Rapid Radios discussion

[KQ7D]

Apologies in advance if this is the incorrect forum or inappropriate topic. I also apologize if this topic has been discussed somewhere already, as I couldn't find it in a forums search.

Even as a ham operator, I like to use Zello and other "radio" communications on occasion. I recently came across this company - Rapid Radios. These are cell based, push to talk radios. According to the website and email customer service, they are encrypted (sure...) and work when most other cell carriers are down (like this morning). They say their tech is "different" than traditional cell technology but don't elaborate.

Does anyone here have experience with Rapid Radios? I like the concept, even if these would be unreliable in a complete, grid down scenario.

 

[nd5y]

I looked at the FAQ page on their web site. Several things don't make sense and could be lies.

 

[sallen07]

I looked at the FAQ page on their web site. Several things don't make sense and could be lies.

Yeah I would say the FAQs are misleading at best. "Will it work where there is no cell service?" "Oh we use ALL the cell carriers." In other words, no. How could it? It's using LTE!

Check out the rebranded UV-88 they are selling, full of "emergency frequencies" for when disaster strikes. But they aren't like radios you can buy in the store ... the website says so. This bullet point sums things up I think.

• Keep in touch with your friends, family, emergency services - wherever they are located.

So you can "Keep in touch with ... emergency services" using one? Also makes one wonder which frequencies are used to "keep in touch with your friends". Amateur simplex? GMRS and/or MURS?? Random business or public safety frequencies???

I know of at least one other vendor that is selling radios pre-programmed with "emegency frequencies" (hundreds of them in fact) but at least those are GMRS radios that can monitor but not transmit on them. Still useless for most people.

 

[KevinC]

• 100% NO MONTHLY FEES or SUBSCRIPTIONS FEES - EVER!

And then...

• NO Licenses - Includes SIM card with 1 year of service per radio. Renew for another year for $50/year (no subscriptions/contracts/monthly fees).

I guess no "monthly fees" is because you pay for a year service.

 

[mmckenna]

So many, many red flags.

They use all the trigger words to get the frightened people to buy these sorts of things:

"Crisis"​

"Middle East & Europe"​

"Cyberattacks on the USA"​

"WW3"​

"CAN NOT RELY"​

"…SELLING Fast, sold out MOST PLACES"​

"EMP Protection faraday bag"​

​

"Our partners" and they show the logo for US Customs and Border Protection. Would be interesting to know about that partnership. Usually the government won't endorse products.

"100% American Owned Business" That's a good trigger phrase to get people to buy their product. Yet they then say:
"The parts are sourced from Asia," Translation: Cheap Chinese product.

So, lets look at their claims:

"100% No Monthly Fees - Ever!"​

"Nationwide Range with NO MONTHLY FEES!"​

"No monthly fees, no contracts, and no hassle!"​

Plus radio programming and service for an entire year! For an extra year of service, this for $50 per radio (per year).​

"NO Licenses - Includes SIM card with 1 year of service per radio. Renew for another year for $50/year (no subscriptions/contracts/monthly fees)."​

So, what that says is they don't charge you a monthly fee. But you do pay "$50 per radio (per year)" So, instead of a monthly fee, they roll it into an annual fee. They ain't lying, they are just trying to get you to buy it thinking there is no ongoing fee. But I'm not sure how you'll pay the $50/year when the EMP hits, or when the zombies tear down all the cell towers.


Funny how they don't answer the question here:

"Will this work in an area with no cellular coverage?​

• It will work better than a cell phone, that's for sure - we use ALL the carriers (not just 1, like a phone) plus it's a different technology than a phone call.. PLUS gets better signal - check out this video: "

Yet it runs on the cellular network: "Frequency Range: B1/3/5/8, B34/38/39/40/41" The only benefit I can see is that they are using a third party clearing house for bandwidth that will hop on any carrier that uses those bands. I would suggesting looking up those individual bands and see who actually uses them.



Dubious claim at best. It's transmitting, it can be tracked. It's running LTE, and LTE is encrypted, so they are correct there. It uses "IOT sim cards", so it is cellular and relies on their network. It's voice over IP using the cell network. It'll have all the same issues as running any sort of data over a shared resource. They really seem to like the press the privacy thing. Obviously aiming for a customer base, (probably not those on radio reference that are against all encryption) Since it's consumer, it's not going to have an prioritization over some teenager playing on social media:

"Are they private?​

• ...Lastly, you can NOT be tracked with this device. We have IoT sim cards with ALL the major carriers which are 100% anonymous and not linked to you in any way. They are totally private - and encrypted too."

Fine print:
"Nationwide coverage available when in range of LTE tower."



Rapid Radios (Rapid Consulting LLC) is a small American owned business located and operated in Ada, MI. We are a team of 10 individuals and radio enthusiasts with a passion for technology, communication, and emergency preparedness. Our team consists of ham radio operators, emergency preparedness experts, and more.

Oh, good Lord. "ham radio operators, emergency preparedness experts". That makes me feel so much better.


TL;DR version:
If you own a smart phone, you already have what you need. Don't fall for the marketing. You're paying $200 each, plus $50 for each "radio" for each additional year.
There's a ton of products on the market that will do all this, without the idiotic marketing hype.

 

[jim91390]

There is a second radio they are selling (my emergency radio) that is ham based. Not lte. It is programmed with ham frequencies. They are also programing the radios with police and fire frequencies but are telling people to only use in emergencies. how many people will try to use these on a daily basis. Here is their disclaimer in fine print.

My Emergency Radio - Emergency Ham Radio

- You acknowledge and understand this is a legal HAM radio, which operates on the amateur radio 2M and 70cm frequencies (VHF/UHF). Listening in on frequencies does not require an FCC license, however, you agree and acknowledge that transmitting requires an FCC amateur radio license, unless due to certain exceptions outlined in the FCC's amateur radio rules. For that reason, if you are unlicensed, this radio is for emergency use and listening purposes only.

- This radio specifically is ceritified for the amateur radio bands with FCC ID: 2AU74UV-S9. It will not operate on GMRS bands, MURS bands, or any other frequency that requires special FCC certification. It is NOT being marketed as such and can not be operated on those frequencies without you unlocking these. Doing so you accept full responsibilty for this.

- You acknowledge that receiving transmissions that are further than a few miles will require the use of a repeater or a linked-repeater. For global communications, ECHO link or something similar will be required.

General Terms:

- You agree to hold Rapid Consulting LLC and MyEmergencyRadio.com and it's owners and affiliates harmless from any liabilities that should occur by using, owning, or purchasing this radio. You agree to imdenify them, hold them harmless, and waive all rights to complaints, lawsuits, and any other possible legal issues. You agree that Rapid Consulting is not resposible for any civil or criminal penalties with the FCC or any other legal entity.

- You agree that orders can be cancelled BEFORE they ship but no orders can be cancelled after shipping. If you return a radio that has been PROGRAMMED, you will receive a refund less a 30% restocking fee. For non-programmed radios, a 20% restocking fee will be charged.

 

[ladn]

They've out Bridgecomed Bridgecom!

 

[mmckenna]

I think I just pulled a muscle rolling my eyes.

 

[a417]

I think I just pulled a muscle rolling my eyes.

I rolled mine for you, I gotchya' buddy.

 

[mmckenna]

I rolled mine for you, I gotchya' buddy.

Thanks dude, I knew I could count on you.

 

[OttoRommel]

So this thread may be a good change to ask a newbie question since my question about whether the claims of RapidRadios brought me here. If I wanted to do what RapidRadios claim they can do, what am I actually looking for? My eldest son is at college about half way across the country (~2,200 miles) and my younger son graduates in June and will most likely move from SoCal to NorCal for school. If, hypothetically, the San Andreas fault went off and took out the cell and electrical grid of California for an extended period of time, how could I still communicate with them?
I started researching about a year ago, went down a rabbit hole, and ran out of time. As I recall to start, I needed to get a another radio license, not the one I got for my walkie-talkies, and it was a fair amount of knowledge I'd need to study for the test. I remember reading about needing to use repeaters. I also remember lots of discussion about the BaoFeng UV-5R radio. I remember coming to the conclusion that I would need a base station, not a handheld radio, and a large tower antenna if I wanted to communicate that distance without repeaters (which may not be functioning without power).
Am I on the right track? Any help or guidance would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

[ladn]

I also remember lots of discussion about the BaoFeng UV-5R radio. I remember coming to the conclusion that I would need a base station, not a handheld radio, and a large tower antenna if I wanted to communicate that distance without repeaters (which may not be functioning without power).

As it turns out, there's a similar thread going on now elsewhere on RR: Just bought a Baofeng uv-5r

 

[mmckenna]

I remember coming to the conclusion that I would need a base station, not a handheld radio, and a large tower antenna if I wanted to communicate that distance without repeaters (which may not be functioning without power).
Am I on the right track? Any help or guidance would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

You are on the right track.

Long distance communications without any infrastructure is HF radio. It requires a license to transmit, it requires large antennas, and unless you are using some high end commercial stuff, it requires a knowledgeable and skilled operator at each end.

It's not a good solution for "SHTF" stuff unless all the users involved are going to commit to frequent training.

If you are expecting to use it to talk to a college student, that may be a challenge unless they live in their own home with enough land to set up an antenna. Dorm room/apartments are not a good fit for HF without some huge challenges.

Lived in California most of my life, and I've been through some big earthquakes. Ham radio is not the answer unless you have all that stuff above. Earthquake damage is regionalized, so unlikely to be a statewide issue. The chances of a big enough earthquake hitting where your son is during his time in college are pretty dang slim.

A much more useful solution is to just make sure everyone has a good cell phone that can make use of satellite text messaging. The cellular networks will not necessarily all collapse in an earthquake. They may get congested, but patience will pay off. Having them have a phone that they'll carry with them all the time is much better than some big radio/antenna that gets stuffed in a closet and only pulled out occasionally. The newer cell phones with satellite based text messaging capability will be much more likely to be used.

Or, get them something like a Garmin InReach device. No license needed, and actually a useful tool to have that'll be cheaper and more likely to be utilized.

I've been a ham for a long time. Ham radio isn't the one magical solution to every communications issue.

 

[krokus]

Depending on the distance involved, Near Vertical Incident Skywave, NVIS, might work. As mentioned before it, requires the ability to setup antennas in special configurations, which requires some real estate.

 

[OttoRommel]

You are on the right track.

Long distance communications without any infrastructure is HF radio. It requires a license to transmit, it requires large antennas, and unless you are using some high end commercial stuff, it requires a knowledgeable and skilled operator at each end.

It's not a good solution for "SHTF" stuff unless all the users involved are going to commit to frequent training.

If you are expecting to use it to talk to a college student, that may be a challenge unless they live in their own home with enough land to set up an antenna. Dorm room/apartments are not a good fit for HF without some huge challenges.

Lived in California most of my life, and I've been through some big earthquakes. Ham radio is not the answer unless you have all that stuff above. Earthquake damage is regionalized, so unlikely to be a statewide issue. The chances of a big enough earthquake hitting where your son is during his time in college are pretty dang slim.

A much more useful solution is to just make sure everyone has a good cell phone that can make use of satellite text messaging. The cellular networks will not necessarily all collapse in an earthquake. They may get congested, but patience will pay off. Having them have a phone that they'll carry with them all the time is much better than some big radio/antenna that gets stuffed in a closet and only pulled out occasionally. The newer cell phones with satellite based text messaging capability will be much more likely to be used.

Or, get them something like a Garmin InReach device. No license needed, and actually a useful tool to have that'll be cheaper and more likely to be utilized.

I've been a ham for a long time. Ham radio isn't the one magical solution to every communications issue.

Thank you. I have an InReach for back country hikes. I hadn't thought about that. I will look into get a couple more. Thanks.

 

[mmckenna]

Thank you. I have an InReach for back country hikes. I hadn't thought about that. I will look into get a couple more. Thanks.

Yeah, they are good units, and would likely work well for what you want. Biggest benefit is that they are small and can be used for a lot of other situations. Tools that fill many roles and are small/easy to use will be more likely used/carried by the users. Big/complex stuff usually loses out.

 

[JASII]

What SIM card does Rapid Radio use?

 

[BinaryMode]

My Emergency RADIO | Better Business Bureau® Profile

This organization is not BBB accredited. Citizen Band Radios in Ada, MI. See BBB rating, reviews, complaints, & more.

www.bbb.org

I kinda feel bad for those that know absolutely nothing about radio.

If anyone out there sees this and you're at this website, you're in the right direction. The next order of business would be to read, read and learn. Even I don't know everything about radio. It can get mighty damn complicated, let me tell you.

 

[krokus]

My Emergency RADIO | Better Business Bureau® Profile

This organization is not BBB accredited. Citizen Band Radios in Ada, MI. See BBB rating, reviews, complaints, & more.

www.bbb.org

Interesting... That address shows as a business distributing "biotics"

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

www.google.com

 

[BinaryMode]

That address belongs to the building. I'm sure they all have suite numbers there.

That website property for rapidradios uses the same nameservers which also leads to homebrewcoffee.com using the same phone number. Both web properties are run in Shopify. The owner is a General class Amateur radio operator and likes TikTok since he's got an account and uses TikTok analytics.