RAPID RADIO – Best Emergency Radio For Your Bug-out Bag?

By Allan Smith

So one of our readers reached out to us and asked if we had any knowledge about a survival radio that reaches coast to coast with no monthly fees called a “Rapid Radio”. Frankly we had never heard of them and so wanting to bring you the latest and greatest reviews, we reached out to the company known as “My Emergency Radio”. They were kind enough to send us two radios to test and evaluate. We were not paid for this review!

So to get started, this company is based in Michigan and states they are made in the good old USA, but the parts however are shipped from Asia. These days how can they not be, but are assembled, programmed and shipped from MI. But is this “walkie-talkie” true to what they claim?

When we received the box, everything was packaged nicely and immediately we were impressed by the quality. This company has a sense of humor as they even give you a party pack of candy. I found this odd, but granted this is their sense of humor and we’re good with it. In each box you receive the radio, changing cord and belt clip. They also offer an optional charging doc, faraday bag, solar charger and hand mic.

We felt this review was timed perfectly and so very important as we just had a cyber attack that took out AT&T and other services and thousands immediately lost their means of communication. We live in a time that is more serious now than I believe any other time in the world. I believe 2024 is going to be a shit show and we need to be as prepared as possible. So what are the “Rapid Radios”? They claim their radios you are 100% protected from Cyberattacks, power grid failures, EMP’s and more. What that “more” is they claim, I would like to know.

We found the radios good to go right out of the box. The instructions were simple and to the point. They were already programmed with Epic Tactical Radio 1 & 2. It’s my understanding you can tell them what name you want programmed in and they will handle that. The big claim that some people have questioned is they state this is a VHF/UHF radio and we have NO Monthly Fee. So this is huge, but everything is buried in red tape, right? So what we did find is although there is no monthly fee, after the first year there is a mandatory $50 dollar fee per radio to stay on the network. Rapid Radios include a SIM card that’s good for 12 months and at the end of that first year (and every year thereafter), the radios will need to be renewed for another year for $50 (per year). Still no contracts, subscriptions, or monthly fees. If they are going to be used out of the country, it would be $100 instead of $50 per radio. Why this isn’t disclosed better was a problem I felt.

We have had the radios for sometime and they worked perfect during the China hack and AT&T issue. Next we went to a known location with no cell service and tested the radio from no service zone to the home base and we had great comms. They claim Nationwide & Worldwide capabilities, so we sent the phone to a colleague in Raleigh, NC which is approximately 300 miles away. We were totally impressed by the voice, volume and quality which were perfect. I have a CB Radio and it will not reach a fraction of like this distance.

They state the radios have a 7 Day battery life and so we kept the radios on for several full days and still had great service. The radio comes with frequencies already programmed in so you can listen into emergency communications with government, FEMA, Nation Guard, weather and more.

Rapid Radios have a convenient belt clip for your vest or belt. We reached out to the company a couple times with questions and they were always prompt with a response and say that shipping is always free.

How how does this actually work? They are cell towner based and work off repeaters, so its not some magic sprinkle dust that allows these radios to perform so well, but there is still a chance that if all towers go out and were in a true grid down 1800’s situation, back to horse and buggy, you won’t be calling home.

We have to honestly say, we are impressed with these “walkie talkies” and can see so many uses from construction, camping, security, and especially with your children for communication after school and getting them away for the mobile phone. These days who the hell knows who they are talking to and if we had children this would be our choice.

Unlike cell phones, it’s not a public communication device and the government can’t listen in. These radios provide secure, encrypted communications with AES and end to end encryption standards, so only people in your group can hear the conversation or you can talk in a 1 on 1 setting. I will keep one of these radios in my vehicle at all time and one with the wife. It’s important to always have a plan B & C and this is simple cheap insurance that could very well save your life!

They are offering Epic Tactical readers 10 % off by using code: SAVE10

MSRP: $399 for 2 radio pack.

www.rapidradios.com

www.MyEmergencyRadio.com

DESCRIPTION:

Nationwide LTE Push to Talk Walkie Talkies set! UNLIMITED RANGE* AND USE! INSTANT Communications.
100% NO MONTHLY FEES or SUBSCRIPTIONS FEES – EVER!
5-DAY Battery Life!
EASY to Use – Sold as a set! Easy for kids and the elderly!
NO Contracts! Use it ANYWHERE in the USA* with nationwide coverage – NO Delays, No Lag!
FREE Shipping Anywhere in the USA from our Michigan office.
NO Programming, Setup or Configuration! Works right out of the box! Turn it on, and talk!
NO Licenses or Hidden fees required!
GLOBAL OPTION AVAILABLE FOR WORLDWIDE USE!

Product Specifications:

Unlimited Use – Nationwide
Unlimited Distance*
NO Monthly Fees – NO Subscriptions!
INSTANT Communication – No Delay, No Lag!
No Programming or Setting Up – Works INSTANTLY out of the Box!
Easy To Use! Even for Kids and the Elderly!
1 on 1 Private Talking
Group Talking – Up to 200 People
5+ Day Battery Life
USB-C Charging
Belt-Clip Included
Charger Included
NO Licenses – Includes SIM card with 1 year of service per radio. Renew for another year for $50/year (no subscriptions/contracts/monthly fees).
FREE UPS Shipping from Michigan!
Frequency Range: B1/3/5/8, B34/38/39/40/41
Lithium Ion Battery
Voltage: 3.4v