Midland - LXT600VP3 - Handheld Portable FRS Business Overlanding Gear Two Way Radio - Long Range Rechargeable Walkie Talkies for Adults - 121 Privacy Codes, Weather Radio - Black (2 Pack)

I purchased Topsung walkie-talkies (not the ones from this listing) in 2021, to use on a road trip for a family wedding. I've used walkie-talkies before on road trips, so I knew how convenient, and fun they can be! However, the Topsung were TERRIBLE! They were all static and you couldn't hear a word anyone was saying! Last month, we made a big move from CT to TN. I ordered three of these Midland walkie-talkies two days before we left on our move. I got them the next day and I put them on their chargers overnight. We had two cars and a VERY large moving truck... driving 1012 miles with 5 people and two senior kitties! We tried them out before we left. They seemed pretty good, so off we went! One of the people in our caravan didn't think we needed walkie-talkies. She said, "We have cell phones, we don't need those!". By the time we got to our first fuel stop, she apologized and said, "I get it now!". They made for a much better trip! They allowed all of us to talk to each other with the click of a button. Can't do that with cell phones. Any last-minute pit stops are much tougher when you have to call multiple vehicles on your phone before you miss the exit. A walkie-talkie gets it done in two seconds! These Midland walkie-talkies were awesome! We had no static what-so-ever and you could hear everyone clearly. We used them to tell stories and jokes... we laughed and even cried a little. Definitely helped to pass the time and keep us awake on our overnight 17-hour trip! The only thing I wish we had done was bring batteries with us. We were less than 2 hours from our new house when the internal batteries started dying. Ugh, well we weren't going to stop for batteries being that close to home! We have another family wedding this summer... it's only 6 hours away, but we'll bring the batteries, just in case!

They are good quality and seem pretty rugid. My kids and I use them to talk to each other. We use em for fun but the sound quality is great very crisp and clear, they go pretty loud too. They have all kinds of features. The reception on them is great they worked at 100 yards just fine. They connect easy and you can do private channels as well. I highly recommend, I can see them doing good in any situation you put them in!

All these public frequency walkie talkies are pretty similar to one another in terms of performance, and the ones with "16 mile" range are definitely not as strong as those with "30 mile" range (like these ones), but ALL of them suffer from two key shortcomings:1) their makers' statements about "maximum range" are misleading/confusing to inexperienced users, and 2) none of them do very well in areas where there are a lot of physical obstructions between the two (or more) devices being used.If you buy knowing of these shortcomings, then you won't be surprised/disappointed with their limitations, and will be satisfied with the purchase.I bought these for use by key players at my kid's outdoor wedding ceremony, in what I would characterize as a "forest" location ... little/zero cell reception ... lots of big trees and a few buildings/walls between the furthest two points (about a quarter-mile apart) where "real time" comm was needed between/among organizers.I even bought the FCC license for legal use of the "high power" channels, and used Channel 19 for the event.In this setting, comm at the furthest distance between radios was spotty at best, or non-existent at worst.Someone nearer the middle of the two points had to relay messages between users at the furthest points out.We made it work, but I was pretty disappointed, to say the least, since the distance between the farthest comm points in this setting was FAR less than, e.g., even a HALF mile.I'm not going to return these, because now I've already paid for the FCC license (valid for 5 years);they DO work;I like their features;they ARE good, quality walkie-talkies for the price/class, with nice clear sound when they're working, and I'm sure they'll work much better in operating environments with fewer obstructions than the one I tried the first time.But "30 miles?"No freaking way ... unless you're operating them in space.Buy with confidence, but think through how/where you plan to use them, and be aware that the number and kinds of obstructions present in the "line of sight" between radios (big trees/buildings being the worst) WILL reduce their operating range ... a LOT.7/1/2017 update to original review:After giving these WT's a closer look and more consideration, even despite my initial disappointment with their operating range, I have to admit they really are good WT's for the price.The case is really sturdy, and the removable belt clips are convenient and well-designed (but probably won't hold up long to any hard torque-ing/twisting).There's even a hole in the top of the belt clip for attaching a lanyard ... a feature I definitely plan to use.The charger base sockets have little spring clips in them that mate with grooves on the base of the WT, so they seat in the base with a nice "snap," to maintain solid contact with the charging terminals.Regular AAA batteries can be used if you prefer them over the rechargeable 3-pack provided with each WT.The extra channels get you more frequency options than the usual 1-22 found in other WT's of similar design/price.Once you've taken a little time with the instructions, scrolling through the menu options becomes pretty easy/intuitive, and these WT's definitely have more options/features than a lot of others in the same price range.Finally, although it isn't reflected anywhere in Amazon's sales copy/photos, Midland's outer packaging includes a pretty clear disclaimer/graphic about the effect of line-of-sight obstructions on operating range, one that I think is accurate/fair:"Maximum range/No Sight Obstruction; Medium Range/Partial Obstruction to Line of Sight; Short Range/Major Obstruction to Line of Sight."For all these reasons, I've upgraded my initial three-star rating to four stars ...