suggestions for hand held radios preferrably with gps...

[sweet trav]

we have a road trip coming up with a few vehicles and we also do hikes regularly so I think that this would be a good investment...just need some referrals from people with experience...Thanks!

[gary in ohio]

The only real option is the Garmin GMRS radio with GPS's built in. Only problem is you end up with a crappy radio and a crappy GPS. If you want a good gps then get a good gps. If you want a good radio then get a good radio..

[DaveInDenver]

Are you looking for amateur HTs or FRS, GMRS, CB? The Kenwood TH-D72, Yaesu VX-8GR, Yaesu VX-8DR and Icom IC-92AD are ham radios that either have a built-in GPS receiver or accept an optional one. These are not GPS receivers that could completely replace a handheld GPS since you can't upload maps for navigation or anything like that. The TH-D92 can record a track for download, that's about as sophisticated as it gets. The others can give current GPS location and provide position data for APRS.

[Lynn]

If you're not talking HAM, and can do without built-in GPS, check out the Midland-75-510XLM

It's your basic 14-channel FRS, but with an external mag-mount antenna. When transmitting from a vehicle, the external antenna should give you a little better range.

[sweet trav]

Thanks for the info guys! I can do without the gps part...I thought that was a good option to have if they were capable on both ends. The midland option looks interesting...I'm going to do some more research. As for in vehicle radios, I would like to set something up but it wouldn't work for the upcoming trip because the other vehicle(s) don't have those types of setups in them.

[HillbillyfromAL]

The Garmin Rino's are good but expensive. Unless your getting into the HAM radios they are fine for communicating short range. Just don't expect the range on any GMRS/FRS radio to be what's on the box. The one thing that's good with the Garmin's are you can send other users your location easily.

[Hill, Bill E.]

The Garmin Rino's are good but expensive. Unless your getting into the HAM radios they are fine for communicating short range. Just don't expect the range on any GMRS/FRS radio to be what's on the box. The one thing that's good with the Garmin's are you can send other users your location easily.

In the woods, you can expect about 1 to 1 1/2 miles of decent reception with the Garmin Rhino series, 'straightline' (no trees or land in the way) I have gotten 15 miles with clear reception.

The ability to locate others in your party with the GPS is nice, all they have to do is key the mic, and their position is updated on your radios GPS.

Vehicle to vehicle I haven't had great luck with, unless in tight convoy. Get 1/4 mile apart, and the reception can be poor.

And as the other Hillbilly stated, they aren't cheap.