It was clear line of sight and could not talk

They worked well for what they are, line-of sight radios, trees don't affect them, go in

The radios work well to reasonable line-of-sight ranges (sorry if you're expecting these to work better than real-world physics will allow), and the included NOAA weather alert feature (when set, radios turn on and the weather alert radio message is heard) is a real boon for many outdoor activities like backpacking or kayaking.