I have been mulling over a 2-way radio purchase for some time now. I' d like to get the longest range possible, but I don' t want to pay over $200 to $250 a piece. I' d have a normal working range of 2 to 3 miles, flat land/wooded. The radio also needs to be FRS/GMRS compatible, so I can use it with others. The Motorala T7200 is the one I am looking at, but I really don' t care for the LCD screen, beep options, and all the extra features. I want to turn it on, turn a dial to a channel, and use it.

I saw in Cabelas an ad for an Icom 4-watt radio, at about the same price as the T7200. It boasts up to 7 miles range, and doesn' t appear to have all those pricy/fancy, frilly, features of the T7200. It is also FRS/GMRS compatible, and has a price tag much cheaper than some of the Motorola HP or XTS professional series, neither of which are compatible with the most frequently used FRS/GMRS combination.

It looks like a good radio on the surface, but does anybody have any experience with the Icom brand?

I' ve checked out their website www.icomamerica.com, but that' s all the info I have.

Thanks!

Jeff...U.P. of Michigan