The Motorola XT400 Series of Portable 2 way radio
In this Truthful Review we are going to cover the Motorola wireless two-way radios comprising of the XT420 and the XT460 portable radios. These two models are identical except for a display and a few extra control buttons on the front of the XT420 unit. Technically in all other ways they are the same and function similarly. The Motorola XT400 series was really developed as a MOTO device made primarily for business use, but they can be used for non-business use too of course, and for a very good price out in the market.
The box includes
- A safety and quick start guide
- The radio itself
- An antenna
- A holster for carrying
- A lithium ion battery
- A charging base
- A power supply
Importantly it's worth mentioning that there are many sellers that either include the battery and/or charger, or they do not in their pricing so beware because some sellers have big differences in price depending on what they are selling. Some retailers do actually sell the complete radio for a good price.
It's easy to put together
The battery simply clips in to place, and you can later use the holster if you want to. But a note on the battery that you should understand. As supplied, the battery is only about half charged in a new radio from Motorola, so the very first thing to do is to charge up the battery to ensure its fully charged. This type of battery does keep charge for around 6 months or so, but it's good practice to ensure the battery is full.
XT400 Series features
The XT460 display is a useful addition compared to the XT420 unit as that allows things to be easily seen on screen whereas the XT420 is less useable; and the additional buttons on the front of the XT460 again contribute to usability, other features being the same.
Typically there are PTT buttons on the side of both units, accessory connectors and the audio socket is the same on these models as it was on earlier devices. There's an on/off button and when you turn the radio on it will tell you which channel it is using. Changing channels again will tell you the channel chosen.
Made for business
The Motorola xt400 series two-way radios are primarily made for business use. Motorola says that these XT series are to help people to work better together; they're great at coordinating resources maybe at the construction site or monitoring production on the manufacturing line; both models come with the right credentials to give business the competitive edge and have exceptional quality, affordability, and durability, to outlast high noise tough conditions and hard use.
The XT400 series of handsets are a very robust radios make no mistake of that; they feel really good in the hand and it's pretty obvious when holding the radio in your hand. Close examination will confirm that there is no real expense spared in arriving at a product that is so well made; it's so well built it's not like the cheap rubbish that you see with unbranded radios out there from China and other parts of the world often sold on eBay or Amazon - frankly there is no comparison. These models will last.
When you need to focus on the job in hand, there is an instant push-to-talk button and a customized channel announcement that allows you to keep your hands free so you know what channel and what department you're talking to without even removing the radio from your belt.
Audio quality is loud and very clear thanks to the high specification powerful built-in loudspeaker that has 1.5 watts output. The user can select between 8 channels and 219 privacy codes that ensure a clear signal. The XT400's have a great range too. The series provides coverage of up to nine kilometers by line of sight that is, with voice prompts, that enable you to program non-display radios on the go easily.
The carry holster provided in the kit has a swivel belt fastener that allows you to position the radio at the most comfortable positioning. Another feature that is really not often mentioned (or included) is the anti-microbial coating that you don't see on many radios helps prevent the growth of mould or germs on the surface of the radio - and that can be very important these days.
Military standard
Military standard 810 C,D,E, F and G and with IP55 might be standard for most of the other radio manufacturers out there and if you watch the series of these truthful reviews that we have created you'll hear those specifications often, but they are the starting point for the XT400 series radios. These radios undergo Motorola's unique accelerated live testing (they call it) and this rigorous laboratory testing simulates up to five years of use in the field; Motorola design and build the XT400 series to a high specification to minimize costly repairs and downtime later.
Setting up with software
The previous Motorola series (the XTNi) was superseded by the XT400 series a while back; but that's no problem; the html based customer programming software is so easy to use it works with any computer browser and profiles are interchangeable with the XTNi series too so you can quickly copy settings between the XT400 series radios or between XTNi and XT400 series portables with the radio to radio cloning cable. This IS important if you are going to be managing a number of these two way radios on-site.
Fast charger
Motorola make an optional six-way charging unit - its a fast charger and the XT420 (or the XT460) fit this charger simply; it's so easy to use; this charging unit plugs straight into the mains underneath so there's no worries about connection. It's a powerful charger and it's a fast charger and it's important to understand that if you're using just the regular desktop charger as supplied in the kit it's not going to compare to this one. These are available optionally but they are well worth the money; if you've got more than one radio these are a must and contribute greatly to the operation of multiple wireless portable radios.
Other features include:
- 8 channels
- 16 position channel code selector
- PMR446 license free operation
- USB CPS interface for PC connection
- Microphone gain
- Battery saver feature
- Scan and scan list
- Voice scrambling feature
- Timeout timer
More about the battery
The battery that these radios come with are a standard unit of Lithium-Ion 3.7V, 2100 mAh battery for Motorola XT-420 and XT-460. Up to 15h battery life. However there is a stronger longer life battery: Genuine Motorola High Capacity Li-Ion 7.4v 2300mAh Batteries that clearly will extend the use.
Analogue or Digital operation?
The series can operate in analogue mode only. This is simple to set up. Analogue radios are of course tried and tested for many years and are reliable. This one is useful because it has 16 channels. Look elsewhere if you want a digital unit, or a digital unit with analogue capability.
Warranty
There is a two year warranty on Motorola XT420 and XT460 wireless portable two way radios
Accessories
There are a plethora of accessories available from Motorola and their quality is assured. Whether earpieces and microphones, cases or other products like the 6 way charger that has been mentioned in this review they are all excellent and reliable devices. But there are also some good quality alternatives that often carry a lower cost that are also great value without compromising the quality or reliability of the accessories. Be very careful about the choice of accessories from Far Eastern makers being sold very cheaply because as well as the warranty aspect, you might find that the quality is unacceptable.
Summing up
This is an analogue series of radios and while they are really great value, there are some issues, such as lower quality communications (more noise) and the lack of other features typically found on digital handsets. Having said that, Motorola sell thousands of the XT420 and XT460 radios. The fact that these are license free (or PMR446 as it is often described) does also contribute to the sales. Warranty of two years is great.
The Truthful Reviews score
There are volume sales of the Motorola XT420 and XT460 even though its an analogue wireless two-way radio. So there has to be some reason why many buy this model of Motorola radio. It could be compatibility (maybe), it could be price (possibly), it could be quality (likely), it might even be brand loyalty, but overall it's most likely a mix of all of those points. Taking in to account everything this XT series gets an 8 out of 10 score. This is really because when you consider the question of analogue devices and what they cannot offer because of the lack of digital technology that has to be considered.
Conclusions
Overall it cannot be denied that the XT420 and XT460 portable radios are anything but great value for money, high quality, good pricing and can offer every day users a useful (if slightly limited because its analogue only) device that can perform well. But there remains that nagging feeling that the digital gear is just one step ahead of the analogue crowd and it misses out somewhat because of that. However, if the digital side of things is unimportant to you and these handsets will work for you then the Motorola XT series are really a great buy and should be considered carefully.
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