Two Way Radios

Two Way Radios

 

If you are in the market for Two way radios for personal use, you have a today's choice to make: What radio frequency band do you want?

Frequency! Two way radios obviously use 'wireless' declaration algorithms so when using a Two way radio you are transmitting and sending your message through the air -- the same air that is carrying television signals, commercial radio signals, Ham radio signals and literally thousands of signals from other private Two way radios. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has the job of controlling all these communication signals so they do not run into one another; to accomplish this they have reserved frequency bands for use by certain types of communication devices. There are two frequency bands in use for recreational Two way radios, these are called Family Radio Service (FRS) and General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS).

In 1996, the FCC reserved a set of radio frequencies they called the Family Radio Service (FRS) band, specifically for short-range radios that operate no more than 2 miles away from each other with a small power output it is up to 500 milliwatts.

About 50 years before the FCC created the FRS band they had reserved a set of frequencies for higher power Two way radios that operated over a longer range this is the General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) band. The GMRS band is for radios with a power output among one and five watts and a range over Two miles. The FCC regulates the Two way radios that operate on the GMRS band and requires users of this type of radio to obtain a license and pay a fee. The GMRS license is good for five years and costs $80.00; the radios operating under the license may be used by minors but only with the licensed adult's knowledge and permission. Go to the FCC's Internet page at: http://wireless.fcc.gov/services/index.htm

When buying Two way radios, your choice is among a set of radio that operates only on one of these frequency bands or a set of radios that are able to operate on either one of these frequency bands. This determination will obviously have to be made based on the maximum distance the radio users will be from one another. If the radios are to be used within two miles of one another, FRS will be the best choice. If a greater distance is consistently required, Two way radios that operate on the GMRS frequency band will be required. If the need for distance is uncertain or if you want the option of occasionally transmitting up to five miles a FRS/GMRS hybrid is the radio set to choose.