GMRS – General Mobile Radio Service

The club requires the use of GMRS mobile radios to maintain communications during our runs.  We use channel 21.

HANDHELD RADIOS (All prices Sept ’23, all radios and antennas are available on Amazon).

We have found that all the following GMRS radios work well in our area:

Baofeng UV-9G $45
Baofeng UV-5G $60 (for a pair, not for each radio)
BTECH GMRS-V2 $70

These radios are all wide band.  If you buy another radio other than what is listed, whatever radio you decide to buy, make sure it is wide band capable.

The above radios have a longer antenna for better reception and can be adapted for use with an outside magnetic mount antenna for even better reception.

Suggested antenna for the above radios is the Nagoya UT-72G magnetic mount antenna.  Get the UT-72G model and NOT the UT-72 as the UT-72G is made for GMRS radio and has an adapter to fit your handheld radio. The Baofeng RA-MD2 15.5” antenna is a good alternative. You don’t have to have an outside magnetic antenna but the reception and transmission is much stronger and clearer.

GMRS radios to mount permanently in your vehicle:

Radioddity DB20-G or DB25-G $110/$120
BTECH mobile BD-20V2 $140
QVT KT-8900 $84
Midland MTX 400 $200

A good antenna for the above radios is the Midland – MXTA26.  The magnetic mount Nagoya UT-72G antenna will also work.

If you have any questions regarding the radios, please contact us at es4wdclub@gmail.com.  We have loaner radios available until you get your own.