Motorola MOTOTRBO R5 VHF 5W Non-Display Two-Way Radio with Remote Speaker Microphone

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.

This configuration is supplied with a remote speaker microphone, which moves the speaker and transmit button to the shoulder so the radio stays holstered.