INBOX:Two-way radios are a good - and fun - alternative to mobile phones over short distances, writes Mike Butcher

MOBILE PHONES are getting more and more pricey. Some of the latest smartphone handsets cost as much as €600 or more without contract. I'd hate to think what owners of Vertu handsets - which can cost as much as €30,000 - do when they drop theirs in the gutter.

But why risk watching your spotless iPhone glass screen shatter on the pavement when all you want to do is talk?

That's where two-way radios can come into their own, even in built-up areas.

Rugged, and effectively free to use - no contract required - they make a good alternative over short distances, even when shopping in a mall.

Motorola's new TLKR T7 package comes as two radios with belt clips and a charger cradle for both. Each handset has a 9V DC socket but for normal use they take only AAA disposables. They weigh 178g with the batteries and the 202mm includes 75mm of rubber coated antenna, which makes the handsets tricky to pocket, though the belt clips come in handy for this.

The rubber and grey plastic handsets take a lot of beating and are thus ideal for the outdoors. In tech-talk the radio transmits 500mW of power, eight PMR channels, 38 CTSS (Continuous Tone-Coded Squelch System) and 83 DCS (Digital-Coded Squelch) codes.

If you want that in plain English, it's easier to have an interference-free conversation when you are surrounded by lots of other people using "radios" in the form of mobiles and other devices.

The T7 also supports voice-operated transmitter (VOX) hands-free operation, so you can plug in some normal earbuds and chat very naturally - but don't forget to say "over" after each sentence, for that authentic army feel.

The radios have other functions too, like a room monitor and the ability to assign specific handsets with names. The range is "up to 10km", or 6.2 miles but in an urban area it would probably reach half a mile, which is good enough for most people if they just want to stay in touch in the same vicinity.

In addition, you can talk for a lot longer than on a mobile phone, some 16-24 hours depending on the batteries. However, at over €100 they are too pricey for most people.

So, a better option might be their cheaper little brothers (exact prices not released as yet). The TLKR T3 and T5 models come with eight channels, long battery life and with a circular antenna which curves around the whole unit they are much more pocketable.

The T5 has a 6km range, while the T3 only stretches to 5km - but again in a shopping area you'd still probably get half a mile. Plus, the T5 can also be voice activated, just like the T7.

The one thing I'd miss when using a walkie-talkie is something they will never offer: text messages.

So I guess it's back to the expensive annual contract and handset for me.