Has anyone used the Radioddity DB25-G?

[AndyOnTheRadio]

I'm looking at purchasing my first GMRS mobile unit. I have a handheld. I'm looking for something with 20+ watts that is less than $150. I like the specs on the DB25G but I didn't know if anyone had any experience with it. Any help would be appreciated.

https://a.co/d/gmDsMxd

Thanks!

[OffRoaderX]

I have used/tested one - it seems like a decent, low-cost radio.. Its not the best/greatest world, but for only $150, you can't go too wrong..

A friend of mine has been using one for over a year and it is honestly one of the best-sounding radios I've heard - he sounds great on his.. It has great modulation/volume but is not over-modulated and it sounds very clean and clear.

[WRYS709]

I am a big fan of its less expensive cousin: the Radioddity DB20-G

[AndyOnTheRadio]

3 hours ago, OffRoaderX said:

I have used/tested one - it seems like a decent, low-cost radio.. Its not the best/greatest world, but for only $150, you can't go too wrong..

A friend of mine has been using one for over a year and it is honestly one of the best-sounding radios I've heard - he sounds great on his.. It has great modulation/volume but is not over-modulated and it sounds very clean and clear.

Thanks! Your review was what led me to it. I appreciate your videos. 

[AndyOnTheRadio]

48 minutes ago, WRYS709 said:

I am a big fan of its less expensive cousin: the Radioddity DB20-G

Yes! The 20 looks great. I’m on a Mac so I need Chirp to program the new one I buy. Or am I overthinking that? 

[SteveShannon]

5 minutes ago, AndyOnTheRadio said:

Yes! The 20 looks great. I’m on a Mac so I need Chirp to program the new one I buy. Or am I overthinking that? 

The db20g is not accessible through Chirp. 

[WRYS709]

3 hours ago, AndyOnTheRadio said:

Yes! The 20 looks great. I’m on a Mac so I need Chirp to program the new one I buy. Or am I overthinking that? 

I have no experience with the DB25-G, so I can't advise you on Chirp.

I am also a Mac guy, so for years I have programmed my non-Chirp radios with Windows (first XP, then 10 and 11) using Parallels on my Macs.

I do have the Radioddity DB25-D, which is like the DB20-G but with DMR and it also requires Windows to program.  I am not sure why Radioddity chose to confuse two completely different radios with the "DB25" moniker!

[Marchboom]

This radio is on sale NOW at Amazon.....$102.

amazon.com/dp/B09C7JBBVY/?coliid=I3DYR3NOIAN1FN&colid=23TZFELX2DJTT&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it

 

[WSEP311]

While we are talking about this radio, Does anyone know of a single pole ptt headset with mike?

I see them with the two pole but can't find a 3.5mm single.

Thanks,

W. Bill WSEP311 

[WSFB377]

18 hours ago, Marchboom said:

This radio is on sale NOW at Amazon.....$102.

amazon.com/dp/B09C7JBBVY/?coliid=I3DYR3NOIAN1FN&colid=23TZFELX2DJTT&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it

 

There is another 10% promotion you can check/add that applies in the cart at the end to bring the total to just under $92 right now.

I am new to GMRS and picked one up a couple weeks ago. A big selling point for me was CHIRP compatibility (vs the DB20). The programming cable included with mine doesn’t play well with Windows 11. I had to download a different driver. Windows automatically updates/overrides the driver, so I reinstall before updating the radio. Better programming cables are available.
 

My antenna is the limiting factor on performance for me right now. I can hit the local repeater on low power using a mag mount on a cookie sheet indoors, but I could also do that with a 5W HT with a Nagoya 771G.

[WRYS709]

4 hours ago, WSFB377 said:

...A big selling point for me was CHIRP compatibility (vs the DB20)...

My antenna is the limiting factor on performance for me right now. I can hit the local repeater on low power using a mag mount on a cookie sheet indoors, but I could also do that with a 5W HT with a Nagoya 771G.

Sounds like more limited range is a negative factor compared to the DB20?

[WSFB377]

I was not making a statement on range. I am not going to get much out of my current antenna setup. I researched both radios and came to conclusion that both radios output about the same amount of watts (both less than advertised) and that wasn't a deciding factor for me.

[AndyOnTheRadio]

5 hours ago, WSFB377 said:

I was not making a statement on range. I am not going to get much out of my current antenna setup. I researched both radios and came to conclusion that both radios output about the same amount of watts (both less than advertised) and that wasn't a deciding factor for me.

I use the Wouxun ANO-050G and it’s made a huge difference for me. 

[GreggInFL]

 I bought one this summer when Amazon had it on sale for $89.99, which made it cheaper than the DB20-G.  I returned it immediately because about half the time it would go through an off-on cycle when the PTT was pushed.  The replacement has worked fine.

Connected to a Nagoya UT-72G I'm all in at ~$125.

[Dave524]

I have had one now for nearly 2 months.  I recently was on a 650 mile road trip up to Portland OR and it performed quite well using a mag mount antenna on the trunk.  The audio is loud enough to hear at highway speeds.  Good audio reports from people I talked to along the route.  While it's rated at 25 watts, most people measuring it report it at 18-20, but certainly enough power to hit local repeaters.  In Portland, and other big cities, there is an issue with intermod and it was so bad I just had to turn the vol. down until out of the city.  Not an issue in the suburbs.  I did have a problem within days of the tuning knob cover coming off.  Also the quad monitor can be tricky when engaged in a convo and if someone keys up one of the other channels- it will go there.  Work around for me is to set all the other channels to the one I'm using when in a conversation.  These can be set at different levels, that is all in monitor mode; none or somewhere in between.  Easy to program with CHIRP, but as previously mentioned, the cable provided does not work on Windows 11.  I ended up buying the one that works instead of trying the driver work around, which did not work. I mostly use it as a base station connected to a power supply and outside antenna with good results listening to 4 channels at once.  Oh, there is a scan function and you can program which channels you want to scan, but it is slow and there is no delay on the channel stopped- just keeps going after the transmission ends.

WSEN524, Fremont CA