Commercial hand held for GMRS

[WRYQ303]

I am looking for a commercial hand held for GMRS/ ham that is easy to program and relatively low cost. Prefer 100+ channels. To clarify- i have both ham radio, GMRS only and MURS only hand held radios. I also have 2 Kenwood TK-880 and TK-780. I am in CERT and RACES and want a more robust radio to use in the field. 

Thanks.

Edited October 20, 2025 by WRYQ303
update info

[WRUE951]

43 minutes ago, WRTC928 said:

I understand that, but my question is about the use case. "Good enough" is a valid concept, and for probably 85% of the things people use radios for, the better quality of a commercial radio just won't matter. If the OP (or anyone else) wants a commercial radio just because they want the best, I'm not knocking that; I'm just curious. 

I'll be honest,, my Baofengs talk 'out' just as good as my Commercial Radios.   But the Scan features, Zones, user profiles and flexibility to use both DMR and Analog in one radio cant be beat.   Another thing most ignore is the screen quality on Commercial vs. Baofeng and its cousins..  I can use my commercial HT's outside in the brightest sunlight without any issues..  To me, thats worth it because im an outdoor guy and i don't need any frustration..  it raises my blood pressure 

[BoxCar]

Retevis has models marked as "commercial," but almost any BaoFeng 888 model (no display) works. You can get the 888s for $9.40 each if you buy 10.

https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=fdae2ed02726d8dcb08335e22fc46878f5a9bed62bd4815cee9fd6f2c849ebcfJmltdHM9MTc2MDkxODQwMA&ptn=3&ver=2&hsh=4&fclid=2b433dc8-0414-6e56-0a86-2ee605c26f18&u=a1L3Nob3AvcHJvZHVjdHBhZ2U_cT1CRis4ODhzJmZpbHRlcnM9c2NlbmFyaW8lM2ElMjIxNyUyMitnVHlwZSUzYSUyMjMlMjIrZ0lkJTNhJTIyU181RTI3OTMzQzI5QzBBMEFERkEyNEZDQzM3MUMzMUNDQSUyMitnSWRIYXNoJTNhJTIyMzQ5MDM5ODYxNiUyMitnR2xvYmFsT2ZmZXJJZHMlM2ElMjIyNDgzMDg5NTIzOTQlMjIrQXVjQ29udGV4dEd1aWQlM2ElMjIwJTIyK0dyb3VwRW50aXR5SWQlM2ElMjJTXzVFMjc5MzNDMjlDMEEwQURGQTI0RkNDMzcxQzMxQ0NBJTIyK05vblNwb25zb3JlZE9mZmVyJTNhJTIyVHJ1ZSUyMiZwcm9kdWN0cGFnZT10cnVlJkZPUk09U0hQUERQJmJyb3dzZT10cnVl&ntb=1

[HHD1]

GMRS and HAM

or

GMRS or HAM 

???

Playing by the rules means you can only have one or the other.  Otherwise, I suggest the Baofeng AR-5rm.

[HHD1]

ooooh yeah, I like the 888's too

[WRUE951]

Motorola, Kenwood, Hytera, Maxon,,,,,     THey are going to be pricey compared to Baofangs and its cousins.    Whatever you do,  don’t start with the radio first.   Research the CPM first,  make sure you can get a copy and at a reasonable price.   Commercial radios are a different animal and learning curve.   Personaly I like the Hytera stuff and have lots of it.  For awhile the used market was full of some very good and even new in boxes gear for very cheap monies.   It’s all gone now,   Be prepared to pay premium.  ANother thing to watch out for,   The firmware of the radio has to match the CPM version.   SO it might be wise to find and acquire all versions of CPM for you radio manufacture choice.  YOu never know what you will get when buying your radio.   PLaces like AtlanticRadio will give you the CPM if you buy from them.  REsearch First, Buy last

[WRTC928]

Why does it specifically have to be a commercial radio? I have a couple of Baofeng AR-5RMs that I've dropped, beaten, and abused, and they still work just fine. I'm not challenging your choices; I'm just saying that unless lives depend upon the radio, maybe the cost of a true commercial radio isn't justified.

[WRUE951]

13 minutes ago, WRTC928 said:

Why does it specifically have to be a commercial radio? I have a couple of Baofeng AR-5RMs that I've dropped, beaten, and abused, and they still work just fine. I'm not challenging your choices; I'm just saying that unless lives depend upon the radio, maybe the cost of a true commercial radio isn't justified.

Commercial radios have a lot more features you wont find in Baofengs and its cousins..  However, Baofeng is catching on and beginning to implement these with their new radios,,  good thing.  But still, the quality and user experience from a good commercial radio can't be beat.  But you have to pay for it...  Commerical radios are NOT cheap anymore,,  the heyday is gone.  

[WRTC928]

9 minutes ago, WRUE951 said:

Commercial radios have a lot more features you wont find in Baofengs and its cousins..  However, Baofeng is catching on and beginning to implement these with their new radios,,  good thing.  But still, the quality and user experience from a good commercial radio can't be beat.  But you have to pay for it...  Commerical radios are NOT cheap anymore,,  the heyday is gone.  

I understand that, but my question is about the use case. "Good enough" is a valid concept, and for probably 85% of the things people use radios for, the better quality of a commercial radio just won't matter. If the OP (or anyone else) wants a commercial radio just because they want the best, I'm not knocking that; I'm just curious. 

[MarkInTampa]

16 minutes ago, WRUE951 said:

Commercial radios have a lot more features you wont find in Baofengs and its cousins..  However, Baofeng is catching on and beginning to implement these with their new radios,,  good thing.  But still, the quality and user experience from a good commercial radio can't be beat.  But you have to pay for it...  Commerical radios are NOT cheap anymore,,  the heyday is gone.  

The funny part is those cheapo Baofengs have a lot of features that commercial radios do not have. Things like tone scan, vfo scan, program from the keypad, VHF reception, FM broadcast reception, NOAA reception, etc. Guess it depends on what you want to do with the radio.

[LeoG]

1 hour ago, WRYQ303 said:

I am looking for a commercial hand held for GMRS/ ham that is easy to program and relatively low cost. Prefer 100+ channels.

Thanks.

Man, what a bunch of oxymoron requests.  Commercial radios are usually only programmable by computer, which means you need an app and computer that will work with each other and you have to learn the software.  Most if not all commercial radios are much more expensive than the CCR that are abundant and easily programmable.  Not sure about 100+ channels on a commercial radio, most of the older radios I've seen are 16 channels, no display and need to be programmed by computer.

[WRTC928]

12 minutes ago, MarkInTampa said:

The funny part is those cheapo Baofengs have a lot of features that commercial radios do not have. Things like tone scan, vfo scan, program from the keypad, VHF reception, FM broadcast reception, NOAA reception, etc. Guess it depends on what you want to do with the radio.

That's why I'm curious. There's nothing wrong with wanting "the best", but I think it's important to weigh the advantages/disadvantages against what you want the radio to do.

[WRUE951]

34 minutes ago, MarkInTampa said:

The funny part is those cheapo Baofengs have a lot of features that commercial radios do not have. Things like tone scan, vfo scan, program from the keypad, VHF reception, FM broadcast reception, NOAA reception, etc. Guess it depends on what you want to do with the radio.

true.. But honestly, i have never used tone scan on any radio.. Not even playing with it..  You can have VFO scan,,  i'll take the scan features in commercial radios any day and plus on Sundays..  I can program my Hytera HTS from the front panel.  In fact i can custom create the menu how i want to do that..   No,, you don't get the bandwidth flexibility with commercial, i just buy the radios for my needs,.  Yes i have both VHF and UHF Hytera's..  Even a VHF repeater and a few UHF

[WRUE951]

36 minutes ago, LeoG said:

Man, what a bunch of oxymoron requests.  Commercial radios are usually only programmable by computer, which means you need an app and computer that will work with each other and you have to learn the software.  Most if not all commercial radios are much more expensive than the CCR that are abundant and easily programmable.  Not sure about 100+ channels on a commercial radio, most of the older radios I've seen are 16 channels, no display and need to be programmed by computer.

you feel asleep keeping up with the commerical market..   Wake Up!   

[LeoG]

It's very possible.

[WRYQ303]

40 minutes ago, LeoG said:

Man, what a bunch of oxymoron requests.  Commercial radios are usually only programmable by computer, which means you need an app and computer that will work with each other and you have to learn the software.  Most if not all commercial radios are much more expensive than the CCR that are abundant and easily programmable.  Not sure about 100+ channels on a commercial radio, most of the older radios I've seen are 16 channels, no display and need to be programmed by computer.

Thanks for the help. I have specific needs hence my question and yes I do own several of the CCR radios!

[Lscott]

2 hours ago, WRYQ303 said:

I am looking for a commercial hand held for GMRS/ ham that is easy to program and relatively low cost. Prefer 100+ channels. To clarify- i have both ham radio, GMRS only and MURS only hand held radios. I also have 2 Kenwood TK-880 and TK-780. I am in CERT and RACES and want a more robust radio to use in the field. 

Thanks.

I would recommend you look at the Kenwood TK-3180 HT, specifically the 400-470MHz band split. While not Part 95 certified, the 450-520MHz split is, it's a good radio, 512 channels, but somewhat bulky. Some people don't care if the radio has Part 95 certification and so far the FCC hasn't bothered anyone using such radios so long as they are programmed to comply with the rules. The 450-520MHz version is much easier to find. They can also be "pushed" to operate in the Ham 70cm band, at least in the repeater section.

The TK-2180's are great VHF radios. The band split is 136-174MHz making them perfect for Ham 2M, MURS, Railroad FM, Marine FM and NOAA. Again for MURS you have the Part 95 certification issue to think about. 

https://forums.mygmrs.com/gallery/image/417-tk-2180jpg/?context=new

If you want a more compact radio then the NX-1300 series might be worth a look. They are in current production and might be outside of your budget window. Even used they aren't exactly cheap. Again the 400-470MHz band split is good for Ham 70cm and GMRS. Note again the radio isn't Part 95 certified. As I mentioned with the TK-3180 the FCC doesn't seem to be bother people with Part 90 radios being used on GMRS. One nice thing about this radio is it will do either DMR or NXDN digital voice depending on which firmware and feature license key is loaded on the radio. The DMR feature might be attractive to you for Ham. You can convert from one digital mode to the other for about $40, the cost of the conversion license. Some of the used radios out there are FM only, again with a feature license you can add one of the two digital voice modes to the radio.

https://forums.mygmrs.com/gallery/image/290-nx-1300duk5/?context=new

I have the DMR and NXDN versions of the UHF model, and the DMR version of the VHF model.

The cheapest Kenwood radio I carry around is the TK-3170, which is Part 95 certified BTW. There is an identical looking TK-3173, which has FM trunking, but otherwise works just like the TK-3170. These radios are only 450-490MHz. I've had no problems "pushing" the radio to operate down into the repeater section of the Ham 70cm band.

The TK-2170 VHF radio is a very good one. Same band split and coverage as the TK-2180. Worth a look.

https://forums.mygmrs.com/gallery/image/263-tk-3170jpg/?context=new

All of the above radios I have along with programming software and code plugs.

The below link is a list of other radios I have if you have an interest in them I might be able to answer some questions and provide software and sample code plugs and documentation such as user manuals, service manuals etc.

https://forums.mygmrs.com/gallery/image/249-my-radio-collection/?context=new

 

[Lscott]

2 hours ago, LeoG said:

Man, what a bunch of oxymoron requests.  Commercial radios are usually only programmable by computer, which means you need an app and computer that will work with each other and you have to learn the software.  Most if not all commercial radios are much more expensive than the CCR that are abundant and easily programmable.  Not sure about 100+ channels on a commercial radio, most of the older radios I've seen are 16 channels, no display and need to be programmed by computer.

While true in the general case there are exceptions. For example my NX-1300DUK5 is front panel programmable. The procedure is outlined in the service manual. Some radios you have to purchase a license to enable it. In the case of the NX-1K series it's included for free. Just have to enable it in the programming software and load the code plug into the radio. 

One one thing you generally don't get is a true "VFO Mode" in the radio. I typically work around that by programming a sequence of memory channels with the usual channel spacing and use the frequency as the channel name tag. Thus when scrolling through the memory channels it looks like you have a VFO with a fixed frequency step size. The more channels you have the wider the range you can cover this way. 

NX-1200_1300 Front Panel Programming.pdf

[WRTC928]

7 hours ago, WRUE951 said:

I'll be honest,, my Baofengs talk 'out' just as good as my Commercial Radios.   But the Scan features, Zones, user profiles and flexibility to use both DMR and Analog in one radio cant be beat.   Another thing most ignore is the screen quality on Commercial vs. Baofeng and its cousins..  I can use my commercial HT's outside in the brightest sunlight without any issues..  To me, thats worth it because im an outdoor guy and i don't need any frustration..  it raises my blood pressure 

Those are valid reasons, although except for the difficulty reading the screen in bright sunlight, the rest aren't issues for me. TBH, if it weren't for the learning curve of programming the darned things, I might buy a commercial radio, but only one, because most of the time, it doesn't matter to me.

I wish the Anytone AT-5888UVIII in my car weren't so darned hard to read in the sunlight. I'd pay quite a bit to replace it with a commercial-quality radio with the same capabilities, but I'm not aware of any commercial radios that cover 2m, 1.25m, 70cm, and GMRS with 25 watts output on 1.25m. 

[gortex2]

I have to laugh. Guys asks for a commercial radio and ther are multiple posts telling him a CCR is better. Many of us use commerical gear. Many reasons for that.

All my radios allow FPP, but I dont know the last time I had to change a frequency in them. If you plan ahead its fine. There is only 3 ham repeaters in my county and the RACES team has a handful of simplex channels. 

As lscott mentioned Kenwood is a good choise as is Motorola. The XPR and XTS series are decent radios with over 100 channels. 

[Lscott]

1 hour ago, gortex2 said:

mentioned Kenwood is a good choise as is Motorola

For the Motorola fans the XPR6550's are good radios. Just be sure you get the 400-470 MHz band split version without the trunking firmware loaded in it. Also make sure it hasn't been programmed using Motorola's CPS 2.0 software, and some report it sucks. Once "touched" by that you're stuck using it forever. The best version is the older CPS 16 Build 828. I have patch files for it to clear passwords and enable wide band over the full range.

The radios use a near enough standard SMA antenna port so with an adapter an external antenna can be used.

The radios will do narrow, and wide band with the patch, FM plus DMR, total of 1000 channels. 

I picked up a few just to try out for a reasonable price on eBay, at the time I paid about $100 to $150 each. 

The XPR7550's are a better radio, but use a weird stud type antenna port. Since I like to use my radios mobile a standard antenna port is a requirement for me at least.

https://forums.mygmrs.com/gallery/image/261-motorola-xpr6550jpeg/?context=new

 

[WRTC928]

6 hours ago, Lscott said:

For the Motorola fans the XPR6550's are good radios. Just be sure you get the 400-470 MHz band split version without the trunking firmware loaded in it. Also make sure it hasn't been programmed using Motorola's CPS 2.0 software, and some report it sucks. Once "touched" by that you're stuck using it forever. The best version is the older CPS 16 Build 828. I have patch files for it to clear passwords and enable wide band over the full range.

The radios use a near enough standard SMA antenna port so with an adapter an external antenna can be used.

The radios will do narrow, and wide band with the patch, FM plus DMR, total of 1000 channels. 

I picked up a few just to try out for a reasonable price on eBay, at the time I paid about $100 to $150 each. 

The XPR7550's are a better radio, but use a weird stud type antenna port. Since I like to use my radios mobile a standard antenna port is a requirement for me at least.

https://forums.mygmrs.com/gallery/image/261-motorola-xpr6550jpeg/?context=new

 

This stuff right here is why I'd have to have a pretty compelling reason to get a commercial radio instead of an off-the-shelf GMRS or ham radio supported by easy-to-use software I'm already familiar with. I'm not saying you or anyone else shouldn't buy one, but for me, the juice ain't worth the squeeze.

[WRTC928]

8 hours ago, gortex2 said:

I have to laugh. Guys asks for a commercial radio and ther are multiple posts telling him a CCR is better. Many of us use commerical gear. Many reasons for that.

I'd never tell someone a CCR is better unless I knew what he was trying to do with it. That's why I was asking about the OP's use case. What are some of the many reasons for that? I'm not busting your b*lls; I would like to figure out if any of those reasons apply to me.

[nokones]

8 hours ago, gortex2 said:

I have to laugh. Guys asks for a commercial radio and ther are multiple posts telling him a CCR is better. Many of us use commerical gear. Many reasons for that.

All my radios allow FPP, but I dont know the last time I had to change a frequency in them. If you plan ahead its fine. There is only 3 ham repeaters in my county and the RACES team has a handful of simplex channels. 

As lscott mentioned Kenwood is a good choise as is Motorola. The XPR and XTS series are decent radios with over 100 channels. 

I agree. The TK 780 & 880s are great radios, but the band splits are not conducive for amateur freqs. I believe you would need to go with the TK7180 and 8180s for Ham stuff.

I have a gazillion XTS and XTL radios in both VHF and UHF bands. I also have a couple XPR radios.

DMR is ok, but I prefer P25 digital over DMR.

[nokones]

I likely doubt that anyone will ever see a cheap POS Pandaland radio be as robust as Kenwood and Motorola radios a d co tinted to provide quality service for decades.

I have several 30 & 40 year old Motorola radios that are in excellent shape and work very well, and are well supported by the after-markets.

[nokones]

29 minutes ago, WRTC928 said:

This stuff right here is why I'd have to have a pretty compelling reason to get a commercial radio instead of an off-the-shelf GMRS or ham radio supported by easy-to-use software I'm already familiar with. I'm not saying you or anyone else shouldn't buy one, but for me, the juice ain't worth the squeeze.

For a simple quality built GMRS radio, the Midland MXT500 radio is a great radio if you want keep it simple.