16-MILE FRS/GMRS RADIORECHARGEABLE INCLUDES RECHARGEABLE BATTERIESUPC : 050633101551Estimated Shipping Weight : 0.0 Whether you’re hiking, hunting, or just trying to keep track of your fellow explorer, this is a great choice of two-way radio. With a range of up to 16 miles, the Uniden GMR1636-2 radios are ready for most activities, and feature 22 channels (7 FRS / 5 GMRS), auto-squelch to reduce interference, channel scan and monitor features, and other convenient two-way basics like call tones
$ 25.28
Warning: Amazon reviews combined,
Be warned, Amazon is combining reviews for all Uniden 2-way radios.
Despite being drastically different models, Amazon has classified them as different “styles” of the same product. Use caution when reading reviews, the specific model shows at the top of each review.
Hope this helps other confused people.
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|36 Miles is Fantasy, License Required,
I’m an electrical engineer with many years experience specifically in RF (that’s Radio Frequency).
This review is meant as a heads up to the ordinary consumer who is probably not an RF engineer.
These radio’s “channels” actually span the Family Radio Service (FRS) and General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS).
In the US you are required to get a license from the FCC to use GMRS. It costs $75. The FRS requires no license, but is restricted to 1/2 a watt of power. GMRS can use up to 5 full watts, but if you’re unlucky enough to get caught (which is unlikely) you can get a huge fine, which will ruin any trip. This information is easily googled and will also be in the instruction manual for the radio. Just search for “GMRS license”. Or go to the FCC’s website…
Also, these units transmit in the 450MHz range. At best the rubber duck antenna MIGHT give unity (as in zero) gain, but will probably exhibit a loss, which means you’ll actually be transmitting with less power than the radio is producing. If you’re using the radio in max power (5 watt) GMRS mode, you’re going to be lucky to get 3 miles out of these. In a dense forest it will be less.
36 miles is an absolutely ridiculous fantasy unless you’re both on top of a mountain or using a GMRS repeater (which will DEFINITELY GET YOU CAUGHT!).
And one last thing…the “privacy” channels offer no privacy whatsoever. They limit what YOU hear, by including an inaudible tone in the sending unit’s transmission, and checking for it in the receiving unit’s receiver. Your radio only receives transmissions with the inaudible tone, but anybody listening with a scanner or another radio that has no “privacy” channel turned on will hear everything you say. If you want to learn more, google “CTCSS tone”.
Just a heads up. These are good radios for what they are, just make sure you know what’s what. I’m always amazed at how they market these things.
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|Uniden GMR3689 & 3699,
I am going to give a qualified review – I took my Ham radio exam 20 years ago. I bought the 3689’s on my visit to Florida – at $64 it blows the local Best Buy / Walmart offerings out of the water. They said waterproof – I used them at Blizzard Beach Water Park – plunged into water on the biggest slide in the world, did all the rides, swam for an hour with them under water, let my 5 year old throw it in the pool and take a shower with it! The mike on on of them stopped working, but after 30 mins (give it a shake) – good as new. We all know they won’t do 36 miles, that just tells you they are the max allowed power of about 5 watts, so you can get about 3 miles or so. If you are in an open area of course more. They are really well made and nice to hold and the features are good. You have group call so you can call one or all units, you can also make all units switch channel. The lock button is good and the PTT button is high power at the top and full 5 watts at the bottom – a good idea to save battery power. I bought a pair of yellow 3689’s and was so pleased bought a pair of green 3699’s. What is the difference? About $7 and the 3699’s have vibrate call, but to be honest is only used on a group call where it vibrates once a minute for 3 minutes if called. I am British but live in Malta (in Europe) and the best we can get in Europe is 0.5 Watt Walkie Talkies. These come with a 110v power supply but are just a standard 9 volts 350MW power supply bought anywhere for a few Euros / Quid. The brand of Uniden – I have CB’s that are 25 years old the same brand and going strong. The only other Walkie Talkies I have going stong are a pair of Cobra’s bought in the 90’s – my first illegal CB bought in ’79 was a Cobra and also working well. American stuff is built well and I did originally see what Cobra had to offer. The battery lasted well – you can buy spares on Amazon / eBay and get 4 for $20. You can ‘fashion’ the charger to charge the batteries on their own. I really researched this and these are the ones to go for and Amazon is the cheapest. In Sept 2011 the RRP is $89 and the only local store was Best Buy and they are special order aqnf $89 plus tax for the 3689’s. I got next day UPS for $3.99 with Amazon. To conclude, I really abused them and they were 100{660353129f8d892044c993645a1c75194301fec6786a7f617c15adde0b0011e9} and at the price just buy them! People who give bad reviews just have unrealistic expectations or just don’t know who to use them.
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