Great radio! I had an issue and John in customer service put me immediately on the path to resolution. Even with a just-released radio, he knew how to operate it and how to explain it to me clearly and simply. Once I understood the issue, I was off to the races! Did I say I really love the radio?

The KG-S88G is my third Wouxun GMRS handheld radio. I also own the KG-905G and the KG-935G. I have purchased the 805G & 905G for for both of my daughter's families. Where I live we have increasingly frequent power outages that have in the past affected cell phone coverage. During those times we have used the GMRS radios to stay in contact.

I have had the S88G for a little over a week now and have tested it on simplex with a son-in-law who lives 3.7 miles away at an elevation 700 feet lower than me and with a ridge between us that obscures line of sight by 80 feet. Communication on high power was clear and quiet just as with both of my other Wouxan GMRS radios. I tested it on a repeater 70 miles away on the other side of a valley that is direct LOS and it opens the repeater with no problem. There is a little static on receive from that distance but is clear and easily to understand.

The three main points that went into my decision to purchase this radio (besides being a radio nerd) was:
#1 - the smaller size which is perfect for carrying in a small pocket in a pack I always have in the vehicle with me. #2 - it is rated IP67 which is great as I am normally either in a very dusty area or in a kayak. #3 - the USB-C charging port on the radio. This makes carrying and using the radio very convenient as I can charge it any where there is a USB outlet. The S88G has a superheterodyne receiver which is a big selling point for a lot of people and I like that as well. Having said that, in side by side comparison with the 935G which has a direct conversion receiver there is little or no difference in use. The screen on the S88G is easy to read in direct sunlight. I tested the radio with aftermarket HT antennas and in a vehicle with a mag mount GMRS tuned antenna. The supplied antenna seems to work as well as the aftermarket antennas. The addition of the mag mount on the roof of the vehicle made a big difference on the road. Many fars were talked.

I have several Yaesu and Kenwood HT radios I use on the amateur bands (licensed on both services) and I consider the KG-S88G to be in the same league, as are my other Wouxun radios.

The only con for me is the speaker volume is a little low, however, I have significant hearing loss and the radio is waterproof which can cause the volume to be a little lower. It is still plenty loud enough just something I noticed.

I expect to get a lot of use out of the KG-S88G because of the USB-C charging ability, especially when travelling. The build quality seems excellent and appears to be very rugged, of course time will tell. BuyTwoWayRadios is great to deal with. I feel like my money has been well spent with them in terms of radio quality and quality of service. I purchased and received this radio before that youtube hobo published his reveiw.

Sean

This little radio is awesome. I decided that I wanted a step up on my HT and something that does GMRS well. (Not a HAM, so no need/desire for listening to other frequencies). Let me say first that this little sucker feels solid and seems sturdy despite its diminutive size.

I haven’t used it on simplex, but can hit my local repeater from 15 miles (partially obstructed LOS) no problem. The sound quality is excellent and as mentioned in previous reviews, the rubber ducky antenna that it comes with performs as well as the aftermarket Nagoya that I bought with it.

My main selling points on this radio were the superheterodyne receiver and the USB-C charging. My only gripe (and it’s a small one) is that I have to remove a screw that covers the charging port for USB-C. Luckily, a thumbscrew is included that can be used to make removing the cover easier, but it make sense for durability and weatherproofing that it was made this way.

At any rate, love, love, love this radio and if you want a good, solid ht that should serve you for a long time, this is it!!!

Ordered 2 of the Orange KG-S88G radios 05/31/22…received them on 07/10/22. One of the radios was defective and had to be returned. Waiting for replacement, so can’t really give better than a 3 until I receive the replacement so I can test them. I don’t have any other GMRS radios and don’t know anyone who owns one. I will try to update my review shen I receive the replacement radio.

I ordered this radio because I love the Wouxun quality and price. The size is great I can fit in a Dickies phone case I purchased for work. I was excited to receive it so quickly too!

I carry it with me every day.

These radios have an exceptional range. The quality of transmission and audible signal makes them ideal for many field and construction applications. They are significantly improved over previous generations. Additionally they are very well built with harsher field use in mind. I totally recommend them.

The performance and usability of the radio itself is excellent. However access to the speaker/microphone jack and USB jack requires a screwdriver, and the protective caps make no provision to retain the small screws leading to a sure loss in the field. The speaker/microphone jack itself is recessed further into the radio that others such as the KG-905/935 eliminating a range of right angle Kenwood compatible plug speaker/microphones from being used. Mics with heavier strain reliefs won't mate. Of the three I have tested, my Kenwood KMC-45D won't mate, the Wouxun 006 mates at an angle but works out with use, and only my Wouxun 002 actually fits properly. The radio only supports 6 character names preventing the storing of GMRS callsigns for repeaters. The KG-905 may be a better choice if you want to use external mic jack accessories and more useable channel labels.

This unit has very good battery life went over two days just on recieve mode.Also very rugged, and audio quality is good for a waterproof radio. Instructions are straight forward and understandable.

This is a great little radio for GMRS. I got it because I wanted a GMRS only radio and this little guy performs. With the addition of a Nagoya 771G I'm hitting a reapeter 30 miles away with great audio feedback from other station's and the receive is great. The IP67 rating is great aswell no need to worry about it during some rain.

The radio is easy to program from the keypad and easy to learn. Great radio for GMRS.