Not the cheapest price but the cheapest for quite a while I think. It was $78.40 in July last year on Amazon but decent deals for these have been hard to find. JB have them down to $87 but you can apply CLICKFRENZY23 to get another 10% off to bring them down to $78.30. Now, to find some rechargable battery deals…
short range, easily interfered with due to walls and obsticles, mic isn't very clear, battery life is shocking on these when used. Good for kids.
They work… but….
They need 3 AAA batteries and will last about a day or so on standby. Rechargeable batteries can be recharged within the radio.
I've used in with the house only so can't comment on coverage.
Battery life is amazing on standby i dont know what people are saying here. But yes when actually talking its a few days. Mind you as kids things that means much longer because its an hour or two, theyll forget it and leave it on etc…
Range wise they work okay enough for kids in differenr cars under 50 metresish. Imagine kids being able to chat to each other when xmas lights looking while being driven around.
Good value for a four pack, and the buttons are easier to use than the "grown up" cheapies on aliexpress.
I've been told the aliexpress ones won't/shouldn't be used here.
I got bored and didn't pay attention to the explanation - anyone know if there's any truth to the claim above?
Maybe it's got to do with the legal range of frequencies they can use? Aliexpress ones have all sorts of ranges well outside what Australian law allows.
Imagine if you're kid is just chatting to his friend down the road and the federal police show up. lol
Meh, they sit unused in cupboard drawers and everytime I charge them up they sound like 1987.
Definitely designed for kids. They're tiny. The buttons are even tinier.
But they work just as good as adult-sized ones in similar price/power range - and 'kid zone' is just the normal coding thing, so you can mix/match with other radios when the adults want to talk to the kids.
They work 300m through multiple houses to a friend's place.
We use ours when out separately on our property (in case of snakebite, injury or whatever).
Range is adequate (about 500m through forest) and audio quality OK but battery life is terrible; they seem to last only several hours when On, even when not in use, so keeping them charged is a necessity.
Great to listen in on Truckers on the Highway and then tease them when they complain about someone….
Edit: While also driving on the Highway (not great distance, but enough).
@hotrod01 and @ThePasserby
Do you know of decent alternatives?
Yeah be curious for alternatives!
Really depend on use…
If you are looking at offroad/camping you might consider starting with
https://www.jbhifi.com.au/products/uniden-uh820s-80-channels…
That will give you about 8 to 10km range outdoors.
However this is not comparable to the OP, it is a different class of product all together.
i have the uh850 for me and the 820 for the kids
on the uh850 on 5w mode from one car to another car (my car on the device, their car with a 5db antenna) i get about 6 or 7km range of usable talking in bushy bendy roads.
the 2w i'd guess would be okay for … 3km
I should also say that there are toys 2way radios at kmart et a.l, that are similarly priced to the 3 pack uniden, uses 9v batteries and are way worst that the unidens.
So this OP makes a great toy :)
We're basically using these as toys. We have no intentions of using these to communicate while out in the wilderness. Perfectly understandable that you need something much better for camping, hiking etc.
i got gifted those ones. they were SOOO SHIIIT.
Into the bin
and replaced with UH820 from a pawn shop that were $120 for the pair.
Well compared to the UH820 they would be shit, yes. But they are a completely different market/product.
Just ONE UH820 sells for $119 (on sale right now JBHiFi) https://www.jbhifi.com.au/products/uniden-uh820s-80-channels…
$75 for FOUR radios. Of course there is going to be a difference!
Having to buy 12x AAA Eneloops really reduces the value unfortunately. $20 each then becomes $32 each UHF.
Charging without removing the batteries slightly negates the inconvenience, but I do wonder if there's a similar UHF set with lipo batteries included that might be better value.
As a kids toy, having them useless for x hours while its plugged into a charger is also a thing to consider too. Many kids toys just need batteries.
You dont need to buy top tier eneloops for these things. A $10 packet of bunnings aaa cheapos would be fine.
Overnight charging makes time a non-issue.
Disposable AAAs means spending $10 a month since the kids will inevitably leave the UHFs on and drain the battery. 4 months of use puts the Eneloops ahead.
We'll probably just throw some Ladda batteries in and charge them every (2nd) night just like a mobile depending on how they go. Mixed reports on battery life even in here…
You dont need … eneloops
OzBlasphemy!
That's what I thought when I came across these:
https://www.jbhifi.com.au/products/uniden-uh610-1-watt-uhf-h…
Only 2-pack though
i'd suggest https://uniden.com.au/product/uh820s/ instead
can usb-charge to lithium battery, or run off AA's.
2w more oomph than the 0.5 the ones you posted have.
$119 (on sale) for ONE of them! Completely different markets.
https://www.jbhifi.com.au/products/uniden-uh820s-80-channels…
its the difference between a one off disposable item and one that actual serves a real purpose later
True…. but I'd be really annoyed if my kids lost a proper CB worth $150. Less so if they lose one of these ones.
I own this exact set.
Far be it from me to disagree with the comments above, but they are bloody awesome!
No, battery life is not bad- its actually pretty damn good!
No, the range is plenty for what you'll use them for (around the house, around the caravan park, hiking/camping). The 50m range quoted above is ridiculously harsh. They are good for 300m or more, no issues whatsoever.
No, they aren't "just toys". They are small and portable, and cheap. But they aren't toys. "Walkey-talkies" from KMart selling for around same price are toys…. and these are certainly much better than them!
No, the mike is not horrible- perfectly clear communication.
For the price, you won't find better. I have 3 kids and we use these any time we travel. They ride on their bikes around the caravan park, use the facilities, or otherwise go exploring, and they work great. People are whinging about the 3xAAA requirement, but that's a benefit to me not a hindrance. I've got a pile of disposables and a large collection of Eneloop rechargeables. Any parent with kids should! All their toys need them these days. If we a for a week to the coast, I'll need to change the batteries once while down there if they are using them daily.
Their size is what limits range and battery life. If you want something bigger that'll transmit further and longer, go nuts with a more expensive set. But for what most people need when buying ultra small radios like this, this set hits that sweet spot perfectly. In Scouts/hiking, this very pack is very popular. Light weight radios that give enough range for close by activity. If you are separated by kilometers of rugged bushland or 4WD, these aren't for you.
But people comparing this set to radios that have RRP's for $150 for EACH radio have to be kidding. Of course they will be inferior to something costing $75 for FOUR radios! For the price point you can't do better. Are there more performance orientated ones that will suit longer range and battery performance, of course there is! But for $75 I challenge anyone to find a better 4 radio set.
Thanks for the essay. Need more reviews from parents. No kid needs this to talk to their bff 10km away. Pulling the trigger on this one.
Any parent will be happy with these mate. Trust me at $75 for 4x CB's, these are fine for typical family use. Either have a small bag of rechargables that you rotate through, or a cheap AAA bulk pack from Bunnings.
i agree about the rechargeable batteries. i have heaps of ikealoops
They are actually a really good battery!
Love my Laddas!
Also a parent, bought these last year for 4wding, camping and bushwalking. I agree with your review, we use white Ladda batteries and haven't experienced any of the negative issues that other users have mentioned.
These are great value and quality for kids.
Anyone use these? Please hit me with a review.