Also known as: DB20-G, Anytone AT-779UV, Retevis RA25
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The Radioddity DB20-G is the cheapest way into a real, repeater-capable, legally certified GMRS mobile: 20 watts, roughly 500 memory channels, split tones, wideband receive, and CHIRP support for around $110–130 — often less with Radioddity’s frequent coupons.1 It’s a re-badged Anytone AT-779UV (the Retevis RA25 is the same radio too), and it’s tiny: the whole thing is barely bigger than its own display.
Key takeaways Our most-affordable pick — and not by a little. 20 W, ~500 memories, 9+ customizable repeater channels with split tones, 136–174/400–470 MHz receive/scan, CHIRP support, genuine Part 95E grant. Caveats: small speaker, fan noise, dense ham-style menus, no standby NOAA alert, and a cigarette-lighter power plug you should replace with hardwiring. GMRS license to transmit: $35, 10 years, no test, covers your immediate family. Rankings: best GMRS mobile radios.
Overview
At a third the price of a 50-watt Midland, the DB20-G covers the core of what a GMRS mobile is for: talking simplex to your convoy and reliably working local repeaters, with programmable CTCSS/DCS tones including the split tones many club machines require. On top of that it scans and receives 136–174 and 400–470 MHz — receive-only, which is what keeps its FCC Part 95E grant legal. Be aware an unlock hack circulates online to open up transmit; using it voids the certification and puts you outside the rules, and we’re not going to pretend otherwise.
It’s honest about what it is: a ham-radio-derived micro-mobile (the Anytone DNA shows in the dense menus) wearing a GMRS certification. That heritage cuts both ways, as below.
License note: GMRS transmit requires a license — $35 to the FCC, valid 10 years, no exam, one license covering your immediate family. Listening and scanning need nothing.
Channels, power & repeater use
- Power: 20 W. Hardwire it — the included cigarette-lighter plug is convenient but voltage-sag-prone, and sagging supply voltage costs you transmit power.
- Memories: ~500 channels, with 9+ customizable repeater channels and split tones.
- Receive/scan: 136–174 / 400–470 MHz.
- Weather: no dedicated NOAA standby alert — you can program and scan the weather frequencies, but there’s no Midland/Wouxun-style alert function. Verify against the manual if weather alerting is a must.
- Programming: CHIRP, RT Systems, or Radioddity’s CPS — the best software story in the budget class.
- Antenna: reported as an SO-239 pigtail on the back — verify the connector on your unit before ordering mounts and feedline.
Where the money went (and didn’t)
The compromises are all livable but real. The speaker is small and low — in a loud vehicle you’ll want the external-speaker jack. The fan is audible. The menu system is ham-clone dense; budget an evening with CHIRP and the manual rather than expecting Midland-style simplicity. And QC and support are thinner than Midland or Wouxun — Radioddity’s support is responsive by budget-brand standards, but this is still an importer-backed radio, not a US-brand warranty program. None of that changes the headline: nothing else this cheap is repeater-capable, split-tone-capable, CHIRP-programmable, and certified. If the budget stretches, the Wouxun KG-XS20G Plus buys weather sealing and nicer build at the same 20 W, and the KG-1000G Plus buys 50 W and everything else.
GopherTrunk alternative
FRS and GMRS are analog narrowband FM at 462/467 MHz — squarely in a ~$30 RTL-SDR’s wheelhouse, and the dongle costs a quarter of even this radio. Free GopherTrunk monitors and records every local FRS/GMRS channel and repeater at once, so you can find out what’s active near you — and whether the repeaters are worth the $35 license — before buying anything that transmits. GopherTrunk is receive-only; pair it with the DB20-G rather than instead of it. Download GopherTrunk and scout your area first.
Who it’s for
- Buy the DB20-G if you want the cheapest certified path to real GMRS — first radio for a convoy, a second vehicle, or a budget repeater setup — and you don’t mind menus with a learning curve. View on Amazon →
- Buy the Wouxun KG-XS20G Plus instead if the radio will live in the weather — same power, IP65 sealing.
- Skip it for the Wouxun KG-1000G Plus or Midland MXT575 if you need 50 W for fringe repeater work. Full rankings: best GMRS mobile radios.
Sources
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Radioddity DB20-G product page — Radioddity, on the 20 W output, ~500 channels, repeater/split-tone support, wideband receive/scan, programming options, and Part 95E certification. ↩
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a license for the Radioddity DB20-G?
To transmit, yes — a GMRS license: $35 to the FCC, valid 10 years, no test, covering your immediate family. Its wide VHF/UHF coverage is receive/scan only, and listening requires no license.
Is the Radioddity DB20-G legal for GMRS?
Yes — it carries a genuine FCC Part 95E grant because transmit is locked to the GMRS channels. An unlock hack circulates online; using it voids the certification and makes transmissions illegal, so we don’t recommend it.
Is the DB20-G the same radio as the Anytone AT-779UV?
Electrically, yes — FCC filings show the Radioddity DB20-G and Retevis RA25 are re-badged Anytone AT-779UV variants. If one is out of stock, the others are literally the same radio.
Does the DB20-G have NOAA weather alerts?
Not the standby-alert kind. You can program and scan the NOAA weather frequencies for listening, but there’s no dedicated weather-alert function like the Midland and Wouxun radios have — verify against the manual if alerts matter to you.
Should I hardwire the DB20-G or use the cigarette-lighter plug?
It ships with a cigarette-lighter plug, which is convenient but voltage-sag-prone. For reliable full power on transmit, hardwire it to switched power or the battery.