I like these two-way radios for general use. I think most people have overly ambitious expectations for these radios, but based on my expectations, these work great. Overall, this is a good product if you have a decent understanding for what these types of handhelds are capable of. If you are expecting long distance communications over a mile, continue to read my full review to help expectations. For the build quality, value, and performance, I would recommend. The biggest issue is the battery performance, which should be supplemented with larger mAH rechargeables. Overall, still a good product.
Build quality: For the most part, the build is good, but not entirely waterproof. You may pay more for waterproof radios, but it's not always necessary. They're rated as waterproof, but I would consider these more of "weatherproof" where they can be used in rainy weather and should never be submerged and may be damaged if they're submerged for more than a few seconds (enough to pick it out of the water). They're built of plastic like most radios of this quality, so they'll handle most bumps, low drops, and dings for outdoor use.
Ease of use: Depending on your experience on using radios such as this in combination of the frequencies and privacy channels, this is relatively easy. That being said, to best take advantage of it's features, you should always read the directions.
Features: These radios cover all the FRS and GMRS radios including the many privacy codes for each. It also has WRX/Weather/Emergency channels as well, which has a dedicated button (press-hold) that will scan to find the strongest signal. I like this feature a lot as weather is always important when outside for long periods of time. Nice to have features is the the ability to turn on/off transmission confirmation (read: It will send a beep when done transmitting to confirm to the receiver you're done. Based on channel used, it will automatically switch to high power for channels that allow it, including FRS and They work well and easy to program them as such.
Performance: This is probably the most argued part of any radio. Usable distance. To be clear, you will NOT get the rated 36 miles unless you have a completely un-obstructive line of site from radio to radio. For instance, you're on top of a mountain and transmitting down to someone 36 miles away. Or, if you're on open water. This becomes progressively worse as you move closer to a metropolitan city, which is pretty much the worse case scenario. Mountains, hillsides, trees, towers, buildings, and terrain will always affect their capabilities. These will fail even within a few hundred feet depending on the materials the signal has go through or go around. If you live in a metropolitan city with high concrete/metal buildings, don't expect to get good reception between radios. If you live within a concrete/metal building, don't expect to transmit/receive a good signal either. I can't emphasize this enough for any potential buyer of FRS/GMRS radios. You have to be mindful of what is simply possible for any of these handheld radios. Unless you're sticking your head out the window of your building and your receiver is doing the same thing and you both are transmitting in the relatively same direction, you may have a chance. This is inherent in these radio, due to their antenna and power limits. FRS I believe cannot transmit over .5 watt, and GMRS handhelds like these, may transmit anywhere from .5-5 watts.** With that said, I would say in a dense metropolitan city, I would expect anywhere from 100 - 400 yards at best. On the freeway or open road, you're looking at .5 mile up to a mile. As you go on more suburban to rural roads, you can expect anywhere between 1-3 miles, as even rolling hills and mountain sides will obscure a signal. As you can read, unless you're in ideal situations, don't expect to have nearly the rated capabilities. (What are they good for then?) Understanding these limitations, we primarily use this for RV travel. We use these around camp and when we have to communicate directly when maneuvering the RV in campsites. We are able to use them in close communications from car to car in a pinch, but knowing we still have to be in line of site of each other. Also, the car/vehicle itself counts as an obstruction, which can lower your distance. We also use these when hiking to keep the group together. Once again, when someone just a few hundred feet away rounds a granite faced bend, that would be enough to lose a good transmission if the signal can't bounce off anything. Radio Traffic: To be clear, these are commonly used frequencies and it should be expected that many will be using it at any given time. Read: Most channels will have cross traffic regardless of privacy channels you use. (Note: Privacy channels only omit other transmissions to keep your transmissions clear. This does not mean anyone monitoring/transmitting on your channel cannot hear you. Transmitting on these channels are NOT secure or private.) Battery performance is probably the worse trait of this product. I also use higher mAh rechargeable batteries as backups if I don't have time or availability to recharge. That being said, these are not meant for constant communications for long periods of time. In regard to overall performance, this products does just as well as most other brands for this particular market of products and is rated as such. Performance is subjective and based on environment. Be mindful of this for my rating.
** It is important what limitations these handhelds have, including their antenna and transmission limits. Obviously, if you have a longer antenna that can go above obstructions you would have a better chance of getting your transmission out and received. Also, the strength of the signal plays a big role as well. That being said, based on the frequency you use and their limits will greatly affect their usability. As noted earlier, FRS a frequency range ANYONE can use with no license, is limited to .5 watt, maybe even 1 watt. GMRS, which requires a license to transmit is limited to 40 watts, but these handhelds can only transmit between .5 watts to 5 watts. I believe this particular product transmits at 2 watts. Lastly, the antenna for handhelds cannot be removed/replaced, which also limits its transmission range. This is intended.
What do you do if you need more range. To help mitigate environmental obstructions, you can do a couple of things. You can increase the antenna size and increase the power. YOU CANNOT DO THIS WITH HANDHELD FRS/GMRS RADIOS such as this product. So, handheld FRS/GMRS radios are not an option. You can get a traditional (non-handheld) GMRS radio with increased power/watt with a replaceable antenna. Before you do this, you should attain your GMRS radio license first. After, you will be able to legally transmit passed the FRS frequencies and power requirements. As an example, the Midland MXT115 will transmit at 15w on GMRS and you can use a longer antenna to help extend your range. The MXT400 will transmit at 40w on GMRS and also can use a longer antenna. These are not handhelds, but more for permanent installations, although the MXT275 is a good option. This is you next step up from handhelds. After, you will need to move into the ham radio frequencies, which are far more dependable and have a greater range with the use of repeaters. Of course, you will need to be licensed for this as well. I hope this helps.
| Item Weight | 4.8 ounces |
|---|---|
| Product Dimensions | 2.5 x 9.8 x 1.8 inches |
| Country of Origin | USA |
| Item model number | GXT1030VP4 |
| Batteries | 8 AA batteries required. (included) |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Display Type | LCD |
| Weight | 4.8 Ounces |
