by wurger » Wed Jul 11, 2012 8:18 pm
Speaking from experience, a 5w UHF programmable radio will always be superior to the cheaper Talkabout type radio, assuming you have preassigned frequencies. The biggest drawback to the business class radios is the inability to change the presets in the field (without a computer). I play at large open fields in SoCal. The fields are very rocky, and the large rocks just suck up the signals from the low power Talkabout/Midland radios I used to use. My Icom burns through the rocks, and I never have trouble communicating with other Icom/Motorola/Kenwood users. And our common fields are large enough that I can easily be a mile or more away from the recipient of my signal.
Just don't get a GP-68. It will never work right with US spec radios.
My grandfather circa 1976: "It's time to declare open season on politicians!"