 39 analog and 84 digital interference eliminator codes, channel scan, three voice-inversion scramble settings, three audible call tones, a 2 pin accessory plug that is compatible with the RDX/XTN/CLS series radios, and hands-free VOX mode with three sensitivity levels when used with compatible accessories (the RDM2080d also offers iVOX, which doesn't require accessories). Both radios have excellent audio quality and are built to industrial standards.

The RDM Series MURS radios are identical to models in the RDX Series. In fact, RDM2020 and RDM2080d MURS radios are actually the same radios as the RDV2020 and RDV2080d, respectively. The only fundamental difference is the frequencies on which they operate. The RDM2020 and RDM2080d support MURS VHF frequencies, while the RDV2020 and RDV2080d support 27 VHF business frequencies.

If you would like more information on the new Motorola RDM Series radios give us a call at 1-800-584-1445 or send us an e-mail. If you would like to know more about MURS check out the MURS Fact and Data Sheet or join the MURS discussions in our forums.

The first signs of Fall have shown up here at Buy Two Way Radios. This means it is almost the start of hunting season, camping trips, ski trips and a last bit of fun outdoors before winter. Stay connected with your friends and family this Fall with a set of two way radios.

The Midland GXT760 walkie talkie is budget friendly and loaded with features. The GXT-760 supports NOAA weather channels and NOAA weather alerts. It also has vibrating alerts, water resistance, selectable high/medium/low power modes and channel scan. It even comes with a 3 year warranty. The Midland GXT760VP4 value pack comes with two Midland GXT760 radios, two headsets with boom microphone, two NiMH rechargeable batteries, a desktop charger, vehicle charger and two belt clips.

Another radio to check out is the TriSquare TSX100 walkie talkie. The TSX100 operates at 900MHz, so no FCC license is needed! They are also very private. Never worry about crowded channels again! The TSX100-2VP value pack comes with two TriSquare TSX100 radios, a dual pocket desktop charger and two rechargeable battery packs.

For the serious outdoor enthusiast you might want to look at the Garmin Rhino 130 walkie talkie. The Rino 130 is a high quality GPS mapping device that is also a GMRS walkie talkie. Garmin GPS radios are high quality and a must for serious hunters and hikers. The Rino 130 provides a backlit display with a 24 MB internal memory and the ability to store 500 waypoints and 20 reversible routes. It provides an electronic compass, barometric altimeter and NOAA weather channels.

One great feature all Garmin Rino radios have: you are also able to share your position with other Rino users. It is easy to locate them and helps reduce the chance of anyone getting lost. The Rino 130 comes with one Garmin Rino 130 GPS / two way radio, belt clip, USB PC interface cable, wrist strap, owner's manual and quick start guide.

These are just a few of the two way radios we carry. If you have any question about what is the best radio for you, just give us a call (1-800-584-1445) or send us an email.

We get asked a lot of questions, either by phone, email or over on our two way radios forum. One question that comes up a lot is which consumer FRS and GMRS two way radio "feels" the most solid and durable. We all know this is rather subjective, but there was a conversation here about this just the other day and I thought some of you might like to know what we think.

Now, most people would never put their radios through the kind of abuse that it would take to break them. They are not that fragile and are made to be dropped and knocked around a bit.

At the top of our list (and big, tough and heavy) are Garmin Radios, though Danny thinks they should instead be called Awesome Garmin GPS Map Devices that Just Happen to be Very Good GMRS Radios as Well. (Garmin, feel free to call us for permission to use that). They are heavy radios so they might weigh a bit too much for some people. They are also one of the coolest bits of tech we carry. If you spend a lot of time camping and hunting you should seriously consider a set just for the GPS functionality. They remind me more of commercial grade radios in quality.

Next would be Midland radios. Sure, they are boxy, but they have a nice heft without being too heavy and are very tough. There is something about a simple "works no matter what" design we like.

Cobra, Motorola, Uniden and TriSquare get lumped together. While they are far from fragile, they just do not have the same "solid" feeling. Uniden radios do feel a bit tougher that the others. I would not want to drop any of these radios too often on pavement, though. A few of the Motorola radios feel like I could squeeze them and break the shell even.

All of this is, once again, very subjective. In fact, many of you could easily argue that we are crazy and wrong. Also, none of these are as durable or tough as a commercial grade radio. Most consumer radios use a thin plastic shell and plastic frame. Many commercial radios have a shatter proof shell and a metal frame. That is also one of the reasons there is a price difference. Consumer radios are designed to be a compromise between having a lot of features, durability and price. And in truth, most of the time they do a very good job balancing all of this.