Baystate Jeepers

The time has come to jettison my old CB radio, and replace it with some decent FRS handheld radios. I'm considering a pair of Midland GXT1050VP4 radios, and would welcome any feedback or recommendations.


50 channels, and 142 privacy codes. My biggest question is, can they be programmed for BSJ channel communication? Any thoughts/feedback welcome..

When we switched to FRS last year, we did a group order so the majority of us use the Baofeng UV-5R.
They’re like $24 on Amazon. They work well, nothing crazy fancy but the range is surprisingly good. Battery life is awesome, too.
I like that they’re cheap. If you lose it or run it over, it’s not a big deal.
My two cents: Good idea ordering more than one. I like having an extra.

Apologies for not answering your specific question on the radio you’re looking at. Just figured I’d let you know what most of us use.

Thanks Lisa. Whichever brand or model I target, I'm wondering about their ability to be programmed for BSJ's communication privacy channel? Obviously the Baofeng UV-5R's can be - I wonder if they all can be? Not assuming you have this answer, but maybe someone does. Thanks for the insight..!

We use frs 3, 4, and 5 or maybe 4, 5, and 6 I don't remember off to top of my head. I do believe most radios with privacy capabilities can be programmed with the privacy codes we use. But also know a few people had problems doing so.

I pulled this from a previous post regarding the radios. Hopefully this helps clarify things for people who don't purchase the Baofengs.
BSJ-1 is actually FRS 5
BSJ-2 is actually FRS 6
BSJ-3 is actually FRS 7
BSJ-1PR is FRS 5 with Tone Mode set to TSQL 250.3
BSJ-2PR is FRS 6 with Tone Mode set to TSQL 250.3
BSJ-3PR is FRS 7 with Tone Mode set to TSQL 250.3

Some brands will be different. You might need to do trial and error to figure out which is which.

Sticky funny I have a Stickly . I have Midland GXTs I use for hunting and fishing. Any radio will work with the right freek. Worse case is go to scan while they are transmitting and lock it in . Piece of cake Dude, FjR68

Thanks Frank! ("sticky" is how we describe the beach sand under certain conditions in my other off-roading club) Thanks for the feedback on the GXT's. I'm probably heading in that direction.