Meathead
08-10-2016, 03:24 PM
I've read many of the threads on this forum regarding two-way radios. I am currently shopping for some of my own and have considered both mobile and handheld. I spent my entire career of over 27 years using radios heavily on a daily basis but I have to admit I am still an amateur when it comes to these things. I am really pleased to see there are a few very knowledgeable folks in this forum.
I have considered a great number of options and looked at the Rugged Radios sold by a vendor here as well. I very much like the simplicity of those units, but there are a large number of less expensive options than the Vertex. The Asian made radios that are substantially less money seem outwardly to be too complex.
2054
In my experience, simple and rugged is best. I do not want complex displays, unlabeled multi-function keys, numerous buttons and knobs all over the unit or handset; I need simple. For this reason I have strongly considered the Midland MicroMobile MXT100.
2055
It has several drawbacks, however. The first is that it is only GMRS, the second, it is not repeater-enabled, and there are a few others. The up-side is that the thing is small, durable, simple, and puts out an adequate signal if your group stays relatively nearby. I have also decided that the way to go in my case will be a handheld unit that I can easily take with me when I step out of the vehicle. The cheap option in this case are the so-called blister-pack radios that are mass produced but have limited range. I've seen several other handhelds by Baofeng and others, and again they just strike me as being too complicated to be practical for my application.
So, while doing my research I came across mention of a new radio being produced and sold here in the US. It seems to fit the bill perfectly. Very compact in size, rugged, limited features, and relatively powerful for what it is. I found it through a YouTube video reviewing handhelds, and further searches produced nothing else as far as reviews on YT. The radio is the "Tera TR-505" and the "Tera TR-500". Here's the video. Since this guy is long-winded, you can start at about the 15 minute mark:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hq14TIUXJ8Y
In his part 2 video, he delves into the Tera immediately.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0mGWUvrFJs
Tera's website: http://tera.co/
I know this particular radio may not suit the needs of others here, but some of you radio-heads, what do you think? Have you heard of the Tera? any experience with them?
I have considered a great number of options and looked at the Rugged Radios sold by a vendor here as well. I very much like the simplicity of those units, but there are a large number of less expensive options than the Vertex. The Asian made radios that are substantially less money seem outwardly to be too complex.
2054
In my experience, simple and rugged is best. I do not want complex displays, unlabeled multi-function keys, numerous buttons and knobs all over the unit or handset; I need simple. For this reason I have strongly considered the Midland MicroMobile MXT100.
2055
It has several drawbacks, however. The first is that it is only GMRS, the second, it is not repeater-enabled, and there are a few others. The up-side is that the thing is small, durable, simple, and puts out an adequate signal if your group stays relatively nearby. I have also decided that the way to go in my case will be a handheld unit that I can easily take with me when I step out of the vehicle. The cheap option in this case are the so-called blister-pack radios that are mass produced but have limited range. I've seen several other handhelds by Baofeng and others, and again they just strike me as being too complicated to be practical for my application.
So, while doing my research I came across mention of a new radio being produced and sold here in the US. It seems to fit the bill perfectly. Very compact in size, rugged, limited features, and relatively powerful for what it is. I found it through a YouTube video reviewing handhelds, and further searches produced nothing else as far as reviews on YT. The radio is the "Tera TR-505" and the "Tera TR-500". Here's the video. Since this guy is long-winded, you can start at about the 15 minute mark:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hq14TIUXJ8Y
In his part 2 video, he delves into the Tera immediately.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0mGWUvrFJs
Tera's website: http://tera.co/
I know this particular radio may not suit the needs of others here, but some of you radio-heads, what do you think? Have you heard of the Tera? any experience with them?