I broke-down and purchased radios even cheaper than the Baofeng UV5R!
I wanted to get small, simple radios that my XYL and I could use for intercomming around our house as well as when we’re out and about and don’t want to use our cellphones.
Having a GMRS license that covers the family, I looked for simple, easy to use radios. I previously owned a Baofeng Btech GMRS-V1 but for a non-ham, it was too big and complicated/easy to screw up for a non-ham.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t find anything that met my criteria which was basically something like a Baofeng with many less buttons. I did find the Baofeng G11S and its close cousins from Pofung and Radiooddity. Interestingly the Radiooddity one transmits at the full GMRS 5 Watts while the Baofeng ones don’t. I kind of liked the reduced number of buttons but in the end, I think it was too big to be thrown into a backpack or purse by someone that wasn’t “into” radios like my XYL.
I also wanted to buy something that was cheap and that I wouldn’t mind throwing away/sitting in a drawer.
After doing some research, I completely gave up on GMRS radios. Sure, I could program my radios to GMRS/FRS/etc frequencies but I wanted a legal solution blah blah blah.
Anyway so then I started looking at FRS radios and came across extremely cheap radios that seemed to all be the same radio – the Retevis RT-22, WLN KD-C1, Zastone X6, TIDRADIO TD-M8, Luiton LT-316. I came across these identical radios in a roundabout way when Amazon showed me a very common 3.7v battery pack that fit the aforementioned radios.
You can literally get one of these radios for $15 or so dollars. Some even come in red and white and camo. They seem to be geared towards stores/restaurant people.
So anyway, after too much hemming and hawing, I got a 4 pack branded by Retevis. I figure several will be laying around the house to be used by other non-licensed individuals and guests. Or thrown in the car or left on a picnic table. We would basically use the 2 extra batteries from radios 3 and 4 most of the time.
I received the FRS radios about 4 hours after I ordered them on Amazon. Taking them out of the box, they are pretty slim. Compared to my iPhone X they are less narrow, about as tall including the antenna protrusion, and about 2-3 times as thick (not including the 2005-era cellphone holster. They are very lightweight. 2 radios seems to be about the weight of my iPhone X in an unscientific test. 1 is definitely lighter than the dense iPhone X.
I used the included cheap 2xUSB charger to charge up the batteries. The radio shows a red light when charging which turns green when charged, which happened in about an hour.
Then I used my Baofeng programming cable, fired up Chirp on my iMac, and downloaded the stock configuration. I’ve read they weren’t set to US FRS frequencies but to my amazement (and 1 reason I chose Retevis) is that they’re set to some other countries frequencies, etc.
I noticed there were 16 channels, some with DCS and CTSS codes, probably so that a box of them works without programming. I checked each of the 4 radios and they were setup exactly the same, in legal FRS frequencies so I didn’t have to do any programming.
The only thing weird is that the Channels don’t correspond to FRS channels beyond Channel 5. 6-16 are jumbled up but are on frequency (and bandwidth of narrowband FM).
Channel 6 (6250) is FRS channel 18 and also for GMRS 50W FM
Channel 7 (7250) is FRS channel 22 and also for GMRS 50W FM
Channel 8 (6875) is FRS channel 6 and 13 (but different max power levels)
Channel 9 (7125) is FRS channel 7 or 14
Channel 10 (5500) is FRS channel 15 and also for GMRS 50W FM
Channel 11 (5750) is FRS channel 16 and also for GMRS 50W FM & has input tone
Channel 12 (6000) is FRS channel 17 and also for GMRS 50W FM & has input tone
Channel 13 (6500) is FRS channel 19 and also for GMRS 50W FM & has input tone
Channel 14 (6750) is FRS channel 20 and also for GMRS 50W FM & has input tone
Channel 15 (7000) is FRS channel 21 and also for GMRS 50W FM & has input tone
Channel 16 (7250) is repeated but DTCS rather than CTCSS and FRS channel 22 and also for GMRS 50W FM & has input tone
I’m guessing they threw input DCS tones so someone with a GMRS repeater or 50W radio won’t come over these radios?
Looking at the charts FRS channels 1-7 are the same as 8-14. They just differ by power levels as well as on GMRS they’re the same bandwidth as FRS. That means Channels 8-14 are ones that can be cross-used between FRS and GMRS. Well, technically, they can talk where the bandwidth is different but you’d just hear/sound funny.
So it turns out that FRS only has 15 channels! Channels 8-14 are dupes for lower power versions of 1-2.
Channels 15-22 are also GMRS repeater input/high power.
So basically I should just load up Chirp’s standard FRS frequencies and load them in.
So I’m not sure why they selected those channels but one thing is for sure weird – the whole overlap of FRS and GMRS frequencies power levels, and bandwidth. I have no clue why its that messy. Glad I’m just a ham radio operator and don’t have to worry about that kind of stuff on a daily basis!
As I look at the charts more and more I’m sure there is historical reasons. There is overlap between the frequencies, max, permitted power levels, repeater use on GMRS. Crazy. And I just learned that 6750 with a 141.3 CTCSS is the “National GMRS calling frequency). Ha! Really? I’ve never heard someone calling CQ on my scanner which also scans GMRS.
Unlike amateur radio where you’re actually tested on this stuff, there is no licensing exam for GMRS. How are people supposed to know calling frequencies, ctcss, power levels, bandwidth? Some leaflet in a blister pack for Midland radios at Cabelas?!
OK So I’ll just try these settings and see how it goes. It’s not like GMRS is anywhere near busy per my scanner so it should be alright.
Then I poked at the settings and noticed the – key was already set to scan. Nice!
Then I tried playing with them. Rather than having a screen, a Japanese voice speaks (my XYL’s Siri is an Australian male haha).
When I turned on the power, he said “Power On… 1” As I pressed the left + and 1 buttons he said “1” through “16”. Holding down the + and – unfortunately it just beeps once for lock (so you can’t change channels) and 2 beeps (unlock), rather than voice. Holding down – put it into scan mode so I took another radio and changed channels several times and the scanning radio found the other radio’s transmission. Nice! When you hold – to take it out of scan, the voice says the channel you were on before you were scanning. Sweet! This is good UX for a non-radio operator.
The only other thing you can do easily is to hold the + button with after 2 seconds turns off the squelch to monitor the channel.
I plan on printing a 1 page manual and sticking it on the back battery door so that my XYL knows how to use these basic functions. Basically turn it on and switch to a particular channel or turn on scanning until you hear something.
So overall, without having used them in real life or getting my XYL’s opinions, I think these radios fit the bill.
One improvement would be USB-C charging instead of Mini-USB (not even micro wtf).
** GMRS and FRS are channelized, which slightly and semantically different than Frequencies, which licensed Amateur Radio operators may use.
73,
ae0rs
