The Best GMRS Walkie-Talkie Money Can Buy: Wouxun KG-805G with a Nagoya NA-771G Antenna
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- čas přidán 24. 06. 2024
- For years I've used cheap "bubble-pack" GMRS walkie-talkies from Motorola and Midland, and they worked okay at close range, but when I needed them to perform well over distances greater than 1/4 mile they usually failed. The Wouxun KG-805G, however, is an amazing walkie-talkie, especially when you put a Nagoya NA-771G antenna on it.
I use these at my 113 acre ranch and on car club drives. In both cases, the Wouxun performs amazing, especially compared to the Midland GXT 760's that I had been using. Both the Wouxun and my old GTX 760's are 5 watt radios, yet I'm able to get 3-4x the range on the Wouxun with the stock antenna, and around 8x the range when I put the Nagoya on it. Not only is the range increased, but the overall sound quality and clarity is dramatically better on the KG 805G's.
Here are some links referenced in the video:
Wouxun KG-805G: www.buytwowayradios.com/wouxu...
Nagoya NA-771G: www.buytwowayradios.com/nagoy...
Nagoya NA-701G: www.buytwowayradios.com/nagoy...
The battery in the KG-805G will last all day, but if you need to power it from your car's 12v cigarette plug there is this adapter: www.buytwowayradios.com/wouxu...
To learn how to get a GMRS license from the FCC here is some information: quality2wayradios.com/store/g...
0:00 - Intro
3:26 - Nagoya 771G Test
8:35 - Nagoya 701G Test
11:14 - Antenna Conclusions
13:18 - Where to Buy
14:25 - GMRS License - Věda a technologie
Don’t forget these radios have repeater capability also. I am a wouxon fan for life! No other gmrs radios come close in my book….
Great video. This is exactly what people are looking for when buying radios. First thing they always ask is, "How far does this reach?" Hard question to answer. Well, this video shows why it would be so difficult to answer that question and shows real world range you can expect.
Excellent. Sold. I appreciate your honesty, efforts, and the information. 👌🏾
Good review sir. Glad you didn't tire us introverts out with a lot of unnecessary chatter.
Thanks
Great real world video, thanks.
i got the Nagoya UT-72 magnet mount antenna to stick on the roof of my car. That helps extend my range quite a bit when in a caravan. Regular antenna goes back on when I'm out of the car.
Just got a 2 pack of 905g's for my trip to Moab. If they work for spotting on the trails I'll be happy.
Real life test, excellent.
GMRS is a licensed band, so everyone in your club needs to spend the $70 for a license. Using an HT inside a metal box (car) drastically reduces range. Antenna needs to be oriented vertically for best results. A mag-mount antenna will add a huge amount of range. Smiley brand antennas for 465mhz are also a good upgrade. I have the 805g and the 905g and now the KG1000G. All are great radios
Just worry about yourself but thank you for paying $70
Finally! Someone that knows how to pronounce Ocean :-)
You are sending from inside a makeshife Faraday cage. If you pulled over and stepped out of the car you would get a lot more distance.
Yes, I know, but since I primarily use these for in-car communication it’s only fair to test them in-car.
Nice to have another person to help you. My wife would definitely not. She says she has no interest in GMRS or Amateur 😂
No offense, but please explain to your wife that saying that you aren't "interested" in using a radio to communicate is the same thing as saying that you aren't interested in using a cellphone to communicate. GMRS is about communication, it is not actually a hobby according to the FCC definition.
Awesome video
Useful examples of actual use. Thank you. Radio is a weird thing. When at outer limits of range, consider holding the antenna more vertically. Sometime it makes no difference, sometimes it does. Go figure.
Yeah, I noticed the antenna angle in the video and thought the same thing. It’s so long that I’m used to holding it so it doesn’t hit the roof of the car. I normally use it in a different car with a very low roof.
I would have to bribe my GF with an expensive dinner to get her to play around with my electronic toys
Even that wouldn't work with my wife. I have to play walkie talkies all by my self.
I try to get my kids to play walkie talkie and they tell me to call them on the cell phone
Thanks for this video. I’ve always been told it’s better to keep the antenna vertical. I have good luck hitting a repeater 15 miles away with a 5 watt radio w/ Nagoya.
Yes, vertical is better but not always possible with such a long antenna.
You get a better signal when you're outside your car. I did the same thing and I got 4 miles. I was outside and the other radio was outside as well
Nagoya also makes a magnet mount for the top of your car. These radios have removable antennas for that purpose. You are killing the rf signal inside that metal car.
I prefer that 905 g because it's a bit more waterproof but the 805 g is a fantastic radio. The 905 g is just a new and improved version of the 805g.
905 dosent have the FM receiver ability, thats why im leaning towards the 805
I notice you were transmitting with the antenna in the middle of the car where the metal roof may be reducing your performance. Have you tried it in your left with the antenna out?
Hold the Antenna Vertical. The shorter antenna held vertically will be more efficient than the Nagoya held horizontally.
One note of importance, these radios have their squelch set at a factory default of "5" out of (I believe) "10". Dropping the squelch setting to a "2" will improve receive range slightly.
I thought about going into that in the video, but decided it was TMI. I do have the squelch on the KG805’s lowered a little from the factory setting.
Brian Greenstone
I am curious, on the first test of the 805G, did the Mrs have the long Nagoya antenna on her radio as you did or was hers a stock antenna? Also, on the second run with the 805G, what antenna was she using?
Thank You for the helpful and informative video!
We both used the same antennas for each test. I wanted to do a 3rd test to compare with one stock antenna and one 771 to see what would happen, but I figured the video was long enough already.
@@BrianGreenstone
Thank You, Sir!
So want these better radios here in Ontario
I appreciate your real world test. Have you tried the 905 or 935 radios? I'm wondering about real world range on them.
No, I haven’t, but I suspect it’s identical.
@@BrianGreenstone - I have all three. The range is pretty much the same. The sound quality of the 805G is superior to the 905G, but the 935G+ is even better, even though it is not a superheterodyne radio.
Awesome video! I just applied for my GMRS license today. I’m just curious, does that radio have voice prompts? In other words, does it talk at all? I’m visually impaired, and I’m trying to find an accessible GMRS radio. Thanks very much.
Yes, there is a lady with a thick Chinese accent who announces the channels and menu options. However, I think on the newer units they changed the voice to someone else.
@@BrianGreenstone awesome! Does this whole true for all ocean radios? I just received my GMRS license. That was pretty fast. Anyhow, thank you for any assistance. I really do appreciate it, and I’m very much looking forward to talking on GMRS frequencies.
Just for everyone's information if the battery on the KG-805G is depleted pretty bad the red charge indicator light will flash but will soon go to solid red.
And if it can txs on the 8 repeater frequencys
For the most part, if it has a non- removable antenna it will be an FRS Radio... it does not require a license. That's why it is so hard to find (not impossible) to find a GMRS at Wal-Mart. If you do, it will be a Midland still hard to find. And that's the reason people who buy "bubble pack" radios don't buy a license.
Do you have any problems with your kg-805g mine keeps changing the language back to chinese and also switching the frequency on channel 1
No I haven’t had that happen. I have, however, found that the batteries drain quickly when not in use.
@@BrianGreenstone yeah I gave up trying to fix it I fix it's good for 2 days then messes up again I got the 905g and the 935g is on the way
2 months on... The 905 g and the gas prices 😁
if you have an external car mounted antenna you will extend your range and clarity, you loose that inside your car because of all the metal around you.
True, however, the car that I normally use this in is a ragtop convertible, and the body is all carbon fiber, so it’s not as bad of a Faraday cage as the one I used in the video.
You need a convertible car upgrade for your GMRS radio.
@@BrianGreenstone there are gmrs antenna options that do not require a magnetic base or a metal ground plane. The same options do not require drilling holes in the vehicle anywhere either
Do CZcams search on the Midland ghost gmrs antenna and it's various mounting solutions.
An external Antenna Is a necessity in Mobile Operation.
So I got over 30 miles with a mxt on simplex. Buy I own a 805G and the antenna you have. I can say that midland is far less liked by me. Superhetrodyne radios are the best ever.
How is this "ocean" but spelled Wouxun? Not gettin' that one.
How is Nguyen “Wynn”? Same deal.
Because that's how it is pronounced in Chinese.
W is silent and X is pronounced SCH. I would pronounce it "ooschun", but "ōshun" is close enough.
I tweak FRS radio modulation and got two and a half miles away from each other
The use of a mag mount antenna outside the vehicle (temporary) would increase your range even more. .
Unfortunately, the car I actually use these in is a rag top, so no way to stick anything to it.
@@BrianGreenstone trunk is also a good second location.
Heh, well that leads me to the 2nd problem with the car: the body is entirely carbon fiber. Magnets won’t stick to it :(
@@BrianGreenstone Midland makes a antenna kit that has a little small metal disk that has adhesive on one side. Then a little small mag mount antenna attaches to that. But it appears your cars are custom or collectibles so sticking or putting anything on the paint isn't acceptable.
For range stick the antenna outside the window and not vertically next to your head !
Kinda hard to talk on it with it hanging out the window. Plus with that kind of range why bother?
Al depends on antenna and terrain. We get 70is miles on gmrs here where I live
Is that using Morse code or actual voice? How many gigawatts do you have to transmit at to get anywhere near that kind of range?
@@BrianGreenstone lol it’s voice. And on 5 watts. But I will he honest one radio was a hand held 805 just like what you have and the other radio was a mobile unit set up as a base with a antenna about 50 feet in the air
Keep in mind you're in a metal box. I'm sure if you were outside of your cars both of you would hear each other much better.
Yes, almost certainly. But since I always use these in a car I figured it was a good real world test.
Actually if you were say on a mountain top and the person you were trying to talk to down below you without a lot of obstructions between you and them you could talk 30 miles. I personally have a friend who actually lives on a mountain he can talk to a repeater 44 mi away because he is on a mountaintop and he can reach down to a repeater
Then once it is connected with the repeater his range is extended another 15 to 25 MI
Another way to increase your range while using these in your car is disconnect the antenna on the walkie-talkie and put a very small gmrs antenna on your car and connect it to your walkie-talkie. Doing this could conceivably give you at least another miles worth of distance
There are also some very tiny but effective almost invisible gmrs antennas that you can put on a car
Be better if antenna was on roof of car
Yes, but that would be an entirely different setup. Probably best in a convertible with this setup.
Yea....no
No what?
@@BrianGreenstone yea......No
Love the vid! I have 2. You should join us on Zello! GMRS Washington.
if you dont use the 771-g you are missing out....huge improvement
Yep, the upgraded antenna makes a huge difference.
Does it really matter if it’s not authentic??
@@wiillthebarbertv9415yes.
@@wiillthebarbertv9415- yes. Most of the fakes are copies of the NA-771 which is a dual band HAM antenna. The Nagoya 771G is tuned specifically for GMRS.
Nagoya also makes a magnet mount for the top of your car. These radios have removable antennas for that purpose. You are killing the rf signal inside that metal car.
I’m not putting a magnet mount on top of an Aston Martin. Also, the one I usually use in our drives is a rag top, so no magnet is going to stick.
Try it again and stick the tip of the antenna out thr window. Might get better reception since you are in the car with windows up. Overall though, good review and real testing. Thank you. I am between this radio or the kg905 or newer kg935g.