Equipment.

[ian3211]

Just wondering what some good mobile equipment yall reccomend. Just got my license and looking to install in my jeep and work truck.

[OffRoaderX]

"good" is entirely subjective and depends on what "good" means to you, so you're only going to get a bunch of people telling you what THEY have/what THEY think is good for them.

So I'll start: In both my Jeeps I have Motorola XTL5000s.. To me they are good, so I i highly recommend one.

[gortex2]

As Randy pointed out most will give you what they feel are the best. Searching this site will help you see what others have used. It will also depend on how you use your radios and what expectation you have of GMRS. Personally I run APX radios in all my vehicles, however in both my Jeeps I have the midland MTX series as they are simple and the same as 90% of the folks I ride with. When the say go to channel 6 I flip to 6. Simple and basic. They talk to the jeep in front of me and all is good for that use case. When I'm home or in my work truck I mostly use my APX (way out of your price range) because I like them. I had the XTL5000 with HHCH in my old Jeep and that worked great also. 

So in the end it will be what works for you. 

[pcradio]

Look at the Wouxun line of products.

[Lscott]

7 hours ago, ian3211 said:

Just wondering what some good mobile equipment yall reccomend. Just got my license and looking to install in my jeep and work truck.

How big is you wallet? Some of the guys here run radios in the $2000 to $5000 plus range, top of the line commercial grade multi-mode analog/digital new and used equipment.

[Sshannon]

12 hours ago, ian3211 said:

Just wondering what some good mobile equipment yall reccomend. Just got my license and looking to install in my jeep and work truck.

I use a Radioddity DB20G that was on sale for under $90 recently. I bought 2 of them. They are mobile 20 watt units that are small enough to fit in a jacket pocket easily.  The same radio is also sold as an Anytone. Configuration software is free and pretty easy to use.  I unlocked one of the radios, which allows it to be used as a dual band ham radio for 2 meter and 70 centimeter.
They might not be the best, but for my needs they’re good enough. 

[WRKC935]

Tough to say. 

If you are just getting into the World of GMRS and not sure about it, I would stick to the preprogrammed Chinese stuff from Woxun and Anytone.

If you are a ham operator and a GMRS user, you might look at the more programmable stuff that will operate on both services. 

Once you get into the commercial radios from Kenwood, Icom, Motorola and others, you need to track down programming software, programming cables and sometimes slower computers to get the radios setup.  The other thing you need to do is get familiar with the model numbers for some radios beyond the radio family number.  Motorola is the worst about this as they made CDM radios in all different bands and they were all CDM 750/1250/1500, but they could be low band, VHF, 220 or UHF.  Buying the wrong radio sort of sucks.  Kenwood's model numbers would at least tell you what band the radio was for.

And then there were frequency splits of bands in the Motorola stuff as well.  An S split was 450-512 and would do GMRS but not ham.  A R split would do 403 to 470 and would do both, but a T split was 470 -590 and wouldn't work for either.  Batlabs.com is a good source for model number breakdown if you are looking that direction.

Another Motorola radio that seems to be well accepted is the XPR line from Motorola.  Again actual model numbers are key here to getting the right radio for GMRS / HAM use. 

I personally favor the Motorola stuff, but I work for a Motorola dealer and repair shop so that's what I know.  I have radios from many different manufactures but I use the Motorola stuff almost exclusively. 

As mentioned, there are some radios out there that are down right expensive.  They have a number of functions that have zero application to GMRS or HAM operations.  They are very good radios but have a 4 digit price tag to go along with the prestige of ownership.  Yea, I have a couple of those too.  But for a guy just starting out, getting an APX radio is really NOT the think to be doing.  

But again, I would start with something inexpensive but don't have high expectations for the actual radio.  The cheap stuff works.  How well it works can be debated but it WILL properly function and allow you to get on the air and talk.  The manufacturing quality of that stuff isn't the highest available, but you are not paying 500 bucks for it either.  The bottom of the barrel portable radios are under 50 bucks (Baofeng) but will allow you to get on and talk.  I would advise a mobile / base first however not knowing where you are.  Portable radios are great if you are close to a repeater and can get in it well.  But lack the power to talk much distance.  And a base station can be a simple mobile radio connected to a 12 volt power supply sitting on a desk with an outdoor antenna that will significantly increase your range. 

 

 

[Lscott]

8 hours ago, ian3211 said:

Just wondering what some good mobile equipment yall reccomend. Just got my license and looking to install in my jeep and work truck.

To continue with the discussion you have to decide if you want to go with purposely built GMRS radios or commercial radios that can be programmed to operate on GMRS.

The purposed built radios are generally of Chinese manufacture and are affordable. The programming software is available and mostly easy to use.

Looking at commercial radios typically means buying used equipment. Programming commercial radios is not like Ham gear or the purpose built GMRS radios. There are more options, many you won't need, and a steeper learning curve. The advantage is you have a radio you can tailor to you preferences better. 

If cost is a factor there are some budget friendly radios to be found in both areas.

[KiltedHam]

Just my 2 cents worth,

If you are just getting into GMRS and aren't into Ham radio at all, the most budget friendly radios are going to be the Midland or one of the Chinese radios.

I've never dealt with the Midlands and am a Ham so my setup may not be the norm for most.  However, as to the various Chinese radios, a lot of them are rather tough to get support on because they are only supported from China. 

My personal recommendation for radio brand would be the Btech's!  Yes they are manufactured in China BUT, they are supported (by an awesome customer service team!) here in the USA!!!!!

They best reference material you will probably find for an impartial tool to decide would be Miklor's site!

https://www.miklor.com/

 

Find what does what YOU want to do and makes you happy!!!!  Don't worry about what others think or want you to do or get!

 

73

WRDC573

[back4more70]

I have a Retevis RA25 in my car, with a Midland ghost antenna.  It works well for me.  That being said, I may swap out the RA25 for a higher-powered Wouxun.

[ian3211]

Yea I'm looking at this radio with a antannae for my Jeep. BTECH GMRS-50V2 50W 256 Fully Customizable Channels Mobile GMRS Two-Way Radio. Repeater Compatible https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BNLT88FD?psc=1&ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_ct_C4M6PYAPPTCYPVPQFQQS

[Sshannon]

37 minutes ago, ian3211 said:

Yea I'm looking at this radio with a antannae for my Jeep. BTECH GMRS-50V2 50W 256 Fully Customizable Channels Mobile GMRS Two-Way Radio. Repeater Compatible https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BNLT88FD?psc=1&ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_ct_C4M6PYAPPTCYPVPQFQQS

This link will take you to the different posts about that radio:

https://forums.mygmrs.com/search/?q=GMRS-50V2&quick=1

 

[ian3211]

Thank you.

[ian3211]

gonna go for it. ill take the risk.

[WRUE951]

Depends..  Lots of good legal FCC approved GMRS radios out there, i use the Maxons.  And there are lots of FCC non-approved for GMRS radios out there such as the Baofeng's and the Motorola XTL5000s...... Personality i prefer to follow the rules.   If you are one that wants to stay FCC compliant, perhaps you may refine your question to best radio to use that is FCC compliant, then take if from there.  Good Luck. 

[WRWE744]

I'm not sure what the general consensus on the QYT KT 8900D is, or even the QYT brand as a whole. I just got an 8900D and so far I'm liking it, but I haven't put it through to much testing yet. It is definitely an inexpensive unit, and it looks a lot like the Radioditty DB25G. I'm definitely not recommending it yet, as I haven't used it enough to do so, but it's doing pretty good thus far.

[diddlyv]

no real clue as I jest received it and have not hooked it up yet but I got the wouxun KG 1000 G plus. Mostly fell for the super heterodyne vs chip technology. Probably some will think I did ok others not so much 

[WROZ437]

On 3/12/2023 at 7:57 PM, KiltedHam said:

Just my 2 cents worth,

If you are just getting into GMRS and aren't into Ham radio at all, the most budget friendly radios are going to be the Midland or one of the Chinese radios.

I've never dealt with the Midlands and am a Ham so my setup may not be the norm for most.  However, as to the various Chinese radios, a lot of them are rather tough to get support on because they are only supported from China. 

My personal recommendation for radio brand would be the Btech's!  Yes they are manufactured in China BUT, they are supported (by an awesome customer service team!) here in the USA!!!!!

They best reference material you will probably find for an impartial tool to decide would be Miklor's site!

https://www.miklor.com/

 

Find what does what YOU want to do and makes you happy!!!!  Don't worry about what others think or want you to do or get!

 

73

WRDC573

 

On 3/11/2023 at 10:09 PM, WRKC935 said:

Tough to say. 

If you are just getting into the World of GMRS and not sure about it, I would stick to the preprogrammed Chinese stuff from Woxun and Anytone.

If you are a ham operator and a GMRS user, you might look at the more programmable stuff that will operate on both services. 

Once you get into the commercial radios from Kenwood, Icom, Motorola and others, you need to track down programming software, programming cables and sometimes slower computers to get the radios setup.  The other thing you need to do is get familiar with the model numbers for some radios beyond the radio family number.  Motorola is the worst about this as they made CDM radios in all different bands and they were all CDM 750/1250/1500, but they could be low band, VHF, 220 or UHF.  Buying the wrong radio sort of sucks.  Kenwood's model numbers would at least tell you what band the radio was for.

And then there were frequency splits of bands in the Motorola stuff as well.  An S split was 450-512 and would do GMRS but not ham.  A R split would do 403 to 470 and would do both, but a T split was 470 -590 and wouldn't work for either.  Batlabs.com is a good source for model number breakdown if you are looking that direction.

Another Motorola radio that seems to be well accepted is the XPR line from Motorola.  Again actual model numbers are key here to getting the right radio for GMRS / HAM use. 

I personally favor the Motorola stuff, but I work for a Motorola dealer and repair shop so that's what I know.  I have radios from many different manufactures but I use the Motorola stuff almost exclusively. 

As mentioned, there are some radios out there that are down right expensive.  They have a number of functions that have zero application to GMRS or HAM operations.  They are very good radios but have a 4 digit price tag to go along with the prestige of ownership.  Yea, I have a couple of those too.  But for a guy just starting out, getting an APX radio is really NOT the think to be doing.  

But again, I would start with something inexpensive but don't have high expectations for the actual radio.  The cheap stuff works.  How well it works can be debated but it WILL properly function and allow you to get on the air and talk.  The manufacturing quality of that stuff isn't the highest available, but you are not paying 500 bucks for it either.  The bottom of the barrel portable radios are under 50 bucks (Baofeng) but will allow you to get on and talk.  I would advise a mobile / base first however not knowing where you are.  Portable radios are great if you are close to a repeater and can get in it well.  But lack the power to talk much distance.  And a base station can be a simple mobile radio connected to a 12 volt power supply sitting on a desk with an outdoor antenna that will significantly increase your range. 

 

 

So can you guys recommend a decent mobile radio that will work on GMRS, 2m and 70cm? I have a Midland MXT 275 right now, but I recently got my technician ticket, so I am looking to expand my capability. I have a couple Wouxun HTs so I have seen that they may not be very sensitive radios despite the superheterodyne marketing. I am game to go down the rabbit hole with a programmable Motorola unit but none of my computers are old or have serial ports on them so it will have to work with more modern operating systems and USB. Being able to use digital and analog would be a plus (I use UHF DMR radios at work under an IG license).

And for a sense of budget... APX radios are WAY, WAY out of reach right now. 

[Sshannon]

1 minute ago, WROZ437 said:

 

So can you guys recommend a decent mobile radio that will work on GMRS, 2m and 70cm? I have a Midland MXT 275 right now, but I recently got my technician ticket, so I am looking to expand my capability. I have a couple Wouxun HTs so I have seen that they may not be very sensitive radios despite the superheterodyne marketing. I am game to go down the rabbit hole with a programmable Motorola unit but none of my computers are old or have serial ports on them so it will have to work with more modern operating systems and USB. Being able to use digital and analog would be a plus (I use UHF DMR radios at work under an IG license).

And for a sense of budget... APX radios are WAY, WAY out of reach right now. 

https://www.radioddity.com/collections/consumer-radios-frs-gmrs-radios/products/radioddity-db20g

[BoxCar]

Try these as well

Business Radios-Mobile Radios– Radioddity

[Lscott]

2 hours ago, WROZ437 said:

Being able to use digital and analog would be a plus (I use UHF DMR radios at work under an IG license).

If you're looking at doing DMR there are only a few choices.

DISCLAIMER. Modifying Ham gear to operate on other services is a violation of FCC rules. What you choose to do is your choice.

Back to the topic. A favorite is some of the Anytone radios. The older D868 HT and the newer D878 HT models. Example of one I have.

https://forums.mygmrs.com/gallery/image/270-d878uv-model-1/?context=new

There is also the D578 mobile, which comes in several different models depending on options.

https://www2.randl.com/index.php?main_page=advanced_search_result&search_in_description=1&keyword=d578

Most of the digital voice mode activity is typically on UHF. You can get some commercial radios, single band (VHF or UHF), that can be programed for Ham, GMRS and MURS. Again some examples that I own with analog/DMR.

https://forums.mygmrs.com/gallery/image/255-tk-d300e-fmdmr/?context=new

https://forums.mygmrs.com/gallery/image/290-nx-1300duk5/?context=new

Note some of the older commercial radios have Part 90 and 95 certification. The later is required for legal operation on GMRS. Currently the FCC seems to ignore Part 90 radios on GMRS but that is not an endorsement they won't at a later date.

Also UHF radios are likely manufactured covering two or more band splits in the UHF range. For example the NX-1300 is either 400-470 MHz or 450-520 MHz. For Ham 70cm and GMRS I would recommend the 400-470 MHZ band split of course.

The VHF radios almost universally seem to cover 136-174MHz, which covers Ham 2M, MURS, Railroad and NOAA weather frequencies.

The digital modes you'll find for commercial radios are DMR, NXDN and P25. I have radios for each mode and band.

https://forums.mygmrs.com/gallery/image/249-934916052_radiocollectionjpg/?context=new

The VHF version of the radios tend to sell for more than the UHF versions. The most popular mode so far is DMR, System Fusion and D-Star. The later two are strictly Ham radio modes and not found on any commercial type radio. Also P25 radios tend to be significantly more expensive than any other digital mode. You can find them at a decent price but you'll be looking for a long time before you stumble on a good deal.

 

[WROZ437]

21 hours ago, Lscott said:

If you're looking at doing DMR there are only a few choices.

DISCLAIMER. Modifying Ham gear to operate on other services is a violation of FCC rules. What you choose to do is your choice.

Back to the topic. A favorite is some of the Anytone radios. The older D868 HT and the newer D878 HT models. Example of one I have.

https://forums.mygmrs.com/gallery/image/270-d878uv-model-1/?context=new

There is also the D578 mobile, which comes in several different models depending on options.

https://www2.randl.com/index.php?main_page=advanced_search_result&search_in_description=1&keyword=d578

Most of the digital voice mode activity is typically on UHF. You can get some commercial radios, single band (VHF or UHF), that can be programed for Ham, GMRS and MURS. Again some examples that I own with analog/DMR.

https://forums.mygmrs.com/gallery/image/255-tk-d300e-fmdmr/?context=new

https://forums.mygmrs.com/gallery/image/290-nx-1300duk5/?context=new

Note some of the older commercial radios have Part 90 and 95 certification. The later is required for legal operation on GMRS. Currently the FCC seems to ignore Part 90 radios on GMRS but that is not an endorsement they won't at a later date.

Also UHF radios are likely manufactured covering two or more band splits in the UHF range. For example the NX-1300 is either 400-470 MHz or 450-520 MHz. For Ham 70cm and GMRS I would recommend the 400-470 MHZ band split of course.

The VHF radios almost universally seem to cover 136-174MHz, which covers Ham 2M, MURS, Railroad and NOAA weather frequencies.

The digital modes you'll find for commercial radios are DMR, NXDN and P25. I have radios for each mode and band.

https://forums.mygmrs.com/gallery/image/249-934916052_radiocollectionjpg/?context=new

The VHF version of the radios tend to sell for more than the UHF versions. The most popular mode so far is DMR, System Fusion and D-Star. The later two are strictly Ham radio modes and not found on any commercial type radio. Also P25 radios tend to be significantly more expensive than any other digital mode. You can find them at a decent price but you'll be looking for a long time before you stumble on a good deal.

 

I understand your disclaimer. I will say that I don't plan to operate with power that exceeds FCC regulations for specific frequencies/bands. 

So are the Radioddity or Anytone radios at all comparable with something like an older Motorola? Am I just asking for too much in one package?

One of the HT's I currently own is a Wouxun KG-UV9PX, which checks all the boxes except for DMR and not having a high-quality receiver. I live within eyesight of NYC so I imagine a better receiver would be beneficial here. 

[Lscott]

17 minutes ago, WROZ437 said:

I understand your disclaimer. I will say that I don't plan to operate with power that exceeds FCC regulations for specific frequencies/bands. 

Radios get FCC certification under the rule parts that pertain to the radio service in question. Ham gear typically only has Part 15, which has to do with interference and the blocking of scanning/monitoring or cell phone frequencies. Since they have no certification under any section in Part 95 they can't be used "legally" for any service covered by that rule part. That includes the case when all other requirements like frequency, bandwidth and power are programmed to match. So, the point of the disclaimer was to make the record clear what your exposure to potential FCC action would be. 

24 minutes ago, WROZ437 said:

So are the Radioddity or Anytone radios at all comparable with something like an older Motorola?

The radios are compatible with any other radio, including Motorola, using analog FM and set for the same bandwidth.

A number of the Motorola radios use a digital mode called "Mototrbo", which is their brand name for DMR.

https://www.radiocoms.co.uk/what-is-mototrbo/

So long as a radio complies with the DMR standard then they should have no issue with communicating with another DMR radio. I haven't head of any issues in that area with the Anytone models.

http://anytonetechzone.byethost7.com/878techmods.htm?fbclid=IwAR3ADo-LXXXiNjJh2LQjsq9E5g41FQNXRyEOAmhUIPWuSdQmuzFhIDNEU60

http://anytonetechzone.byethost7.com/578techmods.htm?fbclid=IwAR2UcyOoEyOdDFdgafJCaaiQsm6ANaHqLbqgAcBzkO1tfFX_kkXCHM-sfmo&i=1

[WROZ437]

4 minutes ago, Lscott said:

Radios get FCC certification under the rule parts that pertain to the radio service in question. Ham gear typically only has Part 15, which has to do with interference and the blocking of scanning/monitoring or cell phone frequencies. Since they have no certification under any section in Part 95 they can't be used "legally" for any service covered by that rule part. That includes the case when all other requirements like frequency, bandwidth and power are programmed to match. So, the point of the disclaimer was to make the record clear what your exposure to potential FCC action would be. 

The radios are compatible with any other radio, including Motorola, using analog FM and set for the same bandwidth.

A number of the Motorola radios use a digital mode called "Mototrbo", which is their brand name for DMR.

https://www.radiocoms.co.uk/what-is-mototrbo/

So long as a radio complies with the DMR standard then they should have no issue with communicating with another DMR radio. I haven't head of any issues in that area with the Anytone models.

http://anytonetechzone.byethost7.com/878techmods.htm?fbclid=IwAR3ADo-LXXXiNjJh2LQjsq9E5g41FQNXRyEOAmhUIPWuSdQmuzFhIDNEU60

http://anytonetechzone.byethost7.com/578techmods.htm?fbclid=IwAR2UcyOoEyOdDFdgafJCaaiQsm6ANaHqLbqgAcBzkO1tfFX_kkXCHM-sfmo&i=1

 

I get all that, from rules to digital protocols. I appreciate your help, but I think you misunderstood my question. I did not ask about compatibility. I asked about comparability, as in performance quality. Is an Anytone radio of a similar quality to a Motorola? While I don't have $5,000 to spend on an APX radio I could be willing to go a little further into my pocket than I did for the Midland MXT275 I currently have. Basically, is there a middle ground between CCR stuff like Midland, Wouxun, etc. and the high end like the Motorola and Kenwood stuff? Is the Anytone or Radioddity just cheap CCR stuff? 

I've poked around long enough to know there is older LMR gear that can be purchased and programmed for GMRS, but lacking all the bells and whistles and "capabilities" of newer Chinese made radios. As a specific example, is there an older Motorola or Kenwood LMR mobile that can do what the Anytone D578-UVIIIPlus can do if programmed appropriately?

If such a radio exists, am I going to be disappointed anyway? The whole point would be to limit clutter, number of radios, etc. but I'm also assuming that finding an antenna with acceptable performance on 70cm, 2m, and GMRS would be tough, if not impossible.

[Lscott]

1 hour ago, WROZ437 said:

I appreciate your help, but I think you misunderstood my question. I did not ask about compatibility. I asked about comparability, as in performance quality.

OK. The short answer is the Motorola radios, to mention the brand you seem to favor, are very likely to perform better. I'm partial to Kenwood, but that's just me.  There was a poster on this forum who was an avid Motorola guy. I exchanged numerous PM's with him and a few others. I have to admit he made his point about how the one model, which was his favorite, was a stellar performer. The test data he supplied left little doubt. That was the XPR-7550E. Unfortunately they are no longer manufactured. If you want one then buying used is the route to go.

As a general rule I would expect a commercial radio to perform better than Ham gear and better than a lot of the CCR's, Cheap Chinese Radios, for sale. The radios have to perform in hostile environments and just plain "work". That means the physical and electrical design is a step, or few, above the others, and why they tend to cost more.

Now while some of the CCR's may lack in some performance areas they have more "features" you typically won't find on a commercial radio. Remember commercial radios are marketed for business and first responder use. They are a program and use scenario, not aimed at frequent reprogramming. Contrast that to Ham gear where it's expected to be reprogrammed, possibility frequently, and from the front panel while in the field.

So, the trade-off is just how much do you want to spend and what features do you want, or require, in the radio. That will drive what choice you make. Some may have more than one and switch off depending on the current anticipated use. For example some people want one radio they can use as a base, mobile or as a hand portable. Others are happy to have a different radio for each. Believe it or not some also have several different mobile antennas they use when driving in the city, highway or out on the trail.

If you have any specific models in mind you can ask for opinions here and get some input from others who have used it. Remember questions and answers here are free.