Motorola Talkabout T600 H2O
$$$··
| Frequency | 462.5625-467.7125 MHz (22 FRS channels) |
| TX power | 0.5 / 2 W (2W max. Two PTT buttons: one full power, one low power (0.5W) for battery savings. FRS, no license required.) |
| Modes | FM |
| Battery | NiMH 800mAh / V |
| Weight | 172 g (6.1 oz) - 0.38 lbs (~172g) without batteries, 0.49 lbs (~222g) with batteries. Dimensions: 198×61×38 mm (7.8×2.4×1.5 in). |
| Connector | fixed (non-removable) |
| Year | 2016 |
| antenna | fixed (non-removable) |
| accessory | headset jack (dry environments only per Motorola) |
| charging | micro-USB (original) / USB-C (T605 variant) |
| power req | NiMH 800mAh rechargeable (9-10hr, included) OR 3×AA alkaline (up to 29hr). Micro-USB Y-cable or USB-C charging. |
Estimated (unverified): FRS radio - NO license required; actual TX ~1.3W (FCC-measured; below the 2W ceiling). IP67 (submersible 1 m/30 min) and FLOATS face-up - but only with the included NiMH battery (may sink on AA alkalines). White+red LED water-activated flashlight. '35-mile range' is marketing. Charging: micro-USB (original) / USB-C (2023 revision). Introduced ~2016.
An IP67 waterproof Talkabout that floats face up, with a water-activated flashlight that turns on when it contacts water. It is submersible to 1 m/30 min, with dual LEDs (white plus red for night vision) and an emergency-alert button. Two PTT buttons let you pick full power or battery-saving low power. It runs up to 29 hours on alkaline batteries, with NOAA weather and easy pairing for groups. It adds IP67, floating, and the water-activated light to the T460's feature set.
2 W FRS only. Fixed antenna. No Bluetooth or app (the T800 has those). It floats with NiMH but may not float with some AA batteries (an important caveat). Two PTT buttons can be confusing with gloves. The belt clip is plastic and lacks a lanyard point despite being a water radio. Early units use micro-USB; current T600/T605 use USB-C. Audio clarity is average per reviews.
A waterproof, floating FRS radio. The T600 H2O's water-activated flashlight is a clever safety touch: drop it in water at night and it lights up and floats face up in bright green. For boaters, kayakers, anglers, and water sports, it is a safety-first choice. The Cobra ACXT1035R FLT also floats but lacks the water-activated light.
The Motorola Talkabout T600 H2O is a waterproof, floating FRS radio built for the water, sold license-free in pairs. The "H2O" is the whole idea: it carries an IP67 rating, surviving a meter of submersion for half an hour, and it floats face-up so you can fish it out of a lake. It even has a water-activated flashlight that starts flashing the moment it gets wet, so a dropped radio is easy to spot bobbing past your kayak.
Beyond the marine tricks it is a capable FRS radio: 22 channels with 121 privacy codes, NOAA weather with alerts, an emergency-alert button, a vibrating call alert, and hands-free iVOX. Its actual transmit power measures around 1.3 watts, below the 2-watt FRS ceiling, so the advertised "35-mile range" is a flat-water, line-of-sight ideal; real range is a couple of miles on land and up to six over open water. The flashlight has both white and red LED modes for preserving night vision.
One detail worth knowing: it floats only with the included rechargeable NiMH battery, swap in alkaline AAs and it may sink. It charges over USB (micro-USB on original units, USB-C on the later revision). It has been discontinued but remains widely available. For an off-grid messaging radio rather than a marine one, its sibling the Motorola T800 trades the waterproofing for a Bluetooth app; for a cheaper basic pair, the T100 drops nearly every feature.