Tidradio TH-H5 GMRS HT

[jwilkers]

Tidradio TH-H5 GMRS Radio Review.
FCC ID: 2AWL3TD-H5 Part 95E certified.
NOTE: THIS RADIO REQUIRES AN FCC GMRS LICENSE TO OPERATE!! THIS IS NOT A LICENSE-FREE FRS RADIO.

NOTE:This is quite possibly the same radio as the Radioddity GM-30.  CPS is identical, however there is a firmware version 06.03.006

Upon opening the box I found a quick start guide along with a user manual. The quick start guide had me up and running easily. The only thing incorrect was this radio is not compatible with Chirp.
The kit contains two of the following: USB charger and cables. Speaker Microphones, belt clips, carrying strap and of course, two radios. A total of *four* batteries are included.

The user manual has the license requirement printed in the front pages. The manual is well-written and easy to understand.

The factory programming software is easy to use and is not at all confusing. The channels have a default designation, however you can alpha-tag them however you want.

The radios come with a USB charging cable, rather than a desk charger.

The antenna is non-removable. GMRS regulations permit the use of external antennas. These radios, however, have access to the 7 low-power FRS frequencies, therefore, in order to be compliant with FCC regulations, the antennas are fixed. (A hex net secures the antenna.  Undoing this, allows the antenna to unscrew from a standard SMA connector)

Power output of the radios are slightly below 500 mW on low and 4.91 watts on High. This is according to the FCC grant. I consider them to be *real* 5 watt radios. This is something rarely seen in the GMRS market.

The radios feel solid in the hand. Battery life exceeds 8 hours

Operationally, they are outstanding. Receive and transmit audio quality is superb.

Range is about a mile and a half outdoors in a suburban environment on high power. Unfortunately, in my area, there are no open repeaters. The ranges I received were better than I expected. Low power yielded the same range. I expected that, as UHF range is more dependent on antenna quality and environment, more than power.

Overall impressions: Solid feel, effective range, excellent sound quality.

[WyoJoe]

I received a pair of Tidradio TD-H5 radios today that I ordered a few days ago. They are very similar, but not identical, to the GM-30 model from Radioddity. Basically, the speaker grille on the body of the radio is a little different. That and the TidRadio logo are the only differences I could see on these radios. All the menu/keypad choices appear to be the same. I was also able to successfully program both radios with the Radioddity version of the software. Since I already had this installed on my computer, I gave it a try and it worked as expected. To download the software from TidRadio, I believe you have to create an account on their site in order to access the downloadable file. I did not need to do this since the Radioddity software works as is.

Overall, I think the two-pack of these radios (available on Amazon last I checked) is a great value. For just under $80, I received four batteries and two speaker mics for my existing radios, a programming cable, and a few other accessories. If the batteries were $13 each, the speaker mics $10 each, and the programming cable was $10, those things alone would exceed the cost of the package I ordered. Even without the radios, the package would be a decent value, but the package I received even contained a couple of "spare" radios (if there really is such a thing).

The one thing that is not included is a charging base. Like with the GM-30, the included batteries can be charged with a USB-C cable, which was included. I like charging my radios on a charging base, so I use the TYT UV-88 charging base. The UV-88 uses the same basic case design, so the charging base is compatible with these radios, too. I have also used a Baofeng UV-5R charging base with these radios. While the fit isn't perfect, the batteries will charge properly as long as the radio is making good contact. The LED on the charger will indicate charging status.

As was mentioned earlier in this thread, the radio's antennas are "fixed" and cannot be removed. Not unless you loosen the set screw, that is. When you do that and unscrew the antenna, you'll find the jack on the radio is an SMA female, and requires an SMA male antenna. This means that your typical UV-5R type of antenna won't work, because they are SMA female

If I have anything negative to say about these radios, it's that the belt clip seems a little flimsy. The same is true for the GM-30 and the UV-88, as they all use identical belt clips. There were also only two belt clips included, but since they attach to the batteries, there aren't enough of them for all the included batteries. I prefer the GT-3 type of belt clip, which is a direct replacement for the standard belt clip, so I ordered a 10 pack of the GT-3 belt clips to replace those on all my batteries. The UV-5R belt clips will also work.

In summary, if you need or want a pair of decent GMRS handheld radios, I would recommend the Tidradio TD-H5. They come as a two-pack for about the same price as two of the Radioddity GM-30 radios. The TD-H5 package also includes two extra batteries and two speaker-mics that you do not get when you order two of the GM-30 radios. You can find better handheld radios, but they generally cost at least twice as much as the TD-H5.

[jfarrell]

Hello all,

Does anyone have a comparison here with the Baofeng UV-5X. I know the UV-5X  package has less stuff in it, but I'm looking for a feature comparison. I think both radios seem to get good reviews. One feature that intrigues me is the ability to scan for tones like CTCSS.

Thanks

[MichaelLAX]

 

2 hours ago, jfarrell said:

Hello all,

Does anyone have a comparison here with the Baofeng UV-5X. I know the UV-5X  package has less stuff in it, but I'm looking for a feature comparison. I think both radios seem to get good reviews. One feature that intrigues me is the ability to scan for tones like CTCSS.

Thanks

@WyoJoeis probably the best resource for your question, but until he chimes in...

I don't have the TD-H5, but I do have the Pofung P15UV, which I am told is a clone of that radio and the Radioddity GM-30.  My Pofung is upgraded to the latest Radioddity firmware to solve some initial problems that came with the radio.

I purchased it specifically to do Tone Scanning for CTCSS and DCS tones and it works really well for that purpose.

I do not have the UV-5X, but I do have a couple of the UV-5R original variants that will transmit on GMRS as well as the Ham bands, and they both use CHIRP in lieu of any manufacturer supplied programming software.

@OffRoaderXunder his YouTube alter-ego, Notarubicon, has recently posted a YouTube video on How To Scan For Repeater Tones Or Privacy Codes On A UV-5R - Tone Scanning On Baofeng UV5R Ham Radio, but it is not clear to me if the UV-5X will do Tone Scanning.

I actually gave the Pofung to my grandson after I acquired the TYT-UV88, which is similar to the Pofung but will also transmit on both GMRS and Ham bands and does Tone Scanning.

But all in all, I would probably say the TD-H5 is the better value if two radios and 4 batteries have any value to you and I find my Pofung/TYT easier to use than my UV-5Rs.

[WyoJoe]

3 hours ago, jfarrell said:

Hello all,

Does anyone have a comparison here with the Baofeng UV-5X. I know the UV-5X  package has less stuff in it, but I'm looking for a feature comparison. I think both radios seem to get good reviews. One feature that intrigues me is the ability to scan for tones like CTCSS.

Thanks

Many of the features of the UV-5X/UV-5G (GMRS) radios are comparable on the TD-H5 (a.k.a. Radioddity GM-30 or Pofung P15UV) radios. Where the TD-H5 shines is in the ability to scan for tones (as you noted), to use "Sync" mode where the top and bottom rows of the display can be configured to work together, and to store 200 channels vs. 128 on the UV-5X. On mine, using sync mode, I have the channel name on the top line, and the frequency on the bottom line. Both lines change accordingly when I change channels. It also offers USB charging via a USB-C cable, and is compatible with UV-5R speaker/mics and programming cables. Personally, I find the menu on the TD-H5 a little bit easier to use than the UV-5X/UV-5G (GMRS) menu.

The advantages of the UV-5X/UV-5G (GMRS) are that it is compatible with most UV-5R accessories (not including antennas), such as extended batteries, it comes with a drop-in charger, it offers a tri-color (selectable) display, and it's programmable in Chirp. I'd also say that the standard belt clip is much sturdier. If you already have a UV-5R and want to maintain the same form factor, or if programming with Chirp is important to you, then the UV-5X/UV-5G (GMRS) makes sense. If that's not a concern for you, and you are looking for a radio in this price range, then I'd recommend the TD-H5 or one of the other variants of that radio.

Both the UV-5X/UV-5G (GMRS) and the TD-H5 are sold only in pairs from what I've seen. The Pofung and Radioddity variants of the TD-H5 (P15UV and GM-30, respectively) can be purchased individually. The Pofung version seems to be the least expensive of these.

Personally, I like to use a drop-in charger instead of the USB cable that comes with the TD-H5. As a ham, I purchased a TYT UV-88 (a.k.a. Retevis RT-85) dual-band radio which has the same form factor as the TD-H5, but comes with a drop in charger. I use that charger for my TD-H5 radios now. With a slight modification, the batteries are also compatible.

[MichaelLAX]

6 hours ago, WyoJoe said:

Personally, I like to use a drop-in charger instead of the USB cable that comes with the TD-H5. As a ham, I purchased a TYT UV-88 (a.k.a. Retevis RT-85) dual-band radio which has the same form factor as the TD-H5, but comes with a drop in charger. I use that charger for my TD-H5 radios now. With a slight modification, the batteries are also compatible.

The Pofung P15UV also comes with the drop-in charger and the batteries that came with my TYT UV-88 did not require the modification that the ones @WyoJoe acquired.

I purchased my Pofung and TYT from Let's Get Ready and they ship for free and also sell a high capacity battery (3200 MAh) which also did not require modification.

[MichaelLAX]

On a slightly related note, the TIDRadio Programming Adapter, still does not work with the TD-H5, although it does work with the not compatible, TD-H6.

[implectic]

I purchased a set of the h5 and really enjoy them! Having a heck of a time trying to program a local repeater though as i cant get the software to work ( i see the cable has been faulty before)     Anyone know why the repeater tone will only do 1000+ hz? The repeater input and out put tones are in the 100's. The manual did not have much info on programming repeaters.

[OffRoaderX]

47 minutes ago, implectic said:

Anyone know why the repeater tone will only do 1000+ hz? The repeater input and out put tones are in the 100's. The manual did not have much info on programming repeaters.

You're in the wrong setting..  You enter a tone for the repeater in the CTCSS (OR DCS/DPL) Transmit (TX) setting and optionally the CTCSS (DCS/DPL) RX setting

[implectic]

I will check that out tonight!  I dont think i have ctcss or dcs enabled so i may have not had access to those menus. Just the RX and TX. We will see. Thanks!

[WRPCinci]

I can confirm that the UV-5G can do tone scan. It's the same steps as notarubicon explained in the walk through.

 

On 12/6/2021 at 10:25 PM, MichaelLAX said:

@OffRoaderXunder his YouTube alter-ego, Notarubicon, has recently posted a YouTube video on How To Scan For Repeater Tones Or Privacy Codes On A UV-5R - Tone Scanning On Baofeng UV5R Ham Radio, but it is not clear to me if the UV-5X will do Tone Scanning.

 

 

@jfarrell I did a really basic comparison between the UV-5G and the TD-5H here. This is for my use case where size and form-factor are my most important decisions points, your mileage may vary of course. I liked the UV-5G better, navigation and responsiveness was better for me on the 5G. Plus it has a larger battery pack, but the 5H comes with spares. They are very close to one another, and each has it's compromises. I'd suggest buy both try it out for a while and then just return the one you don't like.

On 12/6/2021 at 7:37 PM, jfarrell said:

Hello all,

Does anyone have a comparison here with the Baofeng UV-5X. I know the UV-5X  package has less stuff in it, but I'm looking for a feature comparison. I think both radios seem to get good reviews. One feature that intrigues me is the ability to scan for tones like CTCSS.

Thanks

 

[mixer316]

my TIDRADIO GM-5R is frozen. I was trying to program the radio using the USB cable and now the radio is frozen on 2 channels. The menu button does not work along with all the other buttons. Did I fry the radio? Thanks.

[Sshannon]

6 hours ago, mixer316 said:

my TIDRADIO GM-5R is frozen. I was trying to program the radio using the USB cable and now the radio is frozen on 2 channels. The menu button does not work along with all the other buttons. Did I fry the radio? Thanks.

Did you remove and replace the battery?

[mixer316]

Yes. No difference. Still frozen. Thanks

[Lscott]

Do you have an older version of the radio memory file that worked? If so try programming the radio with it and see if it functions normally. The memory contents programed into the radio currently might be corrupted. Writing a known good memory file to the radio might fix it.

If so then try changing the radio memory programming to what you currently need and write that to the radio.