Airsoft Canada - View Single Post - Linton LT-6288 Radio

T_A_N_K · September 14th, 2008, 21:52

Hey Guys,

I recently picked up a Linton 6288 radio off ebay and thought I would do a review.

LINTON LT-6288 UHF (420 ~480MHz)

I bought it off a ebay retailer, after reading Crunchmeister's thread about a decent radio that I wouldn't have to shell out a fortune for. This is a UHF Radio, there are some legalities of using one, if you don't like it, keep it to yourself. If you wish to contribute info, then please do so, maturely

Retailer I bought it from:http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=320189250754

I paid about $85 shipped to my door, the retailer classified the item as a toy so I didn't get dinged for duties by CBSA.

What I got with my package:
1 x Linton 6288 Radio
1 x Battery
1 x Data Cable (for easy programming of channels)
1 x Desk Charger
1 x Programming CD
1 x Instruction Booklet (In English)

First Impressions:

This is quite compact and I would say pretty cool looking. Its a 4 watt radio, I believe the max is 5 watts for hand held radios. It comes with a short nubby antenna and a metal belt clip which is held on by two screws into the body of the radio. I personally like this feature, it keeps the clip firm and secure, and you will not have to worry about loosing your radio to whatever its clipped too, unless you take a big tumble, even then, I doubt it. The clip is option, you can run without if wish, it also has a hole for a strap, which is provided, again optional. This radio is built pretty solid, doesn't feel cheap, nothing wiggles or creeks, but I wouldn't use it as a hammer. I am confident it can easily withstand bb impacts, the LED screen looks to pretty strong and thick, it does not flex at when I push at it with both thumbs. The LED screen has a blue back light, and the keys light up green when you push the light button, makes is very easy to use in low light conditions.

Programming:

I bought one with a data cable, your computer requires a COM Port in order for it to work, you plug it into your computer and hook up the other end into the speaker/mic connections. After installing the programming software all you do is punch in the frequencies you want. I used the frequencies found on board here: http://www.airsoftcanada.com/showthr...&highlight=uhf

Programming on with the software if extremely easy, all you do is punch in the numbers. After punching in the numbers and transferring the data to my new radio, I took my old GMRS/FRS Radio to see if it worked. I tested it with several channels is it worked perfectly.

You can also add in your own custom channels if you wish if you are part of team, I haven't done this yet.

Im not sure how easy it is to punch in the frequencies manually, however, after speaking with Crunchmeister he said it quite easy, just a bit tedious.

On the Field:

I fielded it at Border Wars II and it worked flawlessly. I had no problems with communicating with other radios. I was using a ear bud head set, and a external mic. The Linton 6288 uses standard Kenwood 2 Pin, so your variety of comm setup is quite vast, I was planning on picking up a Calvary Headset, but I found a better deal. At the end of the day, I found out that I had accidentally left my back light on the entire day, yet my battery was still going strong. I didn't really measure what kind of range I could get with the radio, but I didn't have any problems transmitting or receiving throughout the whole field, it is more than enough for airsoft purposes.

Overall impression:

This is great compact radio, for those looking for a budget radio. My entire setup, including radio, headset and mic was about $120. It is a bit expensive, however, I don't see myself ever buying another for a very long time, unless I loose it. Looking at standard radios being sold at Best Buy/Future Shop, your looking at about $70-100+ for a set of motorola talk abouts. I've only had this radio for a short time, but so far a I like it a lot.

Pros
- Relatively Cheap for a UHF Radio - $85 landed
- Kenwood 2 pin - Vast variety of comm set up
- Compact and seems very durable
- User Friendly

Cons
- China made, pretty sure it doesn't meet FCC standards
- you may require a license if you use certain channels
- no long term warranty, if it breaks your SOL.

Feel free to ask any questions and I will try to answer them the best I can.

Linton 6288 beside a Midland GTX 600 5 Watt Radio next to M4 Mag for size comparison. I forgot to mention, the antenna is detachable.

Metal Belt Clip held on by two screws - feels pretty solid

My current setup

Update: A few more things to add

After consulting the manual a bit more, is it easy to switch between two channels, pretty much a push of a button

- there also an option to set radio power level at high(default) or low if you which to conserve battery, there is also an option for automatic radio shutoff if you do not receive or transmit, or push any button within two hours. It signals a auto shut off with several beeps, good in case you accidentally leave your radio on.

- it has a built in stop watch, lol

September 14th, 2008, 21:52	#1
T_A_N_K Trader rating Join Date: Sep 2006	Linton LT-6288 Radio - Review Hey Guys, I recently picked up a Linton 6288 radio off ebay and thought I would do a review. LINTON LT-6288 UHF (420 ~480MHz) I bought it off a ebay retailer, after reading Crunchmeister's thread about a decent radio that I wouldn't have to shell out a fortune for. This is a UHF Radio, there are some legalities of using one, if you don't like it, keep it to yourself. If you wish to contribute info, then please do so, maturely Retailer I bought it from:http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=320189250754 I paid about $85 shipped to my door, the retailer classified the item as a toy so I didn't get dinged for duties by CBSA. What I got with my package: 1 x Linton 6288 Radio 1 x Battery 1 x Data Cable (for easy programming of channels) 1 x Desk Charger 1 x Programming CD 1 x Instruction Booklet (In English) First Impressions: This is quite compact and I would say pretty cool looking. Its a 4 watt radio, I believe the max is 5 watts for hand held radios. It comes with a short nubby antenna and a metal belt clip which is held on by two screws into the body of the radio. I personally like this feature, it keeps the clip firm and secure, and you will not have to worry about loosing your radio to whatever its clipped too, unless you take a big tumble, even then, I doubt it. The clip is option, you can run without if wish, it also has a hole for a strap, which is provided, again optional. This radio is built pretty solid, doesn't feel cheap, nothing wiggles or creeks, but I wouldn't use it as a hammer. I am confident it can easily withstand bb impacts, the LED screen looks to pretty strong and thick, it does not flex at when I push at it with both thumbs. The LED screen has a blue back light, and the keys light up green when you push the light button, makes is very easy to use in low light conditions. Programming: I bought one with a data cable, your computer requires a COM Port in order for it to work, you plug it into your computer and hook up the other end into the speaker/mic connections. After installing the programming software all you do is punch in the frequencies you want. I used the frequencies found on board here: http://www.airsoftcanada.com/showthr...&highlight=uhf Programming on with the software if extremely easy, all you do is punch in the numbers. After punching in the numbers and transferring the data to my new radio, I took my old GMRS/FRS Radio to see if it worked. I tested it with several channels is it worked perfectly. You can also add in your own custom channels if you wish if you are part of team, I haven't done this yet. Im not sure how easy it is to punch in the frequencies manually, however, after speaking with Crunchmeister he said it quite easy, just a bit tedious. On the Field: I fielded it at Border Wars II and it worked flawlessly. I had no problems with communicating with other radios. I was using a ear bud head set, and a external mic. The Linton 6288 uses standard Kenwood 2 Pin, so your variety of comm setup is quite vast, I was planning on picking up a Calvary Headset, but I found a better deal. At the end of the day, I found out that I had accidentally left my back light on the entire day, yet my battery was still going strong. I didn't really measure what kind of range I could get with the radio, but I didn't have any problems transmitting or receiving throughout the whole field, it is more than enough for airsoft purposes. Overall impression: This is great compact radio, for those looking for a budget radio. My entire setup, including radio, headset and mic was about $120. It is a bit expensive, however, I don't see myself ever buying another for a very long time, unless I loose it. Looking at standard radios being sold at Best Buy/Future Shop, your looking at about $70-100+ for a set of motorola talk abouts. I've only had this radio for a short time, but so far a I like it a lot. Pros - Relatively Cheap for a UHF Radio - $85 landed - Kenwood 2 pin - Vast variety of comm set up - Compact and seems very durable - User Friendly Cons - China made, pretty sure it doesn't meet FCC standards - you may require a license if you use certain channels - no long term warranty, if it breaks your SOL. Feel free to ask any questions and I will try to answer them the best I can. Linton 6288 beside a Midland GTX 600 5 Watt Radio next to M4 Mag for size comparison. I forgot to mention, the antenna is detachable. Metal Belt Clip held on by two screws - feels pretty solid My current setup Update: A few more things to add After consulting the manual a bit more, is it easy to switch between two channels, pretty much a push of a button - there also an option to set radio power level at high(default) or low if you which to conserve battery, there is also an option for automatic radio shutoff if you do not receive or transmit, or push any button within two hours. It signals a auto shut off with several beeps, good in case you accidentally leave your radio on. - it has a built in stop watch, lol Last edited by T_A_N_K; September 14th, 2008 at 23:03..