If you do not have a license, do not need it to be VHF, and can live with 1 watt output and about a mile range, +1 on either the Motorola DTR or DLR series radios. They have great audio, are smaller than most handheld commercial radios, and as has been stated, relatively secure from monitoring if you do not leave them defaulted. Most people think I am on an "old school" cell phone when I use them. They can also use earpiece mics, headsets, and other options that make them look more like a phone to the casual person nearby.