Best starter GMRS radio?

[Uberland]

The title pretty much says it all…everyone seems to have their favorites, but what’s a good “beginner” one? Especially if you aren’t planning a ton of group outings, it still want something “just in case?”

Thanks,

J

 

[Sparksalot]

Any of the Midland radios would be good. You have the choice of several configurations.

 

[Downs]

Mobile or handheld?

If you're looking for a handheld I wouldn't even consider Midland since none of their handhelds offer repeater capability, and that may be something that you find useful in the future and want to use. For mobile I"m still not a huge Midland fan they are kind of feature poor and while they're one of the most plug and play brands on the market (their repeater usage/setup can be kind of confusing at first) they are kind of costly for what you get when you look at other brands.

 

[Uberland]

Hey, thanks for the reply!

Im looking for something that I can permanently mount in the rig.

If not Midland, any thought on other brands?

 

[OTH Overland]

We currently have two Midland mobile GMRS radios in use, our Grand Cherokee has limited space so we went with the MXT275 which mounts the radio tucked away somewhere and all the controls and display are in the mic. its big limitation is that it is only 15 watts so limits the reach a little bit, but most of the time not noticeable as you are usually communicating from rig to rig. The other radio is the MXT500 a 50 watt conventional radio. For what we do with them (trail/convoy communication) they both serve their purpose well. We use HAM for our primary and long range comms.

 

[Uberland]

Thanks for the recommendations!

 

[JacksonRL]

Radioddity GM-30 is a great starter for mobile. $38 and it has repeater channels in addition to the 22 GMRS channels. Also has programmable channels to save. Got a little nifty flashlight too. Lol. The only issue I see is that it’s a fixed antenna but you can still modify it. There’s an allen set screw that allows you to remove it. Comes with a little headset, belt clip, and wrist strap. For the price, it’s the perfect starter GMRS. USBC charger.

 

[smritte]

Im looking for something that I can permanently mount in the rig.

I have two of the midland mobile's. They work great. Small size and easy to fit. One of the guys in my group has the version where all the controls are in the mic. His radio is hidden behind the dash. Mine are the standard 50 watt (dont remember any of the numbers).

 

[ChadHahn]

I have a MXT275 with the 6dB antenna. So far no problems with receiving or transmitting.

 

[Prerunner1982]

If you are willing to dish out the money for a 50 watt Midland mobile look at the Wouxon KG1000g. It's a more capable radio.
Midland radios are fine especially if you are only using it for simplex (radio to radio) vehicle to vehicle comms.

 

[ChadHahn]

My Midland can access repeaters.

 

[Downs]

My Midland can access repeaters.

Most of their mobiles except for the 5 watt mobile can. None of the handhelds can. The Midlands get the job done but there are tons of others out there now flooding the market that are more feature rich.

Wouxun
Btech
Retevis

I'd personally steer clear of Rugged Radios, they way overprice their rebadged radios and the company is shady IMO.

 

[Downs]

I've got the HAM versions of the following radios. Both work great and the 25 watt model is pretty compact.

QYT GS800G GMRS Mobile Radio GMRS Channels 8 Repeater Dual Band Receiver Walkie Talkie Long Range Two-Way Radios with NOAA Weather

BTECH Mobile GMRS-50X1 - BaoFeng

Discover the BTECH Mobile GMRS-50X1 50 Watt GMRS Two-Way Radio, GMRS Repeater Capable, with Dual Band Scanning Receiver (136-174.99MHz (VHF) 400-520.99MHz (UHF)). Visit the BaoFeng site to learn, buy, and get support.

baofengtech.com

 

[nateh]

Making a christmas list so I'm looking into this same question. I currently have a CB in my rig with a big antenna. Wouldn't mind switching over to GMRS but I don't do much with other people anyways so cheap is good!

 

[Jim SoG]

Got a bundle deal from Midland and love it, all working great, here is a link:

Midland Radio Bundle Packages: MicroMobile, E+Ready, & More

Radio bundle packages contain all the gear you need including handheld radios, antenna systems, & more. Explore our bundle packages at Midland Radio.

midlandusa.com

Jim