Everyone talking about Midland and GME for a GMRS, both are well established brands. It'll be interesting to see how GME impacts the U.S. market. I'll give Midland credit for their dedication to pushing GMRS forward and offering something interesting.
Searched the threads, overwhelmed by the amount to sort through...
I need a GMRS radio. I know how to push the button and talk and I can find the weather radio on my handheld.
Can we use repeaters for a longer reach? It would be sweet if we could!
I also like the idea of having Ham capabilities as well.
@JohnnyP runs this one and I think it’s a good option too.
Icom IC-2730A 50W Dual-Band VHF/UHF Mobile Transceiver
www.gigaparts.com
However, adding these features to the mix I might be thinking something beyond GME or Midland.
A couple that come to mind are the Baofeng GMRS-50V2, Wouxun KG-XS20G and Wouxun KG-1000G.
The reason is that these radios cover GMRS but can also do splits for repeaters, do both narrow and wide bandwidth (this makes it compatible with both FRS and repeaters) and to the point can cover reception on VHF and UHF. This is important if you want to listen to NOAA Weather Radio, which is on VHF, or monitor ham which can be either VHF (we call it 2 meters) or UHF (we use 70 cm). These radios can also be customized using a computer, so you can put together channels how you want, design scan lists like you want.
You want the powerful versatility of a premium GMRS mobile radio, but without the premium price? You get it all with the Wouxun KG-XS20G Plus! It takes the best features of a full size mobile radio and puts it all into a very compact package that fits into most any vehicle with ease. And it does...
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The Wouxun KG-1000G Plus is the mobile and base station radio that GMRS fans have been waiting for! With 30 GMRS channels and the ability to receive on multiple bands, this 50 watt powerhouse is full of functions and features that takes the GMRS experience beyond limited capabilities of the...
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BTECH/Baofeng GMRS-50V2 50 Watt GMRS Repeater-Capable Two-Way Radio with Dual-Band Scanning Receiver 136-174 MHz (VHF) and 400-520 MHz (UHF) myGMRS.com is an Authorized Distributor of BAOFENGTECH radios! UPGRADED The GMRS-50V2 is a major upgrade from the previous generation GMRS-50X1. New...
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There are downsides to these radios. The big one is the face does not come off the radio for remote mounting. This makes it tough to find a place for them.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record I have to remind everyone what
@Johnny Utah mentions about a ham radio requires you to pass the Technician license test to transmit (you do not need a license to listen) and it's against FCC rules to modify and use a ham radio to transmit on GMRS.
Speaking of licenses, remember that to use GMRS radios (which are ones with an external or detachable antenna, higher power and can do repeaters) you need a GMRS license. There is no test like you have to do with ham. You just need to get an FRN number (this is your FCC account number) and set yourself up in the ULS, pay your fee and they issue you a license and call sign.
