Binatone Terrain 550 (304 Channels) 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 its side.

The 5 mile advertised range is a tad optimistic and could only realistically be achieved in ideal conditions unlikely to be encountered in real life situations. 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 were in the way.

Note that the power output of the licence free PMR (Private Mobile Radio)devices are limited by law so that it has a limited range. This is deliberate in order to limit interference from other PMR users who may be using the same channel.

In order to further limit interference from other PMR users this unit has 8 channels and a CTCSS code selection feature. CTCSS or Continuous Tone-Coded Squelch System is a circuit that is used to reduce the annoyance of listening to other users on a shared two-way radio communications channel. In essence it filters out all other transmissions not using the same CTCSS code. With 38 codes and 8 channels to choose from this effectively gives a user 304 (8x38)different combinations to choose from. A note of caution though, while you may not be able to hear other users' transmissions, your transmissions can still be overheard by someone on the same channel who has disabled the CTCSS feature on their transceiver (or indeed does not have CTCSS on his walkie talkie).

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 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.

The unit also has a VOX function. This is a voice activated transmission feature which theoretically allows you to transmit without having to press the PTT button. I say theoretically because I have found this feature to be a bit hit and miss. So if you were thinking of using this unit as a baby monitor I would advise against it.

I have used the unit in the parts of the Lake District and the Peak District where mobile phone signals are intermitten and have found the BT550 to perform admirably well. I have also used it in shopping malls to keep in contact with the missus who occasionally gets caught up in the xmas sales and does a disappearing act. Or maybe it was me who was doing the disappearing act so as not to have to pay for her shopping. At any rate the unit worked well. (maybe even too well for my liking)

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 /long range requirements look elsewhere.

Bandit 9 Dec 2007

Ok. I researched several radio sets to use for hunting/stalking with friends and fell upon these sets.. I required headsets really, for obvious reasons and something that would cover a fair range.
Firstly, the kits themselves are great, with everything you could need within - A charge cradle with mains lead, two headsets (Merely earpiece and mic - Much like a mobile phone lead) and two car charge leads (Not sure if you can connect the charge cradle with this too..) and of course two of the radios themselves, all in a handy case!!
The radios are a good size and easy to navigate with a clear visual display on the screen for all the relevant menu options.
So. Onto their first use... First charge a full 16 Hours.
A friend and I were stalking on open field area with some wooded patches and had set the radios to the same channels and attched the headsets. We also set the sensitivity on the voice activation (VOX) to the most sensitive as we were intent on making as little noise as possible. The earpieces themselves were comfortable tho prone to being pulled out with a gentle snag on the lead and the radios hooked easily onto belts with the clips provided in the kit. On initial test the VOX worked well once we had settled into allowing a short time from end of speech before replying. The clarity was very good tho as yet I have not found how to increase the volume in ear. When we seperated the signal did not drop and tested to only around 500M with sparce wood between there were no issues whatsoever.
The problem we did find was with the VOX - Despite being set to the most sensitive level we found you did have to speak louder than we would have desired in order for the transmission to open and transmit tho once open seemingly even the rustle of clothing against the mic then kept the transmitter open for a while!! We found the best solution was to still depress the Press to talk (PTT) button on the set itself when wishing to speak - Not ideal when hunting with hands full but no great issue really.
We also tried the sets when I drove out for supplies. The signal dropped completely after around 1.5 Miles as the crow flies across wooded areas, buildings and the other side of a rail line. Beyond the mile mark tho the signal was intermittent and only carrier signals were received on occasion. My friend also noted that he could tell when I was in the car and not as outside of the car the signal improved greatly - I know these are bought for car to car use by some - Something worth bearing in mind?! I think to get a full 8Km of range from these it would have to be very clear and obstruction free!!
Overall I am still pleased with these for the money and would recommend as a useful item and are ideal for my uses so far, being within a fairly limited area.
I had no problem selecting a channel that seemed to be free of other interruption tho being out in the countryside may well have been a massive help there!!
I have bought two sets and will update further on the review again after further use and testing.
I hope this so far is of help and not just a lot of waffle - Something I am reknowned for managing!!

For the money, good radios and worthy of a Four out of Five stars easily (Losing a star for the VOX sensitivity and obstructed signal within car)

Great radios at a bargain price.
I personally bought these radios for shooting and fishing but have also found the extremely useful when travelling in convoy (passenger use only of course!) and when I needed to put up a new tv aerial, it saved the other person having to lean out the window and shout when the picture was just rite! 101 different uses.
What I like about them -
Very good build quality, feels heavy and sturdy to hold and not at all cheap and plasticey. Very easy to use and simple menu for the various settings. Fantastic sound quality, the 'trusound' noise reduction really does work very well, it's just like the person you are talking to is standing beside you. Very good backlit display. Good range, forget the 8Km as advertised though, as with all of these types of two way radios the maximum is under ideal conditions, i.e over flat water with a back wind!. The range is perfectly acceptable though, i've managed 1 mile in not very good weather and in quite a built up area with no problems. Batteries are rechargable which saves a fortune and last a long time between charges which is done through the twin charging dock.
What I dislike about them -
I honestly can't think of anything!
All in all I would happily recommend these radios to anyone.

It was actually my teenage daughter that wanted a two way radio so that she could keep in contact with her best friend who lives about 1.5 miles from our house. The Terrain 550 has performed well over this distance without any problems. My daughter found it easy to set up and uses it constantly. On the downside the charger is a duel charger which means that we have to collect the radio in order to recharge her friends unit. For the application we use the radio's two individual chargers would have been a better option.
Apart from the charger this unit represents good value for money compared to other radio's. If you are after a reliable two way radio for either work purposes or for children to play with then you cannot go far wrong buying the Terrain 550.

Great in every respect...

...EXCEPT for the stated max range of 5 miles (8km)! I'd like to see Binatone's test data, with an explanation of how they decided could make such a claim.

The most we've managed is about 0.5 mile. OK, there's a couple of houses in the way, but the test was over a fairly flat, and not too twisty, residential 'A' road.

I doubt most people are ever likely to encounter the 'perfect' conditions. Even mountain biking, you're always going to have trees, shrubs and ridges in the way.

I think we'd have done just as well to spend less money on a lesser-range pair. My friend has some cheapies and, in respect of range, they perform almost identically.

Perhaps PMR range figures should be quoted against meaningful test environments. For example

Suburban residential: 0.5 m
Rural (hilly): 1 m
Rural (flat): 3 m
Woodland (hilly): 0.74 m
Woodland (flat): 1.5 m
Laboratory (no vegitation, obstructions or moisture or RF-interference): 5 m

For the practical use we had in mind, these are just not up to the job.