I just noticed that if you press the SOS button on these units, the red led automatically flashes out the Morse code SOS signal. that's really nice because the US Coast Guard accepts such an automatic signal as meeting the required emergency equipment for operating a boat after sunset.
The easily available rechargeable AA batteries is a major plus. You should be able to run these on off the shelf AA alkaline as well. 121 Tones are also a plus. Seems simple yet very practical.
I recently bought a pair of FRS radios after doing some research on them. I have used FRS since it began. I am a ham but no one else in the family is. Here is a valuable tip: If you search the model name and it's FCC ID number you can see what the power output actually tested at. My old FRS models were only 336mw! The Motorola T460 pair I got tested at 1.7 watts. I use eneloops in them and charge them in a panasonic charger BTW. The stock pack is a laughable 800mah! I hope this helps those seeking better range. The new radios have better receivers too...more sensitive.
you get more power if you use alcalines theoretically correct? Or is there normally some in-line component in circuit to prevent it or is the difference neglidgable? IIRC alcalines put out about 3v compared to rechargables puting out about 1v
@@coolelectronics1759 Nickel metal hydride batteries are usually only 1.2v, compared to alkaline's 1.5v. So you do get a little more wattage. The Motorola T4xx's put almost 1.8watts with alkaline, and about 1.5watts with rechargeable batteries.
The funny thing is, these radios only put out 1.22watts on high, and about 200mWatts onlow. I still bought a pair of orange ones from Airiton on Amazon.
Ihave the Midland GXT 1000G. The batteries are shot in it but you can pull their proprietary battery pack out and put in 4 AA batteries in it. I don't think you can use the charging cradle to charge rechargeable AA though. I would strongly suggest the Wouxun KG-1000G GMRS Base/Mobile Two Way Radio and the Wouxun KG-805G GMRS Two Way Radio. I Know this is about FRS so these look great but check out the Wouxun KG-805F FRS Two Way Radio. I am not getting paid for this comment.
Glad I found your channel. I inherited some Retevis RT68 radios that we use for our church security team. Rugged enough and not complicated. Perfect for volunteers. I Like these better, though. The batteries are the main reason.
+1 I'd like to see some that take one or two 18650s, I have stacks of those power cells lying around & a dedicated charger. It'd be nice to expand my tool load-out with more things that use the bare cells.
some radios such as the retevis rt22 dont have a screen or a way to change the ctcss from the radio itself. the software is used to change the ctcss tones
"Don't worry, we have extra batteries." "Do you have a mini screwdriver to take the door off to replace the batteries?" "Uh oh. Oh no! I don't. We're screwed!"
I only got these because I got tired of taking out my cell phone from the Yamaha Waverunner compartment. Just got them in so can’t really comment on them. I do like the color, they say they float, and I simply need them to let the next riders know I’m on my way back or whatever.
Actually the CTCSS tones work differently. Anyone using a channel with ctcss tone set to zero can hear everything transmitted on that channel. Anyone using matching ctcss tones can only hear each other and sometimes talk over anyone on that channel!!! There are very few good reasons to use ctcss tones. That whole idea was a marketing scheme to sell those radios so people thought they were capable of hundreds of private channels. When those things were really popular during the Radioshack days travel resorts were full of them and it was interesting to listen to conversations of people who thought their communications were private. Believe me with FRS radios you only have 22 channels and no privacy!
@SnappyJon Exactly. If the radio with CTCSS set to 0 receives everything, and turning the CTCSS on only receives on that "tone" that means it is RX only. On HAM radios, there is an option for TX and RX, which means I could set the TX CTCSS on a ham radio and the FRS Radio with the CTCSS set to 0 still wouldn't hear it, because it isn't receiving a CTCSS tone.
CTCSS will not eliminate interference. Just because with CTCSS you don't hear someone on the same channel, you're transmission can still interfere with their conversation. It is not a separate sub channel, and an FM receiver "captures" the strongest signal it hears.
Awesome! Cool demo, More FRS radio videos would be dope. you should demo the new cobra puck style ChatTag series radios I seen them on amazon they look neat. I was thinking of picking them up but I am curious to see what watts those guys can put out and the overall coverage under both conjested and open line of site conditions is on them. They don't appeare to have antennae that I can see so it must be intternal but definitely a cool modern design. They are rechargeable too and are supose to have vox I would also like to see some demos for wristwatch FRS radios Haven't seen much on youtube on that style of radio yet. XACT Communication Wristlinx was another radio I was looking at.
Did someone use the Retevis RT49P more? Just curious how many hours of talk time is possible with the AA batteries? I don't expect the real-world range as good as 5 watt GMRS, but is the RT49P about average for a 2 watt FRS? 1-2 miles LOS? The RT49P looks like a good basic FRS - until I KNOW I need GMRS or HAM. Thanks.
DMR Enhanced Privacy vs AES 256. I heard that Anytone 878 CPS allows you to select the AES option. Is this correct? Obviously encryption is never to be used in Amateur Radio, but in MURS and licensed private business band it is. Any comments?
Hello the vox function which is supposed to be hands free does not work well on my RT649 I think. Is it normal for a hands-free vox to be forced to hold the walkie talkie 3cm from the mouth and even speak loudly, even in sensitive mode 3 ???
They are IP67 rated waterproof. I have a set, and they are quite similar in performance to my Motorola 600 units. The only real problem that I have encountered is the scan function. It uses a “privacy” code when scanning, so while it stops when it receives a signal, you can’t actually hear the transmission. Weird! But other than that they are fully compatible without programming with my many other FRS radios.
When you get this model out of the box all 22 channels are set at tone 1 so you have to manually set all 22 channels one at a time to 0 Then when you resume scan function you be able to hear audio of everyone else whether they transmit a tone or no tone. I think it's strange they chose to default at 1 instead of zero like the other FRS radio manufacturers! Just got a pair myself and I think these radios are beautiful and really great!
@@RafaelDantasss any discussion on the range of FRS radios is going to begin with the words “it depends!” There is no good answer. FRS radios put out 2 watts, less than a night light bulb. That means that the signal can be impacted by almost anything! Even the height that you hold the radio can make a big difference. Over water, while sitting in a kayak, a uhf signals goes about 1 mile. If both people stand up in the kayaks, the range is about 3 miles. If one person is on a kayak, and another person is on a hill, the range can be 12 miles or more. My 3 watt GMRS radio can hit a repeater 42 miles away, but I cannot always reach my daughter house 1 mile away. Like I said, it all depends! Having said that, I have a standard in-town test for all of my radios. The Retevis units went by about a mile, just like all of my other 2 watt radios. But for your bike I would recommend something else. Waterproof walkie talkies tend to all have the same issue: the waterproofing tends to block the microphone. It’s worth it out on the water, especially in a low noise environment like a kayak. The wind generated by the moving bikes would make it even more difficult to hear. I would suggest checking into A set of MURS radios. They are also license free, and they have a number of advantages. The transmit on the VHF band, which can lead to great range out doors. They are not as common, which limits the amount of interference from other users. And you are allowed to change the antenna to one that is more efficient, which can result in a considerable increase in efficiency. When paired with a external earbud system and using vox one could probably have a hands free system that could reliably communicate at about a 1-3 mile range, in most conditions.
Looking at getting either the rt45 which looks smaller or RT 49 P which is bigger. Would both have about the same quality of sound for distance or would the bigger one have better sound quality and distance? Don't want to waste my money mainly going to be used for walking the beach walking some trails. Please help
Hello, I am glad that you are interested in our products. The RT45 product has been developed and launched for a long time. Compared with the new product rt49p, its calling distance is slightly shorter, and the two functions are also quite different. You can choose which suits you according to your needs.
My RT49p units perform quite well. I have a regular mile long In town FRS test route that is about a mile long. Most of my FRS radios transmit 1/2 or less. The Retevis units can be heard throughout the entire 1 mile test route.
If you are taking the radio near to a salt water beach, I'd definitely go with the 49p. It is a sealed unit. Salt water spray, even from 1/4 mine away, can really mess up electronic devices.
@@stephenszabo2361 Hello, sorry to reply you now due to the New Year holiday, we are eBay sellers, sorry that RT27 series do not have GMRS, but we have other models that are GMRS, such as RB26, RT76
Well, crap 2 weeks ago, I lost one of my best 1st walki talkie set the Midland GTX1000 😏, cause me being stubborn that I am in the rural area, I was told stay I should not be walking the dog, cause I had a bit way to much to drink . The Midland GTX1000 topped off 5 & a half miles Crystal clear, even the damn WX Weather Station came in perfect here in a valley of the High Desert Sierra's.. I'm, so mad still searching for the lost radio. I went along , last week & bought a set , of 🐍COBRA RX680, Weather Ch will not even come in , witch the weather is not important, but it could come handy. Guess the COBRA has a squelch option. I tested em out on flat range , cause the valley is flat only was able to receive & send only less than 3 miles 🙄 . I have one more week to play with the COBRA RX680, & if they don't at least come in 5 miles , im taking them back . Maybe WISH " The Glorified Amazon", will have something better 🤷♀️ Cobras are clearer, than the Midland , but with the Midland I was able to hear him almost six miles away .
man....I bought materials, studied my ass off til i could get high scores on HAM sample tests everytime then BOOM! a felony from 39 years ago knee capped me. Yeah I could jump through hoops and kiss ass to "maybe" get my license but I would forever be under a microscope, not that I am a criminal anyway, but in america there is no second chances its one and done guilty or not.
If you’re going to talk about talking to satellites on an HT please, at least tell them the truth that it is through a repeater system nobody has ever talk to the international space station, straight off of an HT it’s always true a repeater system period
I just noticed that if you press the SOS button on these units, the red led automatically flashes out the Morse code SOS signal. that's really nice because the US Coast Guard accepts such an automatic signal as meeting the required emergency equipment for operating a boat after sunset.
Do yourselves a favor and pause it @14:33. That was as pure a reaction as it gets :) Love the video, Jason, keep 'em comin! 73
Lol
My Cobra FRS radios that purchased over 20 yrs ago uses 4 AAA batteries ! They still work!
The easily available rechargeable AA batteries is a major plus. You should be able to run these on off the shelf AA alkaline as well. 121 Tones are also a plus. Seems simple yet very practical.
Wouldn't say a "major plus", Rechargeable NiMH AA or AAA has been pretty standard on FRS radios for like two decades.
I recently bought a pair of FRS radios after doing some research on them. I have used FRS since it began.
I am a ham but no one else in the family is.
Here is a valuable tip: If you search the model name and it's FCC ID number you can see what the power output actually tested at. My old FRS models were only 336mw! The Motorola T460 pair I got tested at 1.7 watts.
I use eneloops in them and charge them in a panasonic charger BTW. The stock pack is a laughable 800mah!
I hope this helps those seeking better range. The new radios have better receivers too...more sensitive.
you get more power if you use alcalines theoretically correct?
Or is there normally some in-line component in circuit to prevent it or is the difference neglidgable?
IIRC alcalines put out about 3v compared to rechargables puting out about 1v
@@coolelectronics1759 Nickel metal hydride batteries are usually only 1.2v, compared to alkaline's 1.5v. So you do get a little more wattage. The Motorola T4xx's put almost 1.8watts with alkaline, and about 1.5watts with rechargeable batteries.
The funny thing is, these radios only put out 1.22watts on high, and about 200mWatts onlow. I still bought a pair of orange ones from Airiton on Amazon.
Ihave the Midland GXT 1000G. The batteries are shot in it but you can pull their proprietary battery pack out and put in 4 AA batteries in it. I don't think you can use the charging cradle to charge rechargeable AA though.
I would strongly suggest the Wouxun KG-1000G GMRS Base/Mobile Two Way Radio and the Wouxun KG-805G GMRS Two Way Radio.
I Know this is about FRS so these look great but check out the Wouxun KG-805F FRS Two Way Radio. I am not getting paid for this comment.
I just bought these because in June of 2021 things are getting real very quickly in the city and i need to know where the fam is when SHTF. lol
Glad I found your channel. I inherited some Retevis RT68 radios that we use for our church security team. Rugged enough and not complicated. Perfect for volunteers.
I Like these better, though. The batteries are the main reason.
+1
I'd like to see some that take one or two 18650s, I have stacks of those power cells lying around & a dedicated charger.
It'd be nice to expand my tool load-out with more things that use the bare cells.
Thanks for inspiring me to take my tech license in two weeks.
You won’t regret it best of luck
some radios such as the retevis rt22 dont have a screen or a way to change the ctcss from the radio itself. the software is used to change the ctcss tones
"Don't worry, we have extra batteries." "Do you have a mini screwdriver to take the door off to replace the batteries?" "Uh oh. Oh no! I don't. We're screwed!"
Great Channel. Hi from a newbie Bangkok Thailand.
I only got these because I got tired of taking out my cell phone from the Yamaha Waverunner compartment. Just got them in so can’t really comment on them. I do like the color, they say they float, and I simply need them to let the next riders know I’m on my way back or whatever.
So is the micro-usb jack for charging? You teased that feature but never ended up confirming it. Great videos by the way! Thanks!
Yes it is for charging
Actually the CTCSS tones work differently. Anyone using a channel with ctcss tone set to zero can hear everything transmitted on that channel. Anyone using matching ctcss tones can only hear each other and sometimes talk over anyone on that channel!!! There are very few good reasons to use ctcss tones. That whole idea was a marketing scheme to sell those radios so people thought they were capable of hundreds of private channels. When those things were really popular during the Radioshack days travel resorts were full of them and it was interesting to listen to conversations of people who thought their communications were private. Believe me with FRS radios you only have 22 channels and no privacy!
That's because CTCSS is RX only on these radios but even if it was also TX, it still isn't encryption so it's not truly private
@@HamRadio2 I found that out years ago, it was very dissapointing
@SnappyJon Exactly. If the radio with CTCSS set to 0 receives everything, and turning the CTCSS on only receives on that "tone" that means it is RX only. On HAM radios, there is an option for TX and RX, which means I could set the TX CTCSS on a ham radio and the FRS Radio with the CTCSS set to 0 still wouldn't hear it, because it isn't receiving a CTCSS tone.
CTCSS will not eliminate interference. Just because with CTCSS you don't hear someone on the same channel, you're transmission can still interfere with their conversation. It is not a separate sub channel, and an FM receiver "captures" the strongest signal it hears.
this reminds me of the COBRA FLOATER FRS RADIO.
Awesome!
Cool demo, More FRS radio videos would be dope.
you should demo the new cobra puck style ChatTag series radios I seen them on amazon they look neat.
I was thinking of picking them up but I am curious to see what watts those guys can put out and the overall coverage under both conjested and open line of site conditions is on them. They don't appeare to have antennae that I can see so it must be intternal but definitely a cool modern design. They are rechargeable too and are supose to have vox
I would also like to see some demos for wristwatch FRS radios
Haven't seen much on youtube on that style of radio yet.
XACT Communication Wristlinx was another radio I was looking at.
Can you add a bluetooth headset to these? Thanks.
I actually like the fluorescent green color.
Yeah it’s good if I drop it
Did someone use the Retevis RT49P more? Just curious how many hours of talk time is possible with the AA batteries? I don't expect the real-world range as good as 5 watt GMRS, but is the RT49P about average for a 2 watt FRS? 1-2 miles LOS? The RT49P looks like a good basic FRS - until I KNOW I need GMRS or HAM. Thanks.
It sounds like the FCC now allows GMRS on all 22 frequencies.
DMR Enhanced Privacy vs AES 256. I heard that Anytone 878 CPS allows you to select the AES option. Is this correct? Obviously encryption is never to be used in Amateur Radio, but in MURS and licensed private business band it is. Any comments?
I believe it does but I've never used it
Captive screws is handy!
To make this radio even more awesome they should add in the 5 MURS channels.
True
I don’t think that the FCC allows for that at this point.
FRS is UHF and MURS is VHF. Even if legal (I don’t think so), it would add too much cost to the radio to be viable.
@@MoonMan1333 I double checked, and you are right, FRS/GMRS radios are not allowed to be paired with any other band.
@@MoonMan1333 Look up the Cobra MR HH450 DUAL MARINE/GMRS RADIO.
I know this is a little off the wall but what is your take on the galaxy 10 meter and the ranger 10 meter
Some models are legal and some aren't. The one's I've used seem to work ok
@@HamRadio2 *ones
Hello the vox function which is supposed to be hands free does not work well on my RT649 I think. Is it normal for a hands-free vox to be forced to hold the walkie talkie 3cm from the mouth and even speak loudly, even in sensitive mode 3 ???
Hi Capman. How's the range of them? I´m thinking to buy for my bicycle rides with my group and im have doubts about the distance they work well.
I have cobra 650x license free business band radios they sell them on Amazon
They are IP67 rated waterproof. I have a set, and they are quite similar in performance to my Motorola 600 units. The only real problem that I have encountered is the scan function. It uses a “privacy” code when scanning, so while it stops when it receives a signal, you can’t actually hear the transmission. Weird! But other than that they are fully compatible without programming with my many other FRS radios.
When you get this model out of the box all 22 channels are set at tone 1 so you have to manually set all 22 channels one at a time to 0
Then when you resume scan function you be able to hear audio of everyone else whether they transmit a tone or no tone. I think it's strange they chose to default at 1 instead of zero like the other FRS radio manufacturers! Just got a pair myself and I think these radios are beautiful and really great!
@@NewZealandAmerican thank you! Not sure why I didn’t try that. Your fix worked perfectly!
Hi Clyde. How's the range of them? I´m thinking to buy for my bicycle rides with my group and im have doubts about the distance they work well.
@@RafaelDantasss any discussion on the range of FRS radios is going to begin with the words “it depends!” There is no good answer. FRS radios put out 2 watts, less than a night light bulb. That means that the signal can be impacted by almost anything! Even the height that you hold the radio can make a big difference. Over water, while sitting in a kayak, a uhf signals goes about 1 mile. If both people stand up in the kayaks, the range is about 3 miles. If one person is on a kayak, and another person is on a hill, the range can be 12 miles or more. My 3 watt GMRS radio can hit a repeater 42 miles away, but I cannot always reach my daughter house 1 mile away. Like I said, it all depends!
Having said that, I have a standard in-town test for all of my radios. The Retevis units went by about a mile, just like all of my other 2 watt radios.
But for your bike I would recommend something else. Waterproof walkie talkies tend to all have the same issue: the waterproofing tends to block the microphone. It’s worth it out on the water, especially in a low noise environment like a kayak. The wind generated by the moving bikes would make it even more difficult to hear.
I would suggest checking into
A set of MURS radios. They are also license free, and they have a number of advantages. The transmit on the VHF band, which can lead to great range out doors. They are not as common, which limits the amount of interference from other users. And you are allowed to change the antenna to one that is more efficient, which can result in a considerable increase in efficiency. When paired with a external earbud system and using vox one could probably have a hands free system that could reliably communicate at about a 1-3 mile range, in most conditions.
Is this basically the Motorola t600
Motorola is usually a much better radio, but their FRS models are only OK
The RT49p, like the Motorola 600s, are kind of porky because they are made to float.
Always a pleasure to watch your videos. Your wedding finger would like to breathe.,,,😅
Looking at getting either the rt45 which looks smaller or RT 49 P which is bigger. Would both have about the same quality of sound for distance or would the bigger one have better sound quality and distance? Don't want to waste my money mainly going to be used for walking the beach walking some trails. Please help
Hello, I am glad that you are interested in our products. The RT45 product has been developed and launched for a long time. Compared with the new product rt49p, its calling distance is slightly shorter, and the two functions are also quite different. You can choose which suits you according to your needs.
@@retevisebay4208 do you have info about you rt27 gmrs radio and if it will be sold on Amazon?
My RT49p units perform quite well. I have a regular mile long In town FRS test route that is about a mile long. Most of my FRS radios transmit 1/2 or less. The Retevis units can be heard throughout the entire 1 mile test route.
If you are taking the radio near to a salt water beach, I'd definitely go with the 49p. It is a sealed unit. Salt water spray, even from 1/4 mine away, can really mess up electronic devices.
@@stephenszabo2361 Hello, sorry to reply you now due to the New Year holiday, we are eBay sellers, sorry that RT27 series do not have GMRS, but we have other models that are GMRS, such as RB26, RT76
They need to make a moble radio with frs and 11meater cb in it but that probably would b cost prohibitive.
It would be illegal in the US as the regs stand now.
@@clydeosterhout1221 bummer.
What is there best Frs radio?
*their
@@stfuplsok fair enough...fat fingered it
@@stephenszabo2361 yeah good excuse
@stfuplsok so no answer... just that I put the wrong there/ their in there...lol
Well, crap 2 weeks ago, I lost one of my best 1st walki talkie set the Midland GTX1000 😏, cause me being stubborn that I am in the rural area, I was told stay I should not be walking the dog, cause I had a bit way to much to drink . The Midland GTX1000 topped off 5 & a half miles Crystal clear, even the damn WX Weather Station came in perfect here in a valley of the High Desert Sierra's.. I'm, so mad still searching for the lost radio. I went along , last week & bought a set , of 🐍COBRA RX680, Weather Ch will not even come in , witch the weather is not important, but it could come handy. Guess the COBRA has a squelch option. I tested em out on flat range , cause the valley is flat only was able to receive & send only less than 3 miles 🙄 . I have one more week to play with the COBRA RX680, & if they don't at least come in 5 miles , im taking them back . Maybe WISH " The Glorified Amazon", will have something better 🤷♀️ Cobras are clearer, than the Midland , but with the Midland I was able to hear him almost six miles away .
man....I bought materials, studied my ass off til i could get high scores on HAM sample tests everytime then BOOM!
a felony from 39 years ago knee capped me.
Yeah I could jump through hoops and kiss ass to "maybe" get my license but I would forever be under a microscope, not that I am a criminal anyway, but in america there is no second chances its one and done guilty or not.
If you’re going to talk about talking to satellites on an HT please, at least tell them the truth that it is through a repeater system nobody has ever talk to the international space station, straight off of an HT it’s always true a repeater system period