Radioddity GM-N1 GMRS Handy Talkie
GM-N1 Opening
The GM-N1 can eliminate the headaches of full featured GMRS radios with menu programming and other features in terms keeping your radios properly configured.
Hi and welcome, to the Gadget Talk channel where we do reviews and how to’s on a variety of electronic gadgets that catch my eye.
Over the past six months or so, I’ve had the opportunity to review several GMRS radios in addition to my ham radio reviews. I’ve purchased some of these radios, borrowed one and was provided a couple by vendors. In this case, I was provided the GM-N1 by Radioddity in exchange for this review.
Full featured GMRS radios with keypad access to menus and functions along with customer programming software offer maximum flexibility and dual band radios allow monitoring of other frequencies such as NOAA weather broadcasts, ham repeaters, and emergency services frequencies for those departments still on basic VHF systems.
This can be both entertaining and helpful in emergency situations and for those who consider themselves preppers on some level.
The Case for Simplicity
This flexibility comes with a price, though. If your primary need is for a basic radio with a static configuration for a workplace or for use with family members who are radio rookies, too many user accessible variables can lead to configuration problems.
This includes mis-configured radios that don’t allow you to talk with one another. And that’s why you got the radio in the first place!
The GM-N1 solves this problem by providing a basic GMRS radio with a big battery and almost no handset accessible variables. This allows you to configure the radio via the Customer Programming Software or CPS and hand out the radios to your users, confident that besides setting channels, they won’t be able to mess up anything else.
GM-N1 Features
The GM-N1 set includes a couple of other very nice features you may find helpful.
First, without a screen and keypad, the radios have a compact form factor.
This includes the small “nub-style” antenna that prevents knocking it over when bumping longer rubber ducky antennas.
Next, the 3000 mAh battery not only provides some mass to the handset, but also provides long battery life. The 4 to 5 day time claim by the seller is definitely in the ball park.
Last, for those whose users find themselves in noisy conditions, the noise cancelling feature will help others to hear what is said without a bunch of background noise. Noise cancelling in cell phones and Bluetooth earbuds has been around for a while so it’s cool that it’s finding its way into GMRS radios.
GM-N1 CPS
To make changes to the radio settings you’ll need the freely downloadable customer programming software or CPS. The software is easy to use and allows you to make the basic changes to customize your radios such as adding or eliminating CTCSS or DCS codes.
Closing
As I mentioned earlier, this radio meets a specific need for a specific set of users. Those users need a solid GMRS radio with moderate range, small size and straight forward operation. This might include folks in a family run business, basic radios for family members when hiking or camping, or those wanting quick press to talk access to family members at a mall or flea market.
At about $70 US for two radios, these still fall into the low-price category.
The noise cancelling and extra-large battery set these radios apart from other radios in this category.
Overall, I’m pretty impressed with these little GMRS handy talkies. I think you’ll find them an excellent choice given a requirement to limit user access to radio variables and to standardize radio configuration.
GM-N1 Video Review
Radioddity Product Link
Please use this product link to the Radioddity.com web site and receive 15% off your order!
