Radioddity GS-10B

Not going to lie here -- Radioddity is (and isn't) rebranded technology based on Baofeng transceivers. That being said you'd have a hard time finding an actual Baofeng model that even closely resembles the Radioddity GS-10B. At the end of the day, the GS-10B is built a little sturdier than most Baofeng radios and the product support is definitely worth the extra few bucks you'll pay for the transceiver.

The latest and greatest addition is the limited frequency waterfall. Holding down the "Home" key (just above the 1 key on the faceplate) will put it in waterfall mode. Now this IS NOT a full-band waterfall. But it will scan a full 1 MHz beneath the active frequency up to a full 1 MHz above the active frequency and allow you to set a dBm threshold. I typically use HT's for repeater use and rarely operate on simplex, but if you were trying to fine-tune a weak signal this would make a great tool!

The features I like most about this radio are the extra function buttons located on the side. The top button remains PTT (push-to-talk), but the two buttons beneath are customizeable via menu options 23, 24, and 25. Both have long-press and short-press options. The only option that isn't customizeable is long-pressing the bottom button (PF3). It is permanently set in the firmware to open squelch (as I think it should be) should you be trying to pull in weak signals. However Menu 25 will allow you to change the behavior of short-pressing PF3 (bottom button) to one of 7 options. It can put the radio on preset NOAA station, "SOS" mode (audio alarm), channel / frequency search, channel / frequency scan, TX power (low, medium, high), PTT-B, and commercial FM radio. Menu 23 and 24 can be modified to any of the seven options for short- and long-pressing the PF3 (middle) side button. I have to say, it is a nice addition. It can be frustrating trying to remember which faceplate key to hold down to perform a scan, switch to NOAA mode, or change power on the fly. With the Radioddity GS-10B, everything can be setup just the way you want it and changed relatively easily.

As a bonus, aphnumerics (channel names) can be entered and saved directly through the faceplate, which is another HUGE plus!

My only complaint is that this radio isn't tri-band. It does handle VHF and UHF bands quite well, but it would be nice if it also covered the 1.25 meter band. That being said, it does make up for it in features -- especially if you're not within range of a 222 MHz repeater.

And, unfortunately, I could not get the Bluetooth software to work on my phone. But that being said, I have tried bluetooth programming in the past and it is so much easier to program through the faceplate. I honestly prefer faceplate programming to Bluetooth or even CHIRP. It's just faster and involves less effort. So I won't be dinging any stars on that one.

As for range, it is an HT so it will vary greatly dependent on your location. I am able to hit a repeater 40 miles away easily, however I'm in the greater Denver area and this particular repeater is on top of a mountain. When indoors you may or may not be able to hit a repeater clearly (depending on distance). A decent antenna helps, I do recommend a Nagoya (or similar) whip antenna to get the maximum distance as stock antennas are generally not the best. 

Quick Setup

Programming the GS-10B is virtually identical to most Baofeng radios. The transceiver has two frequencies (top and bottom) you can swith between using the A/B button. The V/M button is standard and will let you choose between typing in any frequency or switching to channel mode to access any frequencies you may have programmed in. Make sure you have the squelch set to 1, these radios can be very insensitive to high squelch settings. As well, Menu 7 (TDR) is dual-watch, so make sure you turn that off as well.

Saving a frequency and associated repeater information into a channel is relatively straight-forward:

1. Ensure the radio is in Frequency Mode (V/M button, top or bottom frequency)

2. Type in your repeater's frequency (ie: 145.170)

3. From the menu (press the home key), go to Menu 26 and enter your offset (usually 0.600 MHz for VHF, 5.000 MHz for UHF). Push the menu button to edit, enter the offset, and menu again to save)

4. Enter your offset direction (+/-). This will be dependent on the repeater's offset direction.

5. Menu 14 is T-CTCSS. This is where you'll enter your repeater's P/L tone.

6. Test out the repeater, make sure you at least get a kerchunk.

7. You can use alphanumerics to name your channel (ie "ARES Repeater") in menu 17. Use menu 40 & 41 to display the name.

8. Menu 11 is DELCH (delete channel). Before you can save to a channel, you have to clear one out first. So delete the channel of your choice!

9. Menu 10 is MEMCH (save channel). Select the channel you just deleted and save the existing channel to memory.

10. Exit the menu, put the radio in Channel Mode and navigate to your new channel!

The Radioddity GS-10B is seriously worth the price given its durability and features. Plus support with Radioddity products is absolutely worth the price you pay. Considering the 10 watts of power, customizeable side buttons, and the 2 MHz waterfall scan (in addition to regular frequency/channel scanning) -- you really can't go wrong. 

Links:

I am enrolled as an Amazon Associate so I will make a small commission on qualified purchases via these links (at no extra charge to the purchaser). That being said, you are not obligated to purchase from my links to use the information I've given in this blog. 73 de KI5ONA and enjoy the hobby!

Radioddity GS-10B:

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