10 Best Ham Radio For Cars 2020
Reviewed by Gareth Otwell
| Last Updated:
After analyzing products, scanning reviews, spending more than 36 hours of research and speaking with our test users, we think the Kenwood TM-281A 144MHz FM Transceiver is the one of the Best Ham Radio For Car on the market.
| # | Image | Name | Brand | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
⭐Best Choice
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Kenwood TM-281A 144MHz FM Transceiver Check price | Kenwood | $$$$$ | Check price |
| 2 |
Best under $100
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TALKCOOP KT-8900 25/20W UHF VHF Mobile Radio 136-174/400-480MHz Mini Car Radio Amateur Radio+ Free Programming Cable and CD Check price | TALKCOOP | $$$$$ | Check price |
| 3 |
💲Best value for the money
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BaoFeng BF-F8HP (UV-5R 3rd Gen) 8-Watt Dual Band Two-Way Radio (136-174MHz VHF & 400-520MHz UHF) Includes Full Kit with Large Battery Check price | BAOFENG | $$$$$ | Check price |
| 4 |
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Mobile Ham Radio Transceiver VHF 75W UHF 55W Mobile Radio Dual Band Quad Standby Vehicle Transceiver Cross Band Station Repeater with Programming Cable & Software Black SOCOTRAN Check price | SOCOTRAN | $$$$$ | Check price |
| 5 |
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Zastone Mini Mobile Radio 128-Channel 25W UHF/VHF 136-174/400-480MHz Dual Band Mobile Transceiver Car Ham Amateur Radio Check price | Zastone | $$$$$ | Check price |
| 6 |
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Radioddity QB25 Pro Quad Band Quad-Standby Mobile Ham Amateur Radio Transceiver Car Truck Vehicle Radio, VHF UHF 25W with Cable & CD + 50W High Gain Quad Band Antenna Check price | Radioddity | $$$$$ | Check price |
| 7 |
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BTECH Mini UV-25X4 25 Watt Tri-Band Base, Mobile Radio: 136-174mhz (VHF), 220-230mhz (1.25M), 400-520mhz (UHF) Amateur (Ham) Check price | BTECH | $$$$$ | Check price |
| 8 |
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QYT KT-8900D Dual Band Mini Car Ham Radio Mobile Transceiver VHF UHF 136-174/400-480MHz Compact Amateur Two Way Radios + Free Programming Cable Check price | QYT | $$$$$ | Check price |
| 9 |
Best under $50
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Baofeng UV5RA Ham Two Way Radio 136-174/400-480 MHz Dual-Band Transceiver (Black) Check price | BAOFENG | $$$$$ | Check price |
| 10 |
👑Premium Pick
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BTECH Mobile UV-50X2 50 Watt Dual Band Base, Mobile Radio: 136-174mhz (VHF) 400-520mhz (UHF) Amateur (Ham) Check price | BTECH | $$$$$ | Check price |
Kenwood TM-281A 144MHz FM Transceiver – Best Overall Ham Radio For Car
- Rugged compact contruction, High Power= 65 Wts, Alphanumeric LCD
- 200 Memory Channel, 6 alphanumeric characters offers 100 memory channels
- CTCSS/DTCS Enconder/Decoder, Weather Alert/RX
- Meets MIL-STD 810 C, D, E, F and G environmental standards for vibration and shock
TALKCOOP KT-8900 25/20W UHF VHF Mobile Radio 136-174/400-480MHz Mini Car – Best under $100
- 1. High/Low Power Settings (25W/10W)
- 2. Frequency Range: VHF 136-174MHz (Rx/Tx) UHF 400-480MHz (Rx/Tx); Output Power: VHF 25Watt UHF 20Watt
- 3. FM Radio Function, PTT ID, DTMF, Remote stun, Remote Kill
- 4. Kit Includes: KT-8900, Speaker Microphone, 6 ft DC Cable with Cigarette Plug Connector, Radio & Mic Brackets, Mounting Hardware, Programming Cable (Work with WIN 7) and User Guide
BaoFeng BF-F8HP (UV-5R 3rd Gen) 8-Watt Dual Band Two-Way Radio – Best Budget Ham Radio For Car
- Upgrades from our Previous Generation UV-5R: Twice the Output Power (8 watts up from 4 watts output), New Hardened Durable Radio Shell, 30% Larger Battery, V-85 High Gain Antenna (Twice the Antenna Performance), USA Support + In-depth User Guide Included
- High / Med / Low Power Settings (8W, 4W, 1W); Frequency Range: 65-108 MHz(Only commercial FM radio reception) VHF: 136-174 MHz(Rx/Tx). UHF: 400-520 MHz(Rx/Tx); Broad (Wide) / Narrowband (Narrow) Selectable
- The BF-F8HP was designed in the USA and because not everyone is a radio-expert we really wanted to focus on providing an easier user experience! That starts with the new in-depth manual that guides you through the capabilities and customization of the BF-F8HP. On top of that the BF-F8HP also includes exclusive concierge customer help and warranty support. This concierge service is only available on select BaoFeng models such as the BF-F8HP, UV-82HP, and UV-5X3.
- A PC03 FTDI Programming Cable is Recommended for Easier PC Programming
- BaoFeng Tech is the only authorized USA BaoFeng Distributor to honor the Manufacturer Warranty. Only BaoFeng Tech offers warranty claims without shipping anything to China. You must insure that BaoFeng Tech is your selected buying option when buying to be able to have the full USA warranty.
Mobile Ham Radio Transceiver VHF 75W UHF 55W Mobile Radio
- ★ VHF/UHF MOBILE RADIO WITH HIGH OUTPUT - It's a good idea to use as a UHF(400 ~ 480 MHz)/VHF(136 ~174 MHz) ham radio transceiver in car for mobile communication with the groups by high output 75W (VHF) & 55W (UHF) during road trip
- ★ CLEAN VOICE WITH MIC AUDIO GAIN - Great sound quality on Rx and I am told I sound great simplex or off of the repeater when testing the Socotran car transceiver, important: The mobile radio used indoor requires a power switching supply with voltage 13.8V & Current 20A
- ★ DUAL BAND QUAD-STANDBY AND FOUR DISPLAY - It comes with multi functions such as dual band, quad-standby, 5 Tone, 2 Tone, ANTI, DTMF, remote stun, remote kill, remote revive and external speaker, Support Cross band
- ★ MANUAL & PC PROGRAMMING - Our amateur radio supports both manual and PC, the PC programming port on the front which lets you leave everything connected and still program the radio
- ★ Warm Tips:When you testing the radio,please connect with antenna and power supply for protecting mobile radio avoid radio burn.Thanks
Zastone Mini Mobile Radio 128-Channel 25W UHF/VHF 136-174/400-480MHz Dual Band
- Package:1* Z218 Car Radio,1* SGM-507 Antenna(Made in Japan),1* 5CM-259 Line,1* Hand Microphone,1* Power Line,1* Screws Pack,1* Assembly Supporting Rack,1* Instruction
- 25W/15W/5W dual band VHF/UHF mobile radio transceiver with DTMF and 5Tone function! 3 Big LCD Colors to options:Orange,Blue,Purple
- Frequency range: VHF: 136-174mhz UHF: 400-470mhz,dual band dual display,plug and play: Plug into the cigarette lighter interface to get power directly.Please download the programming software from support in Zastone website.You can find the Zastone website address in the user's manual
- Features:4.1*4.2*1.2in, weight: about 1.8lb,support CTCSS/DCS channel storage for both UHF and VHF frequencies,128channels & more! Narrow band Compliant, lighted keypad mic, 12-pin HQ audio, scientific heat dissipation, aluminium alloy cases,DC power cable with fuse holder & more
- Transmission:Moutains transmission range about 5-12KM;Plain transmission range about 13-15KM;Urban transmission range about 6-10KM;Single call, group call, selective call are all available
Radioddity QB25 Pro Quad Band Quad-Standby Mobile Ham Amateur Radio
- ▼QUAD BAND STANDBY & MINI: Quad band, quad-standby, four color screen display. Frequency: 2 Band VHF + 2 Band UHF. FM radio 65-108 MHz. Broad (Wide) / Narrowband (Narrow) Selectable. Remote Stun, Remote Activate, Remote Kill. With size just 3.8 * 1.7 * 5 inch, convenient to carry and won't occupy a larger space when placed in your car or truck.
- ▼QUAD BAND ANTENNA: Say goodbye to awful using experience like signal dropping or excessive distortion! With the 50W powerful high gain quad band antenna we specially design for Radioddity QB25 Pro, you will receive stable signals at any frequency and keep a high quality communication.
- ▼MULTI FUNCTIONS: Radioddity QB25 Pro is the latest car radio model of Radioddity, which features dual synchronized display mode, mic audio gain setting, alarm function, DTMF function(2/5 tone), auto power off, channel mode editing setting, auto scan, scanning resume, variable frequency scanning, quad watch delay time, randomization privacy mode, 25W/10W selectable, etc.
- ▼WHAT MAKES US BETTER: Different from most other quad band car radios on the market, QB25 Pro is with louder and clearer sound, making sure you can get all the info. Second, we also offer you a cable and Win 7/10 drive with instructions to help you program, and it also SUPPORT CHIRP(named QB25 under Radioddity), easy and fast. Besides, the temperature cooling fan is with smart mode, only when temperature ≥ 45℃ (113℉) will the fan start to work.
- ▼ABOUT Radioddity: Radioddity is the only authorized brand and exclusive distributor for this QB25 Pro Model. Radioddity is the world leader when it comes to superior customer satisfaction and warranty service. For downloading software and instructions, please go to www.radioddity.com
BTECH Mini UV-25X4 25 Watt Tri-Band Base
- What Makes the UV-25X4 Unique: Dual Synchronize Display Mode, Mic Audio Gain Settings, Expanded Frequency Range (up to 520MHz), In depth user's guide, Auto Power Off Function, Channel Mode Editing Settings, Auto Scan, Scanning Resume, and Variable Frequency Scanning, Quad Watch Delay Time, Randomization Privacy Mode, Builds upon previous generation UV-2501+220
- High / Low Power Settings (25W/10W); Frequency Range: 65-108 MHz(Only commercial FM radio reception) 136-174MHz (VHF), 220-260MHz (1.25M) (USA/ASIA), 350-390MHz (EU/ASIA), 400-520MHz (UHF); Broad (Wide) / Narrowband (Narrow) Selectable
- Recommended Accessories: Pair UV-25X4 with the Nagoya TB-320A Antenna (and RB-50 Magnetic Mount) for easy installation. The PC04 FTDI Cable is recommended for easy computer programming
- Dual Watch monitoring VHF/UHF and 220Mhz: The 220 MHz band antenna lowpass filter is switched with a relay and the 2 meter lowpass filter and 70 cm highpass filters are switched with PIN diodes - resulting in a audible relay switch noise when monitoring 220MHz with VHF/UHF simultaneously. A relay that completely isolated the 220 MHz RF filter won't impact the RF performance of the 2 meter/70 cm bands. If monitoring multiple 220MHz or VHF/UHF simultaneously the relay is not heard or used.
- Tribander Mobile Radio Kit Includes: BTECH UV-25X4, Speaker Mic, 6 foot DC Cable with Cigarette Plug Connector, Radio & Mic Brackets, Mounting Hardware, and User Guide
QYT KT-8900D Dual Band Mini Car Ham Radio Mobile Transceiver
- QYT KT-8900D Dual band Quad-standby Mini Mobile Transceiver Car Radio
- Working Frequency: VHF 136-174MHz, UHF 400-480MHz. Output Power: VHF 25Watt, UHF 20Watt
- FM Radio, PTT ID, DTMF, Remote stun, Remote Kill, Repeater, Alarm, Monitor, High (25W) / Low (20W) Power Settings
- Bigger LCD Screen, Cooling Fan, Long-distance Communication, Easy to Install (Program Software supported by CHIRP or MIKLOR)
- Kit Includes: KT-8900D Radio, Speaker Mic, 6 ft DC Cable with Cigarette Plug Connector, Radio & Mic Brackets, Mounting Hardware, User Guide and Programming Cable.
Baofeng UV5RA Ham Two Way Radio 136-174/400-480 MHz Dual-Band Transceiver – Best under $50
- Dual PTT keys; A/B band independent operation
- Incorporates 105 codes "DCS" and 50 privacy codes "CTCSS" programmable.Other features include: selectable wide/narrow, battery save function, VOX, DCS/CTCSS encode, key lock and built in flashlight
- CTCSS & DCS Scanning/ CTCSS & DCS Direct input
- Emergency Alarm; LED Flashlight; Built-in key lock
- Tri-color background light selectable; 0~9 grades VOX selectable
BTECH Mobile UV-50X2 50 Watt Dual Band Base – Premium Pick
- What Makes the UV-50X2 Unique: Dual Synchronize Display Mode, Mic Audio Gain Settings, Expanded Frequency Range (up to 520MHz), In depth user's guide, Auto Power Off Function, Channel Mode Editing Settings, Auto Scan, Scanning Resume, and Variable Frequency Scanning, Quad Watch Delay Time, Randomization Privacy Mode - Builds upon previous generation UV-5001
- High / Low Power Settings (50W/10W); Frequency Range: 65-108 MHz(Only commercial FM radio reception) VHF: 136-174 MHz(Rx/Tx). UHF: 400-520 MHz(Rx/Tx); Broad (Wide) / Narrowband (Narrow) Selectable
- Recommended Accessories: Pair UV-50X2 with the Nagoya UT-72 Magnetic Mount Antenna for easy installation. The PC04 FTDI Cable is recommended for easy computer programming
- The UV-50X2 operates as multiple radios in one, with either 144 MHz or 430 MHz as the "Main" TX/RX band, while simultaneously watching up to 3 other frequencies or channels; and, if you like, you can configure your UV-50X2 for simultaneous VHF-VHF or UHF-UHF operation, too!
- Kit Includes: BTECH UV-50X2, Speaker Mic, DC Cable, Radio & Mic Brackets, Mounting Hardware, and User Guide
