RB28 NOAA FRS Two Way Radio

This is my first set of Retevis radios - i've heard good things before, and am not dissapointed. These are nice little FRS radios - a definite step up from the "blister pack" FRS radios that are available at some of the larger retailers. They have a good quality feel and feel good in the hand. The belt clip is easily removable. And in general, they are not too bulky. The large screen and has a battery level indicator. There are 4 total and 2 to a box. They come with a 1500 ma rechargeable battery, wall plug and a usb-a to 2 usb-c output cable for charging. lanyards and some documentation. FRS channels that are higher powered at 2W are 1-7 and 15-22. Channels 8-14 are limited to .5W. It also has 11 NOAA channels.

I live in a rural area and find myself in areas with no cell service frequently. Radios like these can be a lifesaver if you get separated from your group and can't make a cell phone call. I plan to leave one radio home for my spouse while I go hiking away from the cabin. This radio has a few functions that are important to have. First you can set your channel number and be sure to make it the same on each radio. You can find a channel that sounds the best or just pick a number where you don't hear any other radio traffic (people talking). In addition to the main channel numbers there are 0-121 tone codes you can select. This code in addition to the channel number provides more confidentiality to your calls. The channel and tone code it is set at out of the box is 01 and 01. You can set the volume. If you don't want to have to press the PTT (push to talk) button you can set it to Vox and you can talk without pushing a button. You can still only have one person talking at once but lets say you were doing something where your hands weren't available, like rock climbing or kayaking, you could still respond to someone calling you are start talking and others will hear you. You should also be aware that each channel may or may not be capable of transmitting under hi power. For maximum power, use channels 1-7 or 15-22. To get the most range, be sure that you are using high power mode on the channels that allow it. If you are unclear what channel someone else is using you can put it

Context: We are avid outdoorspeople, regular users of variety of radio products, radios in aircraft, etc. (This is not an aircraft radio, to avoid confusion).Ordered these radios after a few hours of reviewing the various options. I tend to be willing to try new options for products, if the company has an established set of reviews or products already in market. In this case, I deviated from my somewhat loose allegiance to "Motorola" radios (I've had a few sets in the past) and went with this Retevis brand which I had not previously been introduced to. Out of the box, the radios appear adequately rugged. Additionally, Rechargeable radio,I preferred a rechargeable option for the battery as we're often in remote areas and finding an extra "AAA" or "AA" battery means stealing from a flashlight or some other source (or not finding one at all). Also, generally, Li-Ion batteries tend to hold their charge better than NiCad batteries which I've had mixed reviews with with small (Motorola) radios previously. Overtime, NiCad batteries tend to wear out and won't hold their charge unless carefully maintained and used.The product arrives well packaged with adequate, albeit somewhat brief set of instructions. I found the instructions to be about the right length for what I'm typically willing to read. As this radio is fairly simple in design, it requires the buttons to have multiple functions. In fact, I accidentally initiated the "scan" function when the radio was in my pocket, which prom