Review on 📻 Enhanced 8W Dual Band Two Way Radio with Handheld Speaker Mic, NA-771 Antenna 2-Pack, and Programming Cable - Ham Radio UV-5R Pro by Josh Maher

My son and I recently traveled around the country in two cars and used these walkie talkies to communicate while driving. The radio worked but not as well as we thought based on the description or other reviews. External microphones/speakers are useless. With a short antenna we were able to get a usable range of about 500 feet. By using a longer antenna, we were able to increase the range to 2500 feet, which was better when we were separated by traffic but nowhere near the mileage stated in the description. Even in Texas and Arizona, where there were practically no obstacles, the range of the units was severely limited. The battery life is given as 10-12 hours of operation. Unfortunately, the USB charger cannot be used as a battery charger. You need an inverter to charge while driving, but then the radio will not work while charging. Therefore, a second set of batteries was needed for our purpose. To be honest I wanted to get an amateur radio license so I could buy some "real" radios, but I didn't have enough time to get one before the trip. Achieving this goal was good motivation so I was better prepared for any communication needs. In summary, we award 2 points because the radios did not meet our expectations.