GMRS setup guides USB-C GMRS radios
GMRS radios that charge over USB-C And why some ignore a USB-C charger
Eleven of the 13 GMRS handhelds in our database list USB-C charging. Only BTECH says outright that the GMRS-V2 works with "all USB-C cables." None of the other maker pages we checked says whether its radio charges from a USB-C to USB-C cable or a USB-C phone charger, and r/gmrs owners report mixed results on several models. The cause is usually a missing pair of resistors that the USB Type-C spec requires. If you want IP67 as well, four handhelds here have both.
Affiliate disclosure: if you buy through some links on this page, we earn a commission at no extra cost to you (currently BTECH only). Commissions never change our data, our picks or the order we list radios in. How we make money
How this guide works: charging, battery, water-rating and price values come from each maker's own page, linked in every cell and checked 2026-10-21. The USB-C behavior comes from the USB Type-C specification (Release 2.5, March 2026). Owner reports from r/gmrs are labelled as reports. We haven't tested charging on these radios ourselves.
Every GMRS handheld, by charging method
| Radio | Charging (maker) | Battery | Water rating | List price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midland GXT67 PRO FCC ID MMAGXT67 | USB-C / desktop charger / DC vehicle adapter Midland GXT67 PRO product pagechecked 2026-10-21 | 7.4 V 2500 mAh Li-ion, internal (not user-replaceable) Midland GXT67 owner's manual (dated 9-6-24)checked 2026-10-21 | IP67 Midland GXT67 PRO product pagechecked 2026-10-21 | $219.99 (maker site) Midland GXT67 PRO product pagechecked 2026-10-21 |
| Rocky Talkie Expedition Radio (5 Watt) FCC ID 2ATSN-RT5WV1 | USB-C sourcechecked 2026-10-21 | Rechargeable Li-ion 7.4 V 1800 mAh (replaceable) sourcechecked 2026-10-21 | IP67 (1 m submersion) sourcechecked 2026-10-21 | $195 (maker site) sourcechecked 2026-10-21 |
| Wouxun KG-935G Plus FCC ID WVTWOUXUN26 | USB-C (on battery pack) / charger sourcechecked 2026-10-21 | Li-ion 2600 mAh, USB-C charging port sourcechecked 2026-10-21 | IP66 sourcechecked 2026-10-21 | not yet verified |
| BTECH GMRS-PRO FCC ID 2AGND-GMRS-PRO | USB-C port on the rechargeable battery sourcechecked 2026-10-21 | BP-26 2600 mAh listed as compatible battery; 7.4 V operating voltage sourcechecked 2026-10-21 | IP67 sourcechecked 2026-10-21 | $154.89 (maker site) sourcechecked 2026-10-21Check Price at BTECH (opens in a new tab)commission link |
| BTECH GMRS-V2 FCC ID 2AGND-GMRS-V2 | USB-C (maker: "all USB-C cables"), plus included desktop charger; full charge in 3–4 hours sourcechecked 2026-10-21 | 7.4 V BL-8 Li-ion pack (capacity not stated on the product page) sourcechecked 2026-10-21 | IP54 sourcechecked 2026-10-21 | $44.89 (maker site) sourcechecked 2026-10-21Check Price at BTECH (opens in a new tab)commission link |
| TIDRADIO TD-H3 (GMRS version) FCC ID 2A4FBTD831G | USB-C (Type-C) charging and programming; optional desktop charger sourcechecked 2026-10-21 | 2500 mAh rechargeable (maker listing); the GMRS test report lists 7.4 V 2600 mAh sourcechecked 2026-10-21 | not yet verified | $29.99 (maker site, Ham/Unlocked listing) sourcechecked 2026-10-21 |
| Baofeng UV-5G Plus FCC ID 2AJGM-5GPLUS | USB-C (Type-C) port sourcechecked 2026-10-21 | 2500 mAh Li-ion, 7.4 V sourcechecked 2026-10-21 | not yet verified | $32.99 (maker site) sourcechecked 2026-10-21 |
| Baofeng UV-5G (UV-5X) FCC ID 2AN62-UV5G | not yet verified | 1800 mAh Li-ion, 7.4 V; fits UV-5R-series accessories including a 3800 mAh battery (maker) sourcechecked 2026-10-21 | not yet verified | $43.99 (maker site, US only) sourcechecked 2026-10-21 |
| Radioddity GM-30 FCC ID 2AN62-GM30 | USB-C (Type-C) cable and USB charger included sourcechecked 2026-10-21 | 7.4 V 1500 mAh Li-ion sourcechecked 2026-10-21 | not yet verified | $24.99 (maker site) sourcechecked 2026-10-21 |
| TIDRADIO TD-H8 (GMRS version) FCC ID 2AWL3-TDH8GMRS | USB-C charging cable and charger included sourcechecked 2026-10-21 | 2500 mAh sourcechecked 2026-10-21 | not yet verified | $59.99 (maker site, GMRS variant, 1 pack) sourcechecked 2026-10-21 |
| Baofeng GM-15 Pro FCC ID 2AJGM-GM15PRO | USB-C (Type-C) charging sourcechecked 2026-10-21 | 1500 mAh, 7.4 V sourcechecked 2026-10-21 | not yet verified | $25.99 (maker site, 1 pc) sourcechecked 2026-10-21 |
| Retevis Ailunce HA1G FCC ID 2A3OOHA1G | USB-C (Type-C) port plus USB charging base sourcechecked 2026-10-21 | 2800 mAh rechargeable sourcechecked 2026-10-21 | IP67 ("immersion in 1 meter deep water for 30 minutes") sourcechecked 2026-10-21 | $99.00 (Retevis site, sale price shown; regular $135.00) sourcechecked 2026-10-21 |
| Wouxun KG-UV9G Pro FCC ID WVTWOUXUN19 | Desktop charger and power supply adaptor included; USB-C not stated sourcechecked 2026-10-21 | BLO-012 Li-ion pack, 3200 mAh; 7.4 V DC sourcechecked 2026-10-21 | IP55 sourcechecked 2026-10-21 | not yet verified |
Two handhelds don’t list USB-C charging. Wouxun includes a desktop charger and power-supply adaptor with the KG-UV9G Pro and doesn’t mention USB-C. Baofeng’s UV-5G page doesn’t state a charging method. Mobile radios run on 12 V vehicle power, but three Midlands have a USB-C port: the MXT275 and MXT575 for charging other devices (the MXT575 lists QC 3.0/2.0 up to 36 W and PD at 12, 9 or 5 V, 3 A), and the MXT500 for charging and data (best GMRS mobile radios).
Why some radios won’t charge from a USB-C charger
This is the question r/gmrs keeps asking: Are there any GMRS radios that can be charged with a USB-C to USB-C cable? The answer comes from the USB Type-C specification (USB-IF document library):
- A USB-C charger stays off until it detects a device. §4.4.2: “The Source’s USB Type-C receptacle VBUS pin shall remain unpowered … until a Sink is attached.”
- The device announces itself with resistors. §4.5.1.2.1: “a Sink exposes independent Rd terminations on its CC1 and CC2 pins.” Table 4-28 gives 5.1 kΩ as the nominal resistor value.
- USB-A chargers are exempt. §4.4.2 also exempts “legacy hosts/chargers that by default source VBUS” through a USB-A to USB-C cable. A USB-A port puts out 5 V whether or not anything asks for it.
So a radio or battery with a USB-C socket but no Rd resistors charges from a USB-A cable, and gets nothing from a USB-C to USB-C cable. An r/gmrs owner tested this on a Baofeng GM-15 Pro: “With a USB-A to C cable, instant red light and charging. USB-C to USB-C on Anker power thing, no lights.” Another found their GM-30 charged C-to-C “ONLY if it is flipped in the right orientation.” That fits a resistor on only one of the two CC pins.
The same issue comes up outside GMRS radios. See Buyer beware: Retevis RB19P handheld’s USB-C charging is not standards-compliant (the RB19P isn’t in our database).
What owners report, radio by radio
These are r/gmrs comments from the USB-C to USB-C thread, not maker specs. Battery revisions and chargers differ, which may explain why owners disagree.
| Radio | Maker says | Owner reports, C-to-C |
|---|---|---|
| BTECH GMRS-V2 | “all USB-C cables” | One owner lists it as working. Another says the GMRS-V1 battery, which they describe as the same battery, charges C-to-C |
| BTECH GMRS-PRO | USB-C port on the battery | Mixed. One owner says theirs work. Another says older units are A-to-C only. 2022 reviews on BTECH’s page say C-to-C doesn’t work |
| TIDRADIO TD-H3 GMRS | USB-C charging and programming | Several owners say it charges C-to-C. One TD-H3 Plus owner measured 5 V / 1 A on both cable types |
| TIDRADIO TD-H8 GMRS | USB-C cable and charger included | Owners say it charges C-to-C, including from a car’s USB-C port |
| Radioddity GM-30 | USB Type-C; cable and USB charger included | Mixed. Several owners say no. One says yes, another says only in one plug orientation |
| Baofeng GM-15 Pro | USB-C (Type-C) charging | Mixed. One owner tested no with an Anker charger; another says yes from three different chargers |
| Wouxun KG-935G Plus | USB-C port on the battery | One KG-935G owner reports no problems C-to-C |
We found no model-specific owner reports in that thread for the Midland GXT67 PRO, Rocky Talkie Expedition, Baofeng UV-5G Plus or Retevis HA1G. The thread starter names Rocky Talkie as the one brand they knew of.
If yours won’t charge from USB-C
- Try a USB-A charger with a USB-A to USB-C cable. That works whether or not the radio has the resistors.
- Flip the USB-C plug over. If it charges one way only, the radio is missing one of its two resistors.
- Try a different USB-C charger. Owners in the thread found that the charger matters, and one suggests lower-wattage chargers.
- On radios where the port is on the battery, a newer battery may behave differently from the one you have. One r/gmrs owner says BTECH updated the GMRS-PRO battery after launch.
Port on the radio or on the battery
Where the makers say, the port location changes how you charge:
- On the battery: Wouxun lists a “Li-ion Battery Pack With a USB-C Charging Port” for the KG-935G Plus, and BTECH lists the GMRS-PRO’s USB-C port on the battery. BTECH sells the GMRS-V2’s spare pack as the “BL-8 USB-C” battery. You can charge a spare pack off the radio.
- Radio or battery: Radioddity says the GM-30 can “charge the radio or just the battery alone,” and Baofeng uses almost the same words for the GM-15 Pro. Retevis says the HA1G can “charge the radio or the battery directly.”
- On the radio: Midland lists the GXT67 PRO’s 2500 mAh battery as internal and not user-replaceable, so the radio is what you charge. TIDRADIO uses the TD-H3’s USB-C port for both charging and programming.
USB-C and waterproof
Asked on r/gmrs as water resistant radio with type-C charger?. From the table above, the handhelds that list both:
- IP67: Retevis Ailunce HA1G ($99.00 sale, $135.00 regular), BTECH GMRS-PRO ($154.89), Rocky Talkie Expedition ($195) and Midland GXT67 PRO ($219.99).
- IP66: Wouxun KG-935G Plus (no list price on wouxun.com).
- IP54 (splash resistant): BTECH GMRS-V2 ($44.89), the only one whose maker states it works with any USB-C cable.
The makers’ IP ratings don’t say whether the charging port needs a cover closed to meet them. Check the manual before charging a wet radio.
Where to buy · BTECH GMRS-V2
$44.89 maker list price at BTECH
We earn a commission if you buy through this link, at no extra cost to you. How we make money
Where to buy · BTECH GMRS-PRO
$154.89 maker list price at BTECH
We earn a commission if you buy through this link, at no extra cost to you. How we make money
Related
- Best GMRS handheld radios and best GMRS radios for hiking, with battery and weight compared.
- Radioddity GM-30 vs BTECH GMRS-V2 and GMRS-V2 vs GMRS-PRO.
- How to choose a GMRS radio.
Common questions
Why does my radio charge from a USB-A to USB-C cable but not USB-C to USB-C?
Under the USB Type-C specification, a USB-C charger keeps its power pin off until it detects a device, and the device signals that it’s there with pull-down resistors (Rd, 5.1 kΩ) on its CC pins. A USB-A charger supplies 5 V regardless, so a radio without those resistors still charges from it. If a radio charges with a C-to-C cable in one plug orientation only, the resistor is probably on just one CC pin.
Which GMRS radio says it works with any USB-C cable?
Of the handhelds we track, only BTECH makes that claim. Its GMRS-V2 page says USB-C charging is “supported (all USB-C cables)” and includes a desktop charger as well. The other maker pages we checked list a USB-C port without saying which cables or chargers work.
Does the BTECH GMRS-PRO charge from USB-C to USB-C?
BTECH doesn’t say. Several 2022 reviews on BTECH’s page say it charges only from USB-A to USB-C. On r/gmrs, one owner says theirs works C-to-C and another says BTECH updated the batteries about a year after launch. If yours won’t charge C-to-C, use a USB-A charger with a USB-A to USB-C cable.
Which waterproof GMRS radio has USB-C charging?
Four handhelds in our database list both USB-C charging and IP67: the Retevis Ailunce HA1G ($99.00 on sale), BTECH GMRS-PRO ($154.89), Rocky Talkie Expedition ($195) and Midland GXT67 PRO ($219.99). The Wouxun KG-935G Plus is IP66 with a USB-C port on the battery.
Can I charge a GMRS radio from my car's USB-C port?
Usually, if the radio charges from a USB-C charger at all. Retevis says the HA1G can charge “in the car” or from a power bank, and Radioddity says the GM-30 can charge “in your car, with a power bank or laptop.” Car USB-C ports follow the same rules as wall chargers, so a radio that needs a USB-A source may not charge from one.