You can also subscribe on a monthly basis. I find that I mostly use the preset text that I send to my wife. Those are unlimited. I use this thing much more than I ever thought i would. also nice to know that in an emergency responders would know my exact location. When you send a preset message it shows a detailed google earth like map exactly where you are.

Wanted to bump this as I am considering GMRS handhelds again for communication with others I am with. I had a breakdown in the middle of nowhere and luckily had 1 bar of reception but my friend had none. He was ahead of me by 1/4mile maybe and If I had a GMRS radio I could have reached him. I do have garmin inreach now but with him having no reception it would not help.

If GMRS can reach 1-2 miles(hopefully more) of terrain with LOS or no big obstructions it may prove useful for me. Are all of them, the same? Midland seems to be a go-to, and I am not sure if there are better ones out there to consider that may have even better range?

HTs are a compromise at best.

That being said, better to have a decent radio that can take a 1/4 wave antenna (most are probably SMA these days, or Motorola MX threads are still used in a few modern radios) than a super expensive feature-laden radio with a tiny fixed antenna.

I’d buy whatever has the best antenna (or ability to change it) as my very first consideration. Power output is second to that.

Best compromise if you don’t want a mobile rig would be simple 1/4 waves mounted on your vehicles with an adaptor at the end so you can hook the coax to the radio’s antenna jack. Disconnect and put the portable-sized antenna on when you need to.

My wife and I are amateur operators and she prefers an HT hooked to her car antenna versus a mobile rig, at least for 2m/70cm. Personally I prefer to run mobile rigs on all bands.

Good luck!

I think the main limitation for me is that my friend would only have a handheld. I would like a handheld and vehicle mounted for myself. I was looking at the midland mtx275 or 575 for vehicle and maybe their handhelds. i am just not sure if there is any difference between brands or if there is anything better or not? I don't want to run a huge car antenna though as it would get caught on trees etc where I go. I would probably mount it on the hood or side of my roof rack/hatch.

At GMRS frequencies a basic 1/4 wave antenna is small, so could be mounted a lot of places. For more range there are other, taller antennas available.

There's a MTX275 for sale in the classifieds, FWIW.

For what it’s worth:

Twenty five years ago I used hand held Motorola FRS radios for road and trail trips with one or more friends driving their own rigs and having their own radios. They were fine in varying terrain as we seldom were more than a mile apart. Sometimes we had surprising long distance transmissions/receptions, sometimes disappointments. It was all part of the fun, a lot of chit chat and sharing observations over the air filled the hours and miles.

Fast forward to 2013. After some researching, I bought a middle price set of Midland GMRS handheld radios from Walmart. A buddy and I did a day trip exploring some nearby ghost towns over valleys and mountains. Big disappointment. Range wasn’t anywhere near claims. Audio quality was horrendous and often indecipherable. I sold them soon after at a garage sale.

If I were a young man again and still doing frequent trips with friends, I’d go with 2M HAM for vehicle to vehicle transmissions (a substantial regional user base with numerous repeaters) and a Garmin InReach for emergencies or communicating with loved ones at home. I’ve had some limited experience with both and have a favorable impression.

Here is my problem with the situation. I am pretty well prepared, plan well and play it safe. The guy i go hunting with is an older guy who is never prepared and wings it to barely get by. He also seems to have exceptionally bad luck. In my specific situation I would buy a vehicle GMRS radio for myself and also buy a handheld to lend him so we can keep communication as we drive since there is no cell reception. I have a Garmin Inreach Messenger myself but with no cell reception and his unpreparedness that gmrs handheld would be the only means of communication between us until reaching a town. So for me this is mostly a lifeline during that 70-90 miles without a phone since there are rarely any others driving that road.

Your plan sounds plausible. I’d suggest researching to find good quality and good performing radios. Your results in the field over time and terrain is the only true litmus test if they fit your needs.

As for me, a lot of people pan FRS and they did fine for my needs and use. GMRS didn’t work for me. But I blame that on my impulse purchasing poor quality radios based on package specs. My recommendation for 2M HAM is based on what many off roaders I’ve interacted with in the intermountain West and the past two decades eventually drifted to and implemented due to their superior range. But it isn’t cheap and not really the best choice for the occasional off roader.

I offroad maybe a couple times a month but really that one occasion every year is where I get that far off grid that it becomes an issue. The other places I can probably get reception even if its like 20 miles from civilization

A GMRS license should do the trick


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Had some extra credits on amazon so I ended up buying a Retevis RA-86 and matching handhelds as it seemed to be easier to use than the midland mxt275. I figure it is better to have it as another means of communication in addition to my Garmin Inreach for emergencies.