I wanted to find a pair of handhelds I could give to my young kids while out hiking and exploring. Something that will help them feel more confident going out of sight, while remaining in contact with Mom and Dad, and not having to worry about losing / breaking an expensive radio. Keep in mind they are 5 and 8 years old doing 7+ mile hikes while carrying their own food and water. Keeping gear weight down is important.
My requirements are (in order of importance):
Small form factor and lightweight
Relatively cheap, but decent build quality
USB rechargeable
What I looked at:
Baofeng UV-5G
BAOFENG G11S
Radioddity FS-T1
TIDRADIO TD-H5
Midland x-Talker (existing radio)
Size Comparison:
Radioddity FS-T1
Weight: 4.25 oz
Battery Capacity: 1500 mAh, 3.7V
Size: (see comparison pic)
The only new FRS radio, and also the cheapest at $35 for the pair. And you get what you pay for here. This one was easily the lowest quality of the bunch and just felt cheap and plasticky. The belt clip was terrible and looks like it will snap in no time. The flap covering the charging port ripped off during the first charge session. And micro-usb!?? Come on man … bummer. Not impressed at all.
Verdict: Hard pass.
BAOFENG G11S
Weight: ?? forgot to do this stuff
Battery Capacity: ??
Size:??
I liked this one, good build quality, durable feeling. But it was simply too big and heavy for the kids. I would recommend this if you want to get a decent GMRS HT that is simple to use for adult friends who are not radio dorks.
Verdict: Returned.
TIDRADIO TD-H5
Weight: 8.75 oz
Battery Capacity: 1500 mAh, 7.4V
Size: (see comparison pic)
The only one of the bunch with an actual USB-C charging port on the battery! Dang, why is this such a hard thing to find? Not sure, but moving on … You get a lot of stuff in this package, 2 radios, extra batteries, microphones, and more. But you also get what you pay for as well. Smaller battery capacity and while the radio felt decent in my hands, it had one really annoying issue that won’t bother most people. The channel selector has ~ 5 millisecond delay between when you press the button and when the radio responds. I work in software and performance issues like this drives me nuts, no way would I be happy using this. Interestingly the radio is much more responsive in menu settings. So the delay issue, larger / heavier form factor, smaller battery out-weighed the benefit of USB-C charging.
Verdict: Returned.
Baofeng UV-5G
Weight: 7.6 oz
Battery Capacity: 1800 mAh, 7.4V
Size: (see comparison pic)
I was really impressed with this one. It’s not the smallest or lightest, but it has a small enough form factor that when the kids wore it on their packs they did not complain. Has all the awesome features you already know about and love. Not much else I can say that hasn’t already been said by others. The only draw back on this is the standard battery still requires a charging cradle. Some other users pointed out that the upgraded battery pack comes with a barrel charger that can work on a USB adapter. That’s cool, if only we could do that on the standard size battery.
Verdict: Will keep this one for Mom and Dad!
Overall Conclusion:
Unfortunately, I was not able to find what I was looking for and will continue using the Midland x-talker FRS blister pack radios for the kids. It’s small and light weight and gets the job done. I’ll just have to be diligent about bringing extra set of fresh batteries. On the plus side, Mom and Dad got an awesome pair of repeater-capable radios with the UV-5G!