One of the questions that we are asked frequently is if a new two way radio that a customer is considering purchasing will be compatible with older radios that they already have. This compatibility question is best answered based on the type of radio (such as consumer vs. business), as the answer is very different.
Consumer Radios
Consumer radios generally operate on a standard set of frequencies assigned to preset channels. But that's only part of the equation. There are different types of consumer radios, so these frequency and channel assignments depend on what type of radio it is.
Perhaps the most popular types of consumer radio are the FRS and GMRS walkie talkies. These radios operate on the UHF band. At one time this type of radio used either the GMRS or FRS services, and for awhile most were manufactured as "dual service" radios that supported both FRS and GMRS. These radios typically had 22 channels. Older models with only 14 channels were considered FRS radios.
After the FCC Part 95 reform in 2017, these combo radios were no longer considered dual service, but reclassified as either FRS or GMRS, depending on their wattage among other things. Today, FRS and GMRS share the same channel and frequency assignments and are able to communicate with one another on the same standard 22 channels. Additionally, Some GMRS radios have 8 additional channels to communicate with GMRS repeaters.
Regardless, all of the radios that support FRS and/or GMRS use the same frequencies and are compatible with one another. Simply set all radios to the same channel number and privacy code, and you will be able to communicate. FRS and GMRS radios are not cross compatible with other types of consumer radios.
CB radios operate on the 11 meter AM band, and have their own channel and frequency assignments. CB radios have 40 channels, and some are capable of Single Side Band (SSB) operation. CB radios are not cross-compatible with any other consumer radio service.
Consumer Marine radios operate on VHF marine frequencies and are intended for use on private, non-commercial vessels over water. Some older marine radios were dual service radios combined with FRS/GMRS, but
the FCC no longer allows the manufacture or sale of these models. Marine radios are not cross-compatible with other types of consumer radios.
MURS radios operate on the VHF band and have 5 dedicated channels. These radios can be used by consumers or businesses, which technically puts them in both types for this discussion. However, it is its own radio service with specific operating requirements and restrictions. MURS radios are not cross compatible with other types of consumer radios.
Popular manufacturers of consumer radios are Cobra, DeWALT, Galaxy, Midland, Motorola (Talkabout series), President, Uniden and Wouxun. Kenwood used to make GMRS models (the TK-3101 and TK-3131, for example), but have moved away from consumer radios and no longer produce them.
For a more in-depth discussion on the different types of consumer radios, listen to episode 75 of The Two Way Radio Show Podcast.
Business Radios
Compatibility is not nearly as straightforward when it comes to business radios. First of all, there are several types of frequencies that business radios are made to support: VHF, UHF, and 800/900 Mhz frequencies, for example. The first step in finding a compatible radio is choosing a model that supports the same frequency type as your existing radios.
These frequency types refer to an entire range of actual frequencies, and just choosing the same frequency type does not guarantee compatibility. If you purchased your existing radios from a true two way radio dealer, there is a possibility that the dealer could have programmed special custom frequencies into the radio. If this were the case, your radios may not be compatible with a new radio even if you purchased the exact same model.
Usually most compatibility issues arise with 4 or 5 watt radios, which are much more likely to support custom programming. With one or two watt business radios, it is a little easier to ensure compatibility. The Motorola CLS series of radios and the two watt RM series models will always be compatible, and two watt Kenwood radios that are marked with a ProTalk label will always be compatible, provided you purchase the same model.
In addition to band and frequency compatibility, there are different types of digital business radios which are not inherently compatible with one another. These include DMR, NXDN, and 900 MHz digital radios.
DMR is a very popular digital technology used by Motorola, Vertex Standard and TYT. There are a plethora of DMR radios available that are compatible with one another. NXDN is used by Kenwood and Icom. While not as prevalent as DMR, NXDN radios are popular with some businesses and organizations. These two technologies use different methods and protocols, so are not cross-compatible on their own without some type of digital converter.
The 900 MHz digital radio is another thing entirely. It uses Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum or FHSS technology. This is a clever concept that increases secure communications, but comes with the caveat that one brand of 900 MHz radio may be completely incompatible with another.
If you have any questions or concerns about business radio compatibility, the easiest option is to simply contact us and we can recommend a compatible solution. For older radios or radios that could have been custom programmed, we may ask that you send in the radio so that we can read the actual frequencies from the radio before making a recommendation.
Related Resources
Looking for a MURS Compatible Radio?
It's Official: Vertex Digital and Motorola TRBO Radios Now Compatible
The Two Way Radio Show TWRS-07 - Comparing Small Business Radios
Radio 101 - The facts about GMRS two way radio compatibility
Hi, I just recently bought 8 used motorola CP200 from different suppliers on EBay. The radios powr on but I cna not communicate with the other radios we previously had. I have them all on #1. Am I missing something or do I need to do anything to get these to communicate?
Thanks
Hi Sir, I would like to ask if SMP 328S is compatible to SMP 468?
and if "yes" how can i connect the two radio.
Thank you for your help!
Hi Josh, the answer depends on what radios everyone has and what frequencies they use. If they are using standard business radios such as Kenwood, Motorola, Icom or Vertex Standard and you are using Uniden FRS/GMRS radios, the answer is no, they will not talk to each other. The Uniden consumer radios are specifically designed for FRS/GMRS frequencies and are not user programmable. The business radios may either be UHF or VHF and operate on business frequencies. You would need to purchase a radio that is programmable and operates on the same band and frequency range as the other radios.
However, this is not to say that you wasted your money. On the contrary, Uniden makes good, solid radios and they are quite useful for other applications, especially if you spend a lot of time participating in recreational activities with family and friends outdoors. Many Uniden models support NOAA weather channels and alerts and may also be handy in an emergency, so I wouldn't throw them away.
I'm new to this so I work for a construction company and there using walkie talkies buisness ones I believe so I went out and bought a diffrent modle all in general I bought a uniden 22 channel talkie will I be able to talk to my fellow workers if they give me the channel there using or did I waste my money?
I have a radio system with Motorola GP330 handhelds, and a Motorola Spectra (or similar) base station programmed to a VHF frequency.
Recently I have programmed a few Icom IC-F30´s to work on this same frequency, but these two sets of radios does not communicate properly.
The Icoms can only communicate with eachother, and the same with the Motorolas. However, when transmitting with the Motorola it could be received by the Icoms, but when transmitting with the Icoms, there´s nothing received with the Motorolas.
Does anyone have any possible solution to what is the issue here?
BaoFeng BF-F8+ 2nd Gen UV-5R Dual-Band 136-174/400-520 MHz
Compatible with motorola sx700? Ifso, how?
Thank you!
We are based in the US so we are not familiar with Zartek. Although they may look similar in appearance, these are two different radios. Apparently the Zartek is a 446MHz radio sold in South Africa. The T388 is an FRS/GMRS radio operating on frequencies between 462 and 467MHz. Unless the Zartek can also transmit and receive in that range, the answer would be no.
What radio are you referring to?
just want to know if a bellsouth t 388 will work with zartek com 8
Is it easy to program it?
If they operate on the same band and are programmed to the same frequency, they should.
Will a TR400 radio work with a baofeng UV5RE
Hi Diego, the MR350R and CXT545 are FRS/GMRS radios and should communicate with each other. They use the same frequency assignments on the same channels, so if you are on Channel 8 on the MR350R and Channel 8 on the CXT545, they will be on the same frequency and will be able to communicate. If you are using privacy codes (interference eliminator codes), on the radios, be sure they are using the same CTCSS/DCS codes on the same channel.
The lists of CTCSS/DCS codes and the channel and frequency assignments are listed in the user manual for each make and model.
I have some pairs of Motorola Talkabout MR350R, I want to know if I can comminucate with a COBRA CXT 545 without a problem, if so, what do I have to do?
To answer your first question, it depends. There are UHF and VHF versions of the GP300. The Midland GXT565 is a GMRS radio, which operates on UHF. You would need the UHF version of the GP300 and each radio would need to be programmed to communicate with the GXT565 on the same UHF frequencies.
Marine radios operate on VHF marine frequencies. GMRS radios operate on UHF frequencies. These are different frequencies on two different bands. The exception would be the Cobra MR-HH450 DUAL, which operates on both VHF marine and UHF GMRS.
I have a few Motorola Radius GP300 and Midland GXT565 two way radios can I communicate with these together, if so, what do I have to do? As of right now if I set the Motorola on a channel and the Midland on the same channel I can't hear anything and the privacy setting is off on the Midland. The Motorola only has a 15 channel with an extra blue dot that im assuming is channel 16 or open?
Hi
I have a cobra marine radio, this radio can work with a Gmrs radios?
I have a Kenwood TK-3301 & TK-3201 - trying to use with Uniden PMR885. All the frequencies match (including privacy channel frequencies) but I can't transmit from Kenwood to Uniden - only receive ?
Jay yes I'm trying to make the Baofeng uv-5r talk with the Motoroal CLS 1410 can you help?