Suggestions for 2 way radios

I need to replace my 25 year old Motorola 2 way radios. My old Motorola was ok. Wouldn’t say great, but very reliable. Weak on distance and limited channel options.

Was looking at the T460 and see a lot of not satisfied comments.

Any recommendations???

Must haves

Ear plugs
Vibrate mode
30 mile range
Privacy channels
Weather alert
Great battery life. Both for daily use and longevity

You are not going to get a lot of range with this category of radios unless you’re transmitting from one mountain top to another. They operate by line of sight and obstacles really hold down range. You also are limited to the basic FMRS channels unless you have a FCC license to use the GMRS channels. The advertising is very deceptive regarding range. Realistically you would need to be a licensed amateur radio operator with a good quality VHF radio operating thru repeaters to obtain a 30 mile range (and so would the person at the other end). I don’t think you’ll find what you are looking for with a FMRS/GMRS radio unless you can accept short range operation.

Obtaining a FCC license is not an issue. My farm is the second highest point of Richland County and I can get over 20 miles of line of sight to where I want to communicate with. Obstacles are not an issue for my applications. Normal use will be 1 to 3 miles for hunting, but I have other uses that need the longer ranges

I have a couple Midland GXT895 Xtra Talks that work pretty well for hunting, but I have never had the opportunity to test them at the distances you need. They advertise 36 miles and have 42 channels, 142 privacy codes plus 10 weather channels. They come with combination ear plug/microphones, but I find these a little clumsy to use. They come with rechargeable batteries or you can use non-rechargeable.

30 miles is tough to achieve with batteries. It takes real power to get the job done, and it’s hard to get more than a few watts of RF out of a hand held unit. And the higher power you run, the faster you’ll drain those batteries.

Not saying it can’t be done Randy, but it’s tough to get all that.

SR

I have the Midland GXT1050VP4 radios and I’ve been surprised by the performance. As others say, the advertised distance of 36 miles would be hard to achieve, but I’ve had good reception at 5 miles plus during Canadian trips.

We also use them varmint hunting, it’s nice to be able to radio rather than fool around with cell phones.

Midland also has a nifty base unit that would allow the mounting of an exteral antenna that would no doubt boost range if using radio in a vehicle.

GMRS frequency radios are sold like candy and I’ve never heard of anyone being challenged as to if they have a license. I also highly doubt anyone bothers.

Grouse