New GMRS HT: Radioditty GM-30

[WRAX891]

Radioditty sent me a GM-30 to review. I’m going to review ur thoroughly, but here are some of the quick highlights. It’s a cheap CCR GMRS, designed to complete against the BTech GMRS-V1 and, must say, it does that quite wells. While not a superheterodyne receiver, it still receives quite well and I was able yo receive my GMRS node on a linked network a few miles away from home. Audio sounds fine Abe it received good audio reports both on my node and through a regular repeater. Doing a parrot so I could here the simplex audio for myself sounded decent. Of course, it also receive VHF (2m amateur, NWS, etc). One of the big pluses is that it has USB-C recharging built right into the batteries, which recharge quickly turn last a good amount of time. I’m very happy with this GM-30, which should be granted Part 95 soon as it was just submitted recently.

 

FCCID : 2AJGM-GM30

 

As my main GMRS HT is a Motorola XTS5000, I’m looking forward to using this much lighter age smaller GMRS HT often.

[MacJack]

That is a nice looking radio... I'm looking forward to your review... My new main issue in a radio is group scanning of my select channels...  and want to go deeper so look forward to what you find.

Jack

Radioditty sent me a GM-30 to review. I’m going to review ur thoroughly, but here are some of the quick highlights. It’s a cheap CCR GMRS, designed to complete against the BTech GMRS-V1 and, must say, it does that quite wells. While not a superheterodyne receiver, it still receives quite well and I was able yo receive my GMRS node on a linked network a few miles away from home. Audio sounds fine Abe it received good audio reports both on my node and through a regular repeater. Doing a parrot so I could here the simplex audio for myself sounded decent. Of course, it also receive VHF (2m amateur, NWS, etc). One of the big pluses is that it has USB-C recharging built right into the batteries, which recharge quickly turn last a good amount of time. I’m very happy with this GM-30, which should be granted Part 95 soon as it was just submitted recently.

FCCID : 2AJGM-GM30

As my main GMRS HT is a Motorola XTS5000, I’m looking forward to using this much lighter age smaller GMRS HT often.

[OldRadioGuy]

That looks like a nice radio but I notice the Ditty people have lots of "license free" PMR446 radios for sale that operate in the Ham 70cm/440MHz band.

They seem to make no effort to tell people that these radios are only license free in Europe.

It looks like they are a US based company so even worse. 

 

I like the looks of some of their radios but I feel like boycotting them for selling ham band radios as license free.

Why can't they just get these radios made in an FRS versions to sell?

 

I realize the radio in this posting is a GMRS so what I've said is not applicable to that model.

 

Vince

[wayoverthere]

That looks like a nice radio but I notice the Ditty people have lots of "license free" PMR446 radios for sale that operate in the Ham 70cm/440MHz band.

They seem to make no effort to tell people that these radios are only license free in Europe.

It looks like they are a US based company so even worse.

 

I like the looks of some of their radios but I feel like boycotting them for selling ham band radios as license free.

Why can't they just get these radios made in an FRS versions to sell?

 

I realize the radio in this posting is a GMRS so what I've said is not applicable to that model.

 

Vince

My one experience with them seems to imply they aren't a US company; radio came with a pile of customs paperwork for it and the extra battery, and my card hit me for a foreign transaction fee on the transaction.

 

(Caught a deal on a gd73 with hotspot for like $5 more than a hotspot normally goes for)

[Miklor]

I have a quick question. 
The back of the radio shows 2AN62-GM30 as the Part 90 ID, the specs show 2AJGM-GM30.
Neither seems to be in the FCC database.
I'm sure it's a valid ID, but has anyone else found this?

https://fccid.io/2AJGM
https://fccid.io/2AN62

[Miklor]

.

[randallbonin]

Has anyone had any luck in using the Radioddity GM-30 GMRS programming software?

 

When downloading, the percentage increases to 100%, but there are no frequencies shown on my PC.

 

Any suggestions?

 

Thanks,

Randall Bonin

 

Amateur: N5UNG

GMRS: WQYW855

[Paesano]

I was able to program it.  After downloading the data, all the windows close.  I had to click on "Channel" in the upper left part of the screen to get back to editing frequencies.

[chuckworkb]

I had very low audio reports coming from repeater users and simplex transmissions. I ended up returning the radio and picked up the Wouxon 805 which I am happy with so far. 

[Radioboy1962]

Hello Folks,

 

I too recently purchased the Radioddity GM-30 (while patiently awaiting shipment of my Wouxun KG-905G's ) and figured the GM-30 would be a good starting/learning tool.

I'm experiencing an issue which I'm hoping someone here may be able to shed some light on.  I'm able to receive signals very well, but it seems I'm not transmitting at all,

there have been some very local signals I pick up, & I've attempted to request a radio check (NON-Repeater Channels) and it seems I'm simply not putting out any signal

 

Wondering if anyone has any suggestions on what to check?.. I've tried reviewing the menu options, and even reset the device to ensure it's restored to factory settings,

but to no avail.  I don't currently have another radio to test with in the same locale, so the only thing that I can do is attempt to ask for a radio check, and as often as I've

tied, there is no response.

 

I'm at the point now where I'm just ready to return this unit to Amazon, & wait for the  KG-905G's to arrive from buytwowayradio.

 

If anyone has any thoughts or suggestions, this newbie would be most appreciative to read what you suggest.

[WRCY896]

Keep in mind that some of the signals you are hearing are going to be from FRS bubble pack radios. Unlikely you are going to get a response from a radio check by an unknown person, especially on local. If you can get into a repeater, more likely you will get a response.

 

Keep in mind, this is not ham.

 

From what I can see, the gm30 appears to be the same radio as the Retevis.

 

Upgrading to a Wouxun is not going to do you any good if there is no one on the other end to talk to.

[randallbonin]

Deleted question.

[Sbsyncro]

I had very low audio reports coming from repeater users and simplex transmissions. I ended up returning the radio and picked up the Wouxon 805 which I am happy with so far.

I have one of these radios and in my testing I have found that the mic is very sensitive to distance. If you hold it more than an inch away from your mouth there will be virtually no audible transmission. The other person will hear the mic key up but then just silence.

 

I like everything else about this radio given it’s price point, but the dullness of the mic may be a deal killer for me to put it into regular use or to have it as a spare to hand out to people.

 

It’s almost as if they have a noise cancelling algorithm that is not properly calibrated.

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[WyoJoe]

I just downloaded, installed, and used the updated GM-30 Software (V2.06) to update the firmware and programming of my three GM-30 radios.

The new firmware allows you to save additional repeater channels with modified PL tones, so you no longer have to change it from the front panel.

This makes the radio much more user friendly in my opinion, especially for those that use repeaters extensively.

 

I used the software to program 8 repeater channels with no PL tone, and 8 repeater channels with a PL tone, in addition to the other 22 channels.

With the update, you are no longer limited to only 30 channels on which you can transmit.

 

The link below was provided by Radioddity on the radio's Amazon page:

https://radioddity.s3.amazonaws.com/Radioddity_GM-30_Firmware%2020210402%20%26%20Software_V2.06_20210414.zip

[WVFD237]

I just downloaded, installed, and used the updated GM-30 Software (V2.06) to update the firmware and programming of my three GM-30 radios.

The new firmware allows you to save additional repeater channels with modified PL tones, so you no longer have to change it from the front panel.

This makes the radio much more user friendly in my opinion, especially for those that use repeaters extensively.

 

I used the software to program 8 repeater channels with no PL tone, and 8 repeater channels with a PL tone, in addition to the other 22 channels.

With the update, you are no longer limited to only 30 channels on which you can transmit.

 

The link below was provided by Radioddity on the radio's Amazon page:https://radioddity.s3.amazonaws.com/Radioddity_GM-30_Firmware%2020210402%20%26%20Software_V2.06_20210414.zip

 

What cable did you use to do the update with was it the Baufeng or the Radioddity one?  Thanks in advance.

[Sbsyncro]

Have you other users of this radio noticed the same issue with lo Tx volume unless your mouth is literally touching the mic port?

[WyoJoe]

 

I just downloaded, installed, and used the updated GM-30 Software (V2.06) to update the firmware and programming of my three GM-30 radios.

The new firmware allows you to save additional repeater channels with modified PL tones, so you no longer have to change it from the front panel.

This makes the radio much more user friendly in my opinion, especially for those that use repeaters extensively.

 

I used the software to program 8 repeater channels with no PL tone, and 8 repeater channels with a PL tone, in addition to the other 22 channels.

With the update, you are no longer limited to only 30 channels on which you can transmit.

 

The link below was provided by Radioddity on the radio's Amazon page:https://radioddity.s3.amazonaws.com/Radioddity_GM-30_Firmware%2020210402%20%26%20Software_V2.06_20210414.zip

 

 

 

"What cable did you use to do the update with was it the Baufeng or the Radioddity one?  Thanks in advance."

 

I have successfully been using a Baofeng cable with these radios. It may even be one of those "counterfeit" Prolific types, but I'm not sure. It shows as "Prolific Technology, Inc. PL2303" when I run "lsusb" on my computer.

 

Since I use Linux, I haven't had driver issues with this cable, and it's just worked for me out of the box. I am running the GM-30 software under "WINE" but did have to modify a setup file to assign the correct COM port. Other than that minor issue, it has worked well for me thus far.

 

[chuckworkb]

Have you other users of this radio noticed the same issue with lo Tx volume unless your mouth is literally touching the mic port?

Yes. I got my money back.

[Sbsyncro]

Yes. I got my money back.

I’ve decided to keep it and just use a small remote mic/speaker I already had. That solves the issue.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[n4gix]

Many of the less expensive radios leave some flashing from the casting process that partially obstructs the tiny hole for the microphone. Cleaning out the flashing to open up the hole results in much better pickup by the microphone element.

[bobthetj03]

I had something weird happen with my GM-30. Went on a road trip over the weekend and was passing close to a repeater I can't reach at home. I put in the proper frequency for the repeater and the ctc tones (136.5), turn off the DTC tones, but when I did, it would clear my ctc tones inputed and turn the ctc tones off. When I go back and turn the ctc tones back on and re-enter the tones it turns the dtc tones on as well and selects D365N, so now the dtc tone is on and the ctc tone is on at the same time. If I go to turn the dtc tone off it turns my ctc tones off too,  but it'll only do it at that specific tone frequency of 136.5. I enter any other tone frequency and it operates normally as it should. Weird.

[alanplarue]

The nearest repeater to me is the Southeast Klein 550 in the northwest Houston area, which according to https://www.gps-coordinates.net/distance is 9.55 miles from my house. When I first tried to hit it with my GM-30 it replied with Morse code, so I knew I was reaching it at least a bit. I did get a radio check but was told I couldn’t really be understood.

A few days ago I replaced the antenna with a Radioddity RD322 14.96” antenna. I was able then to have a successful conversation over that same repeater. So, 9.5 miles isn’t too shabby for an HT I think. That’s almost twice the claimed 5 miles.

(The nearest linked repeater to me (Northwest Houston) is over 13 miles away, and I haven’t ever heard any transmissions from it. I wonder whether it’s even is service, as I’m able to hear 2 others that are much further away.)

The radio came with the latest firmware version, which surprised me. Most things (smart switches, etc.) I order have to be updated. They seem to update the firmware for the GM-30 pretty often, so this was a pleasant surprise.

I got a programming cable and downloaded the software from the Radioddity website. I found it to be mostly intuitive. The only weird thing is that when you do the download, the pop up box where you click “okay” doesn’t go away when the download completes… you have to click “cancel”. Makes you wonder whether the download failed. It didn’t… I clicked okay again the first time and it downloaded the program again.

It has a LOT of “DIY” slots that you can program, and you can also modify the pre-programmed channels. 1-22 and repeater channels are pre-programmed. I chose to use only the DIY slots for changes so that the I would be able to listen to the channels without the CTCSS. Because you can monitor 2 channels at once, I figured that monitoring the unsquelched frequency as one and the one with the CTCSS applied as the other might be useful. In practice that may not be necessary, but it seemed like a good idea at the time. If someone is using a frequency with no tone or a different tone, your green receive light comes on even though you can’t hear them.

It was easy to label the channels I programmed, as well. There’s a 6-character limit, but I’m an old FORTRAN guy so I can name anything in 6 characters!

It receives on both 2 meter and 70cm, so I programmed several nearby Ham repeaters to listen to as well. I listened to part of the “Alaska Morning Net” one morning.

Other than repeater traffic, I’ve never heard anyone on any frequency, so it doesn’t seem anyone near my location uses either FRS or GMRS… certainly not very often.

You can also change the welcome text (two lines, 7 characters.) I put my WRKY388 on the top line and “A.LaRue” on the second.  I did something wrong the first time, and when I turned it on the default welcome message said “Baofeng”…

Anyway, for my first GMRS radio, and first radio of any kind in many years, I’m very happy with it. 

Edited July 12, 2021 by alanplarue
Add quite a bit of “review” material

[Sbsyncro]

I had something weird happen with my GM-30. Went on a road trip over the weekend and was passing close to a repeater I can't reach at home. I put in the proper frequency for the repeater and the ctc tones (136.5), turn off the DTC tones, but when I did, it would clear my ctc tones inputed and turn the ctc tones off. When I go back and turn the ctc tones back on and re-enter the tones it turns the dtc tones on as well and selects D365N, so now the dtc tone is on and the ctc tone is on at the same time. If I go to turn the dtc tone off it turns my ctc tones off too,  but it'll only do it at that specific tone frequency of 136.5. I enter any other tone frequency and it operates normally as it should. Weird.

This sounds similar to a bug that was reported in an Amazon review of the Radioddity 20w mobile unit that I read, and the reviewer said that the bug was fixed in a firmware update. Not sure if it’s the same issue but it sounds similar.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[bobthetj03]

On 7/17/2021 at 2:21 PM, Sbsyncro said:

This sounds similar to a bug that was reported in an Amazon review of the Radioddity 20w mobile unit that I read, and the reviewer said that the bug was fixed in a firmware update. Not sure if it’s the same issue but it sounds similar.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yes, it was resolved with a firmware update. It's all good now. 

[WRVT715]

Great radios. However, the speaker in my very lightly used GM-30 just quit working all of a sudden. Turned it on and now there's no sound. I'm trying to disassemble, but can't find anything online with a parts explosion or video of disassembly, etc. Anyone have photos or other that may help? It's out of warranty, btw.