NR630 Noise Reduction High Power Waterproof UHF Radio
This is a preliminary review. This model is a basic 16 channel analog FM HT with the 5 following interesting features besides the fact it's really a nice looking rugged radio: 1) watertight 2) 10W-ish power 3) noise reduction 4) usb charge capability on both battery and docking station. 5) 2800 mA/h battery Measured power on a dummy load is close to 10W in the 400-430 mhz range but decreases down to 8W at GMRS freqs. Also, as measured, antenna looks like also optimized for the 400-430 mhz range with almost no SWR. GMRS sees a higher mismatch >1.5 but nothing dramatic. Folks having a license to work on GMRS freqs will choose the NR30. The 4 * rating is because of the OEM antenna (it's a monobander) which concerns me: albeit it has a good match, on 444 mhz (HAM repeater downlink) it does not receive as well as my 1/2 size Yaesu FT73 oem antenna with the same match in the same freq range. I didn't measure the radio's sensitivity and selectivity nor the quality of its transmission (but I think it sounds like my RA89, which is also watertight). Compared to other radios, with dual band and display capabilities, this model looks like it's a little too expensive. Still, it may be interesting to anyone looking for a rugged powerful HT equipped with Noise Reduction, easy to use by someone not familiar with both radios and FM sound which can sound harsh. The screw holding the cap for the cables is a little too thick. It's easy to program, more functionalities would be welcome.
RA25 20W GMRS / UV Dual Band Mobile Radio
I really like this little radio. I've since replaced it with a slightly higher power model but not because I was unhappy with it. The display is well laid out and easy to read, the programming menus take a little bit to get used to but once you do it's pretty easy to change things like CTCSS on the fly. My only real complaint in the menus is that it would be nice to make a DCS direct entry rather than having to scroll through to the right setting (with 1024 combinations including both N and I that's a lot....) The biggest complaint is that it doesn't work with chirp. Yes, it also uses a prolific knock off so you have to find a windows 7 laptop or install dodgy third party drivers but I can deal with that if I can use chirp. The included software is TERRIBLE. I wrote a python script that will inject a Chirp CSV channel list into an existing dat file that you can then upload with the Retevis software. Look at issue 9241 on the Chirp website. This is the same guts as several other radios like the RT95...search youtube for more information on that...
RT81 Dual Time Slot High Power UHF DMR Radio
The RT81 radio is great for the construction site. able to program with other radios on site. It can handle daily use and abuse. simple to operate. I would suggest a less complicated explanation to program radios to connect with the same models. I did a lot of research and was unable to easily program. Reached out to the individual that did the original program for contractors' radios. A simple to the point program site would be great. Also took a bit of searching to locate the model program guide. Highly recommend radio for daily use.
Retevis RA87 40W Powerful Long Range GMRS Mobile Radio Base Station with Cable
Get ready to spend an hour programming. The software isn't nearly as user friendly as CHIRP. If there is a way to copy and paste channels I couldn't find it. You have to click on each channel and turn off the pre-set CTCSS TX and RX Tone for every simplex channel and then program the Repeater Channels (which don't have pre-set CTCSS Tones. Then when you get everything programmed the way you want it on the Left Side...turn around and do it all again for the Right Side. On a good note, once you get one radio programmed you can just clone the next one. Aside from the programming, the radio seems to function very well. Power is close to to 40W when hard wired into my truck. Reports from other users on my local repeaters were good sound quality and volume. I was able to connect to all the same repeaters I usually hit with a 50W BTECH. One slight issue with the hardware, the shield over the mic connector is long, I had to shave off 1/16" of the plastic to get it to go in far enough to lock into place. Not a big deal but something to be aware of.
Retevis RA87 40W Powerful Long Range GMRS Mobile Radio Base Station with Cable
This is an inexpensive yet very effective GMRS radio. Here is what you can expect: 100 channels on the left bank, 100 channels on the right bank. Chirp compatibility / programability with cable included. Good scanning capability. Squelch knob or per-channel squelch programming. Low/High power selected from front panel. High power output reaches 40w in the 462.xxxx frequencies, and about 28w in the 467.xxxx frequencies (repeater inputs). Signal reports from a repeater 63 miles away from me state that I sound great, full quieting, minimal background static, rich voice. The speaker is loud, I can even hear it in my old Bronco with the windows down and the oversized exhaust rumbling away. You can *listen* on any frequency from 400MHZ to 480MHZ (transmit only on GMRS frequencies, of course). Channels can be named up to 6 characters. Potential things that will be confusing: Even the newer version of the manual is a little unclear in some respects. Strange translations. Frequency call-out feature is confusing to set and use. Front panel power selection only offers low/high, but Chirp offers L, L2, L3, M, and H (and they all work correctly). Every channel is preprogrammed with a different CTCSS or DCS tone. Why? Channel selector knob sometimes doesn't register clicks if you turn it fast (not a problem, just strange firmware behavior). But in the end, you get a high powered (nearly 40w) GMRS radio with fast scanning, 200 memory channels, repeater compatibility, great sound quality.
Ailunce HA1G IP67 Rugged GMRS Radio with 256 Channels(Green)
I have several GMRS handheld radios by several brands and this one by far has to be my favorite. The menu is very straightforward and it does come with a programming cable if you want to add custom channels. I have had to downgrade my original 5 star rating. I have discovered the DTMF keypad does not work when you want to use it when pushing the putt and even though there is an option to use reverse burst to eliminate squelch tail it does not work. I also had to replace the charging plug with another one as the factory one died quickly.
Retevis RT97L 25W Portable GMRS Repeater IP66 Waterproof Long Range Base Station
The product is very good, but I am not satisfied with the logistics speed. It took a long time to receive it.
Retevis RT97L 25W Portable GMRS Repeater IP66 Waterproof Long Range Base Station
The Retevis RT97L's range limitations make it unsuitable for my work demands. I'll be evaluating 50W alternatives that can handle longer distances.
Retevis RT97L 25W Portable GMRS Repeater IP66 Waterproof Long Range Base Station
The quality is in line with expectations, but the shipping time is too long. It would be better if the delivery could be accelerated.
Retevis RT97L 25W Portable GMRS Repeater IP66 Waterproof Long Range Base Station
While the RT97L works fine, its range limitations don't meet my professional needs. I'm considering upgrading to a 50W system for longer distances.
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