When we first got our hands on Motorola's TalkAbout T6310, we were excited: the thing's sporting more bells and whistles than an e-freak at a rave. However, it's easy to see how the TalkAbout T6310 could be miscast as simply a walkie-talkie: it does have the standard high-end Family Radio Service features, such as 14 channels, 38 privacy codes, and voice activation. But the TalkAbout T6310 is about as close to a walkie-talkie as your childhood Big Wheel is to your boss' Hummer. It boasts a 10-channel weather radio with weather alert as well as an FM stereo with eight selectable presets. And if that weren't enough, Motorola also throws in a clock, alarm, and stopwatch.
Motorola has designed the TalkAbout T6310 with the outdoorsman in mind. It has a rugged exterior, so it can take the kind of abuse that you're likely to put it through on a camping or hiking trip. Furthermore, it weighs a scant 6 ounces and feels quite comfortable in the hand. Realizing that people are going to want to rip open the box and hit the trails, Motorola made sure the TalkAbout T6310 comes with everything you need to get up and geeking out in hours: earbud style headphones, a belt clip, a desktop docking station, and a recharger for the NiMH battery.
Unfortunately, the TalkAbout T6310 starts to fall from grace with its unintuitive interface. It took us several hours to figure out how to set up the TalkAbout, and still more to navigate the byzantine button/menu system.
Complaints aside, we're still pretty excited about the TalkAbout T6310. Depending on how you'd use it, it's difficult to say whether or not it's worth the $150 price tag, but it definitely makes a great gift for the gadget geek in your life. And with all the communications features it packs, your next hike on Mount Hood won't turn into a survival epic of Everest-like proportions.
Pros:
- Light, light, light
- Inclusion of FM radio and weather alert channels increases usefulness
- Rechargeable NiMH battery
Cons: - Not easy to set up
- Unintuitive interface
