Recommendation on a mobile with removable faceplate

[WRKW444]

Does anyone have a recommendation for a mobile with a removable faceplate or remote head?  I recently purchased a Retevis RA-87 and I like it, but I dont have anywhere ih my vehicle to to mount it.

[OffRoaderX]

The only GMRS radio with a removable face that comes to mind is the KG-1000G+ ... I have had several (one in each Jeep, one in the office.. 2 turned into a repeater).. and have many (manyy) friends with them, and they are all happy with it.

The only thing I dont like is that the faceplate is really hard to get off because the connector/latch is so tight.. I guess that's a good thing, and if you just mount it and forget it, it's a non-issue.. But if you put in on/take it off every day, it's a thumbnail killer.

[WRUE951]

Since you don't mention GMRS only i would recommend an Anytone AT5888UV which has a removable head (works easy) and they sell a separation kit which is basically a long CAT 3 or 5 cable and a mount for the head.   If you are 3D savvy you can make your own head mount.  This is a dual band radio. The one i have, which I rdon't use anymore came shipped unlocked so was able to program GMRS.  I used in my last jeep for a while then  went to a Midland MXT575 (which i liked a lot)..   

[Socalgmrs]

Well if we don’t care about staying part 95 legit a Motorola  mcs2000  trunk mount is about the best you can get.  They will last way longer than consumer junk for less money and can take waaay more abuse.  And they come in  40w and 100w flavors. 

[WRYZ926]

Oh my, mister stickler for the Rules is recommending a 100 Watt radio for GMRS when the power limit is 50 Watts???? I wonder if he actually read the regulations like he tells everyone else to do.

And as @OffRoaderX  stated, the Wouxun KG-1000G and KG-1000G Plus radios are the only Part 95 certified consumer grade radios with a removable face plate. And they work right out of the box and are easy to program through the radio or with the Wouxun CPS from Buy Two Way Radios.

Yes you can buy an amateur band or commercial band radio and open them up to work on GMRS but then you get into the whole Part 95 Certification. And we will leave that argument for another time.

[WRTC928]

The TYT TH-7900 has worked well for me. I also have the AnyTone AT5888UV III which is the tri-band version of the AT5888UV. I like it a bit better than the TYT, but it's slightly more expensive. Either one would serve just fine, IMO. TBH, there aren't a lot of radios with a removable head unit. 

I've used the TH-7900 with the head unit in a different room from the radio, separated by a 50' cable, and it worked just fine. I haven't tried that with the AnyTone, but it probably would work. 

[OffRoaderX]

38 minutes ago, WRYZ926 said:

Yes you can buy an amateur band or commercial band radio and open them up to work on GMRS but then you get into the whole Part 95 Certification.

Not to mention that a H.A.M.s radios that has been unlocked to transmit on GMRS does not make it a "GMRS radio" .. You will have to do everything - ALL the programming, EVERYTHING manually, yourself.. For many people this is no big deal.. For many others, it is a dealbreaker..  With a real "GMRS Radio", you take it out of the box, turn it on, pick a channel and talk.. not so with a H.A.M.s radios that is made to transmit on GMRS frequencies..

[WRYZ926]

1 minute ago, OffRoaderX said:

Not to mention that a H.A.M.s radios that has been unlocked to transmit on GMRS does not make it a "GMRS radio" .. You will have to do everything - ALL the programming, EVERYTHING manually, yourself.. For many people this is no big deal.. For many others, it is a dealbreaker..  With a real "GMRS Radio", you take it out of the box, turn it on, pick a channel and talk.. not so with a H.A.M.s radios that is made to transmit on GMRS frequencies..

And that is why I will always recommend a Part 95 certified GMRS radio for those new to radio. As you said, they work right out of the box and are easy to program.

[WRUE951]

5 hours ago, WRYZ926 said:

Oh my, mister stickler for the Rules is recommending a 100 Watt radio for GMRS when the power limit is 50 Watts???? I wonder if he actually read the regulations like he tells everyone else to do.

And as @OffRoaderX  stated, the Wouxun KG-1000G and KG-1000G Plus radios are the only Part 95 certified consumer grade radios with a removable face plate. And they work right out of the box and are easy to program through the radio or with the Wouxun CPS from Buy Two Way Radios.

Yes you can buy an amateur band or commercial band radio and open them up to work on GMRS but then you get into the whole Part 95 Certification. And we will leave that argument for another time.

On my 5888UV, i programed and (listened) to GMRS    but loved to use it for my HAM contacts.   Really great radio it was.  

[WRYZ926]

25 minutes ago, WRUE951 said:

On my 5888UV, i programed and (listened) to GMRS    but loved to use it for my HAM contacts.   Really great radio it was.  

There are plenty of amateur band radios with removable face plates that can be MARS modded/unlocked to work on GMRS. Some work better than others.

Again they will not be Part 95 certified. Some people actually do care about that.

And repeater offsets will have to be manually programmed through the radio or using CPS from the manufacturers or CHIRP. None of them will automatically put in the correct repeater offset. I know for a fact that the TYT, Icom, RT Systems and CHIRP software will not automatically input the correct offset for GMRS repeaters on radios that have been unlocked/MARS modded.

Yes I have a few that have been modded/unlocked. I can say that the TYT TH-7800 and TH-8600 performs better on GMRS than a modded Icom IC-2730. The Wouxun KG-Q10H does just as well as the KG-Q10G and KG-935G when it comes to hand held radios.

[Jaay]

15 hours ago, WRTC928 said:

The TYT TH-7900 has worked well for me. I also have the AnyTone AT5888UV III which is the tri-band version of the AT5888UV. I like it a bit better than the TYT, but it's slightly more expensive. Either one would serve just fine, IMO. TBH, there aren't a lot of radios with a removable head unit. 

I've used the TH-7900 with the head unit in a different room from the radio, separated by a 50' cable, and it worked just fine. I haven't tried that with the AnyTone, but it probably would work. 

The Anytone Tri band is a great choice too, For HAMS. The AT -5888UVIII which covers 2m/1.25m/70cm.  and will RECEIVE Gmrs for those who want to scan it. 

[WSHH887]

On 5/30/2025 at 9:39 AM, OffRoaderX said:

But if you put in on/take it off every day, it's a thumbnail killer.

What are these things you call thumbnails?  I only see finger appendages on women and men whose greatest work hazard are paper cuts