Hello,
I am interested in getting a 2 way radio but know almost nothing about them.
First, thanks for asking. I see too many people that just buy a radio off amazon and think that's the end of the process.
Before you buy ANY radio, you need to figure out what the licensing requirements are in Canada. Here in the USA, you cannot just buy any random radio and start using it wherever you want. Licensing is required, and I'm pretty sure it is in Canada also. #1 step should be to get licensed.
Do not assume that you can just use whatever you want in an "emergency". It doesn't work that way and usually leads to failure.
Don't assume that amateur radio will work anywhere in the back country. Amateur radio can be a good solution, but cheap radios aren't going to do the trick, and with amateur radio there is zero requirement that anyone be on the radio to listen to your cries for help.
I will be using it for when I go into the backcountry in case I get stuck.
Not the right tool for the job.
Don't assume that you can just buy a radio and call for help and someone will answer.
The right tool for the job is one (or more) of these:
- Satellite phone. yeah, expensive, but about the only guarantee that you'll be able to have a two way conversation with someone who will answer.
- Garmin InReach. These are the devices that are exactly intended for your sort of use case. I have legal access to a lot of radios/frequencies, and I sitll carry a Garmin InReach mini with me any time I may be out of cell phone coverage. Cheap, easy to use, and will get you help when you need it.
- Spot device. Like the Garmin InReach.
I have narrowed it down to a handful of radios and was hoping for some recommendations as to which one would be the best buy. I could not find much online about these.
The criteria was.....
10 watts
GPS capable
decent battery
Fairly cheap
Here's what I can offer you:
- 10 watts. Often those new to radio will assume that more wattage is key to establishing communications. It isn't. 10 watts will just drain your battery faster than a lower wattage radio. If you are in a location with good radio coverage (remember the license…) a 5 watt radio may work just as well. Don't narrow your choice of radios just based on wattage. Also, for most of these Cheap Chinese Radios, there is zero truth to their claims.
- GPS capable. Not sure what you are looking for here. A GPS in a radio can provide two things. Having a radio that will transmit your GPS location is only useful if there is someone in range, on the same frequency, and listening with a compatible radio to receive the GPS data. It's not standardized. Only other useful feature is radios that will display your GPS location. But chances are you already have a cell phone with a GPS in it that will give you a mark on a map. Just download maps that don't require a data connection to work and you already have a better tool.
- Decent battery can mean a number of things. Depends on how and how much you plan on using the radio. If your plan is to buy a radio and toss it in a bag and only pull it out in an emergency, then don't rely on rechargeable batteries as it will likely be dead when you need it. Get a radio that can use alkaline batteries that you can store separate from the radio and change out frequently.
- "Fairly cheap". Well, "cheap" depends on your budget. If you want cheap, as in price and quality, the low end Chinese radios you listed will fill the bill. If you want to rely on these radios in an emergency, then you need to rethink your budget. If safety is your concern, limiting that by price is going to lead to disappointment. Buying a cheap Chinese radio off Amazon isn't the way to do this. You need to figure out what your priorities are.
Are any of these worth having?
Any advice or info is greatly appreciated.
Not for emergencies. Not without a proper license. Not without a properly planned out communications system. I see too many in the "overlanding" hobby that will spend a lot of money on gear and then have zero understanding of what it does. I see a lot of them with radios, but usually they are a very poor quality radio, poorly installed, and the antenna (the most important part of the radio) is an afterthought that is poorly installed. These overlanders put a lot of trust in a tool that the rarely know how to properly install, test and use.
My advice: Get a Garmin InReach mini. Yeah, it's a more expensive up front cost. I pay $11USD a month for the service. It's the only tool in the low cost range that will get you help in an emergency. It doesn't require you getting a license, and it's actually a tool you can use in the back country with reasonable expectations of getting help in an emergency.
One of the really nice benefits to the InReach is I can periodically send "I'm OK" type messages to anyone with a cell phone or e-mail address. That lets me know the device is working, and lets my wife keep track of me when I'm working remotely.
Avoid the cheap radio path unless you are going to spend the money to do it right, get your license, practice, practice some more, have someone standing by with another radio, and then still have a backup device like a satellite phone or InReach/Spot type device. If the lives, health and safety of your friends, family and self are a concern, then spend the money to do it right. Cheap radios only give the illusion of safety, they rarely provide it.
