Baofeng G11S GMRS Radio Handheld, Rechargeable Walkie Talkies Long Range NOAA 2 Way Radio, GMRS Repeater Capable, with Earpiece (2 Pack)

Easy to use, especially by my friends who are technically lame. Need to use a programming cable and software to set channels and names.

Great set of GMRA radios. Works flawlessly.

These are nice enough radios, worked well, very clear sound.I was looking for simple easy to use radios for beginners. Much like many of the FRS radios but hopefully more powerful. In general FRS radios are generally less powerful, shorter range than GMRS radios. I was looking for both extra power and easy for beginners to use.The secret is that these Baofeng G11S GMRS radios are actually powerful ham radios disguised as GMRS. Not sure if these are CHIRP compatible, but if they are, I'd expect you could program in 440 & 70cm ham bands.Probably my main picky complaint is that the squelch codes are listed only by frequency, not by standard code number. So when everyone brings their own radio and the group leaders saysOK everybody get on channel 6, code2.... But you don't know what frequency code 2 is, so you have to ask if somebody knows or Google that & it's sort of a stupid hassle. And if you don't use the same squelch code as everyone else in your group, they can't hear you. And you have to dig into the menus to even find the squelch code setting.Almost everyone else's FRS & GMRS radios will have a squelch code #2, but the G11S doesn't have a squelch code 2, it only has CTCSS frequencies to choose from for example: 67 or 71.9 or 88.5.Which is not a problem if you brought a chart of what frequencies equal what code numbers, or if you are a ham & you know what you are doing. It is possible to set the CTCSS frequency that is the same as the squelch code number. But it's not built in so you have to look it up elsewhere first.Anyway, this seems like a dumb oversight and the radios worked great in my very limited testing, but I knew I'd spend all morning setting everybody's radios. Which is normally fine, but sometimes I have a lot to get done too. Anyway, since these didn't match my use case (beginners) I returned these G11S & also some GM-T8 & bought simpler FRS radios. I got the Baofeng MP-25, which I feel is good for beginners and comes in different colors like green or blue or camo.

I'm new to the GMRS radio market, but after watching YT tutorials courtesy of NotARubicon, I'm now a bonafide "expert".I got my GMRS license ($35 to the FCC, which covers me and family for 10-yr). Next step: buy a Baofeng GMRS programming cable ($10). Search for and download the "CHIRP" programming application online (tip: select Retevis RB27 for the Make/Model within CHIRP when programming). The G11S comes inexplicably programmed with "tones" on each GRMS channel, which means they can't listen to other-brand radios unless their Rx & Tx tones are the same. It's possible to remove the Rx & Tx tones with the on-device interface, but it's easier using CHIRP (NotARubicon has tutorials). I removed all tones Rx & Tx from every channel, which means I can hear everything and anyone on any GMRS channel. REMEMBER: there's no such thing as 'privacy' on GMRS radios. It's marketing bologna to say so (i.e. if a GMRS radio has no Rx tone set on a particular channel, then they can hear any Tx on that channel irrespective of Tx tone).I was comparing these to Rocky Talkies, which are $300 and currently on backorder (why...). For $36 for a pair (black Friday), these G11S blow the RT's out of the water. Both have 5-watt output, therefore equivalent range. First of all the RT's don't have a screen, which means you'll have to pre-program them using a desktop computer (UPDATE: A friend bought the RT's and apparently you CAN'T program the RT's, so why would you buy them!?). The G11S can be programmed in-field with the on-device display. You can add Rx/Tx tones on each channel, turn on/off dual-channel monitoring, alter comfort features (backlight, beeps, etc.). And while both the RT's and the G11S both have NOAA weather monitoring, the G11S also has FM radio, but the RT's do not! The G11S also has a useful LED light on the top. The only downside is the battery capacity is slightly smaller, but the G11S can be recharged via a USB-C cable... since I usually carry a backup battery when I'm in the wilderness to recharge my phone and flashlights, I can use the same USB-C cable to also recharge these. Battery anxiety gone. With the RT's you're paying 10x more $ for IP67 waterproofing and an attached carabiner... big whoop. Buy some Electronicoat electronics waterproofing spray. I've read reviews of Baofeng's other radios such as their famous UV5R and it seems they're already pretty resistant to water and durable - I don't intend to swim with them.After buying a cable, programming the radio to my heart's content with CHIRP, and purchasing a high-gain female SMA antenna ($20), these far surpass other, more expensive GMRS radios. These have MORE features than the $300 RT's! These also look more updated compared to other Baofengs, have a nice solid quality feel, eliminated the keypads (not really needed if you've preprogrammed), and can be recharged with USB-C. Get the G11S and return those insanely-priced Rockie Talkies.

Good sound quality, programmable via Chirp.

I wanted something for climbing that was cheaper than Rocky talkie. These come in at just a fraction of the cost and deliver everything I need for multi pitch rock climbing. I’m planning on designing amount for these for a carabiner and 3-D printing it. If you have any interest, keep an eye on thingiverse and you might see it within the coming weeks.

Would have been easy to program with my others but not supported by CHIRP. Work great though

These have been great for many different trips that we've taken. They are simple enough for the kids to use and can be programmed to do more than what is listed by using chirp if you need something a little more robust.