FRS/GMRS Radio recommendations.

[MrWizard]

I recently purchased the Autocom AVI unit and I'm looking for a bike to bike radio recommendation.

Use:

My wife does not ride but often provides chase car services during rides and this would be the primary use for the radio communication. However, they would also be used for bike to bike comm. so standardization would also be a consideration.

Autocom recommends the Kenwood FreeTalk radios but they are a bit pricy.

Does anyone have experience with a comparable radio for less $'s? Range and clarity is the primary consideration here.

I know, "you get what you pay for" but I always consider "best buy" before spending my hard earned bucks.

Are there any radio/ham mobile communication buffs out there that have a trick setup they would like to share?

My knowledge of radio communications is nil, so any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Rob

 

[Bike Effects]

I started out with Motorola radios and quickly found out why they are so cheap. I am now a dealer and user of the Kenwood radios and they are superior. Check the link below for the Kenwood radios and note the links in my signature on how to obtain a Forum discount. I also have an open box TK-3101K2 that I can make a special deal on if you want to call me at 707-224-9262.

Kenwood at Sportbike Effects.com

 

[O5AFRET]

I bought the Kenwood and have been happy with it. Autocom also sells a part that replaces the battery so the radio is bike powered off the 12v from the Autocom. The push button switch on the handle bar is also nice.

The primary reason I write this though is to give you a heads up on a problem I learned the hard way. I took my new setup to WFO-5. I had only bought the one pricey radio so had no way to test the setup till I met up with my riding mates in Las Vegas for the run to Reno. Well, I found I could hear the other rider perfectly but he couldn't hear me. It wasn't until I talked to the fella in Phoenix that sold me the radio that I learned there is a common problem with some of the Autocom units. The quick connector on the circuit card internal to the Autocom unit was not fully seated. He recommended I open the unit and reseat the connector. Sure enough problem solved.

 

[Bearly Flying]

I also have the Kenwood. A local Communications Supplier set up an external aerial for me to replace the standard whip aerial. Mounted the radio under the seat, works great.

 

[FJRandy]

I'm having good luck with these so far. Cheap, and work fairly well up to about 5 miles realistically.

Kenwood IS tops though, I'll agree on that. But for those on a budget, these seem to work good.

I chose Midland because the Autocom plug goes right into my Midland 75-820 CB too. I have them mounted side by side on the dash, and can switch the plug while riding. Battery lasts for approx two days of riding/talking.

Nowadays, you can get the GXT600 kit for under $60. claimed 18 mile range! I'll be upgrading to those soon.

 

[nusman68]

be afraid...be very afraid..

I spent big bucks outfitting four bikes for my family, each with an Autocom Pro-7 Sport, Midland GMRS 5 watt radio, and of course all the proprietary Autocom cords/cables/headsets to 'make it work'. I chose the Midland because:

1) It has 5 watts of power, compared to only 2 watts for the Kenwood

2) Was a fraction of the price, which I had to consider because in my case I had over 250. invested in the cables alone....200. in SAENG mounts, plus a grand in the Autocoms, etc etc

In addition I didn't feel I needed 'mil-spec' ratings for the radio itself (which the Kenwood claims to have)

The problem..

the Autocom would *never* recognize the Midland radios, despite the position of the VOX control and regardless if the VOX control on the Midland was disabled. (The radios themselves worked great, but it was as if the Autocom was 'transparent', not allowing me to utilize features I paid for). Furthermore, the Autocom PTT (push-to-talk switch) would never work with them. I went round & round with Autocom technical support in Great Britain on this, pointing out that on their website they claim their system is compatible with numerous brands of GMRS/FRS radios...not just Kenwood. I also contacted Midland, who sent me a schematic. Autocom techs later advised me that their 'universal' patch cord, which has a resistor in it, was of the wrong value for the Midland units. I replaced the resistor with one of the recommended value with no success..ultimately, in frustration, I sent one of the Midland units, with schematic, to Great Britain...they told me they had it all figured out, changed the value of the resistor again, and..... $240.00 later they sent me back a single 'customized' patch cord, which worked WORSE than the standard one.... :angry2: :angry2: Their response? They 'don't know what to say'... it worked there...

NOW, of course, in hindsight I wish I had bought the Kenwoods in the first place.

Good luck///

 

[Bike Effects]

<snip>chose the Midland because:

1) It has 5 watts of power, compared to only 2 watts for the Kenwood

<snip>

The power of the transmitter in these radios are set by FCC regs. Show us where midland gets around this.

 

[nusman68]

The power of the transmitter in these radios are set by FCC regs. Show us where midland gets around this.

-Don't know what to tell you there....you can find those Midland radios all over town, blister packed, with the "5 WATTS" predominately displayed on the front of the package. I was impressed with their range and clarity...the package indicated '14 mile range' which, as we all know, is under ideal conditions. In the real world, on our group rides we would get 5 + miles on the highway, 2 miles or less in the hills. More than enough for our needs. What with my bad 'compatibility' experience, however, I do want to go to the Kenwoods...but I have wondered why they haven't introduced a 4 or 5 watt version of their GMRS radios yet. (I haven't checked their website in a few months, however) Assuming 'wattage is wattage' I must admit I wouldn't want to go to something that puts out less than half the power of what I've been using. I figured Kenwood would eventually bring a higher watt unit to the market.

 

[MrWizard]

I also have the Kenwood. A local Communications Supplier set up an external aerial for me to replace the standard whip aerial. Mounted the radio under the seat, works great.

Don,

I've been told that mounting an external antenna i.e. whip, on the back of the bike would increase range, clarity, etc.

Can you share any details, advice on your install?

Sounds like I'll probably bit the bullet and get the Kenwoods. I guess the GPS will have to wait for awhile. :angry:

 

[Bearly Flying]

MrWizard, The advantage of the external aerial is that you can mount the radio out of the way, I have mine mounted under the seat. The disadvantage of that is access to the radio, adjusting volume changing channels etc. It took a bit of fiddling to get the volume set, which was a pain in the *** , stopping to adjust

I haven't had the opportunity to ride with someone who has another Kenwood radio, The buddy I ride with had a cheap GMRS radio that would lose contact with me, while I could still hear him just fine. So I don't have a definite answer on any additional range etc.

I met up with one guy on the road, who had a chatterbox system, We could talk just fine, but we never got too far apart.

If my buddy ever loosens the purse strings and gets a real comm system, maybe we can to some real world testing.

 

[MrWizard]

MrWizard, The advantage of the external aerial is that you can mount the radio out of the way, I have mine mounted under the seat. The disadvantage of that is access to the radio, adjusting volume changing channels etc. It took a bit of fiddling to get the volume set, which was a pain in the *** , stopping to adjust
I haven't had the opportunity to ride with someone who has another Kenwood radio, The buddy I ride with had a cheap GMRS radio that would lose contact with me, while I could still hear him just fine. So I don't have a definite answer on any additional range etc.

I met up with one guy on the road, who had a chatterbox system, We could talk just fine, but we never got too far apart.

If my buddy ever loosens the purse strings and gets a real comm system, maybe we can to some real world testing.

Thanks everyone for the replies and info.

Sorry for the late post of gratitude but my hard drive crashed and I finally got it fixed and am back online.

I decided to get the Kenwood radios and mounted under the seat. They really are a great match with the Autocom AVI system, very clear with decent range. I've posted the install elsewhere here along with the Bluesea aux. power buss.

Thanks again,

Rob

 

[Jabber]

Mr. Wizard. I use the Motorola Talkabout T7400, not one of those in a blister pack at WallyWorld, FRS-GMRS radio. The group that I ride with have a mix of makes, Cobra, Motorola, Kenwood and Midland. Most work just fine, some are using Cobras with Autocom and doing great. We typically talk to each other from less than a mile to four or five miles in open country. Remember, VHF is line-of-sight, so don't expect oo much from it if you are in the hills and valleys. One guy has mounted his Cobra in the left hardbag, this works well when close but cuts down on Xmitt power somewhat. He does not use an external antenna. The Kenwoods are just fine but a bit pricey as I recall when I was researching the market. Additionally, some radios take a two pin connector and others use a single tip-ring-sleeve pin connector. Be sure that your headset wiring connector is compatible with the radio that you plan to buy or you will have to chase down an adaptor. Jabber

 

[Laz007]

be afraid...be very afraid..I spent big bucks outfitting four bikes for my family, each with an Autocom Pro-7 Sport, Midland GMRS 5 watt radio, and of course all the proprietary Autocom cords/cables/headsets to 'make it work'. I chose the Midland because:

1) It has 5 watts of power, compared to only 2 watts for the Kenwood

2) Was a fraction of the price, which I had to consider because in my case I had over 250. invested in the cables alone....200. in SAENG mounts, plus a grand in the Autocoms, etc etc

In addition I didn't feel I needed 'mil-spec' ratings for the radio itself (which the Kenwood claims to have)

The problem..

the Autocom would *never* recognize the Midland radios, despite the position of the VOX control and regardless if the VOX control on the Midland was disabled. (The radios themselves worked great, but it was as if the Autocom was 'transparent', not allowing me to utilize features I paid for). Furthermore, the Autocom PTT (push-to-talk switch) would never work with them. I went round & round with Autocom technical support in Great Britain on this, pointing out that on their website they claim their system is compatible with numerous brands of GMRS/FRS radios...not just Kenwood. I also contacted Midland, who sent me a schematic. Autocom techs later advised me that their 'universal' patch cord, which has a resistor in it, was of the wrong value for the Midland units. I replaced the resistor with one of the recommended value with no success..ultimately, in frustration, I sent one of the Midland units, with schematic, to Great Britain...they told me they had it all figured out, changed the value of the resistor again, and..... $240.00 later they sent me back a single 'customized' patch cord, which worked WORSE than the standard one.... :angry2: :angry2: Their response? They 'don't know what to say'... it worked there...

NOW, of course, in hindsight I wish I had bought the Kenwoods in the first place.

Good luck///

I had a similar experience. I bought a set of Midlands together with my dad and uncle and could not get it to work with my Autocom Pro 7. If I remember correctly, I could hear, but not transmit. Autocom gave me a similar story about the resistance not being compatible between the two devices, and implied that a Kenwood or another radio would be better than a Midland. I contend that for the price we pay for an Autocom they should find a way to make their equipment compatible with a popular brand like Midland.

That being said, I was very disappointed with the performance of my Midland radio. I don't have access to the model number right now, but I recall that it is a 14 mile, 4 or 5 watt radio, which should be plenty powerful. We all mounted our radios high on our bikes, mostly on mounting plates that screw into the handle bar mirror mounting points, in order to ensure line of sight bike to bike transmission, and used Midland's motorcycle communicator set. Unfortunately, we were barely able to understand each other. If we got more than a hundred feet apart we wouldn't receive a signal, and when we were within that range the transmission still cut in and out frequently. It was worst for my bike, and made me wonder if the FJR's electrical components interfered with the radio. My dad on his Honda Shadow with less sophisticated electronics had fewer problems than I did. Even then, performance was still poor.

A couple hundred dollars worth of radio and headset experimentation later, I'm going to break down and spend more money on some Kenwoods.

 

[BrunDog]

I wrestled with a pair of Radio Craps (shacks) and my AutoComm would not trigger them to Tx. I also tried a pair of Unidens with the same results. Then it dawned on me that the radio MUST have a remote PTT function through the 3-conductor jack. This is not necessarily reported on the package.

I found a pair of Cobra's at Wally World and they work flawlessly. The key giveaway was that they came with a pair of headsets with a button on them (I could see them through the package). Since the headsets have a button (which shorts the common and the speaker out line), it works with remote PTT of the Autocomm.

Anyway, I love them. They are not battery powered, but the NiMH batteries work easily all day, they have a Hi/low power settings, and they fit nicely in my tankbag. I think I paid around $50 for the pair. Hey, they may not reach someone who is ten miles away, but hell, that's why we bought fast bikes, right?

-BD

 

[worldbound4now]

...I took my new setup to WFO-5. I had only bought the one pricey radio so had no way to test the setup till I met up with my riding mates in Las Vegas for the run to Reno. Well, I found I could hear the other rider perfectly but he couldn't hear me...

I'm the guy he was able to hear without incident, transmitting with a motorola T6500 radio. Been happy with it so far and can be found for $41 here. It's worth the experiment to try these. If you're not satisfied, you're not out much.

My 2 cents.

Worldbound4now

 

[FJRocket]

I have a Garmin Rino 530 hooked into my SPA Autocom. Had to reset the Rino system to work with a boom mic instead of a headset mic. I don't know what that means, but I had to reconfigure the Rino system before it would transmit throught the Autocom mic.

The Rino was 4 bills. Pricey for a radio, but of course it has a POI type WAAS GPS (if you spend an extra hundred bucks for the MapSource software). So it's very pricey for what it is. However, I get a selectible 5 watt FRS/GMRS radio that is waterproof and has a pretty nice GPS too. Mounted right up on the bars where I can see it, and the antenna is up in the air. Works great! Just wish the Rino had more internal memory.

Posted to let you know the Rino works with the Autocom just fine.

 

[FJRocket]

I also bought a pair of backup "bubble pack" radios (read:disposable) at Wally World. Figured I'd give them a try and see if they were compatible, and to test my Rino 530. Well, they aren't the greatest, that's for sure. But a pair of Cobra MicroTalk LI 6000-2 DX VP's are Motorola single pin headset compatible, have a fairly long life rechargeable battery, and work with the Autocom system in VOX mode. Tested this AM to be sure.

Cobra MicroTalk

I wouldn't use these radios for a primary, but they do work as good backups. Come with earbud headset with lapel microphone that might work in a pinch. Probably too much wind noise to work in a helmet, though. Of course Autocom is supposed to cure that with their headset. Note that I only tested these in my garage, not out on the open road.

Oh, and by the way, these are switchable to 5 watts for tx. Prolly smoke the battery pretty quick txing on that level, but at least you know you have some extra power if you need it.

Not bad for $60. Might be a decent choice for a shirt pocket, and perhaps to lend to a pal just to listen in if a group of riders have GMRS. Don't think I'd be planting these things under the seat and getting any use out of them, though. And certainly wouldn't mount them on the bars. And they don't have any 12 volt bike power capability. The antenna is rigid and not replaceable.

So if you are out in the boonies and your GMRS dies (or gets lost) on a trip, at least you know you can stop in a Wally World and get a pair of these, charge 'em overnight and put them to use. Not that your Kenwood would ever croak. Those things are about bullet proof. BTW, of course Walmart has Midlands, too, and they might have the same dual pin jack that some (all?) Kenwoods have in case you lose or break one on a trip.