Newbie Looking for a Good Handheld Radio

[SeldomSeen]

I just got my GMRS license a few days ago and would like to purchase a current production handheld with at least a genuine four watts of power and be repeater capable. Provision for a good external mobile antenna would be a plus. Forgive me if this topic had been covered but I have done so much research lately that my head hurts and I may go blind. I already have an old pair of Midland GTX1050 handhelds but something with the above attributes would be more desirable.

[WRAK968]

Well, I am a fan of Kenwoods TK380. They are 4 watt portables, and if you look well enough you can get them for about $20-30 (Though you will likely need to buy a battery and charger bringing the total up to about $50-60)  Complete sets (With new battery and charger) are about $75-100. With this you will need software and a cable which run about $25, (Software can be found for free or purchased for about $15-25) The nice thing about the software is that it works with the mobile version of the series, TK880 which is a 25W (40W high power version) radio, so should you wish to get a mobile radio your half way there.

Overall you are getting a commercial grade repeater capable radio that will last for some time. I've dropped mine, dunked it in water, driving rain, and aside from replacing the battery its still going strong.

[SeldomSeen]

Thank you WRAK968. I noticed that there are a few on eBay today.

[Lscott]

I just got my GMRS license a few days ago and would like to purchase a current production handheld with at least a genuine four watts of power and be repeater capable.

You can look at this radio. It is currently being sold by Kenwood. You can find them on eBay for a decent price. The link below is for just one example.

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Kenwood-TK-3170-UHF-HH-Radio-DTMF-Keypad-Battery-Charger-Free-Programming/153889511911?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

 

As mentioned by others be sure you get a battery pack, charger and the antenna for it. You can find the programming software and cable online as well. If you buy a used one make sure it is a "Type 1" radio. Also watch out for people selling the European versions, you really don't want one of those since they don't have the FCC certification and requires a hard to find version of the programming software. On UHF most commercial radios cover different sections of the band. You want a radio that covers the 462 MHz to 467 MHz range. 

 

Also if you ever plan on getting your Ham License, the Tech Class is easy to get, this radio will also program down to 440 MHz, the normal Ham 70cm band runs from 430 MHz to 450 MHz, even if the spec's don't mention it. The section from 440 MHz to 450 MHz is where most of the Ham simplex operations and repeaters are located. This way you can have a Ham Band UHF and GMRS radio all in one.

 

https://www.kenwood.com/usa/com/lmr/tk-2170_3170/ (Kenwood product page)

 

https://www.ameradio.com/doc/Kenwood_TK-2170_TK-3170.pdf  (Brochure)

 

It has the required FCC Part 95A certification so there is no question if it's legal to use for GMRS.

 

https://fccid.io/ALH34713110 (FCC info)

 

I would look for a good commercial quality radio before looking at the cheaper Chinese type radios. Generally the commercial quality radios typically have much better receivers, more selective and don't loose sensitivity in strong RF environments like near large radio and TV stations. You get what you pay for.

 

Oh, congratulations on getting your GMRS license! 8-)

[SeldomSeen]

The Kenwood radios that cover the UHF amateur bands sound like the way to go because I want to take the Technician exam. Many years ago (and I mean many) I worked as an electronics tech. That was when all of the ICs were TTL. Mosfets were just barely getting a foothold. Surface mount PCs were unheard of. Still, the test questions don't look that difficult even now. Hopefully I can take the test this summer if the current conditions get much better. Even if I never really get into ham radio, getting the license and call sign will be something I've always wanted to do. But getting into such a complex hobby at sixtly-nine might be asking a lot of this old brain.

[Lscott]

The Kenwood radios that cover the UHF amateur bands sound like the way to go because I want to take the Technician exam. Many years ago (and I mean many) I worked as an electronics tech. That was when all of the ICs were TTL. Mosfets were just barely getting a foothold. Surface mount PCs were unheard of. Still, the test questions don't look that difficult even now. Hopefully I can take the test this summer if the current conditions get much better. Even if I never really get into ham radio, getting the license and call sign will be something I've always wanted to do. But getting into such a complex hobby at sixtly-nine might be asking a lot of this old brain.

Nope. You’re never too old to try. It’s only complex if you really want to drill down into the technical details. Fortunately you don’t really need to in order to get licensed. The whole idea with licensing is to understand the rules, avoid causing interference and not hurt yourself or someone else. The learning comes at your own pace once you’re licensed and where your interests take you.