Once upon a time, I was walking beside the sporting goods section in a Wal-Mart. On an endcap, I saw a 4-pack of radios advertising a 36-mile range. I thought, “Wow! More than a mile per dollar!” and proceeded to purchase them. I’m sure I’m not alone in this scenario. And like me, you probably then used them which broke the law. No, I’m not kidding.
FRS (Family Radio Service) and GMRS (General Mobile Radio Service) are two sides of the same coin. While they operate on the same frequencies, they do so with different power requirements and licensing requirements. This is where the problems arise.
While similar, very different requirements
FRS/GMRS radios are the quintessential “bubble pack” radios that you can purchase nearly anywhere. They operate on a series of 22 channels between 462.562 and 467.725 MHz. While close in frequency, they are different than the 70-centimeter ham radio band. I mention this ham band because it will come up later… But back to the topic at hand, let’s look at some of the details about these radios, as it’s the details that can get you into trouble.
Power
For handheld radios, there are strict power limitations by channel:
| Difference | FRS | GMRS |
|---|---|---|
| Channels 1-7 | 2 Watts | 5 Watts |
| Channels 8-14 | 0.5 Watts | 0.5 Watts |
| Channels 15-22 | 2 Watts | 5 Watts |
For channels 15-22, higher power is allowed on GMRS depending on how you are operating:
- Fixed Station — 15 Watts — a stationary position communicating to only other fixed stations (clear as mud, right?).
- Base Station — 50 Watts — a stationary radio position that communicates with mobile stations, other base stations or repeaters.
I’m no attorney, I haven’t consulted the FCC, and I didn’t stay at a Holiday Inn last night, but the way I’ve always looked at this is that a “fixed station” is a car, etc. when stopped. You can’t operate higher than 5 Watts when moving. Your home would be considered a Base Station in my opinion.
Repeaters are limited to 50W like base stations.
Licensing
Licensing is the other area where these radios diverge significantly. FRS may be used by anyone with no license (like CB and MURS).
GMRS requires a license, and this is where people get into trouble. The license doesn’t require a test - the only hard part is forking over $35 (as of the time of this writing) to the FCC and trying to navigate their terrible website. I got my license in less than a day and it lasts for 10 years and covers your entire family.
Antennas
FRS/GMRS handheld radios are unique in the world of radio as they have a specific requirement about their antennas — they must be fixed (non-replaceable). This is a big deal as an improved antenna is one sure-fire way to increase the range of nearly any radio. This capability being taken off the table is important.
Radios for “fixed stations” and “base stations” have conventional antenna attachments which allows for better antenna types and locations for much greater reach.
Radios
To operate legally using the FRS/GMRS channels, you must be using a radio that is rated by the FCC to do so. Because the FRS/GMRS frequency range is so close to that of the 70-centimeter ham band, many popular ham radios like the Baofeng UV-5R can receive and transmit on the FRS/GMRS frequencies. While perfectly legal to receive in this way, it’s illegal to transmit. Radios designed and certified for ham radio are illegal to use outside of that use, period.
That said, I’ve never heard of someone getting in trouble for doing this, largely because it’s hard to identify. I do know that the FCC has been pushing the manufacturers like Baofeng to make changes to their firmware to prevent unapproved transmission, and it’s currently a situation where the manufacturers make a change and the users figure out how to get around it…
Rules
By law, there are specific use rules that must be followed when using this band. I request you read the law yourself, and/or consult an attorney, but here is a summary:
- User must identify using FCC-assigned call sign at the end of transmissions and at periodic intervals during transmissions. I recommend writing it on your radio in silver sharpie and covering it with clear fingernail polish as I can’t ever remember mine…
- No use in connection with any activity that is against Federal, State, or local law
- No false or deceptive messages. This means no encryption, no hidden meanings (“10 codes” are allowed), etc.
- No music, whistling, sound effects or other “entertainment”. The FCC would ban dancing too if they could…
- No commercial or political use (ads, etc.)
Real-world range
As I started this article, these radios often advertise amazing range. If you’ve ever used them, then you know that you’ll likely never reproduce their claims. They weren’t lying — these radios can reach that far — but only in ideal circumstances that you’ll likely never find. For more information about this, I recommend you read this article about radio propagation.
In my experience, 2 miles is the general max range on these hand-held radios without use of a repeater. I’ve gotten a little further at times, and I’ve gotten much less as well. But 2 miles is probably the average I’ve observed. The only way to “boost” the range of a GMRS handheld radio is to get to a higher position (top of a hill or building) or use a repeater (and not all handhelds support this).
Bottom Line
Because of their easy availability, these radios are probably the most common type you’ll encounter in most households. As a result, it’s probably a good one to have the capabilities to support. It’s also a great source for local coordination (neighborhood level for instance), but generally a poor choice for reliable communication beyond a couple miles.
Get the license, stay within the law and see what results you have in your area - testing is the only way to determine how well these radios could work for you.