Home > Consumer Reviews > Cobra LI 6500-2 WX VP 20-Mile GMRS/FRS 2-Way Radio (Twin Pack)

I have owned well over a dozen of these types of radios over the last 10 years. After a recent trip to Europe (18 relatives, 6 radios between four vehicles in many different environments), I would have to say that these radios outperformed all the others in this top price class. Reception seemed to well out-perform other brands and their durability and transmission clarity was a real help in tough urban environments.

The only drawback is the proprietary, rechargeable battery pack, since you can't just slip in a set of AAA's when you forget to recharge or are far away from an outlet or car battery.

Overall, these radios offer a lot for the price and better reception makes them superior to most others in signal punching performance.

As has been mentioned, forget about 20 mile ranges on this type of radio. Even the finest, pro-quality radios get the same 2 miles in an urban or forested setting and that is the MAXIMUM you can hope for; much less is normal in dense rocks and buildings.

"Line of sight" is the rule of thumb, keeping in mind that signals often bounce around rather and through concrete and stone, behaving more like invisible "light beams". The higher you are, the better your signal will get out.

Great product indeed!
tough & long distance - this is what u need when going on a off-road trips with your buddies.
battary life is very long & the actual distance is 10 miles & more (hilly area).
i already bought 3 pairs of these cobra 6500 & 4 more of the 25 miles model (cobra 7000) - all my friends r using them & are very satisfied.
the 6500 model is much smaller & the radio distance is fine for its miniature size & weight.

I'm about to buy some more soon.

The product was purchased as a means to keep in contact with others during our upcoming cruise, since cell phone are charged oversea's roaming fees. Haven't tried them as of yet, but from the tests I've conducted, they'll do the job. I have purchased Motorolas T6220, purported a distance of 5 miles and I couldn't even use them from one end of the property to the other (1/3 acre). So I'm a happy camper, or shall I say, cruiser.

I opened the box and then proceeded to place the battery into the back as instructed. The clip that holds the radio to your pocket or belt loop breaks off right away. I purchased these radios for a long move from Texas to Washington state that was coming up in 4 days. I called Cobra customer services to ask for a new clip and they said they would replace it no problem but it would not reach me before the trip. I take them anyway.
The first day of the trip the other clip breaks in half! This all happened weeks ago and I still have not received the promised replacement clip for the first one.
What idiot designed this clip? The one part of the radio that is most likely to receive high pressure is designed with brittle plastic!
Not worth the cost at half the price.
Oh, and the 20 mile range? Out in the middle of Texas on an open highway with no obstructions.....maybe 3/4 mile before it starts to break up.

We are very pleased with the Cobra 2-Way radios. Excellent range, alert call and alert vibrator..Lock feature for the channel in use. Great price for all of the features. Dual chargers included which is an excellent feature.