GM-30 GMRS Radio

UPDATE #2(6/8/21): This radio is back on Radioddity's site AND Amazon. The company told me that if a product is out of stock, they remove it from their site. Not the best way to deal with that IMHO. It is back and available, so all is good again! UPDATE: Now I don't know what to think! This radio is no longer referenced in any way on Radioddity's web site ...... almost like it never existed! Amazon says it's gone and they don't know if or when it might be available again, so it seems that this review was a waste of my time because no one is ever going to see it! I did write directly to the company and am awaiting a reply as to what's going on. As my first attempt at getting a GMRF radio that was better than my old, ancient Cobra very basic 0.5W radios, I feel the GM-30 was a super choice! The only real problem I've had is in finding and understanding certain settings. I had most of it figured out using the Radioddity software, but ran into a glitch after the firmware update I was sent after I had an inquiry right after purchasing it. BTW, customer service has been very responsive so far, and pretty quick with their answers. Anyway, the glitch was NOT with the firmware install with their cable. It was with the lack of info on the changes it made! I was looking forward to being able to toggle the channel power setting, but even though I had set all channels of GMRF to "High" in the software, I found out while trying to use the GM-30 at a car rally (of sorts), that ALL my channels were set to "Low" power according to the screen readout! PLUS, I had forgotten the toggle key and since this was a "new" feature, there was NO mention of it in the manual! Only when I got back was I able to look in the firmware notes that the toggle was a quick press on the "Lock" key! When I had "SET" all channels to "High" in the software and then uploaded those settings back into the GM-30, it didn't stick at high power. I was therefore a bit disappointed that there I was, trying to communicate in the Great Smokie Mountains and stuck on "Low" power for lack of documentation! The toggle is now written on the front of the manual! I feel that setting the power in software should have stuck when those settings were uploaded back into the radio. Also, when you tune in another channel, you have to set the power level manually EACH time you change a channel! A real pain because the radio does not "remember" you last settings for any channel! Maybe that could be upgraded on the next firmware update?? I even looked to see if an "updated" manual was available so others would not miss that critical change but have not seen one so far! Very bottom line, EVEN in low power, the GM-30 performed fantastically to the point I wasn't aware I was in "Low" power at first. It was reported that voice was clear in transmitting and my reception was great, even with the included ear piece. My new GM-30 seemed to out perform and sound better that several other's Baofeng radios and they were surprised! Great job, Raddioddity! Please make the firmware changes in a maybe NEW manual version we can download and make those power levels "stick" in the software!

This is my fourth Radioddity and my first GMRS/FRS from them. Having sold my two Midlans (which served me well on disaster deployments when I was a teenager), I was looking forward to receiving this walkie-talkie. There's a lot to like here. Build quality lives up to what I expect from Radioddity. Ergonomically the radio feels good in the hand, and the button and keys feel top-notch. Sound quality is excellent and the built-in FM radio is a favorite around the house with non-radio enthusiasts. Brief TX/RX testing showed capability for both clearly in a highly developed area with different elevation (roughly 70ft. difference) at a half-mile distance (using GMRS). That's pretty decent considering the conditions being just about as bad as plausible. The thing that really makes this radio stand out to me and distinguishes it from most if not all "bubble pack" GMRS/FRS combo radios at the big-box stores is the GMRS repeater capability. This is a clear sign that this is a radio made by people who make more than just consumer products: this is a mass-market friendly yet highly capable device. Other features that I really like are the USB-C charging capability (i.e., no custom charger, and USB-C means fewer cables and battery banks for emergency or outdoors use), removable antenna, and *potential* CHIRP programming capability down the road. The fact that Radioddity is actively working on firmware updates is a promising sign that they're enthused about this release. I'll likely buy a second. It's well worth the price when compared to what you could find at a big-box store in this category.

This is a good walkie talkie or light duty repeater-capable GMRS radio. You have access to basic walkie talkie (simplex) channels 1-22 for talking radio to radio. For repeaters, there are 8 repeater channels 23-30 plus 24 "DIY" channels. Those channels are factory preset for repeater use with the 5mhz offset, all you need to do is pick a channel that matches the frequency of the repeater, and set the RX and TX tones. No adding and saving repeater channels. While that's good for the beginner, it limits the radio functionality. It's basically 4 banks of the 8 repeater frequencies, and the channel frequencies are hard set and can't be changed other than the PL tone. If you are in an area where multiple repeaters use one frequency, that may be an issue if say, all your .675 repeater channels are already used. The repeater and DIY channels are hard set with the +5mhz offset, so they can't be used for simplex talking. Channels above those are receive-only and can be programmed in VFO (scanner) mode. Ham, MURS, and several other bands of frequencies can be saved into receive-only channels. Get two for simple radio-to-radio talking (you can talk to people on the same channels as the very common consumer walkie talkies called FRS) or get one to learn the basics of GMRS and repeater setup. Learn how to navigate the menu as it seems most handheld GMRS radios are similar. Quick access to the NOAA weather bands, or program your local WX frequency into a receive channel for quicker access. Get the USB programming cable if you want to program names for your channels - if you have multiple repeater channels programmed in, you’ll definitely want the programming cable to name channels! I live around a few repeaters and seem to hit them with clarity. Battery life seems to be decent. Overall a good little radio for the very reasonable price tag. The FM receiver comes in handy. One other limitation - additional channels for talking can't be programmed. Say you want a channel set up specifically for simplex (non-repeater) group chat, using frequency 462.600 and tone 141.3 and have it be a seperate channel with a custom name - that can't be done on this radio where it can be done on others. You'd need to add the PL tone to a simplex channel. Not a major issue, just know that you can only transmit on 1-22 and whatever repeaters you have. Update - had mine for just shy of a year and it still works great. Only issue is there’s a slight hissing noise that seems to fade in after a few seconds when receiving traffic. Noticeable, but doesn’t really hurt functionality too much. Compared to other models, this is somewhat limited to how many repeaters can be programmed in but overall, a good choice for getting started in GMRS or an easy to use radio. Pro - most settings are factory preprogrammed. If you're new to GMRS and not up to speed on radio setup, programming and adding repeater channels with the offsets, this makes it easy because repeater channels are preset and all you need to do is scroll to the frequency and add the TX and RX tones. Radio is small but still has good range. The USB-C charging is convenient over having a charging base. Battery life is good, and the antenna can be changed out. Factory programming software and Chirp both work well. The FM radio mode has worked in picking up stations out in the boonies where I wouldn't expect it to. Cons -not too many. The lack of flexibility in custom programming. You can only have 4 channels programmed for each repeater frequency (462.550 to 725) and if you travel with the radio, you may need to edit channels to get other repeaters in. The display turns off in like two seconds and it gets to be frustrating. For what it is though, those cons aren't a dealbreaker.

Has performed better than expected. Was a little strange to setup but is a very good radio.

This little GMRS walkie talkie delivers great bang for the buck. Programing is easiest when done with a cable. Unfortunately, the unit does not come with one. If you have K-1 cables from other units then no problem. If you don't, you have to factor in an additional $15 to $20 to the real cost of the radio. Also, it appears that there is a software update out there that will allow you to program DIY GMRS repeater channels from 30-54. This is a great feature. I just couldn't get it work for me. It works very well. That said, audio quality is not what it is on my Wouxun KG-805. Then again, the GM-30 costs 1/3 of what the other unit does. I did not keep it for long because I needed a unit that was more water resistant. A friend of mine who is a very experienced ham radio operator bought it off of me for exactly what I paid. He also saw the "bang for the buck" this unit delivers. Great entry level GMRS radio and not a bad back up unit either.

Gm30 a very popular radio’ It probably has as many videos about it as a number of Wouxuns! It is simple to run with many advanced features. I ordered my two Gm30 radios,a single radio pair in October 2022. I missed my return date with Amazon January 31, 2023. I am totally blind so had to face a number of challenges learning to operate my radio with the limited voice prompts which are available on all Chinese radios. It is better to have the voice prompts than not have them at all. Fortunately the GM30 has a keypad which is very helpful with setting up the radio! I’m unable to read the screen! As time went on, I suspected one of my radios had a problem! It didn’t work as well as my other radio. I had other questions so I began working with Irene with Radioddity customer support. She is very patient! I asked Irene about my problem radio. I sent her my Amazon order at the end of November. I confirmed my address and I received my new Gm30 on Sunday the tenth! She didn’t want the troubled radio! Radioddity seems to believe in the quality of their products! They make it right! I’m impressed! The GM30 is a fine radio and when Radioddity stands behind it, one can’t go wrong! Jim

This is a great GMRS two way radio. Since it is now CHIRP compatible (older versions were not CHIRP compatible), I was able to add channels I needed on this radio. CHIRP made it very easy to add extra channels.

I purchased two GM-30s for personal use on a private system. When they arrived, they were packaged well and undamaged from transit. The radio comes with a nice, solid BL-13UV 7.4v 1500 mAh Lithium Ion battery pack, antenna, belt clip, wrist strap, 5vdc 1000 mA wall adapter w/ USB-A female interface, a charging cable with with USB-A on one end and a USB-C female on the other and a 45-page User Manual. One nice thing about this radio is that there is no separate charging cup for the radio to sit in during charging and with the USB interface, it can be charged virtually anywhere with a USB port. There is also a progress light on the battery that is red when charging and green when finished. The manual indicates the battery will charge in around four hours with the included wall adapter. I found that my first charge on all four batteries was two hours or less for the first charge. The radio comes pre-programmed standard GMRS simplex and repeater channels which is nice however the radio can easily be modified by using the free Radioddity programming software available from their website and a cable (purchased separately). I quickly had some additional channels that I wanted to monitor added in and was on my way. The radio is also programmed with NOAA frequencies for monitoring weather and can be used to monitor broadcast FM radio as well. Other minor features are a personal alarm and flashlight LED that can be activated with side buttons. The only weak part I could find was the belt clip. While it looks and feels sturdy, once you get it on your belt, the plastic interface with the metal is the weak point and where the clip has a tendency to want to twist. If the radio took a strike while on your belt, it could easily break the clip. This is common to this type of radio in my experience and just something to be mindful of as you use it. All-in-all, I find this to be a great little radio and a very affordable price that I would buy again (I did, I have two) and would recommend to others. I gave it four starts, not five because of the belt clip.