Motorola MOTOTRBO R5 VHF 5W Non-Display Two-Way Radio

The MOTOTRBO R5 is Motorola's sealed digital portable, and the specification that decides most purchases is the sealing: Motorola rates it IP67, dust-tight and waterproof, with an intrinsically safe option certified to UL TIA4950 and CSA C22.2.

This is the non-display model, which Motorola specifies at 64 channels on 136 to 174 MHz. No screen is the right choice for a fleet that runs a fixed channel plan, because there is nothing for a user to get lost in and nothing to break. Where a crew reassigns channels through the day, the limited keypad model carries a 1.5 inch display and 256 channels instead.

Battery life runs to 32 hours on Motorola's figures, with a slim 2,200 mAh IMPRES pack (PMNN4888) or a 3,200 mAh pack (PMNN4889). The radio measures 122 x 56 x 35 mm and weighs 269 g with the slim battery. Audio uses Motorola's SINC+ and AI-trained noise suppression, which is what keeps a transmission intelligible next to running plant rather than merely loud.

It also carries Wi-Fi on 2.4 and 5.0 GHz with WPA3 security and Bluetooth 5.2, so channel plans can be pushed over the air instead of radio by radio. Motorola includes five years of hardware repair.