@@Dread_Pirate_Homesteader the point of GPS is to alow the signal to be pinged for emergencies like you fell down a cliff and are injured and need Medical help and your in a location that people are having a issue hearing you from there lots of reasons to use GPS functions
You've got a good point with the audio relay and texting capability. I think BTech is trying to make a splash with the Pro. It will probably still be a couple of years before we see more models like this hit production, but GMRS is really gaining popularity, so I'm very optimistic.
Nice video. Ive heard that rocky talky radio i think thats what its called is supposed to be a great gmra ita just pricey also like 150 or something per radio. Been seeking a good, newer, waterproof and powerful gmrs radio. I live in a spot with a lot or hills, cars, houses and trees so I'm always on the look out for newer radios two way walkie talkies that can at least hit 3 miles plus if possible. Im in a city surbaban area so I onow thats a bit tricky compared to the country side areas. I had that midland emergency crank radio that went for 100 way back it came with a radio attachment the same you use for a car radio to transmit. It also had am and fm radio. Only thing is it states on some sites that sell it still, that theres tbat warning contains chemicals that can cause cancer etc? Is yhis a big deal tbough for two way radios or is that just a California law?
There is not really such thing as gmrs signal and long as you are tuned to the freqency of the channel on the gmrs pro it will repeat from any radio that is tuned to it. GMRS or HAM.
gmrs channels are numbered 1 to 22. I cant really list all the frequencys here but a quick google search for "gmrs frequencys" and click images and you can see a chart of them all.@@46camper50
GMRS is a poor choice for preppers. Most amateur band radios can be hacked to transmit on GMRS frequencies and there are more repeaters in the amateur bands (legal for emergency use). I say this in the context of being a prepper myself and also owning some of the radios you talk about. I’m sure most know all of this but the issue I have is that “GMRS for preppers” is counterintuitive. I think “GMRS radios to add to your prepper HAM radio plan” takes your listeners down a better path.
Let me add that I think the Yaesu FT5D would be my vote for the “Best” handheld GMRS for preppers. Rugged = Yes IP67 = Yes GMRS = yes if modified but not legal. Can be charged usb = yes. Compact = yes HAM bands = yes Signal quality = high Signal reception = excellent Leaning curve = medium Cheap = not at all. I run legit GMRS radios to stay legal during pre-prepper days but if you want to talk about post SHTF, that’s a different ball game.
Ham requires a much harder license to aquire and i wont be able to test ranges and dead spots in my town becuase there is not emergency yet. HAM operators are less then 1 percent of the population. HAM radios dont really need to be "hacked" to transmit gmrs bands a uv5r can and people transmit on the gmrs bands all the time. GMRS is more practical and easy to use for regular people and we can transmit up to 50 Watts basicly overnight for 35 bucks. These are some of the reasons I like GMRS for most people over HAM. I talk about this on other videos on my channel why I really like gmrs.
@@citizensurvivalplan Well two things… This appears to be a prepper channel. This adds a level of responsibility to the audience or I wouldn’t say anything. The idea is that this radio may need to save your life in a SHTF situation. You do not need a HAM license to transmit during SHTF and you CAN transmit on your GMRS frequencies with many HAM radios during SHTF. The reverse is not true. Most GMRS radios cannot tx on ham bands. There are many more…and more powerful transmitters and repeaters in the ham arena and the hams take radio much more seriously so their rigs are more likely to be “hardened” with backup power and EMP protection. If there are 10 ham stations in the area and 3 GMRS stations…and one out of 3 survives a crisis, you may not be in range of a GMRS repeater, not to mention the hams will likely be on the more “serious” systems monitoring worldwide events. You cannot monitor worldwide events with GMRS nor get on the bands where people are most likely doing so. Why would you limit yourself to a band that will be mostly dead air in some emergencies when a different radio can do both? Prepping isn’t about what you can do today … checking for dead spots and such, it’s about your capabilities when it’s a matter of life and death.
Most people have a small handheld ham radio me included. But I just like people to get gmrs system for the ease of use. You can always make a video about how ham is better then gmrs also.... you see to feel really strongly about it.
@@citizensurvivalplan Well I’m not trying to be a troll here, but I am a pretty serious prepper and have gone down the radio rabbit hole quite a lot in the last couple years. I bought my first HAM handheld for Y2K…check. GMRS gets a lot of buzz and they are good radios. I probably have 7 or more now. I am on GMRS CERT nets (Community Emergency Response Team). I also monitor the HAM Certs and general traffic. I am close to getting a ham license but have simply listened in the meantime. I can tell you this, in my area the GMRS bands are pretty dead. If a house fell on me and I had a GMRS, I’d surely never be found. HAM is a different story. Ham geeks have these things on 24/7. There is something fundamental in analyzing the primary user. HAM operators may be 1% of the population but they have “shacks”. By the time a GMRS user is involved enough to have a “Shack”, they have usually moved to HAM. HAM users also communicate worldwide more often…or at least have equipment that can. I am a prepper geek, but not really a radio geek, but I will say from experience that I feel a lot more confident in reaching a HAM’s basement during SHTF than another GMRS user…..Because GMRS users aren’t radio geeks as much. I would also choose CB over GMRS for emergency comms. It just comes down to numbers of users potentially listening. Even for “tactical comms” HAM is better. GMRS is limited to 22ch where HAM will give you thousands to “hide” on. Don’t get me wrong, I like GMRS. I have a pair of those BTECH Pro’s and the 50w Vero companion mobile so I can put all 3 on a map. Still, I have to consider GMRS a recreational radio for its limitations and recommend a good quality amateur radio that can be made to tx on GMRS as well. My fear is that too many people are checking the comms box in their prep’s with GMRS and I don’t want them to just get dead air when they really need it. Simple? They are, but simple isn’t worth your life if nobody is on it when the time comes. There are relatively inexpensive and durable amateur radios where with a few hours in the manual you can program memories for all 30 GMRS channels and also the national vhf and uhf call channels, and your local community response repeaters….etc. This is a better value imho. You are right about practicing though, you can’t do that legally without a ham license, and this is a good use for a separate GMRS radio since the repeater programming is almost identical for that $35 price of admission. We are actually on the same team here. Preppers should probably have both….and a CB.
The Radio app for the BTech GMRS Pro dosent need internet to program the radio So Not sure why the app is such a big deal in a Prepper stand point you can still program the radio with no issues with your phone even with no data or internet connection 3:20
Awesome review! I've watched numerous radio videos today. I enjoyed your video the best. I just subscribed. I will have to check out your other content. I agree with you about the ideal perfect radio. Great stuff!! Thank you for your honest no-nonsense approach!
I go over positives and negitives about 2 radios that combines have everthing i want. At the end of the video I talk about a radio i would like to see made with everything i want.
Hey ran into ur channel bc I'm interested in getting into GMRS radios was thinking of CB first but GMRS looks like a good way just in case of emergency. I'm in Florida so we have bad hurricanes and a radio would help me out to hear ppl bc our phone signal during the hurrican was very bad if I do get my GMRS license am I allow to use the baofeng GMRS 9R?. I ask bc so many ppl saying it's not allow by the FCC. thanks for the video
I would say yes. I use mine all the time. Just make sure you use you call tag when you get it. Also the fcc does not really know what radio you are transmitting on. As long as you are within your watt limits and on gmrs channels you wont have any issues.
