What is the best commercial radio for GMRS use?

[thorjansen]

I have four Baofengs, various models but I prefer the BF-F8HP. I got them and my ticket originally for during Covid lockdown, intending to distribute them (only if licensed) to nearby family in case cells went down, but nobody wanted to learn how to use them. Haven't used them a whole lot, mostly just to check out how folks are using GMRS (what a variety pack!). I'm in Pasadena, CA so we have lots of repeaters around, clubs too (looking into them).

I originally wanted a better radio but money was a bit tight. Gonna have to spend more when I get my general ticket though.

[Lscott]

9 hours ago, thorjansen said:

I originally wanted a better radio but money was a bit tight. Gonna have to spend more when I get my general ticket though.

A few of the commercial grade radios have Part 95 certification, generally the older models from my experience with Kenwood gear. The newer ones don't, just Part 90. However many users on GMRS are using Part 90 radios, programmed to follow the rules, and the FCC doesn't seem to bother them. 

The point I want to make is some of the commercial grade radios can operate into the Ham 70cm band. The 400-470 band split is of particular interest if you can find one. That's very convenient where you don't need two radios, one for each service.

The commercial grade UHF radios typically are sold in several band splits. Common ones I've seen are 400-470, 450-490, 450-512 and 450-520. All those can be programmed for GMRS. A few can be "pushed" to operate outside of the published band split, like below 450, others can't. If you're looking for a radio and have a desire to use it on the Ham 70cm band then this is an issue you have to do a bit more research on before purchasing.

I mainly collect Kenwood gear and I've found the 400-470 band split seems to much more common in the combo analog FM/Digital mode radios. While digital voice is not currently allowed on GMRS it is on the VHF/UHF Ham bands, and most of the activity is conveniently found on UHF. 

Lately I've been carrying around my NX-1300DUK5 radio. I've used this awhile walking around a local mall since the mall security and house keeping uses DMR. Gives me something to monitor while there. I use a D-Ring ear hanger and keep the radio under my shirt or coat so not to attract attention.

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

If I don't have that one then I have my FM only TK-3170 radio.

https://forums.mygmrs.com/gallery/image/263-tk-3170jpg/?context=new

 

[LeoG]

On 1/27/2024 at 1:43 PM, OffRoaderX said:

I was going to suggest a Motorola XTS 3000 or 5000 and the XTL-5000, but then you had to throw in the "easy to acquire the software" part.. So, stay way from the XTS and XTLs...

But I'm really just here waiting for "some people" to proclaim that you will get a $10,000 fine if you even think about using a commercial radio on the GMRS.

You will get a $10,000 fine if you even think about using a commercial radio on the GMRS.

 

Well, that was fun

[Jaay]

My XPR 6550 functions quite well for Gmrs, as well as 70cm. 

[Lscott]

On 11/7/2025 at 6:21 PM, Jaay said:

My XPR 6550 functions quite well for Gmrs, as well as 70cm. 

I have a few of them in my collection. To use one for Ham and GMRS you MUST get the right band split, "UHF Band 1." Also you DON'T want one with the trunking firmware loaded either. I use CPS16 build 828 to program the radios. I have the password bypass patch and the wide-band patch for this software.

One of the noticeable issues with the XPR6550 is the on/off-volume control. Many of the radios the control no longer "clicks" when turned on/off. Otherwise it works OK. Just have to visually check to be sure the radio power status is all.

I also have a XPR6580. With an in-memory hack for the CPS these can be programmed for the Ham 33cm band. That gives you FM and DMR on the band.

One thing to watch out for is the SMA antenna connector. The dimensions are a bit different from standard when looking at the depth of the center pin. When you look at the Motorola antenna the center pin is flush with the threaded end. I tried one of my Kenwood antennas, didn't work. The center pin is recessed a bit from the end of the threaded section so when installed it won't engage the radio's socket center pin. This is typical of SMA type connectors. I imagine a slight modification of the connector, grinding off the end of the SMA connector, and maybe cutting off a bit of the rubber outer shell to screw in more, would likely fix this.

The limitation of a max of 16 entries per group/zone does require a bit more planing when programming the radios. Not a big deal. 

https://forums.mygmrs.com/gallery/image/261-motorola-xpr6550jpeg/?context=new

 

[Lscott]

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Icom radios. I have a few of the European FM/Digital models in my collection.

https://forums.mygmrs.com/gallery/image/500-ic-f3162dt-front-and-back-sidepng/?context=new

The US model is an IC-4161. 

https://www.icomjapan.com/uploads/support/catalog/download/IC-F3161_F4161.pdf

They are a decent radio but uses an antenna port type specific to Icom. You can buy adapters so the use of external antennas is possible. 

[nokones]

The best commercial/professional series radios for use on GMRS would be the Motorola XTS portables and XTL mobiles, and the XPR series portables and mobiles. However, the XTS and XTL radios are aging, they are still well supported by the after-markets for accessories. Repairs and service could be problematic. The pricing is very reasonable and these radios will essentially last for several decades.

I have several vintage Motorola radios, that are 30-40 years old, such as the Visar, HT1000, MT2000, MTS2000, MCS2000, CT150, CT250, and Astro Sabers and they are in very good condition and work very well. Also, these radios are still supported by the after-markets for accessories. The used market pricing is unbelievable for these radios.

The APS series portables and mobiles are the current series, but the used radios can be very pricey for most enthusiasts.

The Kenwood TK portables and mobiles are great quality radios and are aging, but there is still after-market support for accessories. The pricing for these radios are very reasonable and these radios will give you very good service for many years.

The Kenwood NX series is the current series on the market and the pricing for the used radios are a lot better than thd used Motorola radios.

The General Electric (GE)/Ericsson/MaCom/Tyco/Harris are very good quality built radios, but were never as popular with  the commercial and professional markets as the Motorola radios. In my professional career, I used both Motorola and GE portable and mobile, and base station radios and they both were very comparable and I personally didn't see anything negative with either brand.

The used GE radio market may be a little scarce and may not be very well supported by the after-markets for accessories. As for used radio pricing, I don't have a feel for the market.

RCA (Radio Corporation of America) is the oldest world wireless corporation for radios and other electronic devices. The two-way radios were not too bad back in the day, but never were on par with Motorola and GE. They were sorta OK in quality. Eventually, RCA left the market and the RCA brand name returned under different investors.

As for the Chinese brand radios, are there any commercial quality Chinese radios?  Personally, I don't know. I am the wrong person to ask if there are any positive attributes with a Chinese branded radio. I will only say they are very inexpensive as compared to the aforementioned brand radios.

[WRUE951]

1 hour ago, nokones said:

 

As for the Chinese brand radios, are there any commercial quality Chinese radios?  Personally, I don't know. I am the wrong person to ask if there are any positive attributes with a Chinese branded radio. I will only say they are very inexpensive as compared to the aforementioned brand radios.

Hytera (Chinese made) is right there with Motorola's in pretty much every aspect.  A lot of schools and small cities used these radios.  They make some pretty decent Analog/DMR Repeaters. For awhile when schools and cities were taking advantage of of Digital Upgrade Grants, there was a lot of good scores on used equipment on Ebay..   All dried up now but I was lucky to get a few repeaters and other radios.. I have a couple XTS HTs and much prefer the Hytera radios simply because of the more friendly CPS.   In the business world I grew up with Kenwood's and Motorola Radios. I always got more excited with Kenwood because they always seem to come out with more 'bells and whistles' where Motorola just stayed the same.  We used Motorloa Base and Mobile radios and all field HT's were Kenwood.  No one wanted a Motorola HT on their hip.   

[WRTC928]

I don't know a lot about commercial radios, but from what I see, it seems that all of them are pretty limited in their ability to store channels compared to "hobby" radios. That makes sense because a commercial or public safety entity will only be using a few frequencies, but I need at least 100 channels to cover the various places I travel. For example, the common 16 channel commercial radios won't even cover the repeaters I use in Oklahoma and Texas. Are there professional-grade radios that store several hundred channels with easy access to them? Some of the high-end amateur radios (Yaesu, Kenwood, Icom) will do that, but I don't know how they compare to commercial radios.

[wrci350]

1 hour ago, WRTC928 said:

 I need at least 100 channels to cover the various places I travel. 

The Kenwood TK-3180 and TK-8180 support 512 channels in up to 128 zones.

[Lscott]

52 minutes ago, WRTC928 said:

Are there professional-grade radios that store several hundred channels with easy access to them? Some of the high-end amateur radios (Yaesu, Kenwood, Icom) will do that, but I don't know how they compare to commercial radios.

There are a lot of commercial radios that store more than 16 channels. The 16 to 32/64 channel radios are generally the very low end basic types, typically with no display.

About easy access to memory channels, that's the usual pit-fall of commercial radios, no font panel programming. As you noted they are usually programmed once and forget. Thus little to no need to reprogram on the fly. The programming is likely done by a radio shop hired by the business.

A few radios do have the ability, usually as an extra cost option you have to buy a license to enable. One exception I know about is the Kenwood NX1K series of HT's. They have front panel programming for free out of the box. The procedure is outlined in the radio's service manual, not the user manuals. You do need the model with a display and only the limited keypad.

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

 

[Lscott]

8 minutes ago, wrci350 said:

The Kenwood TK-3180 and TK-8180 support 512 channels in up to 128 zones.

I have a few of the TK-3180's. Nice radio, lot of features, but a bit on the large side. There is the identical looking VHF version TK-2180 too.

https://forums.mygmrs.com/gallery/image/417-tk-2180jpg/?context=new

 

[nokones]

19 hours ago, WRTC928 said:

I don't know a lot about commercial radios, but from what I see, it seems that all of them are pretty limited in their ability to store channels compared to "hobby" radios. That makes sense because a commercial or public safety entity will only be using a few frequencies, but I need at least 100 channels to cover the various places I travel. For example, the common 16 channel commercial radios won't even cover the repeaters I use in Oklahoma and Texas. Are there professional-grade radios that store several hundred channels with easy access to them? Some of the high-end amateur radios (Yaesu, Kenwood, Icom) will do that, but I don't know how they compare to commercial radios.

The XTS5000 and XTL5000 radios have a 1,000 channel capacity and my radios are programmed with well over 860 channels and in 43 Zone/Banks. And they have a lot more features then the other radios. 

I believe the APX series have well over a 1,000 channels capacity.

[WRUE951]

3 hours ago, wrci350 said:

The Kenwood TK-3180 and TK-8180 support 512 channels in up to 128 zones.

The Hytera's support 256 Channels per 64 zones.    More than i will ever need.  

[gortex2]

My APX radios have 3000 channel capacity....Both mobile and portable. Alot of commercial radios have plenty of channels. With that said very few need 100's of channels. Being I can change PL/DPL on the fly I really see no need for dedicating 100+ channels for GMRS, and I travel accross 4-5 states weekly. 99% of the people using GMRs barely change the channel. 

[nokones]

14 hours ago, gortex2 said:

My APX radios have 3000 channel capacity....Both mobile and portable. Alot of commercial radios have plenty of channels. With that said very few need 100's of channels. Being I can change PL/DPL on the fly I really see no need for dedicating 100+ channels for GMRS, and I travel accross 4-5 states weekly. 99% of the people using GMRs barely change the channel. 

99% of the people don't know how to add and/or change the PL let alone changing the channel.

[Lscott]

1 hour ago, nokones said:

99% of the people don't know how to add and/or change the PL let alone changing the channel.

There is a simple solution for that. RTFM. 

[LeoG]

Those same 99% don't own radios either....

[WRTC928]

17 hours ago, gortex2 said:

My APX radios have 3000 channel capacity....Both mobile and portable. Alot of commercial radios have plenty of channels. With that said very few need 100's of channels. Being I can change PL/DPL on the fly I really see no need for dedicating 100+ channels for GMRS, and I travel accross 4-5 states weekly. 99% of the people using GMRs barely change the channel. 

I certainly know how to change PL/DPL on the fly, but I prefer to have repeaters programmed in with names so I can quickly choose which one I want. Some people travel so much that they have all their favorite repeaters memorized and don't need very many channels. Others travel so little that they use very few repeaters and also don't need very many channels. I'm in a middle ground where I travel in several states but may only visit a given area a couple of times a year. I can just choose a repeater by name and not have to mess with any settings. Different lifestyles, different needs.

[Lscott]

3 hours ago, WRTC928 said:

I can just choose a repeater by name and not have to mess with any settings. Different lifestyles, different needs.

That's how I have mine done. I have enough memory channels for it.

[thorjansen]

On 11/10/2025 at 2:33 PM, Lscott said:

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Icom radios

I'm (not) surprised nobody has mentioned Heathkit! I remember sitting in wonder in my dad's ham shack what, about 55 or so years ago, watching him work the world with one.

[WRCZ387]

On 1/28/2024 at 11:10 AM, gortex2 said:

Motorola, Kenwood, ICOM all make good commercial gear. For SAR a lot of our users utilize ICOM for cost and programmability. Personally I use MSI equipment but I did use a lot of ICOM in the past. Kenwood has some good gear also. As far at Motorola there is no need for APX radios. A CDM1250 is a solid little GMRS rig. 

I have no experience with Kenwood & Motorola, but I've been using Icom LMR h-t's on GMRS & MURS with great results

FWIW, Alinco Part 90 h-t's are very good performers also

[WRCZ387]

On 11/10/2025 at 2:33 PM, Lscott said:

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Icom radios. I have a few of the European FM/Digital models in my collection.

https://forums.mygmrs.com/gallery/image/500-ic-f3162dt-front-and-back-sidepng/?context=new

The US model is an IC-4161. 

https://www.icomjapan.com/uploads/support/catalog/download/IC-F3161_F4161.pdf

They are a decent radio but uses an antenna port type specific to Icom. You can buy adapters so the use of external antennas is possible. 

Yeah, the MX or MXI connector is a PITA

For h-t antennas you can purchase Smiley Antennas & specify the MX connector

[WRCZ387]

On 11/11/2025 at 4:38 PM, WRTC928 said:

I don't know a lot about commercial radios, but from what I see, it seems that all of them are pretty limited in their ability to store channels compared to "hobby" radios. That makes sense because a commercial or public safety entity will only be using a few frequencies, but I need at least 100 channels to cover the various places I travel. For example, the common 16 channel commercial radios won't even cover the repeaters I use in Oklahoma and Texas. Are there professional-grade radios that store several hundred channels with easy access to them? Some of the high-end amateur radios (Yaesu, Kenwood, Icom) will do that, but I don't know how they compare to commercial radios.

Icom has older & newer model h-t's & mobiles that offer choices of 128, 256, 512, & 1024 channels

[Lscott]

7 hours ago, WRCZ387 said:

Yeah, the MX or MXI connector is a PITA

For h-t antennas you can purchase Smiley Antennas & specify the MX connector

I tend to use my HT's in a mobile setting so the use of an external antenna is a major consideration. I've tried to "standardize" on whatever the port connector type is on the radio to a female BNC. BNC connectors are a constant 50 ohm impedance type so even at UHF you really don't have issues with SWR using them. I can typically find just about any kind of adapter to BNC type. Also finding cheap short RG-58 cable with BNC's are easy. As long as the length is short the losses are minimal.  

One other connector type that gets overlooked are the "mini RG8X" type. They look like mini versions of the usual PL-259/SO-239 types. The major difference is they are also constant 50 ohm impedance and rated up to a couple of gigahertz in frequency.