Cobra TrailBlazer 450 GMRS Two-Way Radios review

REVIEW – I’m a n00b when it comes to radios, but after recently experiencing the wildfires and earthquakes here in Southern California, I knew I needed to put some energy into finding a reliable way to communicate when cell service isn’t reliable. When the opportunity came up to review the new TrailBlazer 450 GMRS radios from Cobra, I jumped right in to the world of personal radios. Read on to find out how deep into the rabbit hole I went and how well these radios performed.

⬇︎ Jump to summary (pros/cons)
Price: $119.95 (for a 2-Pack)
Where to buy: Cobra

What is it?

The Cobra TrailBlazer GMRS Radio is a handheld two-radio that is designed to work right out of the box without any programming.

What’s included?

• 2X Trailblazer 450 GMRS Radios
• 2X Li-ion batteries
• 2X Antennas
• 2X Belt Clips
• Charging Cord

Tech specs

Design and features

After two rounds of wildfires here in Southern California, I picked up a family pack of FRS walkie-talkies to add to our ‘bug-out bags’. The idea was to be able to stay in short-distance communication if cell service became unreliable or was maxed out due to disasters. I didn’t realize how short that distance was. I needed something with a bit better range, just in case. The usual progression is FRS -> GMRS -> Ham. For this review, I’ll focus on FRS and GMRS.

The Cobra TrailBlazer 450 GRMS Radios are one of the latest handheld GRMS radios from Cobra. Compared to other GRMS handheld radios, the TrailBlazer 450 is designed to simplify getting up and running. There is no keypad to enter in frequencies. Instead there are 4 banks of channels.

• Bank 1: 22 GMRS/FRS channels +8 GMRS repeater channels
• Bank 2: 60 GMRS/FRS channels compatible with Cobra RX series FRS radios and Midland 50 channel FRS and GMRS radios
  • Channels 1-22 (and +8 repeater channels if turned on) are the standard GMRS channels compatible with all FRS and GMRS radios
  • Channels 23-60 have preset privacy codes
• Bank 3: 22 GMRS/FRS channels with preset privacy codes. Compatible with Cobra PX series FRS radios
• Bank 4: Blank by default. Bank 4 is used for the Frequency Find function. When channels are found with the find function, they will be stored in Bank 4.

So we’ve hit a few terms that may need some clarification, at least for me:

• FRS: Family Radio Service
• GMRS: General Mobile Radio Service
• GMRS Repeater: will take an incoming transmission and retransmit to a larger range and can increase range from less than 5 miles to 15 miles to more than 25 miles.
• Squelch: a means to share a channel without additional interference or crosstalk.
• CTCSS: Continuous Tone Controlled Squelch System
• DCS: Digitally Controlled Squelch

Below is a simple chart highlighting the difference between FRS and GMRS.

So now that is out of the way (whew!), what was my experience with the Cobra TrailBlazer 450 GMRS Radios? It was easy to get started and I think that is the main point of the TrailBlazer 450 radios. These radios are made to go anywhere, last 16 hours on a full charge, and hold up to the elements.

I did register for a GMRS (call sign WSHA948) license through the FCC. There is no test, basically registering and paying $35 for a 10-year license. And the license is good for your immediate family (spouse, children, grandchildren, stepchildren, parents, grandparents, stepparents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, nephews, and in-laws).

Assembly, Installation, Setup

Setup was simple as charging up the Cobra TrailBlazer 450 radios. This kit came with 2 radios and the batteries and belt clips were already installed. I screwed in the antenna and was able to fire both up and was able to start communicating.

Performance

Thankfully during the month long review of the Cobra TrailBlazer 450 GMRS Radios, I was not in any type of disaster or any other emergency situation. My testing was based on non-scientific methods of checking in with the radios at various distances, both on foot and in the car. As a comparison, I tested in conjunction with my FRS walkie talkies. The conditions weren’t ideal for this type of testing, as I was in our residential neighborhood with some one and two story homes or on the freeway in our cars.

The FRS walkie talkie’s started showing some signs of dropping at about 500 ft. This was not in a straight line, but involved turning a corner. I started to hear static and a lower volume through the FRS at this point. The Cobra TrailBlazer 450 GMRS Radio still sounded clear and the volume remained constant. Keep in mind that at this point I was out of ‘line of sight’ from the other handheld. This was already better!

While driving, I was able to keep in contact for 3x (or more) the distance when using the GMRS versus the FRS radios. Again, not a lot of straight freeways in my area. Although I don’t have a super accurate way to measure performance, the fact that I was able to stay in communication for longer distances, was a big win for me.

Final thoughts

I did so much reading and watching learning about GMRS that I was getting lost in some of the details. I’m a beginner and I think the Cobra TrailBlazer 450 GMRS radios are perfect for me. It was really easy to get started out of the box, and there are additional features, like swapping out the antenna for better range, and connecting to repeaters to transmit even further, that these radios are capable of. I can see myself using these radios while camping, hiking, or off-roading. And with that increased usage, I will start exploring those other features.

For the purpose of emergency use, I feel better that the range on these GMRS radios is better than the FRS walkie talkies that I have. Some bonus features that the Cobra TrailBlazer 450 GMRS Radios tout that would be good in an emergency are 24/7 access to NOAA weather channels, and a built-in flashlight.

What I like about the Cobra TrailBlazer 450 GMRS Radio

• Simple, power and ready to use
• IP54 rated
• Direct USB-C charging, no proprietary charger

What needs to be improved?

• Nothing

Price: $119.95
Where to buy: Cobra
Source: The sample of this product was provided for free by Cobra. Cobra did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.

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