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I'm not trying to poke the bear with this question. I would like to spend my money on American products where I can. At least on a USA based company, preferred manufactured here too. It is not the only decision factor but one that I try to include in my pros and cons list when weighing my purchase decisions. If hypothetically, everything the same, I would pay a few extra dollars for something that I knew was based and made in the USA rather than all overseas. I will still buy stuff from overseas if it is by far superior in every way and fits my needs. I'm not brand loyal yet, since I am still very new to GMRS and I have not been about buying something for status since I was a freshman in high school LOL. Thanks!

People need radios when they wheel because cell service is usually non-existent. Not sure that would be a real viable option off road. Might be good in other situations though.

same here...and the wonderful uv........

Aha. You’re the guy I blame for spending $320 on an “Ocean” radio instead of just being satisfied with my Baofeng BF-F8HP HT and a mag mount antenna. . Seriously your GMRS vids are great. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Motorola Solutions is HQ in Chicago, built overseas JVC Kenwood is HQ in Long Beach, CA, built in Japan All are the same, Alinco is CA, Btech is KS, Midland is KC, but none are manufactured here.

Everything is made overseas, but may have USA offices. The Japanese stuff is superior to the Chinese made stuff. Stick with brands that support public safety (LEO & FD) like Motorola and Kenwood if you want things to last and put up with the abuse. There are kenwoods running right now that use a DOS programming software.... that old.

just make sure its 69 miles away....

Hey! We got a celebrity in here!!

I've got 2 Jeeps - In my 2012 JKU "NotARubicon" I have a Wouxun KG-1000G .. In the wife's 2006 LJ "IsARubicon" I put in a BTech GMRS 50X1 .. Happy with both, but the Wouxun is a far better radio.

Just finished my Wouxun KG-1000G install with a Midland 6db antenna. Fabricated the mount from 3/16" aluminum and used an existing attachment for my 100w solar panel. I already had a CB mount from Quadratec,, and so far it passes muster with my co-pilot since this radio is smaller than the CB it is replacing. I had to run new power straight from the battery to supply the 15 amps and a new ground to the chassis. Mic Mount is a $6 workman plastic clip with some VHB tape to a leftover Ram ball mount I already had. I may get a longer arm to get it down out of the way a bit more...

The entry level Technicians exam is fairly easy, but I personally took (and still take) the examination process quite seriously. I wanted to get my ham ticket 40 years ago, but was put off by the CW portion of the exam. Only this past year did I learn it was no longer a subject that was tested on, so with this knowledge I finally decided to study for my license. I obtained both my Technician and the General Class upgrade. I now am actively working towards the Extra Class. For me, amateur radio is all about gaining knowledge, experimentation and then working and collaborating with others that share that passion. Some get into it just because they want to use the cool cheap walkie-talkies that are available now. Many folks I have heard say ‘just memorize the answers’. For me, that was the last thing I wanted to do. Yes, I wanted to pass, and I new I would given my nearly 40 years working in a branch of the communications field. However, I have always admired the hams and looked up to those that were took it seriously. I knew many that had some good solid technical chops. I was not going to sell myself short if I entered. I studied the books, went on lots of learning trails to fill in knowledge gaps, then took many practice tests and researched each topic when I got something wrong until finally I knew I could get every possible question right. You can feel pretty good about yourself and your accomplishments when you study, I know I did on test day. As I reflected on passing each exam, I realized that passing was truly nothing more than just earning my ticket, my permission to enter. I learned that the knowledge gained in the testing process was just a drop in the bucket compared to what there is know. There is still so much more to learn and so little time to learn it. I wish I had not waited. Don’t sell yourself short. Take it seriously, then get your ticket and enjoy the learning process which is the amateur radio hobby. Michael WRHS965 KE8PLM

That's real nice, but on this forum, we generally try not to recommend people doing illegal things. Keep in mind that Baofeng UV-5 series and F8 series radios are not type accepted for use on GMRS, thus, you are in fact breaking the law. If you were running a Part 95 accepted 25-40 Watt radio such as a Kenwood, Motorola, or even a Midland MXT400 with a quarter-wave antenna on your roof, you would be able to easily reach the back of your convoy at 3-5 Miles, legally.

As there are no more GMRS or FRS channels, there is no need to block transmission on any frequencies other than the GMRS repeater inputs on those radios that are repeater capable*. OTOH, depending on the default configuration of the radio, it may be necessary to adjust bandwidth and power settings on some channels for FRS users. * EDIT Footnote added. There were never many GMRS/FRS combined radios that were repeater capable anyway. And, any new FRS certified radios don't need to (can't?) be configured.