Off-road use only

[Guest grumpy jeeper]

Situation: Been using CB's since the 70's for offroading but it seems the cool kids are using GMRS (or HAM, don't get me going) now days. I wheel with some groups that use CB and it is still the go-to for some clubs so my mobile rig (CB) will stay for now but I do need to pick up a good handheld. 

My preference is "less is more", bells and whistles are not for me. I prefer good quality and being resistant to rain and dust are a must. The radio will be used for off-roading exclusively. I am not a big fan of Midland or Rugged and would like to avoid them if possible.

Suggestions please, thanks! 

[Socalgmrs]

Boofwang uv9g for $25 is what we use for all our hand held needs.  I can confirm on many occasions they are water proof. We use them for work and play. On horses quads dirt bikes hiking emergency animal evac ect.   I have never broken one.  I have lost several and had many grow legs and walk away but never damaged one. They have been dropped in the mud, snow, streams, sand and dust.  Even run over with quads.   The battery’s last a 12hr day for us and they have usb charging. They transmit and receive the exact same as my wouxons and Motorola professional radios.  Face or chirp (computer) programable.  And I can read the screen out side in the sun unlike many “better” radios.  All of ours have the 771 antennas and do 20-30miles in n the valley we live in.  

[nokones]

2 hours ago, Guest grumpy jeeper said:

Situation: Been using CB's since the 70's for offroading but it seems the cool kids are using GMRS (or HAM, don't get me going) now days. I wheel with some groups that use CB and it is still the go-to for some clubs so my mobile rig (CB) will stay for now but I do need to pick up a good handheld. 

My preference is "less is more", bells and whistles are not for me. I prefer good quality and being resistant to rain and dust are a must. The radio will be used for off-roading exclusively. I am not a big fan of Midland or Rugged and would like to avoid them if possible.

Suggestions please, thanks! 

I would stay away from and don't spend your money on the CCR POS junk, and take a look at some of the Kenwoods and Motorolas that are offered for sale from several reputable used radio dealers that sell on eBay. There prices are very reasonable and there are various models that should meet your needs and last a long time.

Also, I have both a Cobra 25 LTD Classic CB and a Motorola XTL5000 Remote setups in my 23 Wrangler Rubi 2 Dr.

[BoxCar]

There is no real difference between the radio brands. Yes, commercial and public safety models generally have better specifications but that is reflected in the price. System on a Chip (SOC) radios work perfectly for general hobby/personal use. Personally, I think the Motorola, Kenwood and other "top-tier" radios are all way overpriced and for personal use. I recommend some of the Tytera, TYT, Wouxon and other brands as being perfectly usable for general use. 5 W output is 5 W whether it comes from a Moto or BaoFeng.

[Socalgmrs]

40 minutes ago, BoxCar said:

There is no real difference between the radio brands. Yes, commercial and public safety models generally have better specifications but that is reflected in the price. System on a Chip (SOC) radios work perfectly for general hobby/personal use. Personally, I think the Motorola, Kenwood and other "top-tier" radios are all way overpriced and for personal use. I recommend some of the Tytera, TYT, Wouxon and other brands as being perfectly usable for general use. 5 W output is 5 W whether it comes from a Moto or BaoFeng.

Yup this.  I own radios from $20 to $5000 the more expensive one were givin to me in one way or anther. Unlike most people i use them each and every day all day long 7 days a week to make a living and keep my family safe. My $25 hand heads do 20, 30, 40 and even 50 miles.   My $125 20w truck radios do 75miles and my home base 20w does 200miles. Why should any one spend $500-$1000 or more on a radio to do exactly what a $25 or $150 radios does.     Guess what.   Per a given wattage they ALL transmit the exact same.  Actually many times i get better signal reports from a Boofwang uv9 then a wouxon uv9g or a motor xts5000.      The only radio i have ever melted was an xtl5000 radio. plus most “professional” radios use proprietary software that takes a huge learning curve and cost big money and dosnt work on newer computers.         For the average person “CCR” radios work just fine.   This is similar to the $100,000 jeep that gets pasted by the stock 1940s ww2 GP “jeeps” in Moab.  I’ve seen it a million times.  And it’s always amusing.   Or the guys that drive around my neighborhood in 4low with 40s and i drive past them in 2wd in a f350.   It’s all how you use it.    

[Hoppyjr]

Sounds like the new Rocky Talkie 5w would be ideal for you.

As for the debate on “cheap Chinese radios” - I think they work great for some folks and it’s how I started in GMRS. Lots of features and they get the job done for relatively little money.

Being someone who likes the feel of quality gear, I moved to Icom for my mobile & HT, while my son got the Midland stuff.

[Guest grumpy jeeper]

17 minutes ago, WRXP381 said:

It’s all how you use it.    

I hear ya... my stuff gets used  

I'm googling and reading up a bunch and really appreciate the feedback. From what I am seeing most purpose built GMRS radios will come ready to go (Wouxun KG-905G, UV-9G ect.) Not really all that much different when compared to CB. Repurposed commercial radios seem like they could work too but that is an area I have no clue about. Though it looks like CHIRP programming is pretty straight forward if one were to source a radio that is compatible with the software. 

 

[gortex2]

For handheld you can't beat the Motorola T600 series. I carry a pack in both jeeps and never had an issue with them. Drive over them, dropped in mud puddles and bounced around in the back. I use the handheld more than my mobile when off road. They are pretty cheap and dont require a license 

[WSFE814]

On 7/8/2024 at 6:53 PM, nokones said:

I would stay away from and don't spend your money on the CCR POS junk, and take a look at some of the Kenwoods and Motorolas that are offered for sale from several reputable used radio dealers that sell on eBay. There prices are very reasonable and there are various models that should meet your needs and last a long time.

Also, I have both a Cobra 25 LTD Classic CB and a Motorola XTL5000 Remote setups in my 23 Wrangler Rubi 2 Dr.

I swear I've seen your plate in the JL forums.

yep, found it

[nokones]

Yes, our beloved Queen's Jeep's license plate and his Business/Production name gave me the idea to come up with my license plate configuration.

[Shortarms]

I'm new to gmrs also but i would like to say i love my Boofwang's but you can also get the TYT-9800 for in your jeep when unlocked (yes against rules) it will do ham, gmrs, cb.  

[AdmiralCochrane]

On 10/23/2024 at 3:28 PM, Shortarms said:

I'm new to gmrs also but i would like to say i love my Boofwang's but you can also get the TYT-9800 for in your jeep when unlocked (yes against rules) it will do ham, gmrs, cb.  

And Marine and Air band and MURS and VHF Business band and railroad band and ... and ... and ...

[Guest Jim]

You can buy a ham radio & talk on all sorts of frequencies with power limits over 1000 watts on many frequencies, but you need a ham license to do it legally & that means taking a test & paying $35.  The hand held ham radios are usually 4-8 watts & use repeaters for long range work.

You can buy a GMRS radio & talk on 22 channels with various power limits from 2-50 watts depending on the channel, & also use repeaters.  This requires a license that also costs $35, but no test is needed, aside from the IQ test of figuring out how to find your way around the FCC website.

You can buy a FRS radio & use GMRS channels, but be limited to 2 watts or less.  No license is required.  These radios are cheap, but transmit range is limited.

The "standard" cheap Chinese handheld is a Baofeng UV-5R for about $20.  They have a reputation for not operating clean enough to be legal to use in the US, but a lot of guys seem t use them.  They will work on GMRS frequencies, but are not legal for that use.  They are intended to be used on ham frequencies.  There are 2 GMRS versions of this radio that look exactly like the ham version, but are locked to only transmit on GMRS frequencies.  They are the UV-5G pro & the UV-5R GMRS.  These are also about $20.  These are basically 4 watt radios.  The 5G-pro also receives a bunch of other stuff including marine VHF, air band & ham frequencies, but does not transmit on those frequencies.  They all pick up NOAA weather stations.  The UV-5R GMRS picks up some of the extras, but not all of them.  Not air band for sure, but I don't remember which others it doesn't get.  There are other brands that make better quality radios, but they cost more.

There is another look-alike Baofeng called the GT-5R that is supposedly a clean version of the UV-5R, for about the same money.  This is a ham radio.

There is a larger & more powerful version in a different case that goes by a few different names.  it's about $30.  The ham version is a UV-5RM or just a 5RM.  There is also a UV-5RH, which I believe is the GMRS version.  You get like 7 watts out of these.  Reception quality is better.  The screen is easier to read.  The case is a little bigger than the UV-5R style & some accessories for the UV-5R, like batteries and charging cradles, do not fit.  The same mic's & headphones do fit.

 

The cheap & easy to use right out of the box little hand held GMRS for $20 would be the UV-5G pro or the UV-5R GMRS.  I haven't tested them to see how dirty they are, but nobody has complained about me using them yet.  The UV-5RH is a little bigger & better performing GMRS handheld for about $10 extra. 

 

Mobile GMRS radios for installation in a car/truck can be had in 15, 20, 25, 40 & 50 watt max power versions.  The better ones are several hundred dollars.  Then you need to buy an antenna, a mount & a cable.

 

[WRXB215]

7 hours ago, Guest Jim said:

The ham version is a UV-5RM or just a 5RM.  There is also a UV-5RH, which I believe is the GMRS version.

 

7 hours ago, Guest Jim said:

The screen is easier to read.

Except in direct sunlight.