This page is a work in progress and is to list commonly available GMRS radios which support repeater operation. If you know of any others that should be included, please chime in on the forum here: http://tucsongmrs.org/index.php/forum/technical-discussions/repeater-capable-gmrs-radios/
The list is broken down into two main sections:
Consumer End Radios
Consumer end radios bear Part-95 certification, and are ready to go out of the box. No additional programming is typically required, although some (such as the BTech radios) will let you pre-program repeater settings for easy access.
If you are new to communications radios and their operation, these radios will be a good place to start. Commercial radio options can be very easy to use, however, they do require up-front programming which must be sorted out beforehand before being useful. There are many more GMRS radios on the consumer market than what is shown here, but please note that repeater support on consumer radios is increasingly rare to come by. The radios listed below support repeater operation.
| Manufacturer | Model | Style | RF Power | Approx. MSRP | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midland | MXT115 | Mobile | 15W | $149.99 | |
| MXT275 | Mobile | 15W | $149.99 | Handheld control unit | |
| MXT400 | Mobile | 40W | $249.99 | Recommend turning COMPANDER to “OFF” when using wide-band (most common) repeaters. | |
| Baofeng/Btech | GMRS-V1 | Handheld | 5W | $54.99 | |
| GMRS-50X1 | Mobile | 50W | $199.99 | ||
| Wouxun | KG-805G | Handheld | 4W | $99.99 | Basic version is $64.99, however PL tones are not field programmable. |
| KG-905G | Handheld | 4W | $119.99 | ||
| KG-1000G | Mobile | 50W | $369.99 | ||
| KG-UV9G | Handheld | 5W | $179.00 | ||
| Tera | TR-505 | Handheld | 4W | $99.99 | This is a single part-95 radio that requires programming to set the channels and any repeaters; technically a dual band, will also allow use of the MURS radio service on VHF. |
| Motorola | MS350R | Handheld | Discontinued, check used markets | ||
| Olympia | R500 | Handheld | Discontinued, check used markets. |
Commercial Surplus Radios
Many commercial UHF radios have dual Part 90/95 certification. These are legal to use on the GMRS radio service. Commercial radios are also generally more rugged, have very durable power amplifiers, and often comply with military standards for shock and vibration. These radios can be easily found on eBay.
Commercial radios must be programmed to use on GMRS beforehand. If you do not have the knowledge or hardware to program one of these radios, you will need to find someone that can help you out either in our community, or by visiting one of the commercial radio shops in town to do the programming for you. Some sellers on eBay will also offer to do this for you, you will need to coordinate the frequencies and PL tones for the local repeaters with them beforehand.
| Manufacturer | Model | Style | RF Power | Approx. Market Price (Used) | FCC ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kenwood | NX-800H | Mobile | 45W | $200+ | K44378702 |
| TK-8180K | Mobile | 30W | $75 | K4437313110 | |
| TK-8180HK | Mobile | 45W | $75 | K4437313210 | |
| TK-860G | Mobile | 25W | $60 | ALH29383110 | |
| TK-860HG | Mobile | 40W | $40 | ALH29383210 | |
| TK-880 | Mobile | 25W | $40 | ALH24593110 | |
| TK-880H | Mobile | 40W | $50 | ALH24593210 | |
| TK-370 | Handheld | 4W | $30 | ALH29473110 | |
| TK-380 | Handheld | 4W | $30 | ALH24623110 | |
| TK-390 | Handheld | 4W | $50 | ALH21903110 | |
| Vertex (Yaesu) | VX-4200 | Mobile | 45W | $150 | K6610354740 |
| VX-5500 | Mobile | 50W | $130 | K66VX-5500U | |
| VX-3200 | Mobile | 40W | $60 | K66VX-3200U | |
| VX-2500 | Mobile | 25W | $75 | K66VX-2500U | |
| Motorola | M1225 | Mobile | 45W | $75 | ABZ99FT4044 |
| Icom | F40GT-2 | Handheld | 4W | $190 | AFJIC-F40G-2 |
| Ritron | RTX450 | Handheld | 6W | $40 | AIERTX-450 |
There are many more commercial UHF radios available; if you want to check if the radio is compliant with Part 95 certification, enter the FCC-ID on this website: https://fccid.io/ and look for “95A” or “95” under the Rule Parts column. If you find one not listed here; please post it on the followup forum discussion!