Also known as: GMRS-50X1, BTech GMRS-50X1
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The BTECH GMRS-50X1 was a genuinely important radio: the first cheap 50-watt GMRS mobile with a real Part 95E grant, huge 136–174/400–520 MHz receive coverage, and CHIRP support.1 BTECH has since superseded it twice — the GMRS-50V2 fixed its power consistency and receive filtering, and the GMRS-50PRO is the current platform — so today the 50X1 is a used-market buy at roughly $80–160, with wide variance and thin sold-price data.
Key takeaways Our best used/classic GMRS buy — the most capability per used dollar. 50 W nominal (real output varies by channel — measure it), split tones, wide receive/scan plus FM broadcast and NOAA, CHIRP support, genuine Part 95E grant. Amazon carries it Renewed-only; eBay is the other half of the market. Test before buying: the early settings-byte bug (CHIRP #7761) and the stops-keying-on-GMRS-after-reprogramming failure are both documented. GMRS license to transmit: $35, 10 years, no test, covers family. Rankings: best GMRS mobile radios.
Overview
When the 50X1 launched, “50 watts, certified, cheap” was a category of one, and it built the template BTECH still follows: maximum legal GMRS power, a wide receive-only scan range (that receive-only lock on transmit is exactly what keeps an import’s Part 95E grant legal), split CTCSS/DCS tones, and open programming via CHIRP. The 5-row display and fixed (non-detachable) face are dated now, the menus were always clunky, and the speaker-mic was the era’s weak point — but the fundamentals still cover everything a repeater user needs.
Why it was discontinued is worth knowing because it’s your used-buying map: the GMRS-50V2’s redesigned board exists specifically to fix the 50X1’s inconsistent power output and audio filtering, and the marketing line “constant 50 W on GMRS” is an implicit admission that the 50X1 wasn’t. Expect ~40 W on some channels from a good unit; measure if you can.
Where to buy: Amazon lists it only as a “Renewed” unit — the button above goes there — and eBay is the other, often cheaper, half of the used market (~$80 sold for a used unit with mic; $150–160 typical asks; new-old-stock occasionally surfaces around $99–115 at liquidation sellers, though those listings can be stale).
License note: GMRS transmit requires a license — $35 to the FCC, valid 10 years, no test, one license covering your immediate family. Listening across all that receive coverage requires none.
Buying used: what to check
The 50X1’s known failure modes are specific, documented, and testable:
- Verify it programs cleanly before buying. Early units shipped with out-of-range settings bytes — CHIRP bug #7761 — whose symptom is failed programming reads/writes. It’s fixable via CHIRP, but a radio that won’t read cleanly is telling you something.
- Test transmit on GMRS 15–30 with a second radio. There are documented cases of 50X1s that stop keying up on GMRS channels after CHIRP reprogramming while FRS channels still work. Don’t just watch the TX indicator — confirm with a receiver.
- Measure power output if possible. Some units run well under 50 W on some channels.
- Check the microphone. BTECH mics of that era were the weak point; confirm the included one works.
- Prefer packages with the PC04 programming cable.
Used-market viability, plainly: parts and factory support for a two-generations-old import are thin, but CHIRP keeps it programmable forever, the failure modes are known, and at $80–120 a tested unit is the most radio per used dollar in GMRS — which is why it edges the Midland MXT400 (narrowband-only, no NOAA, no out-of-box split tones) as our used pick.
GopherTrunk alternative
FRS and GMRS are analog narrowband FM at 462/467 MHz — trivial for a ~$30 RTL-SDR running free GopherTrunk, which monitors and records all local FRS/GMRS simplex and repeater activity. Before hunting used listings, let a dongle tell you whether your local repeaters are active enough to justify 50 used watts — and afterward, it’s the second radio you use to verify a 50X1 actually keys up on GMRS 15–30. GopherTrunk cannot transmit; it complements the radio. Download GopherTrunk and listen first.
Who it’s for
- Buy a used GMRS-50X1 if you want maximum certified wattage and receive coverage for double-digit money, and you can test-drive the unit (or buy Renewed with a return window) against the checklist above. Renewed on Amazon →
- Buy the GMRS-50PRO instead if you want the current platform — GPS, Bluetooth, constant output — with a warranty, for ~$285 new.
- Skip it for the Wouxun KG-1000G Plus if you want the proven enthusiast 50-watter new, or a Radioddity DB20-G if 20 new watts beat 50 used ones for you. Full rankings: best GMRS mobile radios.
Sources
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BTECH GMRS-50X1 product page — BTECH, on the 50 W nominal output, receive coverage, split tones, and Part 95E certification; successor: BTECH GMRS-50V2 — myGMRS shop, whose constant-output redesign frames the 50X1’s known power variance. ↩
Frequently asked questions
Is the BTECH GMRS-50X1 discontinued?
Effectively, yes — BTECH still hosts the product page, but retail channels sell its successors: the GMRS-50V2 (redesigned board, constant 50 W output, better receive filtering), and now the GMRS-50PRO. The 50X1 is two generations old and lives on the used market.
How much is a used BTECH GMRS-50X1 worth?
Roughly $80–160, with wide variance — one used unit with mic sold around $80, other listings run $150–160, and full packages with antennas ask more in forum classifieds. The data is thin, so check current sold listings. Amazon carries it only as a Renewed listing.
Do I need a license for the BTECH GMRS-50X1?
To transmit, yes — a GMRS license: $35 to the FCC, good for 10 years, no test, and it covers your immediate family. Its wide 136–174/400–520 MHz coverage is receive-only, and listening needs no license.
Does the GMRS-50X1 really put out 50 watts?
Not always. Real-world output famously varies by channel — expect around 40 W on some. The successor GMRS-50V2’s ‘constant 50W on GMRS’ marketing is an implicit admission. Measure output if you can before buying used.
What should I check before buying a used GMRS-50X1?
Verify it programs cleanly with CHIRP (early units shipped with out-of-range settings bytes — CHIRP bug #7761 — causing failed reads/writes), test transmit on GMRS channels 15–30 with a second radio (some units stop keying on GMRS after reprogramming while FRS still works), check the mic, and prefer packages with the PC04 cable.