Cobra LI6000-2 WX VP microTALK/GMRS 2 Way Radio Two Pack with Up to 17 Mile Range
By: Cobra Average Rating: 3.0 Total Reviews: 22
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 On: 2007-08-05
When looking at FRS/GMRS Radios radios ignore the marketing ploys that tell you the range of the radios (12 miles, 18 miles, 22 miles). All of the radios sold to the general public (except high end models- over $100 per individual radio) have the same power output rating- 1/2 a watt for FRS and 2 watts for GMRS. All other things being equal- every radio will have the excact same range. Why do you think that the more expensive the radio the farther a range the manufacturer says it has? Because they want you to THINK a more expensive radio has a farther range so you will buy the more expensive one. But they all have the same power output- meaning they will essentially have the same range. This is all a marketing PLOY to get you to buy a more expensive radio. A more expensive radio may have more features, but if the power output is the same the range will essentially be the same. You can look for the power output on the manufacturers website, but I have researced this already- almost all models sold to the general public have 1/2 a watt for FRS and 2 watts for GMRS. With the power rating being the same the things that will affect range are antenna size, height of the transmitter, and terrain- usually things you will have little control over. So buy a radio that has the features and size you want and ignore the marketing ploys about the range.
On: 2007-06-28
Eight users on our trip. Allowed all to keep up w/ each other.
Worked better than I expected.
 On: 2007-06-12
i got these and the first thing i wanted to do is test them to see how far they went. I called up my friend who lives about 10mi away and on channel 15 we could hear each other clearly. Remember u Got to be on High power. Go for them. As far as I know with Li-ion batteries they are a must!
On: 2007-06-12
They perform well and are very compact. They work great in line of sight usage, usually you can get upward of 1-2 miles in normal conditions.
On: 2007-05-23
i use them for work. i work at pet food plant with 2 concrete towers and i can communicate efectivly regardles of where i am in the plant. i have 2 sets of this model and a set of the 8 mile radios. when using them together the vibration alert is not active when initiating a call from the 8 mil radio, but does work with6000 model. the batteries on the 6000 last about 20-24 hrsas opposed to the 8 mile radios nicad rechargable batteries get from 7-8 hours only. the speaker on the 8 mile radio is louder than the 6000 model but regardless the units are better than the 3 pack motorolas offered at costco, those have a lousy speaker and those belt clips are cheap. yes the range expectation is no where near what is listed on the packages of all these various mfgs, for my application it is great i just hope they can take a beating, well see.
 On: 2007-03-29
This unit boasts 17 mile range, but it can actually do about 1.5 miles after that its quite a waste of time and the manufacturer should really think practically when making these ambitious statements since the customers want to use the product anytime, anywhere. (who wants to wait until they are on level ground without any frequency interference, buildings, mountains, etc, and the manufacturers dream conditions are right in order to communicate ?)
On: 2007-03-20
I bought these radios for their size and supposed range. I installed the battery packs, set the frequencies, and was impressed at how compact, solid, and function-packed they seemed to be.
That was where it all ended. I hadnt been using them for ten minutes when little bursts of static came over the line. My freind kept calling and asking if I had said something. The squelch seems to not be very discriminating when it differentiates between an actual transmission and background noise. Ironically his transmissions kept cutting out mid-sentence now and then. Following each transmission (Assuming you can hear what the other person is saying because of the lousy speakers on these things, see below) is another burst of static that can last anywhere from 1 to 5 seconds. Extremly irritating.
It comes with a vibration mode when the call button is activated, presumably so if someone is in a loud environment they can tell when someone is trying to contact them. Im not exactly sure why they bother with this as the lousy speakers they put on these things is barely audible even with the volume turned all the way up, so theres no way you can hear anyones transmission in a noisy environment anyway.
The Lithium Ion battery packs arent bad, they probably have a good life to them, but I was so fed up with all the other funtional flaws I ended up returning the radios before I had a chance to test battery.
In conclusion: Avoid these radios! They are junk, they have extremly limited range, and they dont work well under the best of conditions.
On: 2007-02-22
PROS:
-Small Size. 2" wide, 3.5" tall, 1.5" deep (includes the belt clip, does not include the 2" antenna). This compares to the motorola SX-700R that is 2.5" wide, 5.5" tall, and 2.5" deep (includes the belt clip, does not include the 3" antenna). So we are looking at the cobra at 10.5 cubic inches versus 34.4 cubic inches for the motorola (not including antenna). This is a huge difference if you are planning on using them at a festival, shopping mall, cruise ship, or amusement park. The cobras can fit semi-fashionably on a belt or in a pocket (they look like a cel phone); the motorola SX-700Rs cannot.
-Lithium Ion Rechargable battery. Better technology than NIMH or alkaline.
-Both CTCSS and DOCS "subchannels". These reduce the chance that youll hear others. Know that you are not really on a separate channel, so if others are transmitting at the same time your group is there will be garbled transmissions.
-Both FRS and GMRS frequencies. Allows you to use higher power on the GMRS frequencies, and the GMRS frequencies are less crowded.
-Range. I tested these and got 2 miles through wooded terrain on high power through a house and into a car. Ignore advertised theoretical range values. Unfortunately, all the FRS/GMRS makers make these claims (which could only occur via line of sight transmission like in the desert with the subchannels turned off). Ive never had a FRS/GMRS radio transmit over 2 miles over typical conditions, and Ive owned a half dozen models. Ideally there would be a test method using usual conditions that the radio companies would have to use/advertise.
-Weather Frequencies
-Vibrating Alert. useful in high noise situations like theme parks, or cruise ship pool decks.
-Charging base indicates when battery is charged, not just than unit is in charging base
-1 year warranty (90 days on battery). Motorola SX-700R only 90 days.
CONS:
-Annoying bit of squelch noise after each transmission received; maybe a tenth of a second.
-Lack of support of AA/AAA batteries. Once the Lithium ion battery pack dies you have to replace it and cant use AA or AAA alkaline or NIHM batteries. The replacement battery will likely be expensive if available at all.
-No groove at top to attach a standard ID lanyard.
-No auto-off. Older motorolas had this feature so you could set your radio to power down if no activity after an hour or two (and they would beep to alert you before powering down).
Overall I think the small size gives these radios the edge over most other currently produced radios. Sadly, it looks as if there is less innovation in the FRS/GMRS radio market, likely because of the cel phone companies "free" mobile to mobile minutes. However these is still a need for these devices when traveling in remote areas, sailing on cruise ships, and communicating (especially with lost kids) in theme parks/festivals/shopping malls.
If anybody has found a better set of compact radios, Id love to hear their review.
On: 2007-02-07
These radios are very great with my familly on our trip.....My son went far from us, but with this wonderful two ways radios we could find him without problems.
On: 2007-02-01
I live in a heavily wooded, mountainous area. This radio is the fourth Ive tried in two weeks. I returned the previous three sets because of their hopelessly poor range. Two Unidens were capable of a very marginal 1.25 miles, and another Cobra only about .75 miles. I wasnt expecting the max advertised range because of the terrain and trees obstructing line of sight. This new Cobra can reach 2.25 miles, and thats from inside the house to inside the truck at the other end. Another plus is the use of lithium batteries. The weather radio feature and the vibrating alert are two more handy features. The only negative comment I have is the thick case, 1.5 inches including the belt clip. I think Ill keep this set.
On: 2007-01-29
Full featured units with the high quality clear transmission of all cobra radios at a good package price. FRS & GMRS frequencies with low medium & high output power levels. Medium is within FRS requirements while a GMRS license is required for operation at high (Other reviews relate transmission difficulty that I suspect was due to operating at low power). CTCSS privacy code compatible with older units and newer DCS code kicks it up a notch (Codes are necessary). Vibrating alert is fantastic especially in noisy places. NOAA channels come in handy when no TV & internet and when storms approaching. Complete with lithium ion rechargeable batteries and 120-volt charger. We charge after every use and have had no issue with power. Car adaptor available but I recommend a 12vdc to 120vac inverter usable with all devices. All control buttons are rubber clad. This enhances weatherproofing, but requires getting use to. I found by looking at the signal indicator while pushing the talk button insures transmission and gains familiarity. All configurations completely user customizable and display shows all indications. Radios are small in height & width but larger in depth than previous units are. Wrist lanyard (not included) attaches at belt clip. The LI6000WX shows Cobras commitment to improvement and change is good. This is our third Cobra set and with the boys coming of age, we dont leave home without them.
On: 2007-01-12
I dont like these radios becase they only go about 1/2 the mile. The battery doesnt hold full charge. I would recommend going with motorola model or midland that will give you better range.
On: 2007-01-10
These 2 way radios are simple to operate, have great range and are small in size! We used them to communicate from vehicle-to-vehicle during a 1800 mile trip, and on the ski hill. Pricing, delivery and packaging from Amazon was excellent.
On: 2007-01-04
We bought these units specifically to take on a cruise ship. There was not one minute on any of the many channels that we did not experience interference, pick up other 2-way users, or had no signal at all. We were so dissatisfied that we returned them to Amazon for refund.
On: 2006-12-29
I was browsing for 2-way radios in a store and this set caught my eyes because they use Li-ion batteries. Most other radios use the older NiMH technology so I thought the extra battery life would be good. Well, I just got back from a trip and the radios performed horribly. From the beach to my 4th floor hotel room, the distance could not have been more than 1/4 mile with a line of sight, and the reception was hit or miss. Even when the call button worked, the speech usually was not intelligible. I am trying, but I cannot come up with a single positive thing to say about this product. I will go back to using my older Motorola set until I find a suitable GMRS set.
On: 2006-12-27
These radios performed just terribly, right out of the packaging (after properly charging the batteries). You can barely hear the other person when receiving, even with the volume turned to max. I tried receiving from other FRS radios with no better result on the reception. After one month, one no longer works, and neither of these radios ever left the charger and was ever used in a functional situation.
Save your money. For my buck, Im going back to Motorolas. They are bigger, but the quality is first rate and they ALWAYS work (even a pair I have that is years old, used hard and been mistreated.
On: 2006-11-10
We used these for some time didnt realy test the range (we were less then 1 click away from each other) but the clarity was qwite good no interferince from other CBs at all
by: ejdouglas On: 2006-09-05
lots of bells and whistles. dont know why all manufacturers are allowed to advertise ridiculous numbers for range. my experience has been 1-2 miles with gmrs and this is no different. i like this radio.
On: 2006-08-28
I bought these radios without doing my research and Im regretting it now. The 17 mile range is so wildly exagerated as to be ludicrous. I cant manage anything more than 1.5 miles with them and as mentioned in another review, the speech quality is scratchy and garbled, even at closer range. My Cobra Micro-Talk FRS-105 radios have much better speech but not quite the range, although close. Never, never buy these radios. You will find them to be a waste of money.
On: 2006-08-24
I am an "Extra-Class" radio amateur, and these radios are not worthy of the Cobra name... Uniden and Cobra used to be semi reliable names you could count on, but these are the worst by far!
Line of sight, Channel 6, high power, squelch disabled, and I was losing contact @ ~ 1.5 miles!
We were in the desert, and the IR image test we were doing was only @ 5 miles max. The radios were supposed to help coordinate the IR image video recording. NO way, we had to rely on our spotty-service cell-phones till I got to ~ 2 miles. (Even then the reception was VERY marginal!)
My old Motorola FRS (Low power only model) was better than these @ HIGH power.
I took them back. Certainly not worth the $70.00 asking price!
On: 2006-07-20
I read the other persons interview, but still decided to try it. The farthest reception I got was when I was 0.5 Miles away from home (according to my GPS), I was able to talk to my husband. Even then, the sound was garbled with static, even when I was on the GMRS (not FPS) mode.
We tried using it in a mall (garden state plaza, NJ), and my husband and I could SEE each other, and we only saw our mouths move, but no sound came from our cobra LI6050s. Needless to say, it was bit embarrasing.
I just returned them and got the Motorla SX700R. Friend has a set, and we used them in camping trip and it works great. It says 12mile range, which also is a fiction, but at least it works in closer ranges.
I am throughly disappointed with the Cobras.
 On: 2006-07-14
17 Mile range?????? Hahahahahahahaah.
These radios have an effective range of approx. 2 miles. Do not buy them, instead go with a cheaper Motorola model that will give you better range and performance. The batteries also are failing to hold a full charge.
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