TIDRADIO TD-H3 GMRS Radio Handheld Long Range,Multi-Band Receiving Two-Way Radio,USB-C Programming & Charging,2500mAh Battery,AM/FM Reception,NOAA VOX SCAN,Walkie Talkie with Earpiece & 771 Antenna

I've had this less than a day but so far I like it a lot. I assume most people looking at this are familiar with Baofeng's offerings so I'll be making a few comments on the less obvious differences, but I can say this feels like a little step up from the ones I've used, and worth the money. Its smaller than I expected and fits nicely in my hand. Roughly the same size as a UV-5(R/G/etc) but slightly narrower and slightly fatter. Reception is as expected for a handheld, and the longer whip antenna in this kit is pretty nice. The standard rubber antenna isn't GMRS specific but at least its UHF instead of dual band like the Baofeng UV-5G. Some people report having high SWR from dual band antennas on GMRS frequencies but I don't have a way to test that yet. The audio + squelch seems a little better than the Baofeng (doesn't seem to cut in and out, but needs more testing) and this one has a cool if slightly confusing at first feature of dual PTT. The battery should also be a nice upgrade if you're transmitting a lot, and you can actually change saved channel settings from the menu (CTCSS, transmit power, etc). First thing though: throw the paper manual in the trash and get the one from tidradio's website. The paper one is weirdly translated in some parts, contradicts itself, and some parts seem to be written for an entirely different radio. But the online version fixes a lot of that. So far the only thing missing is a timed display brightness setting. I'd personally rather dim it and leave it on than have it completely turn off after a set time, so maybe that would be a nice feature for the next model. I saw some people online talking about issues with programming these but I had no issues setting everything up with CHIRP and my Baofeng cable. Edit 12-17-24: It's been a while since I got this and I'm still liking it. I got a Smiley Slim Duck and Mini Duck tuned for GMRS along with a tool to test the SWR, Slim is great right at 1.1 and Mini seems a little higher but acceptable around 1.5. The antennas that came with the radio have SWR around 1.2, no complaints there. The Mini seems to work about as well as the stock antenna on this or a Baofeng assuming physical height is the same, which is nice compared to other stubby antennas I've tried that are absolutely horrible if you want to transmit at all. To be honest I haven't used the whip much, not likely to put something that big on a handheld but I do keep it in my backpack since I usually have the Mini on the radio now. After using this for a while I can say I'm not the biggest fan of the shape. With the clip on it, it just feels too thick and a little awkward, but not a dealbreaker. I like everything else enough to get over it. The interface and features are nice. I've also recently installed the 3rd party UMod firmware which makes a few minor changes to the radio. Not really in the scope of this review to get into the details but I think it's pretty cool that it's available and easy to install. I haven't messed with air band at all but I have been listening in on VHF and UHF ham repeaters without issue. I found that it's even capable of listening down into the CB band which is a nice touch. Haven't picked anything up in the wild there but I did verify that my handheld CB can break squelch on it and come through clearly at short range. Really cool radio for a ~$35 kit.

UPDATE: Going from 4 to 5 stars after a couple months of casual use. When I first got the radio, it worked just fine but I really did not prefer it over my other radios in use. However, now that I have got used to it, I have grown to love this little radio. It has a lot of great features that are useful without being overwhelming. It has also been performing above its price point on transmit and receiving ability. The Bluetooth programming didn’t interest me much early on as a CHIRP user but I have grown to enjoy using the Bluetooth and app to make programming changes. An unbeatable value for anyone needing a GMRS radio with a small form factor. I knew this was a smaller radio when I ordered it but was still shocked at just how small and compact it was when I opened it. The overall function has been great so far and it’s helpful to have such a small radio that can just slip into a pocket. The only con for me so far is the screen layout which is a little too cluttered in my opinion. I prefer the cleaner screen layout of my other radios. However, this having air band reception at this price point is a plus. A good radio overall so far.

Great little radio. I have used it daily since my purchase in April 2024. Allot of cominity suport for this radio. allot of features that no other radio has. I must for a GMRS operator, and for people like me are studdied for the HAM lisence. The Battery lasts for hours and hours. and days for just scanning. I live in the mountains and this radio from in my house reaches the repeaters that are miles fom me. My other Beofeng doesn't at all. The scann feature is a little slow. but works great none the less. This readio can be programmed with your phone and a free easy app. or from your pc. with or without Chirp.

Be aware that there is a problem with the battery overchatging. Mine came today and I immediately started charging it. Afterseveral hours, the charging light will not turn green. This problem is discussed in Facebook and in you tube. I will probably look at the H9 as it has no issues. This is poor construction. Very disappointed.

It met my expectations!! I am very happy with it.

It works well and for EDC...

3rd radio I have received from single purchase. First one wouldn't let me do pretty much of anything and a exchange was requested through Amazon. Second radio arrived and worked great for about 4 months then seemed to loose all transmit power (no I did not tx without an antenna). Decided to reach out to the company directly and they quickly fixed the issue by sending out a new radio. Radios haven't lasted long but at the price and ability to program via BT it's little hassle to set up a new one. And the company's support has been fantastic.

Pros: bt programming and radio to radio cloning. Dual PTT. Cons: receives spurious rf emissions from other sources. annoyingly small. doesn't sound great. I cannot stand the annoyingly small form factor. Yes, that does make it more portable, but it also means programming it from the face is inconvenient at best. It kept breaking squelch with no transmission from picking up spurious rf in and around my office. That was also annoying and is a sign of it's build quality. That it's a CCR doesn't bother me on principle, but this was worse than even my baofengs in this regard. I haven't decided yet if I'll return it. I may save it for one of my kids. Form factor is my biggest reason for disliking it.