I have to agree with you that these radios are horrible GMRS radios because they are FRS radios not GMRS radios. Also they DO have weather channels, 11 of them. Range is going to be not as good as radios over 2 watts as these are under 2 watts.
@@RKingis be course the F C C mandated it to all radios with F R S channels in the and the transmiter is only a half a watt that is why the range is so short.
In a pinch you can use dc barrel plug to 12v cigarette plug cables that will let you run a charger off of a 12v battery. Most of these handheld radio chargers seem to take 12-15v DC input power in the first place.
How difficult is it to include weather alerts in the hardware? Put the weather alerts in and make the radio truly waterproof and make a lanyard loop. It might cost .001 per unit. That's 1000.00 per million units sold. Chump change!
I see a LOT of comments in here about "you should get your ham license" etc. First, let me say I'm a licensed ham, and very active on the air. I also have a GMRS license. Where GMRS shines is in the licensing. With my one license, I can use GMRS with anyone in my family. Wife? Yep. Kid? Sure. Mom? You bet. In Laws? Absolutely. GMRS is way more useful for actually communicating with a purpose in line of sight scenarios. Ham radio is more fun, but we're not talking about fun, we're talking about actually being able to talk to people you need to talk to. Ham radio is a hobby in and of itself. GMRS is a radio service I use when doing my OTHER hobbies. As far as the radios go, there are some decent GMRS radios out there, but they're few and far between. The best one I've found is the Wouxun KG-S88G. Waterproof, USB C charging, superheterodyne, etc. They're also $140 a piece.....but they're actually good radios LOL (granted, the stock antenna blows, but that's easy enough to fix).
Yup, picked up a couple UCP ones for a decent price and used Rit dye to make one a brown and the other green for weather change options. They make a great hot weather option as well as a backup layer if a tent fails when its miserable in winter.
The rinky-dink flashlight on radios, and power banks, is like bottle openers on pocket and multi tools. Even my Yeasu HAM handhelds have a flashlight mode. You have no idea how thrilled I was to discover my latest multi tool, Gerber Dual Force, DOES NOT have a bottle opener.
Curious on the battery life of these radios, was seeing a decent anount of reviews saying it wouldn't hold a charge for more than a few days with zero use.
I looked at all of them to much sale hipe the company I went with is rugged radio the battery and radio are two parts belt clip is bolted to the back of the radio clip on bottom will release the radio has all 22 two channels and just a good all around radio thay sell all the extras in store no out sorce and a real T E C. in house
Can I communicate between a Retevis RT45p and a RT49p. I bought a bundle with the two types but cannot communicate with each other. Something I’m doing wrong?
put radio's on table together and check both first channel then securty codes if thay apply the radio's should also check the book to check it out Steve I do not own these radios that is how I would do to get them to work together GOOD LUCK and be safe
I fallowed you ad Vince and went with rugged radio there are no security codes in my radio just 22 open channels pick one and go and channels 15 through 22 are off repeater channels just a though
RE PRINT each channel has 2 codes for each channel all ready in radio you add nothing and thay will pre program the radio with tower P L tones and ship it to ready to go out of the box just charge the battery.
Hey, I travel around with baofeng chargers and adapters in my truck. I even keep extra batteries and charging cables and charger docs in an RF shielded ammo can… But then again you don't know me.
not sure about radios, but my ancient mobile phone(samsung b2100) had the same ratting and survived a lot more than standard says.USB-C is great, but design wise, these looks like clone of motorola TLKR series. problem with upping the quality is price range. with proper IP67, magnetic charge it would cost at least 20$$ mroe if not even more. when you get to that range, you have better selection already.
@@edwardfletcher7790 since most of the stuff is made in China, i wouldnt be surprised that even samsung specs arent up to scrutiny. i know their batts in mobile phones werent few years back.
Training = good. Community = good. But I took the Technician test for the hell of it and no question, not one had anything to do with programming or operating a radio. People just want to push buttons and talk, and they can do that without getting a piece of paper from the gov.
best bang for buck would be a uv k5 imo. flash that firmware and boom all! band RxTx. wouldnt tx outside the bands you are allowed its kinda messy but its getting better with every new update. 9mhz to 1.3Ghz with a SDR scanner built in.
Being GMRS legal doesn't mean they can't have weather, in fact the specs for this radio list 11 channels of NOAA weather. I'm not surprised these are not programmable considering the price point but considering there are baothangs out there that cost less and are programmable, well whatever. The main thing I wonder about programming is why you want to do it for a GMRS. There's a couple dozen channels and some subcodes and that's it. Setting a repeater ctcss is about the only moderate, if that, difficulty task and hardly ever done unless traveling so the value of programming a GMRS radio is pretty limited. If water penetrated after that little activity I wouldn't want them for sure but I think the weather and programming thing are incorrect or overblown.
I’ve been trying to get my GMRS License on the FCC website but it keeps saying my password is incorrect….even though i can still log in….the website is trash….you need a PHD in rocket science to basically find the license test page….i still haven’t been able to get through the password page…FML! Any pointers?
I hate to be that gal, but those are FRS, and according to their FCC report do only half awatt on all channels. And the FCC has allowed FRS radios to be programmed in CPS. 😅😅😅😅😅
That’s one advantage of the Baofeng charger and any proprietary system that uses surface contacts to charge. USB c will always have a weak point for waterproofing because the connector itself isn’t waterproof. I like the Baofeng GT-3WP, also ip67 though I haven’t tested mine for waterproofness. I think dual band ham HTs are a lot more versatile, BFs can be unlocked in 5 seconds which allows Tx on GMRS bands (or fricking any frequency in uhf/vhf for that matter) and they’re programmable. They have a flat WP connector for accessories like earpieces, similar to the Motorola HTs, though it’s a no go to fiddle with in the field because it uses a tiny screw so I just have an extra radio if I need to use that. They make a GMRS version also, but an unlocked dual band has its advantages.
WAIT. Give them $..FOR ‘GMRS’?! Anyway, YAESU..60-series are GOOD radios. Also there’s the OTHER chinese ‘Quansheng’ radios..ahh, they’re ok. HARD to find batteries though it seems. 5 WATTS..or more, NOTHING less.
Honesty is always appreciated
I have to agree with you that these radios are horrible GMRS radios because they are FRS radios not GMRS radios. Also they DO have weather channels, 11 of them. Range is going to be not as good as radios over 2 watts as these are under 2 watts.
Those only do a half watt on all channels.
@@RKingis Retevis claims 2w on high and 1/2w on low.
@@RKingis be course the F C C mandated it to all radios with F R S channels in the and the transmiter is only a half a watt that is why the
range is so short.
@@donalderickson-si8ww Well, sure, in 1996!
@@djsoundzentertainment42 I actually had to find the FCC report, and in testing it was only 500MWatts.
They might be ok if you don’t key under water. Tell Stoker I said “Stay Stoked “ !
In a pinch you can use dc barrel plug to 12v cigarette plug cables that will let you run a charger off of a 12v battery. Most of these handheld radio chargers seem to take 12-15v DC input power in the first place.
Most the newer baofeng batteries come with type C charging now btw!
Thanks for the honest review.
How difficult is it to include weather alerts in the hardware? Put the weather alerts in and make the radio truly waterproof and make a lanyard loop. It might cost .001 per unit. That's 1000.00 per million units sold. Chump change!
After this video I bet they wish they never asked you to review their product I hope you sent this to them before I😂
don't forget what happens to plastic/rubber when it gets cold in the winter...things break off.
I see a LOT of comments in here about "you should get your ham license" etc. First, let me say I'm a licensed ham, and very active on the air. I also have a GMRS license. Where GMRS shines is in the licensing. With my one license, I can use GMRS with anyone in my family. Wife? Yep. Kid? Sure. Mom? You bet. In Laws? Absolutely. GMRS is way more useful for actually communicating with a purpose in line of sight scenarios. Ham radio is more fun, but we're not talking about fun, we're talking about actually being able to talk to people you need to talk to. Ham radio is a hobby in and of itself. GMRS is a radio service I use when doing my OTHER hobbies. As far as the radios go, there are some decent GMRS radios out there, but they're few and far between. The best one I've found is the Wouxun KG-S88G. Waterproof, USB C charging, superheterodyne, etc. They're also $140 a piece.....but they're actually good radios LOL (granted, the stock antenna blows, but that's easy enough to fix).
Absolutely
Yup, picked up a couple UCP ones for a decent price and used Rit dye to make one a brown and the other green for weather change options. They make a great hot weather option as well as a backup layer if a tent fails when its miserable in winter.
The rinky-dink flashlight on radios, and power banks, is like bottle openers on pocket and multi tools. Even my Yeasu HAM handhelds have a flashlight mode. You have no idea how thrilled I was to discover my latest multi tool, Gerber Dual Force, DOES NOT have a bottle opener.
I'm glad you are honest and thorough.
"hey was hast du gemacht" - the kids speak a civilised language xD
@@matztertaler2777 er ist eigentlich Pendler, Arbeiten in Schland und Schlafen in California ;-)
Solid review brother!
. Thanks for the review.
Did they redesign this? The ones on Amazon include lanyard and WX alerts.
Might have
I think he just might have missed the WX alerts, because there a video out 2 years ago, that showed the Alerts
Curious on the battery life of these radios, was seeing a decent anount of reviews saying it wouldn't hold a charge for more than a few days with zero use.
Not as good as the UV5R
Have you tried the retevis RT76P 5w gmrs they have NOAA and FM frequencies .
No
I have RT45 and they do have NOAA weather. I looked up the manual for these RT45P and they also have it. The MON button is also the weather button.
What a good walkie talkie with weather for shtf ? Thank you
What would you reccomend instead of this?
I looked at all of them to much sale hipe the company I went with is
rugged radio the battery and radio are two parts belt clip is bolted to the
back of the radio clip on bottom will release the radio has all 22 two
channels and just a good all around radio thay sell all the extras in store
no out sorce and a real T E C. in house
Retevis translated from Dutch means ' ass crack fish '... just sayin... .
🤣🤣
The actual Chinese factory name is HanRongDa. So Ass Crack Fish is an improvement 👍😂
Can I communicate between a Retevis RT45p and a RT49p.
I bought a bundle with the two types but cannot communicate with each other. Something I’m doing wrong?
put radio's on table together and check both first channel then securty
codes if thay apply the radio's should also check the book to check
it out Steve I do not own these radios that is how I would do to get them to work
together GOOD LUCK and be safe
Won’t be buying Retevis. Thanks for an honest review,Randall.
If it's a 22 channel handheld it's just a frs gmrs the full gmrs radios are the 30 channels with repeaters in puts
It's a FRS radio, and all channels are half awatt
and no there still 22 channels then add the worthless codes as we still hear you anyway so why use them
Good video. Good review. God bless. From Glenn CATT. In Massachusetts.
Great Review👍
I own some old military radios for the worst case scenario. One for me, my two kids and ex-wife.....
Don't buy cheap stuff😮🏴☠️🤘🙃🏴☠️🤘
I fallowed you ad Vince and went with rugged radio there are no security codes in my radio just 22 open channels pick one and go and channels 15 through 22
are off repeater channels just a though
RE PRINT each channel has 2 codes for each channel all ready in radio
you add nothing and thay will pre program the radio with tower P L tones
and ship it to ready to go out of the box just charge the battery.
Hey, I travel around with baofeng chargers and adapters in my truck. I even keep extra batteries and charging cables and charger docs in an RF shielded ammo can… But then again you don't know me.
not sure about radios, but my ancient mobile phone(samsung b2100) had the same ratting and survived a lot more than standard says.USB-C is great, but design wise, these looks like clone of motorola TLKR series. problem with upping the quality is price range. with proper IP67, magnetic charge it would cost at least 20$$ mroe if not even more. when you get to that range, you have better selection already.
I trust Samsung to tell the truth about their product specs a little bit more than an off brand Chinese radio company 😂
@@edwardfletcher7790 since most of the stuff is made in China, i wouldnt be surprised that even samsung specs arent up to scrutiny. i know their batts in mobile phones werent few years back.
@@ApocGuy Samsung is like NASA compared to the average Chinese forced labour camp...
So true on the charger
They’re ALL the worst! Get a ham license, you know you want to.
Training = good. Community = good. But I took the Technician test for the hell of it and no question, not one had anything to do with programming or operating a radio. People just want to push buttons and talk, and they can do that without getting a piece of paper from the gov.
Actually, GMRS is better for community communication. Covers most of the family, $35 for ten years.
@@RKingisactually, no.
best bang for buck would be a uv k5 imo. flash that firmware and boom all! band RxTx. wouldnt tx outside the bands you are allowed its kinda messy but its getting better with every new update. 9mhz to 1.3Ghz with a SDR scanner built in.
i love my radioditty gm 30 but its not water proof but does have usb C port for charging only
Dog. Just tune your regular radio to gmrs on low power😂 they will never know!
low power? no way
@@GruntProof The GMRS radio your using has a much shorter range than a baofang on hi!
Being GMRS legal doesn't mean they can't have weather, in fact the specs for this radio list 11 channels of NOAA weather. I'm not surprised these are not programmable considering the price point but considering there are baothangs out there that cost less and are programmable, well whatever. The main thing I wonder about programming is why you want to do it for a GMRS. There's a couple dozen channels and some subcodes and that's it. Setting a repeater ctcss is about the only moderate, if that, difficulty task and hardly ever done unless traveling so the value of programming a GMRS radio is pretty limited. If water penetrated after that little activity I wouldn't want them for sure but I think the weather and programming thing are incorrect or overblown.
There are FRS radios that can be programmed in CPS, but it's more for bulk programming.
I’ve been trying to get my GMRS License on the FCC website but it keeps saying my password is incorrect….even though i can still log in….the website is trash….you need a PHD in rocket science to basically find the license test page….i still haven’t been able to get through the password page…FML!
Any pointers?
Stoker did a great rundown of the process but my stance is this: no one has ever been arrested for "illegally" using the free air
That's the GMRS test! 😅😅😅
No, that site has been the same since 2000.
I hate to be that gal, but those are FRS, and according to their FCC report do only half awatt on all channels. And the FCC has allowed FRS radios to be programmed in CPS.
😅😅😅😅😅
Uh I hate to break it to you but these are FRS and 2 watts max. If you're gonna put it out on youtube maybe get your facts straight.
Is the beofang the way to go?
YAESU..
Just about everyone is going to the USB charging.
That’s one advantage of the Baofeng charger and any proprietary system that uses surface contacts to charge. USB c will always have a weak point for waterproofing because the connector itself isn’t waterproof. I like the Baofeng GT-3WP, also ip67 though I haven’t tested mine for waterproofness. I think dual band ham HTs are a lot more versatile, BFs can be unlocked in 5 seconds which allows Tx on GMRS bands (or fricking any frequency in uhf/vhf for that matter) and they’re programmable. They have a flat WP connector for accessories like earpieces, similar to the Motorola HTs, though it’s a no go to fiddle with in the field because it uses a tiny screw so I just have an extra radio if I need to use that. They make a GMRS version also, but an unlocked dual band has its advantages.
WAIT. Give them $..FOR ‘GMRS’?! Anyway, YAESU..60-series are GOOD radios. Also there’s the OTHER chinese ‘Quansheng’ radios..ahh, they’re ok. HARD to find batteries though it seems. 5 WATTS..or more, NOTHING less.
I have baofeng radios that charge with USB C
Baofeng gm-15pro. Can't remember if they are ip-67, but they do have weather function
Always honest.
👊😎🤘🍻
Oof 😅