I am in a bit of a dilemma. It is absolutely a must that my radios have the mini-USB port for recharging on the go. This websites buying guides are useful. My area in Washington state has a lot of thick forest terrain and need something to communicate back to the cabin with easily while exploring the forest around the cabin. Therefore, I am looking at the “Hunting” recommendations this website offers.
The problem is that the website’s top recommendations for hunting radios -the Midland radios and the Motorola MS355R- don’t have mini-USB recharging which is incredibly important to me, especially since I want to be able to recharge on the go with my solar battery recharger.
There is the MR355R, and as well as the MR350R (recommended for Skiing) which both have mini-USB. But will they give the power range I need? I would like something comparable in range/power to the Motorola MS355R or Midland GXT1050VP4, but which has mini-USB ports for powering.
I would look at the MT350R. It is a top-rated GMRS radio, and uses a mini-USB charger. It is weather-resistant and has excellent audio.
As for range, they are all pretty much the same. Manufacturers’ claims to the contrary, range depends on antenna size and height but mostly the quality of the receiver and transmitter components. All are line of sight, meaning that you might get a mile or two in ideal conditions on most of these radios, almost regardless of price.
You pay more money for more durable construction, higher audio output, bigger speakers and weather-resistant designs; not necessarily for greater range.
To start with if you are using radios in the thick forest terrain forget about using FRS radios. They are in the UHF frequency band which does not work well outdoors, especially with a lot of vegetation. You need to be looking for VHF radios and you can find some using the MURS frequencies which do not require a license. I would start my search there for ones with the charger you require.