(888) 569-9499CONTACT US
0Item(s)

You have no items in your shopping cart.

Product was successfully added to your shopping cart.

Monthly Archives: July 2006

  • FRS and GMRS Frequencies

    Updated February 2018 to include changes from FCC Part 95 reform.

    All of our FRS and GMRS consumer radios operate on either the GMRS or FRS channels, and most support both. We are sometimes asked for the exact frequencies of these channels. Below is a table showing the channel number, type of channel, and the frequency.

    FRS and GMRS Frequencies

    Channel Type Frequency FRS
    Power / Bandwidth
    GMRS
    Power / Bandwidth
    1 FRS/GMRS 462.5625 2W / 12.5kHz 5W / 25kHz*
    2 FRS/GMRS 462.5875 2W / 12.5kHz 5W / 25kHz*
    3 FRS/GMRS 462.6125 2W / 12.5kHz 5W / 25kHz*
    4 FRS/GMRS 462.6375 2W / 12.5kHz 5W / 25kHz*
    5 FRS/GMRS 462.6625 2W / 12.5kHz 5W / 25kHz*
    6 FRS/GMRS 462.6875 2W / 12.5kHz 5W / 25kHz*
    7 FRS/GMRS 462.7125 2W / 12.5kHz 5W / 25kHz*
    8 FRS/GMRS 467.5625 0.5W / 12.5kHz 0.5W / 12.5kHz
    9 FRS/GMRS 467.5875 0.5W / 12.5kHz 0.5W / 12.5kHz
    10 FRS/GMRS 467.6125 0.5W / 12.5kHz 0.5W / 12.5kHz
    11 FRS/GMRS 467.6375 0.5W / 12.5kHz 0.5W / 12.5kHz
    12 FRS/GMRS 467.6625 0.5W / 12.5kHz 0.5W / 12.5kHz
    13 FRS/GMRS 467.6875 0.5W / 12.5kHz 0.5W / 12.5kHz
    14 FRS/GMRS 467.7125 0.5W / 12.5kHz 0.5W / 12.5kHz
    15 FRS/GMRS 462.5500 2W / 12.5kHz 50W / 25kHz*
    16 FRS/GMRS 462.5750 2W / 12.5kHz 50W / 25kHz*
    17 FRS/GMRS 462.6000 2W / 12.5kHz 50W / 25kHz*
    18 FRS/GMRS 462.6250 2W / 12.5kHz 50W / 25kHz*
    19 FRS/GMRS 462.6500 2W / 12.5kHz 50W / 25kHz*
    20 FRS/GMRS 462.6750 2W / 12.5kHz 50W / 25kHz*
    21 FRS/GMRS 462.7000 2W / 12.5kHz 50W / 25kHz*
    22 FRS/GMRS 462.7250 2W / 12.5kHz 50W / 25kHz*
    RPT15 GMRS 467.5500 - 50W / 25kHz*
    RPT16 GMRS 467.5750 - 50W / 25kHz*
    RPT17 GMRS 467.6000 - 50W / 25kHz*
    RPT18 GMRS 467.6250 - 50W / 25kHz*
    RPT19 GMRS 467.6500 - 50W / 25kHz*
    RPT20 GMRS 467.6750 - 50W / 25kHz*
    PRT21 GMRS 467.7000 - 50W / 25kHz*
    RPT22 GMRS 467.7250 - 50W / 25kHz*

    *Note: 20kHz Authorized Bandwidth.

    FRS and GMRS Frequencies prior to 2017 Part 95 Reform

    Channel Type Frequency
    1 FRS / GMRS 462.5625
    2 FRS / GMRS 462.5875
    3 FRS / GMRS 462.6125
    4 FRS / GMRS 462.6375
    5 FRS / GMRS 462.6625
    6 FRS / GMRS 462.6875
    7 FRS / GMRS 462.7125
    8 FRS 467.5625
    9 FRS 467.5875
    10 FRS 467.6125
    11 FRS 467.6375
    12 FRS 467.6625
    13 FRS 467.6875
    14 FRS 467.7125
    15 GMRS 462.5500
    16 GMRS 462.5750
    17 GMRS 462.6000
    18 GMRS 462.6250
    19 GMRS 462.6500
    20 GMRS 462.6750
    21 GMRS 462.7000
    22 GMRS 462.7250

    *Channels 8-14 limited to 0.5 watts.

    Midland MXT115 Mobile GMRS 2-Way Radio Midland MXT115
    MicroMobile GMRS radio with 15 channels and extreme long range.
  • Getting The Most Range From Your Radio

    Hiking through the mountainsUpdated March 25, 2021
    One question that we are frequently asked is "how can I get more range out of my two way radio?" In the case of consumer FRS and GMRS radios, the amount of range you can expect is usually not even close to what the manufacturers advertise. There are, however, several things that you can do to be sure you are getting the most range possible from your radio.

    Whether you have an FRS or GMRS radio, be sure that you are using it on a higher power channel at its highest allowable power setting. Most of the old consumer FRS/GMRS combo radios support 22 channels at a maximum transmit power of less than 2 watts. As a result of the FCC rule changes in 2017, this reclassified these models as FRS walkie talkies. If the radios are above 2 watts, they are now considered GMRS radios. This means the old FRS and GMRS channels are now shared by both services.

    However, it is important to note that GMRS radios require a license to operate, while FRS radios are licensed by rule, i.e. no license is required. This means your range is not only determined by how much power you apply, but how much power you are allowed to use.

    There is one more caveat. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) does not allow transmission on channels 8-14 at more than half a watt of power. This means that if you are on one of those channels, your radio will only transmit using "low power" mode, no matter which service your radios fall under.

    To put it simply, for maximum power, use channels 1-7 or 15-22.

    Most consumer radios support two or more power modes. To get the most range, be sure that you are using high power mode on the channels that allow it. Lower power modes will not use all of your radio's possible output power and will reduce range.

    Be sure to fully charge your battery. The transmission power of a two way radio tends to weaken if the battery is low. Always be sure your batteries are fully charged before using your radios, especially if you will need maximum range.

    If you are using a GMRS radio and the antenna is removeable, consider upgrading the antenna. Most "bubble pack" GMRS radios do not have removeable antennas, in which case there is not much you can do about it. Professional grade GMRS radios such as the extremely popular Wouxun KG-805G and KG-905G do allow you to remove and swap the stock antenna for one that is more finely tuned to GMRS frequencies, thus increasing range considerably. The Nagoya NA-701G and NA-771G are two notable examples of high performance antennas for portable handheld GMRS walkie talkies. Both are extremely popular with GMRS operators.

    Finally, if you still find yourself pushing the range limits of your radio you can try the "monitor channel" feature. Enabling this feature will cause the radio to open the channel, allowing you to hear static and transmissions too weak to be received by the radio in normal mode.

    Related Resources
    GMRS Radio Range Chart
    30 Miles? The Truth About Range
    The Two Way Radio Show TWRS-05 - Radios in Range
    The Two Way Radio Show TWRS-45 - The Truth About GMRS Radio Range
    Radio 101 - The truth about FRS / GMRS two way radio range
    How To Optimize Range for Motorola Talkabout Two Way Radios

  • 30 Miles? The Truth About Range

    Midland GXT2000 Two Way RadioYou may have noticed that most of the consumer two-way radios you see around advertise a range of up to 30 miles. The truth is, consumer FRS and GMRS radios will not even provide close to the advertised "maximum range".

    The range that a two-way radio advertises is the range that the radio should get in "ideal" conditions. Ideal conditions are line of sight, such as from a mountaintop to a valley below -- no interference at all. Most likely, you will not be using the radios in these circumstances! You will probably want two-way radios for things such as hunting, skiing, malls, car trips or vacations. Under these normal conditions, the range of the radio will be limited because of obstructions, such as trees, hills, or buildings. These obstructions block the signal and dramatically reduce the range of a two-way radio.

    So what type of range can you expect from your radio? Usually half a mile up to two miles, depending upon your terrain and the power of your radio. In the same environment, a 2 watt radio with a long antenna would provide considerably more range than a half watt radio with a short antenna.

    When choosing a radio, it is very important to consider both the amount of range that you need and the environment in which you will be using the radios. Naturally, you wouldn't have as many obstructions in a football stadium as being in the middle of a heavily wooded area. For use in a stadium you would likely be fine with a small, one watt radio. In a wooded area, however, that same radio may not provide sufficient range. These are things that you need to take into consideration when choosing which two-way radio is right for you.

    Related Resources
    GMRS Radio Range Chart
    Getting The Most Range From Your Radio
    The Two Way Radio Show TWRS-05 - Radios in Range
    The Two Way Radio Show TWRS-45 - The Truth About GMRS Radio Range
    Radio 101 - The truth about FRS / GMRS two way radio range
    How To Optimize Range for Motorola Talkabout Two Way Radios

  • Check It Out - A Two Way Radio Blog!

    Hi, this is Danny Feemster, owner of BuyTwoWayRadios.com. Thanks for checking out our new weblog!

    There's several reasons that we decided to start this blog. Most importantly, there's tons of  great information and advice that we provide to our customers on a daily basis via the telephone and email that simply doesn't exist on our web site. A blog will provide us with an easy way to make this information available. It's also going to give us a great place to make new product announcements and post other industry news.

    Over the next few days I hope to provide a few posts to address some of our more frequently asked questions, and to talk about some of our more popular products. Check back soon!

4 Item(s)