Binatone Terrain 550 Two Way Radio

A well designed PMR446 licence free radio. Ergonomically designed, the unit fits nicely in the hand with the PTT (push to talk) button located on the side.

The 5 mile advertised range is optimistic and could only be realistically achieved in ideal conditions. That said, the Terrain 550 performed well in open terrain. In built up areas a more realistic range is in the order of hundreds of meters with the quality of reception deteriorating markedly the more obstructions there are in the way.

Battery life is surprisingly good. I have used mine for over a week now (not on all the time though)and it is still on its first charge. The units come with a base charger and is supplied with NiMH rechargeable batteries. Alternatively you can use 4AAA batteries.

The unit is packed with features. It has 8 channels and loads of CTSS sub-channels that will filter out all other transmissions not on the same CTSS sub-channel. A note of caution though, your transmissions can still be overheard by someone on the same channel who has disabled the CTSS feature.

The unit also has a vibration alert feature as well as a selection of call tones. Personally I find the latter a bit gimmicky but I do like the vibration alert function.

In conclusion this is a model aimed squarely at the recreational market that provides great value for money. (A pair could be had for less than £40) Great for skiing and hiking but if you are business user with heavy use look elsewhere.

Bandit 9 Dec 2007