Hytera BD502 U 1 48Ch 4Watt UHF Digital DMR Radio 400-470 MHz

At this point in my HF career I've programmed, literally, thousands of HT's. The Hytera BD5 series seem to be the "good enough" radio for basic communications in a steel fabrication manufacturing facility. They're loud enough, simple enough, powerful enough, robust enough and won't break the bank if they get damaged or stolen. Notes: 1. There are legal in the US. That top comment is ignorant of the rules. 2. You will need to have the Hytera CPS for the BD5 series. 3. You will need to know how to program digital radios if you're using the DMR frequencies, which means knowing how to build a codeplug and the details within. If you can't, you'll need to have the radio vendor do it for you. 4. You will need to have licensed frequencies. Again, a radio vendor can apply for you if you don't want to mess with the FCC. These are not toys, GMRS or FRS radios, and if you broadcast on the frequencies pre loaded in the HT, you will be in violation of the law and if you get caught, can be fined. Read more

These radios are banned by the FCC and other radio jurisdictions worldwide. Read more

It has clear audio without any noise. It’s loud too. But it only has 15 channels and it doesn’t have battery level (state of charge) indicator. It only blinks the green light periodically and beeps when the power is low. So you have to guess how much power is left in the battery until it dies. For an almost $300 unit, it is unforgivable not to have a battery level indicator, especially the battery only lasts 16 hours. And its rather heavy compared to other similar radios. It also requires its own non-standard charger to charge the battery. It would be a lot more convenient if it uses a USB charger. It’s essentially an old fashioned analog unit rather than a digital unit that’s expected for such a DMR radio. Read more