If you are thinking of buying a radio or 2 you should think about these.

[blastco2]

Easy to use as any of the expensive and popular radios like BCA, Oxbow, ride 208, ect. 5 watts, preprogrammed, 2 radios, 2 mics, 4 batteries, $80.00. I have 2 of these and they are much more than adequate for snowmobiling.

TIDRADIO TD-H5 GMRS Radio with 4pcs 1500mah Batteries, 5Watt GMRS Handheld Radio for Adults, GMRS Repeater Capable, Two Way Radio with NOAA Weather Receiver & Scan (2 Pack) https://a.co/d/h2cq93Z

 

[t30mg]

Do they work on the same channels as BCA?
Any issue with snow getting in the mics and speakers?

 

[blastco2]

Do they work on the same channels as BCA?
Any issue with snow getting in the mics and speakers?

Yes, same channels and more.
Same speaker Mic that most of the cheap Chinese radios are using. There is a frog skin for it.
The radios come with a programming cable however, it is not needed. Programming changes can be easily made through the menu system. If there is interest, I would be willing to create a tutorial on fine tuning the settings. I talked a fellow rider through it, on the phone, in about 15 min. Much easier to work with than the uv5r or the ride 208 uv82. The really big advantage of these is the low cost. You can get 4 of these and a case of beer for the cost of "1 only" ride 208.

Just a nice to know piece of information..... Ride 208 imports his radios for about $35. That includes the fancy hard case. I know this because I am the guy that got him started by importing and programming for him.

 

[blastco2]

TIDRADIO TD-H5, Radioddity GM-30
setup help

menu # 00 set 3
02 off
04 wide
07 off
08 60
21 name
22 frequency
29 site
32 on
35 off
37 voltage, displays batt level for a second when radio is powered on
41 on
13 off

helpfull things to know
tx = transmit
rx = recieve
ptt = push to talk
ctcss is what bca and others refer to as a sub channel. 100hz = sub channel 12, you can count from there to find other sub-channels. example, bca 420, channel 4, menu 12 100hz press up 8 times to 131.8hz press menu again to save. repeat on menu 10 rx if you'd like.
when you are setting ctcss (sub-channel), tx is most important, rx is optional. I recommend that you spend a few min reading the wikipedia article "CTCSS".

 

[t30mg]

What kind of real experience range are you getting?

 

[blastco2]

I can open two different repeaters from inside my house. one is 25 miles the other is 35.
I have talked to other sledders as far as 50mi.
In the mountains on sleds with ridges canyons ect its all about line of sight. imagine the world is completely dark, like inside a cave with lights out. think of the antenna on these radios as a 4 watt bulb. if you can see the light directly you can talk to it. if you see the glow from the light behind a hill, you can probably talk to it but it will be scratchy. real world sledding experience, 2 - 10 miles.

just to be clear, i will make $0 from any radio that anyone buys.

 

[plumnuts]

the BEST PART... they communicate with balloons too

 

[adammauss]

Yes, same channels and more.
Same speaker Mic that most of the cheap Chinese radios are using. There is a frog skin for it.
The radios come with a programming cable however, it is not needed. Programming changes can be easily made through the menu system. If there is interest, I would be willing to create a tutorial on fine tuning the settings. I talked a fellow rider through it, on the phone, in about 15 min. Much easier to work with than the uv5r or the ride 208 uv82. The really big advantage of these is the low cost. You can get 4 of these and a case of beer for the cost of "1 only" ride 208.

Just a nice to know piece of information..... Ride 208 imports his radios for about $35. That includes the fancy hard case. I know this because I am the guy that got him started by importing and programming for him.

Great info, thank you! I can't tell if the frog skin is sold separately or if it is in the kit. How did they hold up for the riding season? Do you ride mostly on or off trails?

 

[blastco2]

Great info, thank you! I can't tell if the frog skin is sold separately or if it is in the kit. How did they hold up for the riding season? Do you ride mostly on or off trails?

Try to ride off trail.....

For sled comms, I highly recommend the btech gmrs pro. Honest 5 watts, excellent audio, built in GPS and Bluetooth. Control the radio from your smart phone, volume, channel, tone, all settings. Show your buddies location on the btech app topo map.

 

[trees happen]

Try to ride off trail.....

For sled comms, I highly recommend the btech gmrs pro. Honest 5 watts, excellent audio, built in GPS and Bluetooth. Control the radio from your smart phone, volume, channel, tone, all settings. Show your buddies location on the btech app topo map.

I like the idea of a handheld, 7s type, buddy tracking feature. I've looked at the B-tech, and those little lynq smart compass, (looked like a great idea, but they quit making), and go-tenna mesh systems, just haven't found allot of info, of actual use, and how well they work. Still running my Oxbow's, and garmin inreach 67I, but neither does what the trail tech pro, and 7s buddy tracking do. Something that works like an avy beacon, over a large area would really be nice.