Rig Radio Help

[Anazlu]

So Ive been studying up for my Ham tests, scheduling and pandemic reason have slowed me down on taking the test. I know I cant brodcast on non CB Freqs until I have my License, I am going to pay the fee this weekend for the GMRS License. But I am wanting to get a radio to put in my rig now. I want the radio to be able to broadcast on Ham, GMRS, and CB frequencies. I am just at a lost of what to get and what would be good. I have a Btech GMRS -V1 right now that I use as a weather/emergency radio. my budget for a radio, antenna and all is about $300, granted I can upgrade the antenna at a later time.

Does anyone have any advice on what to get?

 

[Prerunner1982]

1st there isn't a radio that can legally transmit on ham, gmrs, and CB.
2nd a radio that can be modified and still be a mobile radio is going to run you more than $300 as they will need to be an all band ham radio.
you can modify dual band ham radios to work on GMRS and buy a cheap CB.

Congrats on taking the time to try and get your license.

 

[Anazlu]

1st there isn't a radio that can legally transmit on ham, gmrs, and CB.
2nd a radio that can be modified and still be a mobile radio is going to run you more than $300 as they will need to be an all band ham radio.
you can modify dual band ham radios to work on GMRS and buy a cheap CB.

Congrats on taking the time to try and get your license.

ok I know there is radios that could broadcast on the Ham, and GMRS frequencies. I didn't know if any radios had the CB frequencies also. As of right now Im looking at something like the Btech UV-25x2. but idk how well this radio will work for my needs.

 

[Sparksalot]

I have an Icom 2730A in each of my rigs. There’s a rebate offer right now to get the price to $249. For GMRS, many use an inexpensive handheld.

ICOM IC-2730A

144 / 430 MHz Dual Band 50 Watt FM Transceiver

www.hamradio.com

 

[Anazlu]

I have an Icom 2730A in each of my rigs. There’s a rebate offer right now to get the price to $249. For GMRS, many use an inexpensive handheld.

ICOM IC-2730A

144 / 430 MHz Dual Band 50 Watt FM Transceiver

www.hamradio.com

I know the ICOM brand we use them at my job for our truck radios. my only issue with them is they dont broadcast up into the GMRS Frequencies. Id like to have one radio in my rig that can talk to most if not all other radios, for simplicity of use, setup and look.

 

[RoarinRow]

I use my Kenwood TM-V71A to talk on Ham and listen to GMRS frequencies. I recently got a second unit to use as a home base / second car.

 

[M Rose]

I know the ICOM brand we use them at my job for our truck radios. my only issue with them is they dont broadcast up into the GMRS Frequencies. Id like to have one radio in my rig that can talk to most if not all other radios, for simplicity of use, setup and look.

The Icom IC-2730A with Mars/Cap Mod does work on the GMRS frequencies... but legally no... legally you need three radios.

Get what ever is more prevalent in your area. CB is very rarely used any more. GMRS is used by a few, but most people are running on 2m VHF frequencies.

You might look at the TYT TH-9800 Tri-Band radio, it does 10m-70cm you might be able to program in CB frequencies to monitor (won’t be able to transmit on CB), and it will load GMRS with a firmware mod. As a technician you will have access to a portion of the 10m band, all of the6m-70cm bands. But it’s not an easy radio to program on the fly from my understanding (I’ve played with a couple but not for very long).

 

[Anazlu]

I know the ICOM brand we use them at my job for our truck radios. my only issue with them is they dont broadcast up into the GMRS Frequencies. Id like to have one radio in my rig that can talk to most if not all other radios, for simplicity of use, setup and look.

The Icom IC-2730A with Mars/Cap Mod does work on the GMRS frequencies... but legally no... legally you need three radios.

Get what ever is more prevalent in your area. CB is very rarely used any more. GMRS is used by a few, but most people are running on 2m VHF frequencies.

You might look at the TYT TH-9800 Tri-Band radio, it does 10m-70cm you might be able to program in CB frequencies to monitor (won’t be able to transmit on CB), and it will load GMRS with a firmware mod. As a technician you will have access to a portion of the 10m band, all of the6m-70cm bands. But it’s not an easy radio to program on the fly from my understanding (I’ve played with a couple but not for very long).

Thank you for the information. I've never heard it was illegal for 1 radio to have the ability to transmit on multiple frequency bands.

In my personsal area there is a good sized Ham club, which is why I've been trying to get my ham license. I'm just not sure what is used in this group for my area. But from my research people are moving more towards GMRS and away from CB due to traffic congestion.

As far as program goes, I have good computer skills, but for now I don't think I'll get a radio that needs a lot of programming. Maybe as a future upgrade.

 

[M Rose]

Thank you for the information. I've never heard it was illegal for 1 radio to have the ability to transmit on multiple frequency bands.

In my personsal area there is a good sized Ham club, which is why I've been trying to get my ham license. I'm just not sure what is used in this group for my area. But from my research people are moving more towards GMRS and away from CB due to traffic congestion.

As far as program goes, I have good computer skills, but for now I don't think I'll get a radio that needs a lot of programming. Maybe as a future upgrade.

All armature 2m/70cm radios have to be programmed... some are easier than others to do it without software... On my Icom IC-7100 for instance, I just spin the VFO (tuning knob) to the desired frequency and the duplex shit is already applied for that repeater, all I need to know is what tone the repeater listens to and input the CTIS ton by pressing the tone button on the screen. However on my Yasue FT2900 I have to go through about 10 setting menus to do all of that.

Programming via software is as easy as filling in a data table in an XLS spreadsheet and then transferring the table to the radio.

As for the legality of transmitting on all of the bands... I’m not sure what exactly you mean. If you mean HF, VHF, UHF yes a technician only has a very small portion of the 10m voice segment, for HF phone. Then digital and CW modes on 15m, 40m and 80m. This is how this is how they get you to upgrade to General and Extra Class licenses. With General you gain access to all of the HF bands, but not all of the frequencies. Upgrading from General to Extra give you privileges on ALL frequencies a crossed the amateur radio bands.

https://www.icomamerica.com/en/amateur/amateurtools/US-BandPlan-Update-1-2020.pdf

 

[M Rose]

Thank you for the information. I've never heard it was illegal for 1 radio to have the ability to transmit on multiple frequency bands.

after I re-read the above quote I think I understand what you are meaning...you don’t mean band but service. IE CB, Marine, GMRS, Amature Radio.

there is a lot of information out there about the legalities of each radio service and each one has its own certification process for the hardware to transmit and receive.

Riah covers this really well in her video she made a few weeks back.

and Josh goes into great detail about the legal issues of running a modded radio to use GMRS frequencies on a “Ham” radio

 

[Anazlu]

Thank you for the information. I've never heard it was illegal for 1 radio to have the ability to transmit on multiple frequency bands.

after I re-read the above quote I think I understand what you are meaning...you don’t mean band but service. IE CB, Marine, GMRS, Amature Radio.

there is a lot of information out there about the legalities of each radio service and each one has its own certification process for the hardware to transmit and receive.

Riah covers this really well in her video she made a few weeks back.

and Josh goes into great detail about the legal issues of running a modded radio to use GMRS frequencies on a “Ham” radio

Yes this is what I ment. I apologize for using the wrong term. And thank you for providing me with source material to look at.

 

[Prerunner1982]

As far as program goes, I have good computer skills, but for now I don't think I'll get a radio that needs a lot of programming. Maybe as a future upgrade.

All amateur radios require programming, especially if you want them to also transmit on GMRS, etc.
If you want plug and play radios you will need to buy separate radios specific to the radio services you want to use.
Unless you want to be price gouged for Chinese radios that may come preprogrammed with those frequencies from a particular "race radio" company.

 

[Anazlu]

As far as program goes, I have good computer skills, but for now I don't think I'll get a radio that needs a lot of programming. Maybe as a future upgrade.

All amateur radios require programming, especially if you want them to also transmit on GMRS, etc.
If you want plug and play radios you will need to buy separate radios specific to the radio services you want to use.

I know I need to program in the various frequencies (if I don't feel like just memorizing and manually changing the frequencies) that I plan on using frequently. Ie my local ham clubs repeater, and other frequencies.

To me that's not really programming. I have the software already and its fairly easy to use.

 

[Sparksalot]

Thank you for the information. I've never heard it was illegal for 1 radio to have the ability to transmit on multiple frequency bands.

In my personsal area there is a good sized Ham club, which is why I've been trying to get my ham license. I'm just not sure what is used in this group for my area. But from my research people are moving more towards GMRS and away from CB due to traffic congestion.

As far as program goes, I have good computer skills, but for now I don't think I'll get a radio that needs a lot of programming. Maybe as a future upgrade.

Fine business on the ham club. Those folks will be very helpful to new hams. There are also many hams here to give guidance and feedback.
I think having both ham and gmrs is a benefit if you’re interested in overlanding in multiple areas or regions.

 

[DRAX]

As was mentioned, if you're looking for vehicle-to-vehicle communications while traveling with a group then find out what most of the group uses. I find that most clubs/groups use GMRS these days and with more GMRS repeaters popping up there is more widespread use for general comms (Dur, the G in GMRS. :) ). The cost of entry is relatively low for a service and gear that has the potential to reach decent distances if properly set up. No exams, etc. to deal with.

Amateur/ham radio can be as simple or advanced as you want. Exam and transmitting requirements aside, a simple 2m/70cm dual-band radio programmed with local repeaters or repeaters where you'll be traveling will provide you with similar capabilities as GMRS, the 2m band will have better reach than 70cm (GMRS operates near the 70cm band) and with an APRS-capable radio and an iGate or digipeater within range you'll be able to send and receive SMS messages when you don't have cell signal. I've done this with my Yaesu FTM-400XDR a number of times.

If you want to play around with more ham bands then something like the Icom IC-7100 is a great mobile option.

I haven't used CB in years. I wouldn't give it a second thought unless your group uses CB for vehicle-to-vehicle communications during group events.

So, think about your primary use(s) for the radio(s) and go from there. For me, getting into ham was mainly for comms during solo travel and "SHTF." GMRS is secondary and only used when traveling with a group since that is the easiest for everyone. Nothing wrong with having multiple radios and covering your bases, either. There are a lot of options and abilities/functions available out there, we haven't even touched on digital radio (DMR, D-STAR, System Fusion/Wires-X, NXDN, etc) either which is something else to think about when it comes to ham/amateur radio. Making contact with a local amateur radio club would be a great resource to help you figure out what would suit your needs the best.

Also, check out RepeaterBook.com: Quick Search for Amateur Radio Repeaters and RepeaterBook.com: Quick Search for GMRS Repeaters to get an idea of what repeaters are available in your area or where you plan to travel. While not 100% accurate/up-to-date it will give you an idea of what repeater options are available and what modes they support.

Good luck!

 

[RedRob]

Since you are posting here I assume that one of your main areas of interest is using your radio for overlanding. If so you may find depending on your area that CB is nearly extinct and GMRS is uncommon at best. HAM is the overwhelming choice where I live. And it seems to me the same holds true away from overlanding. My advice would be to not spend any additional money solely to equip yourself with CB or GMRS. I would add that HAM is something that many people become immersed in. There is a very strong chance depending on your personality that if you spend $250-$300 dollars on a radio you will soon be kicking yourself when you want to upgrade. I would advise buying a BaoFeng as your first radio. Many people find it more than sufficient. If you decide to upgrade you will not have spent too much money, and by using it and interacting with other HAM’s you will have learned what is important to you.

 

[Dusther210]

Technically, as previously mentioned, you shouldn’t use the same radio for ham and GMRS.
I also have both licenses, aside from the pair of Baofeng UV5Rs we use QYT KT-8900D (25w, 90$) in our trucks and a QYT 980PLUS (75w, 160$) for home
Pictured is an example showing, of course only in theory, that you could monitor both channels simultaneously. The Baofengs and the QYT radios also transmit on 2m, 79cm and GMRS frequencies.

This is not a recommendation or encouragement to do so. This is strictly for informational purposes.

 

[M Rose]

I know I need to program in the various frequencies (if I don't feel like just memorizing and manually changing the frequencies) that I plan on using frequently. Ie my local ham clubs repeater, and other frequencies.

To me that's not really programming. I have the software already and its fairly easy to use.

Changing repeaters in the fly can be quite hard sometimes without the programming software and a laptop. My point is that some radios you can just spin the knobs and a nearby repeater will almost be imputed, while other radios you have to dig through all of the settings Menzies to make the repeater respond.
For an example, you’re driving the TAT and you have selected all the repeaters along the route, but you get to Utah and decide to take a quick detour through Wyoming and Montana and you want to input in the frequencies of the repeaters a long your new route. You now need to manually input these frequencies into your radio’s memory banks. Having a radio that has easy on the fly manual programming abilities is super helpful compared to my Kenwood KT-790h that has to be programmed with a laptop and doesn’t even have a VFO.

Personally I would recommend either the Kenwood DG710D or the Yaesu FT400XDR. In that order. The reason I recommend the Kenwood over the Yasue is because thenKenwood has the capabilities to connect to a laptop and send out emails with without another device connected between the transceiver and the computer... Both have automatic repeater shift functions, and I believe (could be wrong) that both can also cross band repeat.

 

[DRAX]

Something else that is helpful when in a new area and you have little or no internet access but there are repeaters around is having a radio that can scan repeaters for the correct tone ("tone scan"). Uplink and downlink frequencies are only part of the formula and the auto repeater offset is great for that but if you don't know what the uplink tone is then you won't be able to access the repeater. If you happen to know the frequencies and tone then inputting those into the radio can either be easy or a pain and that varies by radio/brand. Yaesu tends to nest menus while Icom and, to a certain extent, Kenwood tend to have menus that are a bit flatter. If I had one complaint about my Yaesu FTM-400XDR it would be remembering/navigating to things like setting the tone for a repeater that was input manually. My Kenwood TM-V7a is much easier in that regard BUT you have to know and remember how to get there initially because it's not intuitive at all (Long press vs short press on various buttons, etc). My Anytone AT-D878UV Plus handheld is definitely more on the "need a computer to program it" side. Basic functionality via the keypad is there, but there are a lot of settings and functions that can only be configured using a Windows PC and the programming software.

If you want ease of programming without a computer then something with a touchscreen will make life a lot easier, IMO. If you're just not sure how much use or enjoyment you're going to get out of ham radio then you can always opt for a cheaper Chinese radio. I would avoid the infamous Baofeng radios and step up to something from Anytone, TYT, or Alinco (Which are all quite similar to each other and some are the same but rebranded) to start with. On the flip side, if you have the money for something like the FTM-400XDR or IC-7100 then you won't be disappointed. As a bonus, the resale value on these radios is crazy these days so if you decide it's not for you and you want to sell then you'll have no problem getting nearly all of your money back.