Radio Buyer's Guide
Get control of your Comms
With the increasing interest in comms within the larger gun community, whether you are in the service or a civilian looking to be prepared in any survival situation, people are wanting to become more well rounded and expand their knowledge base beyond just the basic gun range trip and lackluster shooting skills. Mastering your communications (comms) can be a handy skill to have when it comes to surviving any scenario, whether that be a chemical attack, or a power outage, or some other type of doomsday scenario. That being said, having a proper radio in your tactical bag or on your chest rig or even on your plate carrier is key for that.
Different Communications equipment options
There are a multitude of options for communications equipment that suit a tactical need and it can become overwhelming seeing all of these communication options. For the purpose of this guide, we are going to focus on two-way voice radios, not the ones that you just listen to music and sports talk on. This is a great place to begin investing in your comms capabilities.
Baofeng Uv-5r
Almost everyone in this community is familiar with the Baofeng UV-5R. But as people learn more and put this radio to work, they start to see where it falls short, and may not be the best for communication. Specifically in that it is not durable, quality control is horrible, and it doesn’t offer digital modes (thus no encryption).
DMR and Project 25
The next step in the natural progression of learning comm is to get into digital radios. There are two digital modes that have gained a lot of traction in the US, which are the Digital Mobile Radio (DMR) and Project 25 (P25).
What type of radio you want
Before you commit to what gear you want to buy, you have to figure out what kind of customer you are and be honest with yourself about what category you fall into.
For absolute beginners, a Baofeng is a good way to learn analog radio, but if you are looking to get started with digital modes, there are a lot of cheap DMR options on Amazon, like the Anytone D878, but we would put these in the Baofeng category. Not something that to really rely on for hard duty use, but good to learn the ropes of programming and operation. And it won’t hurt so much if you ditch this radio to upgrade later on.
For intermediate users looking for a good bargain, then perhaps consider examining the second hand communications equipment market. For DMR, you can find a great deal on Hytera PD782i radios on eBay, or for P25 you can go with the Motorola XTS5000 from @bshcomms on Instagram. He’s a knowledgeable vendor who will get you on the right track. Buyer beware if you choose to go down the eBay road - there are no warranties here and often listings don’t fully represent all of the features (or lack thereof) on the radio you’re purchasing. They’re often missing encryption or come in a useless frequency band. It is crucial to do your research on communications equipment here.
If you’re representing a professional organization, or those wanting the insurance of a good warranty and support, then you have to buy new. You probably wouldn’t show up to a job with a loadout of second-hand gear that only works half the time right? Would you buy a used tactical helmet with beat up night vision goggles? Not the mark of a true pro.
The XTS5000 has been a great choice of law enforcement and military for decades - but for that reason, do not put your faith in a second hand radio that’s been abused by departments for years. Look instead at a Hytera HP682 for DMR, which is a reasonable investment in new communications gear. New P25 radios can become astronomically expensive - on the order of magnitude of thousands a piece. For new options, check out the Mojave Repeater website or consult with me via email and we will find the right solution to meet your needs.
Training with your radio
Now, you can buy a radio and read the manual, it is worth getting out and actually training with it. Core Vision Training offers some awesome courses on this, as well as other courses such as close quarters and long range, so you can become familiar with all of your gear, such as your firearms.
Radio buyer’s guide wrap up
Bottom line, if you’re serious about investing in your capabilities, I would expect to spend around $1,000 on a radio. While it may seem pointless compared to your rifle and sidearm and the rest of your kit, a good radio is crucial. This probably should not be a surprise to the community that will easily spend that much on an optic - you already know that you get what you pay for. When considering communications as a force multiplier, think about it this way, an expensive optic can get one gun on target. A radio and a solid plan can get you much more than that.
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