quote:

Originally posted by P220forever:
My recommendation is just get the Wouxun KG-935G Plus for $150 and be done.

I have two of these and two KG-935 HTs I purchased earlier before the + model came out. Easy to program and use.

I am also considering the KG-805, a less expensive model at $80, to loan to trusted neighbors, friends, etc. I like the fact there are fewer buttons for people to mistakenly press. Can you imagine trying to solve that problem should it arise?

Key things to look for when comparing radios, features, and price are (listed in order of importance to me):

a) a dual receiver (both the 935 and UV9GX have dual receivers) - being able to talk to a loved one / friend, while at the same time monitoring a local repeater or scanning a group
of channels on the other receiver channel is key, whether for fun or in times of need. Scanning speed is a differentiator when comparing the scanning function (whether single receiver or dual receiver); I can't tell a difference between the scan speed of the 935 or UV9GX. Both seem adequate to me.

b) a superheterodyne receiver (UV9GX) - theoretically more sensitive than other receiver types (don't ask why) and may justify an additional cost - to pull out weaker signals in noise.

c) battery capacity - the 935G Plus and UV9GX are adequate for me. Buy a spare battery or two rather than buying a higher capacity battery. They are 3200mAhr I think.

d) pre-programmed - with a crap ton of frequencies (UV9GX).

e) waterproofness - may or may not be important to you.

f) service/support - both twoway radios and bettersafe radios are US companies and provide service and support - I haven't needed to though.

g) not a key feature but the screens of both the 935 and 9GX have configurable screens. The one feature I like is being able to program my call sign into the radio and display it on the main screen. Makes it easier for others to remember what our call sign is. Changing the backscreen color to black also saves batter life.

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Based on my experience with GMRS I don't think you can go wrong with the KG-935G or the KG-935G Plus version from BuyTwoWayRadios.com.
I have the original KG-935G.

I also have the more expensive UV9GX from BetterSafeRadios.com. It has a more sensitive receiver (superhet receiver) and theoretically should be able to receive weaker signals. It comes pre-programmed with around 900 channels. A bit overkill probably but you never know. Being able to monitor the air band and railroad frequencies, for example, might be a good way to get needed info during bad times. The Superhet receiver and being pre-programmed justify the $187 price tag to me (about $40 more than the 935G Plus).

I have both ham and GMRS Wouxun radios as well as much more expensive Yeaus and ICOM ham radios. In my experience the Wouxun are as good as any HT for basic VHF/UHF am and fm and GMRS.
I haven't used other brands of GMRS radios (not incl. some cheap UV-5Rs) and have no need to look at any. Wouxun is good to go IMO.

If I was going to buy two radios today, I'd buy a UV9GX and download its programmed channels, then program the channels/frequencies into my 2nd radio, a KG-935G Plus. There are likely some
intermediate steps involved to do this, I can't remember. I use the programming software that came with the radios. I don't remember if I've used Chirp with either of them but its probably doable.

For another thread but my next radio will be a Wouxun KG-1000G Plus 50W mobile from buytwowayradios.com and a mag mount for my truck and a base antenna for home use. I feel like I have the top of the line in HTs so no need to spend more for a HT upgrade. My UV-5Rs are good enough for other secondary users I may want to hand them out to.

Buy a variety of radios if you have multiple potential users. They don’t all have to be the most expensive ones.

OK, WOOOOOOOK-SAAAAAAAHN KG-935G Plus and UV9GX

quote:

Originally posted by Jimineer:
waterproofness - may or may not be important to you.

It should be important to everyone except shut-ins. Not infrequently, water falls from the sky, sometimes in great quantities.

Thank you all. Matters are becoming clearer.

Please feel free to continue and to ask questions.

quote:

Originally posted by mark60:

quote:

Originally posted by 911Boss:

For what is normally about a $10-$15 difference, I would get the HAM version, even if just going to use in GMRS mode.

If one was to go that way is it correct that we'd still want to change the antenna to a GMRS tuned antenna?

While not optimum, a dual band HAM antenna will work for GMRS, but a specific GMRS and antenna can be had for about $10 or so.

GMRS is UHF 462-467mhz where HAM UHF band is 420-450mhz. Just because an antenna has the “right” freq range listed doesn’t necessarily mean it will work better.

I have GMRS a “specific” HT antenna that performs quite worse than my HAM dual band antenna. The GMRS antenna runs a SWR of about 2 while the dual band HAM antenna does 1.4 when TX on GMRS frequencies.

Yes, antennas. This subject is shaping up to be a deep mystery for me.

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
Yes, antennas. This subject is shaping up to be a deep mystery for me.

No mystery when it comes to HT “rubber ducky” antennas, they all suck

At least when compared to a “proper” antenna. Problem is getting a good 1/2 wave antenna on a collapsible 30’ mast that conveniently carries in your pocket.

Some do suck more than others though, best to spend a little more and get one that turns in respectable SWR when put on a meter.


A lot of folks will use a “Tiger tail” on their HT. Esssentially a piece of wire attached to the antenna ground to effectively make you rubber ducky a dipole.

Be advised that better safe radio sells two different pre programed Wouxsun KG-UV9 radios.

The KG-UV9PX is 8 watts and can have transmit limits unlocked.

The KG-UV9GX is 5 watts and is undetermined yet if it can have transmit limits unlocked.

All other features, accessories and functions are the same and the price is the same.

quote:

Originally posted by P220forever:
Just be aware that antennas for GMRS radios and ham band radios are tuned differently so if you're monitoring ham on a GMRS radio you'll be lacking.

The factory antenna on our 935G Plus radios are of course tuned for GMRS frequencies (462-467MHz), but also to receive in the 400-480 and 134-180 MHz bands, thus why I can receive NOAA frequencies. A popular aftermarket antenna, the Nogoya 771G is tuned at 462 MHz, but will not receive ham frequencies, so yes, proper antennas are vital in GMRS handhelds.

quote:

Originally posted by oddball:

quote:

Originally posted by P220forever:
Just be aware that antennas for GMRS radios and ham band radios are tuned differently so if you're monitoring ham on a GMRS radio you'll be lacking.

The factory antenna on our 935G Plus radios are of course tuned for GMRS frequencies (462-467MHz), but also to receive in the 400-480 and 134-180 MHz bands, thus why I can receive NOAA frequencies. A popular aftermarket antenna, the Nogoya 771G is tuned at 462 MHz, but will not receive ham frequencies, so yes, proper antennas are vital in GMRS handhelds.

And I do have Nagoya 771's on all five of my HT's of the proper type/model - NA-771G male on my Tidradios, NA-771G female on my KG-935G+'s and NA-771 female on my ham Baofeng UV-21R.

quote:

Originally posted by oddball:

quote:

Originally posted by P220forever:
Just be aware that antennas for GMRS radios and ham band radios are tuned differently so if you're monitoring ham on a GMRS radio you'll be lacking.

The factory antenna on our 935G Plus radios are of course tuned for GMRS frequencies (462-467MHz), but also to receive in the 400-480 and 134-180 MHz bands, thus why I can receive NOAA frequencies. A popular aftermarket antenna, the Nogoya 771G is tuned at 462 MHz, but will not receive ham frequencies, so yes, proper antennas are vital in GMRS handhelds.

A 462mhz tuned GMRS antenna should have no problem receiving UHF HAM frequencies (430-440mhz). As a single-band antenna it wouldn’t work too well for VHF HAM frequencies (144-146mhz).

I have a dual band VHF/UHF HT antenna that RX/TX on Ham UHF/VHF as well as GMRS UHF and outperforms a “dedicated” single-band GMRS antenna.

I agree that the Midland handhelds appear to be El Cheapo. My plan at this point is to use A Midland mobile with better quality / power handhelds.

Anyone have the newest TIDRADIO TD-H3 to offer comments on?

quote:

Originally posted by YooperSigs:
I agree that the Midland handhelds appear to be El Cheapo. My plan at this point is to use A Midland mobile with better quality / power handhelds.

Yeah the Midland handhelds are not repeater capable. Frustrating. I'd like to Buy American (at least design/customer service) but they aren't a candidate out of either cheapness or dumbing down their radios by design.

I bought pair of Radioddity GM-30s ($30 each) last summer based on the recommendation LBTRS here: https://sigforum.com/eve/forum...935/m/9000056005/p/1

They are repeater capable and a step above the Midland and Motorola radios I've had for years. The Motorolas are submersible and float though so they pull kayak and canoe duty. The GM-30 are splash resistant.

I looked at more expensive waterproof ones, but bought a pair of marine VHF handhelds for boat and jetski duty on Lake Huron and in Florida.

There's no GMRS repeaters where we are in MI or FL. I don't have a huge interest in setting up my own as it looked like about $2,000-$5,000 for the equipment and a tower tall enough to get an antenna above the trees.

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
Let's limit the discussion in this thread to GMRS handheld transceivers only.

Since I think you're doing this for your personal use, would you mind, in the end, updating your OP with what you consider are the best choices in each category?

I'm not doing this for my personal use, not exclusively. Neither this thread or the ham radio thread are for my personal use, anymore than the "Buy ammunition now" and "Get your guns while it's quiet" threads are for my personal use.

I am using my bully pulpit to wake up my brethren, and with the best of intentions.

^^^^^^

Guys will go to lengths in getting thousands of dollars in firearms and ammo, generators, emergency food, water filtration systems, etc. And yet they might not treat 2-way communications with equal concern. IMO, comms is just as important as the above. And GMRS handhelds are an easy and inexpensive way to have communications in a family, a group, a neighborhood, a community.

^^^^^^^^. If today's cellular outage wasn't an eye opening warning of just how fragile our system of communications really is, I'm not sure what else can motivate someone to prepare for the inevitable.

quote:

Originally posted by ltz400:
Be advised that better safe radio sells two different pre programed Wouxsun KG-UV9 radios.

The KG-UV9PX is 8 watts and can have transmit limits unlocked.

The KG-UV9GX is 5 watts and is undetermined yet if it can have transmit limits unlocked.

All other features, accessories and functions are the same and the price is the same.

The UV9PX is a ham radio, yes? And the UV9GX is GMRS. You say the 9PX can have its transmits unlocked, meaning it can transmit on GMRS channels?

Yes, the KG-UV9PX is ham radio that comes set like this:
Transceiver Range

Tx (MHz): 136-174 VHF • 400-512 UHF (Tx locked to HAM for Part 97 compliance)
Rx (MHz, AM/FM): 76-108 FM Broadcast Radio • 108-136 AM AIR Band • 136-180 VHF • 219-250 VHF • 350-400 UHF • 400-512 UHF • 700-960 UHF (excluding cellular)

It has 859 pre programmed channels (see the pdf file on the better safe radio site). you then can use chirp software to change the upper and/or lower transmit limits to what you choose to use.

In other words you can make it look like and act like any radio you want any time you want. fully programmable from the keypad or through your computer.

the specific function I am looking for is being able to tx/rx on military guard frequencies 121.5mhz and 243.0mhz. as these are monitored by all .mil and uscg aircraft and all airports at all times.

if you have a radio to call for help they will be the only game in town that can hear you and respond. this radio can also access the higher freqs that police and fire rescue use (800-900mhz).