Simplest, most fool proof HT

[Paul357]

I know there are dozens of threads asking which radio to get: best, cheapest, easiest to program, etc.

What I am look for is the most fool proof radio to operate. I don't even care if its a nightmare to program, so long as it's a cinch to use.

This is my scenario: Every year around this time we do a big Christmas tree cutting expedition with the family. We take 3 vehicles and around 8-10 people. We drive way up an old fire road and then hike around the forest. These are all my immediate family members so I pass out GMRS and a few FRS HT's to the group.  Even if I streamline all the features and lock the keypads, these folks still manage to render their radios useless. Wrong channel, volume off, pressing the wrong key for PTT, etc. That's assuming they remember to actually carry them. The FRS radios fare the best but there have been times where the range of FRS simply didn't cut it.

Radios with big batteries, big screens, lots of buttons, etc are great sometimes. But all those features make an HT bigger, bulkier, and confusing to operate.

So what I am looking for is the most basic, compact, stone simple, fool proof GMRS HT on the market. 

[WRYS709]

Radioddity GM-30 a/k/a Baofeng UV-15 Pro GMRS radios; program them and then lock them down to the same channel.

[Lscott]

11 minutes ago, Paul357 said:

So what I am looking for is the most basic, compact, stone simple, fool proof GMRS HT on the market.

While this is a commercial grade radio it’s about as simple as you can get. If you shop carefully you can find them used for a decent price. Make sure you get a charger base, battery pack and antenna. There are easily found. The programming cable is the usual two-pin type found on many of the Chinese radios. Programing software is relatively easy to find too.

The radio no display and a bare minimum of buttons, which you can program, to do nothing if you want, except for the PTT. 

To keep people from mucking up the channel selection just program all 16 memories for the same frequency. That way the channel selector setting is irrelevant.

All you have left is the PTT and power/volume knob. Basically almost screwup proof.

The TK-3160 is the UHF version at 4 watts. 

The TK-2160 is VHF, which you can program for the license free MURS channels.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-Use_Radio_Service

Being miles from civilization I wouldn’t worry about FCC certification. Past a few miles nobody is likely to hear you on either UHF or VHF. In fact the VHF radio, 5 watts, might be a better choice for moderate to heavily wooded areas where UHF radios have range issues.

An FCC certified MURS radio is limited to 2 watts max BTW.

TK-2160_3160 Brochure.pdf

[73blazer]

I pass out my 905G's for this duty. No programming needed, pick a channel, lock it, and the only functions that work in locked mode are the PTT and volume/on/off knob. Channel knob and all other keys do nothing in locked mode. 

[amaff]

6 minutes ago, 73blazer said:

I pass out my 905G's for this duty. No programming needed, pick a channel, lock it, and the only functions that work in locked mode are the PTT and volume/on/off knob. Channel knob and all other keys do nothing in locked mode. 

Same with me. The 905 / 805 are *super* simple to use, and don't have a hundred buttons on the front face to confuse the non-radio people in the group.

[WRYZ926]

I agree with everyone that said to use either a used business band radio or the Wouxun 805G/905G.

I can't recommend any of the Cobra or Midland GMRS hand held radios like you find at the big box stores. I've never had any luck with those, they are poor performers.

Another option is a cheap Baofeng GMRS radio and lock the buttons so no one can change the settings.

[tweiss3]

Anything you can program a single channel to. Make all 16 on the knob the same channel. Even better if there isn't a screen. 

[amaff]

2 minutes ago, tweiss3 said:

Anything you can program a single channel to. Make all 16 on the knob the same channel. Even better if there isn't a screen. 

That works until you have any unexpected interference or unwanted traffic. That's why I love the 805/905G when you need something simple.

You can lock the menus / keypad but allow the channel selector knob to still work, that way you have a really simple plan (We'll be on 7. If we have any noise, let's swap to 4) that even the kids can implement, without being overwhelmed by "wait, how do I unlock the keypad? And which of these 2 dozen buttons do I push to change the channel?"

[HHD1]

The Baofeng BF-888S  hands down

2 knobs.  1 to power on and adjust volume. The other to select channel.  And a voice lets you know what channel you're on.

They are lightweight so you don't even know it's on your belt.

So simple that even a granny that gets confused by a tv remote can use it with her eyes closed.

[WRUE951]

cheap commerical radios, preferably the 3 cH ver. A B C,.  Just program all three to the same CH. EBAY has tons of these used ... Motorola, Kenwood, Hytera etc...  But you gotta to program them or buy them pre-programed.  

[amaff]

1 minute ago, HHD1 said:

Baofeng BF-888S 

Also a good option

[Lscott]

56 minutes ago, amaff said:

Also a good option

Those BF-888S are typically a 2 watt radio I believe. At least the old versions were. Might as well use an FRS radio.

[Lscott]

38 minutes ago, HHD1 said:

So simple that even a granny that gets confused by a tv remote can use it with her eyes closed.

Likely would end up trying to talk into the back side of the radio and can't figure out why nobody can hear her. 

[Paul357]

2 hours ago, 73blazer said:

I pass out my 905G's for this duty. No programming needed, pick a channel, lock it, and the only functions that work in locked mode are the PTT and volume/on/off knob. Channel knob and all other keys do nothing in locked mode. 

Ah, so locking the radio disables the channel knob? That's good to know. We use HT's at work that don't lock the channel knob. Drives me crazy.

55 minutes ago, HHD1 said:

 

So simple that even a granny that gets confused by a tv remote can use it with her eyes closed.

That would be my mother.

[amaff]

16 minutes ago, Paul357 said:

Ah, so locking the radio disables the channel knob? That's good to know. We use HT's at work that don't lock the channel knob. Drives me crazy.

Depends how you set the menu.

[27: LOCK-M] Lock Mode
Function: Select which keys are disabled when the radio is locked.
Options: KEY/KEY+PTT/KEY+ENC/ALL

KEY: Locks the front keypad and [PF1] and [PF2] side keys.
KEY+PTT: Locks the front keypad, [PF1] and [PF2] side keys, and [PTT].
KEY+ENC: Locks the front keypad, [PF1] and [PF2] side keys, and channel knob.
ALL: Locks the front keypad, [PF1] and [PF2] side keys, [PTT], and channel knob

 

KEY is where mine's set (at least, with the 905. I have no direct experience w/ the 805 but I imagine it's similar), so that the only things that work are the Volume, Channel knob, and PTT.

[Lscott]

2 minutes ago, Paul357 said:

Ah, so locking the radio disables the channel knob? That's good to know. We use HT's at work that don't lock the channel knob. Drives me crazy.

I purchased a used 16 channel radio some years back, looked like it was in new condition. When I got it the channel selector wouldn't rotate. Nothing in the description in the ad mentioned this "slight" problem. I figured I got a bum radio. Didn't pay a lot for it and figured I had nothing to loose so I got a small channel-lock wrench to see if I could force it. If it broke I would just buy a new selector control and replace it. Turned out the a**hole who sold it had super glued the channel selector knob in place! Really? Discovered only one channel was used out of the 16 when I read the radio. And to make it even dumber the position the knob was glued in wasn't even programmed! All he needed to do was program them all the same. Some users are really dense. Once I could rotate the knob and pull it off the control shaft, cleaned the super glue residue off with a razor blade knife, the radio worked fine after that. 

[tcp2525]

Time to go back to basics and use crystal controlled HTs like we had back in the 70s. Just an ON/OFF switch and a channel select knob. Who in their right mind would want more than two channels?

[WRTC928]

My vote is for the Baofeng BF-888s (nominal 0.5/2 watts), Arcshell AR-5 (nominal 0.5/2 watts), or Baofeng BF-1909 (nominal 5/12 watts). They all look and operate identically. One knob for on/off/volume and one knob to select one of 16 channels. FWIW, the power output on the 888s is all over the map. Changing channels or changing radios will yield output readings that vary from 0.2-0.81 on low and 1.2-3.1 on high, at least with the ones I have. The Arcshells, on the other hand, are remarkably consistent from channel-to-channel and radio-to-radio. On 462 MHz I get 0.369 watts on low and 1.79 watts on high, and that only varies about 0.01 to 0.02 watts from one radio to another. That gives me confidence that the radio is built with quality components and attention to detail. I only have one 1909, so I can't speak to radio-to-radio consistency, but I get 4+ watts on low and 9+ watts on high. 

It doesn't get much more monkey-proof than 2 knobs, and I get satisfactory performance on 2 watts for the kind of things you're describing. The 1909 is advertised as 12 watts, but nobody gets that much, according to reviews; it's actually a 9-10 watt radio. The 1909 is much more expensive than the other two. All of them are supported by CHIRP and can be programmed to FRS/GMRS frequencies, although none of them are type-accepted for FRS/GMRS, if that matters to you.

Arcshell AR-5

Baofeng BF-888s

Baofeng BF-1909

[TNFrank]

I have a couple Wouxun KG805g radios and they're about as simple as you can get. If you're looking for a basic GMRS radio they get my vote. 

https://www.amazon.com/Wouxun-KG-805G-Professional-GMRS-Radio/dp/B0885SQ2BV/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1CIQH1T2T02JV&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.9Hp9boAmGnTkxo9Lwv6u3qMPpPNEcOu0NGceqqY7sYLGjHj071QN20LucGBJIEps.BUP3zxSHtN37mrD2gyvTH14qiqgLTGaVbrH_YrCJ5x4&dib_tag=se&keywords=KG-805g&qid=1764618938&sprefix=kg-805g%2Cspecialty-aps%2C279&sr=8-1-catcorr&srs=8215278011

[OffRoaderX]

20 minutes ago, TNFrank said:

I have a couple Wouxun KG805g radios and they're about as simple as you can get.

This is the correct answer.

The KG-805G or 805G+ is known by all true GMRS experts and HERDs as the most simple to use Part 95 GMRS radio you can buy.

[HHD1]

8 minutes ago, OffRoaderX said:

The KG-805G or 805G+ is known by all true GMRS experts and HERDs as the most simple to use Part 95 GMRS radio you can buy.

This is why I didn't know about it... But now that I do, I'm that much closer to graduating.

[WSIA835]

Hand mic, 30 watts, lanyard, single channel...  The antenna is a little funny looking though.

Merry Christmas!!

[WRUQ357]

I'm going to second the Radioddity GM-30. Just lock it on the channel you prefer, and hand them out. 

[Lscott]

11 hours ago, WSIA835 said:

Hand mic, 30 watts, lanyard, single channel...  The antenna is a little funny looking though.

Merry Christmas!!

Where's the belt clip?

[WRUU653]

On 12/1/2025 at 8:15 AM, amaff said:

Depends how you set the menu.

[27: LOCK-M] Lock Mode
Function: Select which keys are disabled when the radio is locked.
Options: KEY/KEY+PTT/KEY+ENC/ALL

KEY: Locks the front keypad and [PF1] and [PF2] side keys.
KEY+PTT: Locks the front keypad, [PF1] and [PF2] side keys, and [PTT].
KEY+ENC: Locks the front keypad, [PF1] and [PF2] side keys, and channel knob.
ALL: Locks the front keypad, [PF1] and [PF2] side keys, [PTT], and channel knob

 

KEY is where mine's set (at least, with the 905. I have no direct experience w/ the 805 but I imagine it's similar), so that the only things that work are the Volume, Channel knob, and PTT.

This is good information.
Most of my radios lock the top channel knob when you hit lock but my KG-S88G is as you have described here and does not by default. I didn’t realize this flexibility was in the settings at first and like @Paul357 I found it frustrating.
Once I figured out by setting it to Key+ENC I can set it to a channel, lock it and hand it to someone. It’s my go to radio to hand off. Small, waterproof, one channel on the screen and when locked down it’s idiot proof. 
It’s slightly less simple than the KG-805G but I like that if I hand to someone and they drop it in the mud or water I don’t care.