The Retevis RB17V is my favorite inexpensive MURS radio. It is also one of the few inexpensive MURS radios at all. Most people have probably never heard of Retevis, especially people looking for their first MURS radio. Retevis has made sure that this radio is an excellent introduction to the brand.
The Baofeng NA-K61 (or just K61) is part of the family that includes the K68, NA-K6, and might have a distant cousin in the UV-K5. These radios have a large orange volume knob on the top with a shield on the side to prevent accidental volume adjustments. They also tend to have a monochrome square LCD with a pale blue backlight.
The Baofeng UV-98 Pro is another variant of the Baofeng UV-9R, sporting the same basic shape, waterproof design, unique clip, and other design aspects. This is not the first offspring of the UV-9R as it joins the likes of the UV-9R Pro, UV-9G, UV-3WP, UV-XR, and others that share many of these features.
Users looking at MURS vs FRS and other radio services face many options with important differences in what they can do. FRS radios work within a frequency range of 462-467 MHz and can reach 1-2 miles in open areas with a maximum power output of 2 watts. GMRS radios use the same frequency band … Read more
C4FM represents one of today’s most versatile digital modulation technologies in amateur radio. The Continuous Four Level Frequency Modulation system drives Yaesu’s System Fusion and provides both voice and data transmission capabilities with a maximum raw data rate of 9600 bps. The system’s automatic backward compatibility with analog FM makes it particularly appealing. The … Read more
Have you ever heard of MURS radios? If you haven’t, you’re not alone. I get asked about all sorts of radio equipment, but MURS (Multi-Use Radio Service) is one topic that barely comes up in conversation. That’s pretty surprising when you consider what these radios can actually do. Here’s the thing – MURS operates on … Read more
Whether you’re just starting in ham radio or looking to upgrade your gear, choosing the right handheld transceiver (HT) can be overwhelming. We’ve broken down the best HTs into six key categories: three for analog radios based on price and three for digital radios based on price and modulation mode—DMR, C4FM (Yaesu System Fusion), and D-Star … Read more
The Baofeng UV-26 is one of several new models from Baofeng with a more curved exterior and color screen, and this one seems to straddle a line between the more traditional such as the 5RM and the curvier UV-28. While the curves can make them more comfortable to hold, and arguably a little slicker looking, is there anything more than looks to them? Read on to find out!
I’ve been tinkering with radios for over three decades now, and if there’s one topic that consistently causes confusion among newcomers, it’s spurious emissions. When I recently saw a question from someone who purchased a Baofeng AR-RM5 and was puzzled by YouTube reviewers criticizing its “spurious emissions” without explaining what they are, I realized this … Read more
The Baofeng UV-5G Plus is the GMRS version of radios like the UV-5RM Plus and the 5RH Pro and the replacement for the older UV-5G. They share virtually all external parts (except the nameplate, of course), even the batteries. The question is, are they the same on the inside? Lets look at them and see if this is the same, or something different.