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Rating: 
Summary: Excellent unit
Review: First of all, sorry for my english.I agree with most of what have already been said here, I've tested the unit and seem to have a very good long range coverage, for me I could say that easily triples standard FRS coverage. One feature that has not been described here is an useful monitor button that when you hold it for a few seconds it cancels the squelch and keep it that way (doesn't have to keep pushing the monitor)and that gives you add'tnl coverage. At long distances signal could be poor to break the squelch but if you open the line you could clearly hear the other party. When using any radio in adverse circunstances try to get into high and open places, if you get onto a building or a mountain you would be impressed the coverage of the unit. I use this mainly for vacations at Isla de Margarita and from my apartment I cover all Porlamar city and it's surroundings and even talk miles away with a small mountain in the middle. The vibrate option is very nice, when you'r fooling around malls nobody notes that someone's calling you cause when activated in cancels the ringer sound. Unit looks very sturdy. The cons: Lettering on the radio tend to erase by the use and sweat. Don't doubt getting this unit.
Rating:
Summary: Nice unit for the money
Review: First off yes you do need an FCC license for this unit. And don't let the zebra guy below this steer you away from this unit. If you'll notice, every review he's written is on FRS/GRMS hybrids and he gives 1 star to every single one of them (in this case he voted twice thus dilluting the ranking for this unit.) His heart's in the right place in trying to keep users law-abiding, but his overzelousness is too much in my opinion when he probably doesn't even own one yet gives it 1 star while launching into a speech. I got a pair of these for my Dad to use in his motorhome and on camping trips since he wanted something besides just his CB and with greater range than regular FRS units. On the interstate we've been able to get up to 2.5 miles apart (tested by calling out mile marker signs to each other) in relatively flat terrain with a clear signal. Not too bad in my opinion since nobody should realistically expect 5 miles (kind of like how FRS radios rated for 2 miles rarely reach a mile in ideal conditions.) It's well made yet cheaper than some of the competitors with similar specs that I looked at, particularly Motorola models.
Rating: 
Summary: Uniden GMRS480 is a 2 watt unit
Review: I bought 2 of these radios a few days ago. I am not sure how the idea got around that this is a 1/2 watt unit, because it is a 2 watt unit, and it DOES require an FCC license. The manual and the FCC registration says it is a 2 watt unit. I was very skeptical of this radio, because it seemed like I was getting alot of radio for less money, but I am glad I bought it now. We are getting around 1.5 mile range in the neighborhood, and about 2.5 miles out in the country were there are less obstructions. My father has 2 motorolas (5100 model). We tested these units against the Unidens head to head. The Uniden GMRS480 sounded much better than the Motorola 5100s every time. The secret is to not hold you mouth too close to the radio when you speak. No need to speak loud either. The Uniden's were not "tiny micy" sounding at all. I would have given this unit a rating of "5", but I must tell you that the thermometer is not very useful. I believe that it cannot get a correct temperature reading when you are holding the radio. It can be around 40 degrees outside, and if you are holding the radio, it will read in the upper 70's. I guess if you sit the radio down and don't touch it, it may get a "true" temperature reading. The SCAN function works, but is kinda weird in my opinion. You have to hold down either of the up/down channels for several seconds to get it to scan. Therefore, you actually change channels 1 thru 15 many times, and then the unit goes in to scan mode. Also, you can't use the radio while it is on the charger, which really disappoints me. But the batteries (NiMH), lasted us on the farm on one charge, Sat, Sun, & Monday, with the unit turned on all during the daylight hours. By Monday evening they still had 2 out of 4 bars left on the battery meter. The weather band is good, it picked up the NOAA channel about 50 miles away. Seems pretty weather resistant, but I try not to get anything wet that is electronic. Good thing that the radio is simple to figure out and use, because I could have written a better manual. You can download the manual from the Uniden web site before you buy it. It is only a few pages. The folks at Uniden have been very helpful in answering my questions. They have responded to every email I have sent them. I recommend the Uniden GMRS480, but since it is GMRS and 2 watt, it does require an FCC license.
Rating: 
Summary: Very Low Powered!
Review: I bought this item, and I am very very unhappy that its power level is equal to that of any other average FRS radio, however, this is a GMRS and it should have two full watts of power going out the antenna, but it does not. All the literature indicates that its real power level is a mere 500mw, or half a watt. Why waste money on another 1/2 watt radio? The features are nice, but not great, and the power level is very low for this kind of radio, so keep your money unitl Uniden realizes that features are important, but so is power. You have to wonder if newer technology is running up against established technology in the world of business radios.
Rating:
Summary: Nice unit for the money
Review: I'm just an average consumer looking for a good deal with some quality. I didn't expect 5 miles, but I hardly got 1.5. I live in the country in Wisconsin with few hills and no buildings. I liked the look of the unit. I thought, hey this will withstand the abuse and outdoors and no doubt after using it- it will. However, for anyone that goes through the process of getting an FCC license as required, this unit doesn't perform as a GMRS unit should. Granted, you get the use of licensed frequencies, and it will tell you the temperature, but at .5 watts, its range leaves a lot to be desired... I'm just an average consumer with little knowledge of the radio world. But from one consumer to another, if you're looking for something with the power to perform, this unit is not for you. If you're looking for a durable radio for about 1 to 1.5 miles then this is a good buy. That's my review and I only took the time to write it, because I don't want others to buy something that they might not be happy with...
Rating:
Summary: How do you spell disappointed? UNIDENGMRS480
Review: I'm just an average consumer looking for a good deal with some quality. I didn't expect 5 miles, but I hardly got 1.5. I live in the country in Wisconsin with few hills and no buildings. I liked the look of the unit. I thought, hey this will withstand the abuse and outdoors and no doubt after using it- it will. However, for anyone that goes through the process of getting an FCC license as required, this unit doesn't perform as a GMRS unit should. Granted, you get the use of licensed frequencies, and it will tell you the temperature, but at .5 watts, its range leaves a lot to be desired... I'm just an average consumer with little knowledge of the radio world. But from one consumer to another, if you're looking for something with the power to perform, this unit is not for you. If you're looking for a durable radio for about 1 to 1.5 miles then this is a good buy. That's my review and I only took the time to write it, because I don't want others to buy something that they might not be happy with...
Rating:
Summary: Editorial Review Errors
Review: Just got a single GMRS480 last night and ordered a couple more. For the price it looks like a good piece, I haven't been able to check its range yet though. The Editorial Review has some errors: It comes with a NiMH battery pack and charger but can also use 4 AA batteries not three. The GMRS license costs $75 not $45. It also came with a headset which I will probably never use. It has a detachable antenna and looks like it will accept a external coax for an external antenna. Battery life is estimated at 35-50 hours which is good.
Rating:
Summary: Great Price/Performance!
Review: No question about it! This is one of the best electronics gear I have bought in terms of price/performance ratio! This GMRS radio performs remarkably well right out of its packaging, with silky smooth controls and a well designed LCD display. It is also very inexpensive, considering its many features, including the built-in weather channels. I was able to get a very clean signal over a two mile range in a densely populated suburb area. I did not have a chance to test the 5 mile range as claimed by Uniden, but I suspect it is NOT an exaggeration, judging from how clean the signal was at 2 miles!
Rating:
Summary: Great radio
Review: This radio is ideal for the money. I tested these radio's in the city and got almost 4 miles in range. I had one outside and my friend had the other one in his truck driving away from me. We were able to keep constant communication the whole time. He was driving through busines and residential areas. These will be great from car to car and out in the mountains.
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