What radios do people use for MURS?

[WRYS709]

I may have posted this on another thread, but I did an "impulse buy" of the Baofeng UV-12 for $15.50 from AliExpress.

It is basically the Ham Radio version of their FRS radio and it is open to transmit on MURS.

I have not found the Baofeng CPS programming software to download yet, but using the Retevis RB27 template on Chirp works to program this radio with my FTDI USB to K-1 programming cable.

Of course it does not qualify for MURS under FCC rules, but it is an option nonetheless.

[bobbo784]

On 11/29/2024 at 11:48 AM, FishinGary said:

I have a Radioddity MU-5 that I like so far. I might get a Smiley Stick for it. I had a Btech MURS V2 that I returned, because I just wasn't happy with it. It was actually not a bad radio, but I just didn't care for the lack of a dedicated WX mode and the fact that you had to turn it off and on to switch between channel and VFO mode. The lack of scanning in VFO mode was the deal-breaker for me. These aren't really reasons you buy a MURS radio, but I like having them and when they aren't present or they don't function the way I think they could I can't help but think there are better options.

Finally someone mentioned these awesome radios for MURS.I use mine all the time,cheap to buy and great  quality.Radioddity also has a GMRS version that is amazing.

[UncleYoda]

What type of antenna connection does the MU-5 have?

[ecbatesiii]

I just purchased Retevis RB17V (https://www.retevis.com/rb17v-2-watt-5-channel-murs-radio-2-pack-us) and I think they comply with FCC MURS part 95 since each radio only has 5 MURS channels and no way of setting tones that I can figure out.  Great battery 4400mAh.

[WRUU653]

1 hour ago, ecbatesiii said:

no way of setting tones that I can figure out

It’s done using the software.

[FishinGary]

On 2/1/2025 at 3:26 PM, UncleYoda said:

What type of antenna connection does the MU-5 have?

SMA-M

[WRTC928]

Are there any MURS radios that will let you have more than 5 memory slots? I'd like to have the option to have one bank with tones enabled and one without. It seems like the makers of MURS radios never anticipated that.

[wrci350]

1 hour ago, WRTC928 said:

Are there any MURS radios that will let you have more than 5 memory slots?

The Radioddity MU-5 has 20 slots so you can definitely have with and without tones.  One thing to note is that slots 6-20 are just the five MURS frequencies repeated three times so you can't (for example) have 151.820 with 8 different tones, but you could have each frequency with no tone and then three more times (each) with a CTCSS or DCS tone.

[WRTC928]

4 hours ago, wrci350 said:

The Radioddity MU-5 has 20 slots so you can definitely have with and without tones.  One thing to note is that slots 6-20 are just the five MURS frequencies repeated three times so you can't (for example) have 151.820 with 8 different tones, but you could have each frequency with no tone and then three more times (each) with a CTCSS or DCS tone.

Well, that's not bad. It seems unlikely I'd ever want more than 4 iterations of the same channel anyway.

[wrci350]

The Wouxon KG-805M has 128 slots and looks like you can program the same MURS frequency as many times as you want.  I would have included that in my ealier reply but I had to charge mine first ... some of the Wouxun radios (including the KG-805M) are notorious for having a parasitic battery drain when stored.

I think the Baofeng Tech MURS-V2 will let you do what you want as well, but I don't seem to have the programming software installed, the download from the BTech site is broken and won't install, and I don't feel like installing CHIRP so I cannot test on the one I have.

[SteveShannon]

54 minutes ago, wrci350 said:

some of the Wouxun radios (including the KG-805M) are notorious for having a parasitic battery drain when stored.

Slip the battery off the radio when stored. 

[wrci350]

46 minutes ago, SteveShannon said:

Slip the battery off the radio when stored. 

Exactly ... but you shouldn't have to do that.  

[nokones]

I have several HT1000s, one XTS1500 model II, and two XTS5000 model IIIs and no cheap POS radios from Pandaland.