Baofend 888s

[amatureuser]

Hello. I am new to this whole GMRS radio thing. I am actually a licensed electrician. A lot of my work is done in commercial buildings and such. I have bought a pair of cheap midland radios for work so we can communicate when we have no cell phone coverage. I wanted to get more watts of power so I went ahead and applied for a GMRS license. I live in Connecticut. I then went ahead and bought a set of Baofeng 888s. When I tested them it didn't seem to be any better than my other radios. I then noticed that these need to be programmed. My question is, if I get the software and the USB cable to program these, will I be able to operate at a higher watt if I program them just for GMRS? Thanks.

 

[KD8DVR]

Hello. I am new to this whole GMRS radio thing. I am actually a licensed electrician. A lot of my work is done in commercial buildings and such. I have bought a pair of cheap midland radios for work so we can communicate when we have no cell phone coverage. I wanted to get more watts of power so I went ahead and applied for a GMRS license. I live in Connecticut. I then went ahead and bought a set of Baofeng 888s. When I tested them it didn't seem to be any better than my other radios. I then noticed that these need to be programmed. My question is, if I get the software and the USB cable to program these, will I be able to operate at a higher watt if I program them just for GMRS? Thanks.

The 888s are 3 watt radios... if that. They also are not FCC certified to be legally used on GMRS. That being said, make sure everyone who uses a GMRS radio has their own individual license. GMRS doesn't allow businesses or groups to have a license, only individuals.

If you had a more powerful GMRS handheld, you actually wouldn't get much better range. UHF is highly line of sight and only a better/higher antenna would give you better range. Expect an average of 3/4 of a mile point to point with any handheld radio.

 

[SpugEddy]

Here is what I've discovered with Baofeng radios.

I have 5 of the BF-F9 +TP radios.
They are advertised as 8 watt max power
(The TP means Tri-Power)
Low = 2 or 3 watts
Medium = 5 watts
High = 8 watts

Tested on watt meter with original stock
rubber duck antenna
GMRS channels = 2 watts on High
MURS channels = 4 watts on High

With exterior antenna 10' off ground
SWR of about 1.2:1
GMRS = 2.5 watts on High
MURS = 4.75 watts on High

What I have found, out in the real world,
is that these radios are nice for the price,
but that depends on what you want from them.
If your life depends on it, don't use them.
Me and my family use these for our vacations.
They are great for amusement parks, cruises,
hiking, etc. So long as you are not working at
long distance.

I would do a more in-depth Google and YouTube
search and see if anybody can give you better
"real world" expectations for these radios.

 

[KK4JUG]

The 888s are fine radios for what you pay. However, as I've said on this forum before, they're like Bic lighters. When they quit working, you throw them away.

For several reasons, they are not approved for GMRS use. It wasn't mentioned but they're not allowed on FRS, either.