I get asked a lot, which radio should I buy? Radios are like cars, campers, guns, or anything else. There are hundreds of different makes and models to choose from, so which one should you get? My short answer is- the one you can afford that fits your needs.
Sounds simple, and it is. But there are truly hundreds of choices available out there. With radio, though, you must choose a radio that is type accepted by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for use on whatever band you are going to use. It's like of like buying an automatic rifle for concealed carry purposes. It's illegal. Can you get away with it? Maybe. But someone will rat you out and there are big penalties for operating outside of what the FCC says you should.
For FRS radio- you can just pick up a pack of radios at Walmart or on Amazon. Those do not require a license to operate. But their power is limited, so their reach, or how far you can talk is very limited.
For GMRS you must get a radio that is type accepted by the FCC to operate on those frequencies. Here is a good article that discusses the differences between FRS and GMRS radios: https://www.buytwowayradios.com/blog/2021/10/the-difference-between-frs-and-gmrs-radios.html
On this same site, there are several radios to choose from: https://www.buytwowayradios.com/consumer/gmrs-radios.html
Midland makes good radios and I have also heard really good things about the Wouxun KG805G handheld radio for GMRS.
Go to mygmrs.com to find GMRS repeaters in the US.
As far as ham radio (amateur radio), the choices are much more expansive. Remember, with GMRS radio, you can talk radio to radio (simplex) and you can use GMRS repeaters which greatly expand your reach. Ham radio is the same, but comes with an infrastructure built by ham radio operators and ham radio clubs over the decades that is second to none. There are ham radio repeaters scattered throughout the United States and the world for that matter. I dare say that ham radio operators fixed the interoperability issue even before it was an issue. I can take one of my radios, leave home, get on a flight, and pretty much be guaranteed to be able to access a repeater or talk to someone on simplex in every city in the country, and most remote locations too. (extremely remote locations may not be covered by a repeater, but there are ways to communicate anyway!)
Go to repeaterbook.com to find the plethora of ham repeaters throughout the US.
As far as ham radios go, there are the "cheap Chinese radios" or CCR's as some affectionately call them. Baofeng radios come in several different types but at the heart of all the Baofeng radios therein lies the UV5R model components. You can get a Baofeng UV5R for $25 on Amazon. I dare say that dollar for dollar, the Baofeng is a great deal. It is licensed to talk on ham radio 2 meter and 70 cm bands. (VHF and UHF). It does a pretty ok job. But they are exactly what you pay for. Get an extra one while you're at it. If one breaks, throw it away and use the second one.
In ham radios there are the "big three" manufacturers. Yaesu, Icom, and Kenwood. These companies make some absolutely stellar radios, but they all come with a larger price tag. Many of these radios come with water, dust, and vibration resistance (IP rating). Their internal parts are made better and will generally provide years of useful service to you, if taken care of. If they are rated to put a certain energy level (watts), then they are typically true to that number.
One of the absolute best handheld radios I have ever had is the Yaesu FT60. This handheld came out in 2004 and is a tank. It is a dual band VHF/UHF analog radio that just plain works. I have one and usually use it as my daily driver since 2004. It is worn, but still works great. It has survived falls, drops, and even skidded across a highwayoff the hood of an ambulance. Still works. I just bought my second one from dxengineering.com for $154.95. Since this radio is still in production and being sold 17 years after its debut is a testament to how good of a radio this is. If you buy this radio, it will last. I guarantee it.
Yaesu also offers a line of digital/ analog radios. Yaesu has a digital format that uses the C4FM modulation which works amazingly well. I can be on my couch and talk to a station in another country, just using my Yaesu FT3DR. Of course, this utilizes the internet, but is pretty cool anyway. The FT3DR and now its newest iteration, the FT5D are great radios but come at a substantial cost.
I wouldn't stop at just a handheld radio. They are great! But, you need more power to get a signal out when needed. The Yaesu 2980R is an 80 watt mobile/ base radio for 2 meter FM only that is on sale right now at DX Engineering for $149.99. Great radio, great deal! They also have the Icom IC2730A on sale for $279.95. I like having a dual band radio. It gives you more options, and is essentially two radios in one. Gigaparts has a Yaesu FTM 6000R dual band for $319. Also a great radio.
This is just an overview. There is so much to do and learn in radio, that one blog post will never be able to do it justice. The key is to do something. Get started now. Again, using a radio is kind of like using a gun for concealed carry. They're great to have around, but when the chips are down, will you have the muscle memory and practice down to be able to use them to save your life? I always like to push people toward amateur radio since you can do so much more with it, but there is a place for GMRS radio too. Whatever you decide to use, you have to practice to be effective.
I tend to be loyal to Yaesu. They put out some really great products; you really can't go wrong with them. They have put out some questionable designs lately, but still remain one of my favorites. I like to stick to the same brand for my handheld and mobile radios. Programming and usage is typically similar, so it makes it easier. But if you decide to stick with Baofeng or go with Icom, I won't fault you either way as long as you use it and practice it.
Next topic: Antennas for these radios!
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