Posted: 5/17/2026 7:14:30 PM EDT
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My family has some of the cheap Retevis FRS radios, but I think it's time to step up to some gmrs radios for better range. I'm honestly very tempted by the Rocky Talkie Expedition Radios due to the simple interface and compact form factor. That said, I know there are a lot of cheaper options. I prefer waterproof if possible, we would be using these hiking, backpacking, kayaking, etc. I've gone down quite a rabbit hole and am looking at the Baofeng UV-9G and Retevis C5B radios as options. Any feedback on these models? Recommend a different one? Drop the $$ on the Rocky Talkie? Let's hear it! |
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| I'm tagging this. I'm still a novice where radios are concerned, though I equipped a few of our trucks with UHF radios. I also bought... not sure if I'm allowed to say it here. Some cheap devices which emit certain radio frequencies. Let's say they're garage door openers, yes. I'd like to learn more about them. |
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https://www.buytwowayradios.com/consumer/gmrs-radios.html?srsltid=AfmBOorTNit0LmXETEPxBKTOojlAjC66rCHBerxUGilPtnWUcqZKYjnk These guys are good to go. They have plenty of pre-programmed options. Be aware that GMRS has its limits. https://m.youtube.com/c/NotaRubiconProductions NotaRubicon has great content on GMRS and he constantly reviews the radios in depth. He has a funny dry sense of humor. |
| Wouxun makes nice stuff but it's a bit more expensive than most. We have kg-935gs and they been packed around for a lot of miles in the rain and have never had an issue. We got the wife a kg-s88g which is a lot smaller and likewise no issues. The only thing I'd note is they use the two prong kenwood plugs for headsets which is great for compatibility but is not a waterproof connection so the waterproof ratings only apply when it's buttoned up. |
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I have 5 of the of the Baofeng UV5R's, they work good, my buddy killed one when he put his buggy under water for about 4 hours, other wise they have worked fine...I have several different antennas for them, and a couple extended batteries as well, just depends on what we are using them for... Attached File |
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Retevis RT48 Plus is a nice GMRS option in a weather proof somewhat rugged form factor that doesn’t cost as much as the Rocky Talkies but those are great too. Wouxion is excellent but probably overkill for what you’re looking to do. You could also be like me and start cheap and end up with like 10 GMRS radios from multiple companies. You’ll know you have the bug when a repeater goes up on your garage too. They are all pretty fun. I was under the illusion early on that the more expensive tech would go farther but that’s not the case. Physics is physics. Sound quality may go up but the more you pay tends to translate more into build quality and feature set than significant differences in the effectiveness of actually reaching and talking to someone. |
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Honestly I'd take a look at Oxbow too. Designed for motorsports, they'll take some serious abuse on snow and dirt, and the audio quality gives my expensive radios a run for their money. The Bluetooth-enabled Renegade series can pair to a bluetooth headset, and they have a remote ptt button as well. Standard K1 connector for speaker-mics/wired headsets. Haven't dealt much with Rocky Talkies, but people that use them seem to like them. Garmin Rino or Motorola Talkabout if you want some data/text/location options. Baofeng, woxoun, puxing... if it sounds chinese, then you get what you pay for. 
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Oh I'm easily baited, you just try me!
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Originally Posted By OregonShooter: I use a Midland GXT67. It works fine and it comes in a very nice case. It's also not inexpensive. Does it actually work better than others? likely not but its 5 watts and repeater capable though I haven't tried that yet. I like that they can use wide band on simplex channels. I also like the auto charger/power supply that comes with the radio. Jay |
The Right tends not to riot. They mostly have three speeds:
Uninvolved, Peaceful but passionate protesting, or Genocide
Uninvolved, Peaceful but passionate protesting, or Genocide
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Originally Posted By kayl: My family has some of the cheap Retevis FRS radios, but I think it's time to step up to some gmrs radios for better range. I'm honestly very tempted by the Rocky Talkie Expedition Radios due to the simple interface and compact form factor. That said, I know there are a lot of cheaper options. I prefer waterproof if possible, we would be using these hiking, backpacking, kayaking, etc. I've gone down quite a rabbit hole and am looking at the Baofeng UV-9G and Retevis C5B radios as options. Any feedback on these models? Recommend a different one? Drop the $$ on the Rocky Talkie? Let's hear it! Both the models you mention suck. Everyone wants to think they got a great radio for $20 and I really don't understand why. Everyone has a budget at the end of the day, but you are better off buying quality than features. The wouxon kg905 is one of the best simple GMRS radios. It is waterproof and a super het. I have tested all the ones you mention except the rocky talkies |
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In my opinion, one of, if not the best GMRS handheld radios available right now. Amazon - Retevis Ailunce HA1G GMRS Radio |
I don't need therapy. I just need someone to rob me at the gas station so I can let it all out.
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I have a bunch of ham handhelds, but for GMRS with the family I really like these. They’ve worked well in the mountains and adventures. https://tidradio.com/products/3rd-gen-td-h8-10w-ham-gmrs-radio-handheld-8-band/?ref=xlead&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22742090078&gbraid=0AAAAADu6nhUCfXnQsnAvhiz3tx6_0D1Ya&gclid=CjwKCAjw8arQBhB9EiwAfIKdQgolJyclalywis5RGzEkLBPoEr5dmwptduAso9R8dOkq405krpROMhoCdvkQAvD_BwE |
“ Well, it feels like someone took a rubber band and snapped it right on the edge of your anus.” -JThompson
Non Solis radios sed Iovis fulmina mitto
Non Solis radios sed Iovis fulmina mitto
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Originally Posted By Greenspan: Everyone wants to think they got a great radio for $20 and I really don't understand why. Originally Posted By Greenspan: Everyone wants to think they got a great radio for $20 and I really don't understand why.  Originally Posted By NAM: So, are we talking about legit, type accepted GMRS radios? Or illegal radios? Because I see a lot of the latter being mentioned.  |
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Originally Posted By NAM: So, are we talking about legit, type accepted GMRS radios? Or illegal radios? Because I see a lot of the latter being mentioned. What would you recommend for Base Station GMRS? My land is on the highest spot in a 9 mile radius and I have a 20’ tall shop I’ve been itching to put a repeater/antennas on. |
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Originally Posted By kayl: Drop the $$ on the Rocky Talkie? I wouldn't even remotely consider spending $200 on a chinesium radio unless it had some special capability or characteristic that I was looking for. For a basic UHF waterproof handheld I like the Icom F2000 series which is roughly the same price, from a reputable land mobile manufacturer. The only downside to the F2000 is that they do not do wideband FM, which might be an issue if you want to use GMRS repeaters or get your amateur license in the future. If you're just talking amongst yourselves it makes no difference. https://theantennafarm.com/shop-by-categories/radios/hand-held-radios/uhf-hand-helds/7715-icom-f2000-waterproof-detail If you buy land mobile UHF radios (from Kenwood, Icom, Motorola, etc) you will have to program them with the GMRS channels. |
This is...a clue - Pat_Rogers
I'm not adequately aluminumized for this thread. - gonzo_beyondo
CO, MI, OR - Please lobby your legislators to end discrimination against non-resident CCW permit holders
I'm not adequately aluminumized for this thread. - gonzo_beyondo
CO, MI, OR - Please lobby your legislators to end discrimination against non-resident CCW permit holders
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Thanks for everyone for the recommendations! Based off of some of the stuff here and some more research, I'm going to go with the HA1G. I then went down a bit of a rabbit hole about antennas and I am considering getting a magnetic antenna for the car to get better reception... I can see how this goes LOL |
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Blister pack radios.. divide the range on the blister pack by 10 for an honest estimate of usable range . The simplex range of a frs/GMRS radio isn't that much better than a straight FRS radio If you actually get your GMRS license and a repeater capable radio, you can talk through a repeater and get good range. The Chinese radios don't match the quality and toughness of the Jap radios, but they work, use it till it breaks, then buy another |
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Originally Posted By EconProf: What would you recommend for Base Station GMRS? My land is on the highest spot in a 9 mile radius and I have a 20’ tall shop I’ve been itching to put a repeater/antennas on. I am interested in this as well. But more along the lines of a vehicle mounted GMRS. |
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Just picked up the H9 to see if the 10 watt actually works.... Attached File https://tidradio.com/products/td-h9-10w-bluetooth-aprs-radio-handheld |
Now a real killer, when he picked up the ZF1, would have immediately asked about the little red button on the bottom of the gun.
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Spend a few hours and get your technicians amateur license. No code required, and I've tested 8-year olds and 80-years olds and both have passed. That will get you access to 1500 watts of power and all frequencies above 10 meters including the very popular 70 cm and 2 meter bands. |
Konfirmed on-foing victom of da Americen edukation systim's inabitti too teash reeding komperhencenn.
If you don't confront and push back against the Marxist you'll continue to get more of them.
If you don't confront and push back against the Marxist you'll continue to get more of them.
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Originally Posted By NAM: So, are we talking about legit, type accepted GMRS radios? Or illegal radios? Because I see a lot of the latter being mentioned. |
Konfirmed on-foing victom of da Americen edukation systim's inabitti too teash reeding komperhencenn.
If you don't confront and push back against the Marxist you'll continue to get more of them.
If you don't confront and push back against the Marxist you'll continue to get more of them.
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Originally Posted By Paul: Spend a few hours and get your technicians amateur license. No code required, and I've tested 8-year olds and 80-years olds and both have passed. That will get you access to 1500 watts of power and all frequencies above 10 meters including the very popular 70 cm and 2 meter bands. New test question pool after June 2026. 2 meter and 440  |
License to slouch.
Mitchell!
Mitchell!
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Originally Posted By Gamma762: I wouldn't even remotely consider spending $200 on a chinesium radio unless it had some special capability or characteristic that I was looking for. For a basic UHF waterproof handheld I like the Icom F2000 series which is roughly the same price, from a reputable land mobile manufacturer. The only downside to the F2000 is that they do not do wideband FM, which might be an issue if you want to use GMRS repeaters or get your amateur license in the future. If you're just talking amongst yourselves it makes no difference. https://theantennafarm.com/shop-by-categories/radios/hand-held-radios/uhf-hand-helds/7715-icom-f2000-waterproof-detail If you buy land mobile UHF radios (from Kenwood, Icom, Motorola, etc) you will have to program them with the GMRS channels. Originally Posted By Gamma762: Originally Posted By kayl: Drop the $$ on the Rocky Talkie? I wouldn't even remotely consider spending $200 on a chinesium radio unless it had some special capability or characteristic that I was looking for. For a basic UHF waterproof handheld I like the Icom F2000 series which is roughly the same price, from a reputable land mobile manufacturer. The only downside to the F2000 is that they do not do wideband FM, which might be an issue if you want to use GMRS repeaters or get your amateur license in the future. If you're just talking amongst yourselves it makes no difference. https://theantennafarm.com/shop-by-categories/radios/hand-held-radios/uhf-hand-helds/7715-icom-f2000-waterproof-detail If you buy land mobile UHF radios (from Kenwood, Icom, Motorola, etc) you will have to program them with the GMRS channels. Help me understand. Many (not all) hams come out of the wood work to shit all over a Baofeng user who doesn't have a license. Yet what you're suggesting above is no different. You're operating a part 90 certified radio in the part 95 spectrum. And since those radios are NB only, you're operating them as FRS radios and exceeding the power limits of FRS. How is that any different than a Baofeng user? Set aside the quality of the radios for this discussion. |
"Never assume malice when stupidity will suffice" - Hanlon's Razor
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Originally Posted By GreenMushroom: Wouxun makes nice stuff but it's a bit more expensive than most. We have kg-935gs and they been packed around for a lot of miles in the rain and have never had an issue. We got the wife a kg-s88g which is a lot smaller and likewise no issues. The only thing I'd note is they use the two prong kenwood plugs for headsets which is great for compatibility but is not a waterproof connection so the waterproof ratings only apply when it's buttoned up. That said GMRS with just a basic stock rubber antenna has been good for about a 1/2 mile from the house. Outdoors LOS is further. Decent comms for an emergency. |
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I got my tech license years ago but wasn't in a space to have a dedicated shack. I was limited to playing with my 75 watt mobile in my excursion. I learned next to nothing and hadn't touched them in a Great bunch of guys. They came by my office, brought lunch, and collected my 5 handheld bao's. They returned the next day. All had been programmed with 50+ freqs and a printout of the list. I am about to start construction of a new homestead. When they heard that, they immediately volunteered to help with a tower and installing it. A day later, they delivered 2 books. I was attending club meetings 5 years ago. Ancient members. Monthly meetings. It was suspended every summer. Its totally different now. They have a formal meeting weekly and breakfast 4 days a week and conduct weekly nets. I guess I will actually learn ham! Attached File edit. |
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FWIW OP, you're unlikely to be able to get much of a range difference between 2 watt FRS radios and ~5 watt GMRS radios. If the antennas and receiver performance is the same the difference would likely be barely noticeable. Larger antennas higher off the ground will make a noticeable difference. If you were talking about old-school bubble pack FRS radios with AA batteries, those were often running like 150 milliwatts of power so going to a 5 watt radio was much more noticeable. Add in 25~50 watt mobile/base radios and there would be a significant difference. As SnowMule said, infrastructure is where you get the biggest improvement. |
This is...a clue - Pat_Rogers
I'm not adequately aluminumized for this thread. - gonzo_beyondo
CO, MI, OR - Please lobby your legislators to end discrimination against non-resident CCW permit holders
I'm not adequately aluminumized for this thread. - gonzo_beyondo
CO, MI, OR - Please lobby your legislators to end discrimination against non-resident CCW permit holders
|
My cheap radio... https://www.radioddity.com/products/baofeng-g11s I got a to-pak version of the above radio. I use the hardware mostly to get NOAA weather + flashlight. My use case is indoors / car use for easy access to NOAA on the cheap. Get GMRS License (no test, small fee) + Ham General license (2 tests) would cover the bases. The 70cm/2 meter radios only need the first Ham license and is worth it. They publish the test pool & answers for the test so it is easy to obtain a license. There is no code/CW requirement anymore so folks with a tin ear like myself pass with zero issues. The range is close to the same for most hardware until you do 'base station' config. Then it is the good antenna that lets you receive / transmit 'more better'. Most of the worth while bump in price for the GMRS radios is to get water 'proofing'. If I plan to use the device outside of car / home /dry weather - I would opt for something better. Some have auto 'ai' squelch that works fine in windy conditions. fine print: FRS/GRMS - there is no "security" feature on the radios. At best they can provide a filter to like radios. But people running without the filter turned on can hear everything from the filtered people. So recommend: Get one or two radios with good IPX and a few less expensive radios that you can toss people you need to contact that don't bring your own. For repeater use: you do need to make sure the radio you pick provides that support. |
The last thing a tyrant wants is their ideas to be judged on the battle field of truth and justice.
Thanks again for all of the feedback, I've been playing around with the HA1G for about a week now and have been able to bounce off a repeater 25 miles away. At least one of the places we're going should have repeater coverage, so now I just need to teach the wife how to ID and use a repeater. At the very least, I've been enjoying learning more about how radios work and programming these ones for our trip. 
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Originally Posted By kayl: Thanks again for all of the feedback, I've been playing around with the HA1G for about a week now and have been able to bounce off a repeater 25 miles away. At least one of the places we're going should have repeater coverage, so now I just need to teach the wife how to ID and use a repeater. At the very least, I've been enjoying learning more about how radios work and programming these ones for our trip. Pick the channel you guys are using. Lock it on the keypads so they can't change it and be done. Upgraded antenna and you will be happy. I run the Baofengs for hunting, hiking and fishing and haven't had an issue. Only complaint I received was from a user trying to use the handheld radio driving down the highway. He could see camp and couldn't grasp why I couldn't hear his transmissions. |
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Originally Posted By kayl: My family has some of the cheap Retevis FRS radios, but I think it's time to step up to some gmrs radios for better range. I'm honestly very tempted by the Rocky Talkie Expedition Radios due to the simple interface and compact form factor. That said, I know there are a lot of cheaper options. I prefer waterproof if possible, we would be using these hiking, backpacking, kayaking, etc. I've gone down quite a rabbit hole and am looking at the Baofeng UV-9G and Retevis C5B radios as options. Any feedback on these models? Recommend a different one? Drop the $$ on the Rocky Talkie? Let's hear it! UV9Gs are like AKs I use mine for camping and boating. They get dropped constantly snd rained on all the time. They keep working. |
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Originally Posted By Greenspan: Both the models you mention suck. Everyone wants to think they got a great radio for $20 and I really don't understand why. Everyone has a budget at the end of the day, but you are better off buying quality than features. The wouxon kg905 is one of the best simple GMRS radios. It is waterproof and a super het. I have tested all the ones you mention except the rocky talkies Lol.no. The UV9Gs are tanks. I have half a dozen we use hard. None of them failed, ever. I also have a pair of Wouxon super het handleds. Waste of money. They are good but but not $150 more good |
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Originally Posted By Paul: Spend a few hours and get your technicians amateur license. No code required, and I've tested 8-year olds and 80-years olds and both have passed. That will get you access to 1500 watts of power and all frequencies above 10 meters including the very popular 70 cm and 2 meter bands. Good luck getting all your family and friends to donall that just to be able to use local repeaters and talk to each other in activities. GMRS is useful for 90 percent people people that need radio coms. |
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I won't say the HA1G is a perfect choice, but based on the website it looks to have good controls, and nice screen. While it is missing a 'flash light', it is IP67 rating. Well worth the trade off. remember CTCSS/DCS Codes on the radio stops you from hearing it, if configured. But all other radios without that feature or configured to support it will get 100% on what you are talking about. for repeater use I don't think the GMRS freq is a high use feature. These type of radios are line of sight. Now if there is a local repeater in the area; bonus. https://www.repeaterbook.com/gmrs/ My research indicates just 3 in the local area. Not sure if where I am in town I would get one tho. |
The last thing a tyrant wants is their ideas to be judged on the battle field of truth and justice.
| It doesn't matter how awesome your radio is if you live in a place where your LOS is considerably shorter than the capability of most radios. My china radio gets the same range as our very expensive company radios with roof mounted antennas on our trucks, Because mountains. Our repeater is limited, because mountains. We have no cell phone service, because mountains. I'm sure in Iowa the truck radios with tall antennas would blow my hand held away but I don't live there lol |
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Originally Posted By Paul: Spend a few hours and get your technicians amateur license. No code required, and I've tested 8-year olds and 80-years olds and both have passed. That will get you access to 1500 watts of power and all frequencies above 10 meters including the very popular 70 cm and 2 meter bands. My wife, kids, friends, and acquaintances aren't going to get their tech licenses. I'm pretty sure none them will ever GAF about how many watts of power, or what wavelength they're talking on. Ground planes and resistors don't excite them. SWR doesn't motivate their morning. Whenever I've been in a situation where radios were required to do something, I'm the only dork that can legally use one. I've had my tech license for almost 20 years, and except for meeting a few very nice, 70-80 year old radio dorks, my HAM radios haven't ever been used much for communication. I've picked up some nice Chinese gmrs radios so i can communicate with friends and family in the outdoors/on the road when I need to. |
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