Motorola T402 Review

Our Motorola Talkabout T402 review dives into this rechargeable walkie talkie built for outdoor activities, from hiking to camping to games in your local park. Like many walkie talkie users, we are looking for solid range and battery life at a reasonable price. Overall the Motorola T402 performs well, offering great range and the excellent Motorola durability we expect. This is one of Motorola’s mid-tier options and for its price it certainly delivers a high-quality experience. We’d recommend these highly for those expecting consistent outdoor use and who want  to invest in a quality product without spending too much money.

Motorola T402 Walkie Talkie Overview

Motorola is a brand known for its high quality walkie talkies, and that is the standard we held the T402 up to when we were analyzing and examining it in this review. The Motorola Talkabout T402 is a FRS/GMRS consumer walkie talkie which offers the standard 22 channels and 121 privacy codes. The Motorola T402 easily attaches to your belt as both units come with clips, and it also has iVOX/VOX hands-free capacity so you can use a headset / earpiece with the T402. One thing we love is the durable design and weatherproofing, along with the NOAA weather channels. These, along with the flashlight, help us feel prepared for emergency situations or inclement weather. Below we’ve detailed some of the top features for the Motorola Talkabout T402.

Main Features

• 35 mile maximum range
• IP54 Weatherproofing
• NOAA Weather Channels
• Built-in flashlight for emergencies
• 22 channels with 121 privacy codes delivering 2662 possible combos for assured communication
• Silent mode

One thing we’d note is that (like most consumer walkie talkies) you should not expect to get a 35-mile range if you are using the device in the mountains, a city, or anywhere with other large obstacles to transmission. You can expect a few miles or less if these conditions. That said, this is actually better than most consumer walkie talkies, which will usually give you under a mile if you’re out hiking or in a city. If you’re looking for a truly long-range device, you can check out our full Long Range Walkie Talkie Buyer’s Guide.

Charge and Power

The Motorola Talkabout T402 offers 2 watts for GMRS and 0.5 watts for FRS. It is powered through either NiMH rechargeable batteries which offer around 8-9 hours of battery life, or by 3 AA batteries which will offer much more life (about 20 hours) but cost a little bit more. The T402 comes with 2 NiMH rechargeable batteries so we’d recommend you buy some AA batteries if you’d like to go that route. This level of battery life and charge is fairly solid for the price of the T402, which made us happy. We found that with occasional use, these could actually last for a few days.

What’s In The Box

Along with the two walkie talkies, you will receive the aforementioned 2 NiMH batteries, a user manual, an accessory brochure, and 2 micro-USB charging cables.

Specs

Despite the durability of the Motorola T402, it is surprisingly light, weighing about half a pound. Its dimensions come in at 7″ x 2″ x 1.5″. The Motorola T402 comes with Up54 weatherproofing which guarantees this device will withstand the elements, whether they be rain, dirt and dust, or even snow.

Use Cases

Because the Motorola T402 is built as a solid generalist walkie-talkie, it has a versatile set of applications. Whether you’re fishing, going on a cruise, just hanging out around the neighborhood, or going camping, the T402 will work for you because of its durability, solid range, and great battery life. That said, we should note that if you are going backpacking or will otherwise be in a very hilly area, we recommend you go with a higher power walkie talkie.

Motorola T402 Warranty and User Manual

If you’re interested in more details about operating the device, here is the Motorola Talkabout T402 Manual. This will give you more in-depth information on set-up, use, and problem-solving. The Motorola T402 warranty is Motorola’s standard 1-year policy for Talkabout walkie talkies.

Motorola T402 Walkie Talkie Summary

Overall the Motorola Talkabout T402 is a solid outdoor walkie talkie, built for family activities as well as moderate hiking and camping. It has the durable and sturdy design that you expect from Motorola, but remains easy-to-use and portable. While we’d love for the range to be a bit longer, it’s still way more than you get from a lower tier Motorola radio or most other brands. We love the clips and hands-free option which makes this a breeze when we’re engaged in other activities. Overall this is one of Motorola’s solid mid-level offerings and a great option for price-conscious but quality-demanding families and individuals.

We hope you enjoyed our Motorola Talkabout T402 review! If you want to check out other Motorola walkie talkies, you can find our full Motorola Walkie Talkie Buyer’s Guide here.