Neep Help! HOw to I program new walkie talkies with other branded walkies?

I have UHF FM Transceiver Frequency 400-480MHz the brand is radio boss. I have about 15 of them and I need to add 30 more radios. Radio boss is very expensive $130 a radio and my staff loses or breaks them quickly so I wanted to buy less expensive walkies ($11 each). How do I program them to the same frequency? Any recommendations on the new ones to buy. I see some on amazon that has bulk. Thanks John

Hi John, before I can answer your questions, I need a few specifics about the type of environment in which you and your staff use the radios and how you use them. A two way radio is not a one-size-fits-all communications tool, so the more information we have about your operation, the better we can help.

For starters, if your staff is breaking or losing the radios frequently, it sounds like you need something that is fairly durable. there are a lot of options available, but there is a premium for that durability. I am personally not familiar with Radio Boss, and a quick search on the web gives me warnings that the site is not secure, so I am hesitant to investigate that brand further. As for the price, the typical business class radio from a reputable manufacturer has a median price point of around $150 to $280 depending on the type of radio, durability factor and feature set, so $130 is actually somewhat low end.

Although there are very low priced radios available online, My advice is to never buy a radio simply based on price, especially if you are using it for any business related operation. The old adage that you get what you pay for is true in this case. Also, many of those extremely low priced radios are not FCC type accepted for legal use in the US, which can put you and your business at potential risk.

There are many bulk radio packages available from major, name brand manufacturers of quality business two way radios. Another option would be Kenwood factory refurbished business radios.

If cost is a major consideration, there are also legal, license free options available to small businesses at a very reasonable cost, such as FRS radios for onsite businesses and MURS radios. Some of these are also available in multi-packs and in bulk.

Here are some resources that may help.
Buyer’s Guide - Business Radios
Podcast: TWRS-124 - FRS Radios for Business?

For full disclosure, this forum is owned and operated by Buy Two Way Radios. Give us a call or chat with us on our website and our staff can help you figure out what you need within the constraints of your budget.

The simple answer is to enter the required information/data in the proper places. That data/information should be the same for all of the radios.
From there it gets a bit more complicated, as in there are different programming methods with different brands,/models. Best advice there is to RTFM! (Read The Furnished Manual!)

Thanks, Rick. We are a trampoline park with 40,000 sq feet and all our staff carries a radio. We are all on the same channel. The issue I am having is that these kids leave them everywhere and we even found one in the dishwasher. So, I wanted to go a less expensive way and buy 40 them and assign them a radio and if they lose it or break it they will pay for it. $150 is too expensive for them if they lose it these are high school kids we are dealing with. I was thinking of buying these:

Retevis H-777 Two Way Radios USB Rechargeable Walkie Talkies Flashlight Long Range UHF Radio 16CH 2 Way Radios Walkie Talkies (10 Pack) $80 dollars for 10.

My question also is that can the radio bosses walkies we have to work with these on the same frequency and how do we change it to match up?

Just to add to the great advice from Rick, you get what you pay for. Those radios are neither legal nor suitable for your use. They are designed as an amateur radio and operate on Ham frequencies.

As for programming any subsequent radios, you simply find the frequency you are assigned on your business licence. (If you are in the U.S., this is from the FCC. If in Canada, it is Industry Canada.)

If you are not the holder of a business licence with an assigned frequency, you are potentially transmitting on illegal channels, meaning you could be interfering with legally licenced users and maybe even interfering with public service radios. regulators take a VERY dim view of this type of activity.

If you are using licence-free channels such as FRS or GMRS, you may need a licence for each user, depending on the power of the radio and the country you live in.

So, the short answer is that no one can help you unless they know what frequencies you are using and if you are a licenced user of that frequency, or if you are using FRS frequencies. Yes, there are some good quality FRS and GMRS radios that will meet your needs, but not at that price.

I also need to point out that if an accident happens at your trampoline park, and response is delayed in any way because of your lack of radio communication, this will come out in subsequent law suits. And if you are using illegal radios and/or illegal frequencies, you should stop this practice immediately before something happens.

Is this indoors or outdoors? If indoors, is it mostly in one open area? If so, you may be fine with using higher power FRS radios. Now that FRS is capable of operating at up to 2 watts, you should have no problem covering a 200x200 ft area (40,000 square feet). Even at 1 watt, you should be able to get decent coverage in an open area. Plus, FRS is a “license-free” service in the US, so it should not be an issue. Rugged, business class radios are now available for FRS in multi-lacks and fleet bundles designed specifically for business use, so this would be a logical choice for your operation.
Cobra PX500-BG
Cobra PX880-BC

These can even take a dunk in the dishwasher (without the earpieces)
Cobra ACXT1035R FLT Waterproof Walkie Talkie Six Pack + Chargers + Surveillance Earpieces

And these are as rugged as you get:
DeWALT DXFRS300 Six Pack Bundle (6 Radios + Multi-Charger)
DeWALT DXFRS800 Six Pack Bundle (6 Radios + Multi-Charger)

All of these are FRS and are legal for use by consumers or businesses in the US.

No, they are not $10 radios, but there is one more thing to consider. If you just want cheap radios due to the high cost of breakage, $10 adds up fast. Would you prefer to spend $100 every few weeks replacing ten busted radios, or a few hundred more for a fleet of radios that will potentially last much, much longer? What makes more sense for your ROI?

I still have quite a few expensive radios, mostly Kenwood analogue and digital radios out on long term hire and over the past few year have dabbled with introducing some cheaper ones to solve a few breakage and loss problems. In the UK, we can use most radios legally - from dirt cheap baofengs upwards, and I have radios that cost between 300-500 UK pounds, mixed in with some 10 UK Pound cheapies.

Practical things first. You buy some software (or download free stuff), buy the correct cable, and then using your licence frequencies and tones, enter them into the software, connect a radio - press programme and it’s done.

Differences in performance are actually minimal. They sound a bit tinny and thin, they’re quite distorted when turned up, and battery life rather variable - but they work perfectly well.

However - my Kenwood stock probably has nearly ten years between newest and older in use. I now have a cardboard box pretty much full of Baofengs - and the pile on the shelf for spares is down currently to 4. I bought another pile on Ebay before Christmas - and have 4 left. They rarely survive a drop onto the floor without some damage, usually a crack, but if they land on the bottom corner, they smash. Operators frequently pull them out of pockets by the antenna. For some reason people bend antennas - they flex them and let them ping back. Two of the Baofengs didn’t ping back and snapped the antenna connector. Some of the stubby kenwoods have almost right angle bends in them that I bent back, but none failed. On the Kenwood’s with displays, all displays are functional if a little scratched. The Baofengs seem to be less tough plastic and some can hardly be read. I’ve tried quite a few hobby radios too, and they suffer in varying degrees from similar problems. The hobby radios that cost between 100 and 200 UK Pounds have been pretty good, but the chargers are terrible. These just don’t last when idiots jam a radio into them without thinking - and they often don’t charge. Quite a few have faulty power supplies. None of the 6 way chargers have been any problem. I also have a few very old Icons, which won’t die - 6 way charger and still going string. U16, H16, and the aviation versions and they’ve been amazingly tough. I swapped to Kenwood’s from a supply issue here, but they perform just as well as the Kenwood’s. I offer my clients decent, reliable and tough radios, but also offer them the cheap ones if they really want them. At first, the disposability appeals, but the frequency of swap out is just inconvenient - not really a cash problem, just a shock when they turn them on and cannot find one that is charged and working. One client tried to get their staff to be careful, but it failed miserably. His solution was to have the nice radios with the displays that show who is calling, plus some cheapies. Any member of staff who is not trustable gets the cheapie and not having the posh radio has become a status thing. Nobody wants the ‘toy’ radio, they want the nice one. for him, this works. I do use the Baofengs for one client who does paintball. They’re disposable. If they get dropped into the mud, or just lost - it’s no hardship. He charges a £5 returnable deposit on them. I don’t do anything with them when they come back - they’re disgusting.

The thing to remember is that like cars, there are cheap ones and better quality ones. They both get you to the shops. Resale value varies, and while a ten year old Range Rover is still desirable, nobody wants a ten year old Dacia!

If your staff is breaking or losing the radios frequently, then perhaps you need to make some changes in your staff. Or at least come up with a policy making staff members responsible for the radios they are issued, including a monetary forfeiture if the radio is damaged or lost.