Motorola T600 Review

Love to keep in touch with your buddy when you’re on outdoor adventures? Spend as much time on the water as you do on land? Sounds like you’re going to love the Motorola T600!

Motorola is best known for their phones, so it makes sense that they’d produce excellent radios too. Here, we’re going to take a closer look at Motorola T600, a rugged, water-friendly radio that boasts excellent range.

We’ll see how it performs in various categories and summarize its pros and cons so that you can decide if it’s the one for you – enjoy!

Usability

When you’re out in the wild, whether on land or water, you’ll want a radio that’s easy to use even when the bad weather hits or there’s an emergency situation. So, before we move on to any technical details, how intuitive is the Motorola T600 to use?

Interface

The T600 is operated entirely from a series of buttons. The buttons are large and easy to press (even if you’re wearing bulky gloves), although sometimes you have to scroll for a while to find your desired setting, something which would be quicker if there was a dial present.

Most of these buttons are located on the front side, with just the ‘push-to-talk’ buttons located on the left-hand side. Once you’ve found the settings you want, you don’t need to worry about them altering in your bag thanks to the keypad lock that requires a passcode for entry.

Hands-free

If you’re driving a boat, have fish guts all over you, or maybe you’re just trying to figure out a map, the iVOX/VOX hands-free feature can come in, well, handy. iVOX allows your radio to listen out for your voice, and it transmits as soon as you start talking, without having to press any buttons (VOX does the same but is used alongside accessories such as earphones).

As much as we love this feature, be aware that when there’s a lot of background noise, your voice might not be heard (or the opposite – it might think you’re talking when you aren’t), so it’s best to turn this feature off when things get hectic.

Batteries

We love that the T600 can be powered via rechargeable NiMH batteries (for up to 9 hours of battery life) and via AA batteries (for up to 23 hours of battery life). We recommend using the rechargeable option primarily, as it’s more eco-friendly and will also save you money in the long run, but it’s great that you can pop some AAs in your bag (or leave them on the boat) for emergency situations.

We also love that a Y cable comes included so you can charge both units at once from a single USB port. Although both charging options should last you a full day of adventures, we love that there’s a low power alter so you don’t get caught with no juice unawares.

Finally, changing the batteries is nice and simple – as long as you have a small screw with you – simply unscrew the dual screws and pop open the rubber seal.

All in all, the T600 is intuitive and simple to use, with the only downside being a few extra button-pushes due to a lack of a dial – not bad really.

Communications

The primary purpose of any radio is clear comms, but not all radios are created equal in this department. The Motorola T600 comes with two units included, but how well do they talk to each other? And can you contact the outside world too? Let’s take a look.

Range

The T600 boasts a range of up to 35 miles, which is pretty impressive. However, as with all radios, the actual range will depend on the conditions and will be reduced somewhat by obstacles on land (hills, rocks, etc). This can be somewhat overcome by the ‘power boost’ push-to-talk button that extends the range, but don’t assume you’ll get 35 miles out of it.

Despite this, the T600 has received praise for its range on land and, what’s more, it receives glowing feedback for its performance on open water, where it transmits and receives from great distances.

Channels and codes

The T600 comes with 22 FRS/GMRS channels, as well as 121 privacy codes, which results in 2,662 possible combos –  so you can be sure to find a clear channel to talk to your buddy on. What’s more, 11 of these channels are weather-related (including NOAA) and you can even set up alerts so you don’t get caught in any storms unawares.

Finally, we love that the T600 can plug into any FRS/GMRS-compatible radio in the surrounding area, regardless of the brand – perfect if you’re friends have different radios or you’re trying to get in touch with a passing vessel.

Quiet Talk and VibraCall

Although we love that you can get in touch with other devices, sometimes you want some peace and quiet. That’s why we love the Quiet Talk feature that ensures constant comms with other Motorola radios without any intrusions.

Plus, you can set your radio to VibraCall too, so it isn’t blaring away every time someone gets in touch – this can be a great feature if you have clients with you and you’re trying to keep your radios comms slightly stealth.

Alternatively, you can set up your own call tone so you’re buddies will know it’s you before they even pick up, and you can also set up a ‘goodbye’ tone so they know the call has finished even if the signal is bad.

Emergency features

Things can seem a little dire if you get caught out without any signal when you need it most. Fortunately, the T600 features a flashlight with both white and red LEDs, which is a great way to attract attention or find essential items if you get yourself into a pickle in the dark. Similarly, there’s also a whistle integrated into the hip-belt that can help you to raise the alarm.

Durability and Weather Resistance

The Motorola T600 is a sturdy device that can withstand some bumps and scrapes thanks to its thick plastic casing. Although this case does make it a little larger and heavier than some other similar devices, we absolutely love it thanks to its fantastic waterproofing abilities – you can drop this radio in 1m of water and it will be fine for up to half an hour.

What’s more, it’s been designed to float so you can retrieve it even if you don’t realize you’ve dropped it straight away. Plus, it comes with a unique water-activated light to help you find it if it does take a tumble.

Overall, these features make this one of the best radios we’ve come across for water-related activities, and you certainly won’t have to worry about a  bit of rain.

Portability

As we mentioned, the T600 is a little larger and heavier than other similar products. Having said that, it’s not exactly a giant, and we reckon we’d rather have something with larger buttons that are easily operated, and that can withstand some bumps and scrapes, than something petite and fiddly to use with minimal protection.

The radios themselves come with a belt clip so that you can keep them handy and, while they aren’t the sturdiest clips we’ve ever come across, they should last a while before they pack in on you.

Value For Money

The T600 isn’t the cheapest option out there, and there are more economical models with similar communication capacities. However, the thing that sets the T600 apart from other similar units is how water-friendly it is. Plus, now that some time has passed since its initial release, the price of the T600 has dropped slightly (although this depends on the seller).

We reckon the T600 offers fantastic value for money for anyone who’ll be using it around water but, if you’ll be using it on land only, there might be cheaper options out there for you.

Rating

With an overall rating of 85, the T600 has performed very well against our rating criteria. Despite losing a few points for portability, it more than made up for it with its fantastic weather resistance and durability, and there was no area that the T600 performed badly in.

Verdict

So, what do we think of the Motorola T600 overall? If you’re after radio for use on the water as well as on land, then it’s an excellent choice. You can drop it overboard without any concerns thanks to its waterproof rating, water-activated beacon light, and ability to float. What’s more, it’s easy to use, has multiple power options, is great in emergencies, and has some nice personal touches.

If you’ll be land-based only, you might prefer something slightly smaller and lighter that isn’t so water-friendly – but, then again, you’ll come across rivers, streams, and puddles almost anywhere, so a good bit of waterproofing will never go to waste.