[K3CAL] GMRS Radio Recommendations

[Andrew Charland]

Initial thoughts...

Based on age and not knowing if radio will be a continued interest, I would
be inclined to stay in a lower price range. If a radio is accidentally left
out in the rain, dropped and broken, etc., not too much of a worry.
Accidentally left somewhere, not too much of a worry. If it's something
that's grown out of as they grow and their interests change, not too much
of a worry. Are they going to have regular use or only when they're at the
grandparents place? Alternatively, as they use them and develop an
interest, show proper care, etc., maybe upgrade to something of a higher
quality with more options.

I would stick with something preprogrammed, easy to use (no indepth menu to
navigate, no button combinations to memorize, etc.), easily recharged
(USB-C), and flexible antenna (not always best but stand a better chance if
activities" become rough). Software programming is popular so a programming
cable is a must.

I'm usually not much of a brand recomender nor do I know anyone's budget.
If you're looking to stay lower price for now, Amazon has a lot to offer
that will work. If you're willing to go higher in price, there are several
brands worth mentioning... Retevis, Midland, Wouxun, Radioddity are a few.

Just a few quick thoughts...

Whatever direction you go, hopefully you'll bring some younger folks into
radio and I look forward to hearing from them on the repeater.

Andy

On Tue, Jun 23, 2026, 19:14 KB3WFV via K3CAL <k3cal at mailman.qth.net> wrote:

>
> GMRS Radio Recommendations.
>
> I'm posting this question for fellow club member Shorty KC3ZPC. She has
> five grandchildren visiting her from out of town. They range in age from 4
> to 14 years old, and have expressed an interest in two way radio. Are there
> any recommendations on which GMRS radios to purchase, and where to buy them?
>
> Brian
> KB3WFV
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