Review MURS BCS-MV65

General Description

The BridgeCom MV65 is a 12 channel Waterproof MURS handheld with NO license requirements to operate in the US. This radio is far from an off the shelf toy, but a rugged transceiver that can take a beating with an IP65 Waterproof rating.

In the Box

The MV65 comes with the following:

- BridgeCom MV65 Handheld
- Charger / AC Adapter
- 2000 mAh Li-Ion Battery
- 4.0" Antenna
- Belt Clip & Lanyard
- User Guide (17 page)

Enclosure

The MV65 weighs in at 9.3oz (.26 kg)
Case size is 4.5" (H) x 2.5" (W) x 1.4 (D)" (114 x 64 x 36 mm)

A good portion of the size and weight is due to the hefty 2000 mAh battery.
The front panel button are for accessing the Menu options, Exit, any Up/Down channel control.

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There are 3 buttons on the left side. The large button is the PTT, while the 2 smaller Side Key buttons are preprogrammed.
- SK1 Short Press - Open Squelch
- SK1 Long Press - Flashlight
- SK2 Short Press - Scan on/off
- SK2 Long Press - Noise Cancelling

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Frequencies

MURS
Ch 1 - 151.820   11.25 kHz
Ch 2 - 151.880   11.25 kHz
Ch 3 - 151.940   11.25 kHz
Ch 4 - 154.570   20.0 kHz
Ch 5 - 154.600   20.0 kHz

Ch 6 - WX1 162.550
Ch 7 - WX2 162.400
Ch 8 - WX3 162.475
Ch 9 - WX4 162.425
Ch 10 - WX5 162.450
Ch 11 - WX6 162.500
Ch 12 - WX7 162.525

CTCSS/DCS tones can easily be added using the menu options.
Weather channels are RX only.

Transmitter

The audio quality is very good when speaking about 1" across the front of the radio.
The transmit power is rated at 2W. The power levels below were taken a calibrated Bird Wattmeter.

MV65	High	Low
MURS	1.9	1.2

Receiver

Receiver sensitivity is very good with plenty of clear and loud audio. Privacy tones can be set to eliminate interference from other stations in the vicinity of operation if desired.

Display

The 1.77" LCD display has excellent resolution. Here are a few display samples.

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Headphone Jack

The right side of the radio has jack that accepts headphones or Spkr/Micr. The connector is a standard K1 so standard accessories are compatible. When not in use, the cover should be replaced to prevent water and dust from entering the radio and maintain the IP65 Waterproof rating.

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Battery and Charger

The battery is a hefty 2000mAh Li-Ion. The charger base shown below is powered by a 12V 500mA AC adapter. The charge indicator on the front of the base shows Red while charging and Green when fully charged or the base is empty.

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Antenna

The supplied antenna is detachable and specifically tuned for the MURS frequencies.

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In Summary

The MV65 is a solidly built handheld with a large battery capacity and several receive options. With no license requirements, these are excellent for:
- Vacationing
- Hiking
- Paint Ball
- Field and Event operations

Availability

The MV65 series is available from:

Amazon & BridgeCom Systems