Handheld radio recommendation

[chulbal]

Hello, I’m looking for a couple of handheld GMRS radios to replace my current Midland GXT1000’s. The Midland has not been very impressive, as far as range goes.  I also have the MTX275 in my vehicle which HAS been good. The handhelds just lack in performance. 
 

I’m looking for handhelds (with headsets) to use on my ATV and SxS’s. On-trail usage and hoping for 3-5 mile range, in typical Southwest terrain. 

What are the thoughts on these Baofeng model? Seems they have ok reviews and 3800mah battery is only $17. 

Thanks for any input. 
 

https://www.radioddity.com/products/uv-5x

[BoxCar]

Your problem is not the radio as much as the antenna (or lack of one). The only way you are going to get that range is by using an antenna mounted to the highest point on the vehicles.

[WyoJoe]

I second what BoxCar said. Antenna placement is key in this situation.

The Baofeng UV-5X (aka UV-5G) is a decent GMRS radio, and, unlike the Midland (to the best of my knowledge), has a detachable antenna. For $17 with the 3800 mAh battery, that's a tough deal to beat, and it shares compatibility with many UV-5R accessories, with the exception of antennas.

If you loosen the set screw and remove the antenna, you can connect an external antenna to the Baofeng (or many of the other handheld radios).

With the right external antenna on your ATV/SxS, you should be able to get the range you're seeking, barring any major obstructions. With GMRS, the range is basically "line of sight." If there's a small hill between two units, they 'might' work, but if you're on opposite sides of a mountain, they most likely won't work to communicate between them.

Other handheld radio models to consider include the Tidradio TD-H5/Radioddity GM30/Pofung P15UV triplets (same radio, but with cosmetic differences), the Baofeng UV9G (water resistant), Retevis RT-76 or RT-76P, or several models by Wouxon.

On your SxS, you might want to consider installing a "mobile" radio rather than a handheld. The Anytone AT-779UV/Radioddity DB20G/Retevis RA25 triplets are generally regarded well on this forum by myself and others, especially at the (roughly) $100 price point. There are some other lower priced mobile units that are "water resistant," although I don't recall which models. They go up in price to about $500 for the new 50W Midland GMRS radio. Something else to consider is a used "Land Mobile" radio that is reprogrammed for GMRS. They are less expensive than many new mobile radios, and offer a good price/performance ratio.

Unless you strictly want simplicity, I'd recommend avoiding the lower-end (5 to 15W models) Midlands, as they are feature-limited, and may not suit your needs if you advance in the GMRS world.

[SDK]

I had the Midlands, too and was very dissatisfied with them. I now have two BaoFeng BF-F8HP handhelds with Nagoya NA-771 antennas and have had no issues with them. The range of frequencies they cover is great! - 136MHz-174MHz VHF and 400MHz-520MHz UHF. It has 128 fully programmable memory channels. I highly recommend them.

https://baofengtech.com/product/bf-f8hp/

[ABTOCMEPTb]

kg-935g

[Blaise]

I second the  BaoFeng BF-F8HP/UV-5R8W.  I have four now.  I can't see any performance/range difference between the Nagoya NA-771 and Nagoya NA-771G antennas, but both let me communicate easily with a repeater 40+ miles away.  Honestly, I can even sometimes hit that repeater with the stock antenna, but it doesn't reliably open for me, probably due to faint signal! 

[WRPT916]

On 4/11/2022 at 10:34 AM, ABTOCMEPTb said:

kg-935g

A great radio, but a pair of them is pricey.  A lesser HT will work well.