Batboard

What test conditions are the manufacturers placing these portables under in order to achieve an advertised reception range of "up to 27km" (16.7 Miles)? Maybe the fine print states "air-to-ground comms"? Are these units not limited to 2 Watts?

Simple
Two mountain tops 27km apart
2 watts no problem

I think it's like buying a car stereo
400 Watts of total music power
only to find it's 100 watts peak power per channel
and then working out it's only 70 watts RMS

Well what started out as a 400 watt system is really only a 70 watt system

IF.. ya happen to be holding the portables at the focal point of 2 aimed dishes 27 kms apart ya got full quieting!

Are you sure it's not a typo and they meant 2.7km?

With the quality of those radios, and the design of their antennas, I'd be more inclined to suggest 270 feet