Two Way Radio Buy Guide

Posted on Thursday, 21st May 2009 by admin

How get in touch with your group while there is no cell-phone coverage? How to communicate with each other instantly for a long time in one area? How to talk to more the one people in urban or mountain area? How to get a sonorous sound and low battery requirements from a connection electronics? The answer is Two-way Radio.

Based on my knowledge about two way radio and the informations on line, composed some tips about How to buy a two way radio below.

Two-way Radios Good At And Not Good

PROS:
Much smaller and lighter than CB radios.
Operate anywhere in the U.S., no cell-phone coverage issues.
No monthly service or roaming fees.
Potentially long ranges and excellent sound quality.
Small power requirements.

CONS:
Reception is limited to line-of-sight usage.
Clear channels can be difficult to find in congested areas.
GMRS channel usage requires a FCC license and fee.

Types of two-way radios

1. FRS (Family Radio Service) models — lower-power units that operate with a half-watt of power. They can transmit on 7 FRS channels and 7 shared FRS/GMRS channels (channels 1-7) — a total of 14 channels.

2. GMRS (General Mobile Radio Service) — higher-power radios that, for models used in outdoor recreation, typically offer 1 or 2 watts of power. GMRS signals can travel on any GMRS or FRS bands — a total of 22 channels.

Most radios now have all 22 FRS and GMRS channels available. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requires a five-year license to use GMRS bands. More details about these two types of radios can be found later in this article in the “Channels and Privacy Codes” section.

Compare Features

Size and Weight: Shop units by size, shape and weight, especially if your intended use is backpacking. You’ll want a lightweight radio that isn’t bulky. If you’re a skier or mountaineer, look for an ergonomic shape so you can easily use it with gloves. As noted earlier, consider a model where the antenna length is similar to the length of the unit’s body.

Calling and Paging Features: Pre-set “calling” tones can let you grab the attention of other members of your party before you start talking. You can also set some models to vibrate instead of making an audible tone.

Scanning: This allows you to cruise through channels in order to find the one that your group is using. You can also use this feature to quickly locate an “empty” channel for your group to use.

Keypad Lock: This allows you to lock your settings in order to prevent them from accidentally getting changed as you go about your outdoor activities.

VOX: The voice-activated (or “VOX”) feature begins broadcasting automatically when you speak in the direction of the radio, thus letting you operate it hands-free. Mountain bikers and skiers find this to be a useful function.

Noise Filter: This allows clearer signals and enhanced range.

Weather Radio: Tap into the NOAA weather band stations for local forecast and conditions. This is a very handy feature for anyone, but can be essential for backcountry adventurers.

Headset Jacks: Jacks for microphones, headphones and microphone/headphone combos allow for hands-free operation. This is ideal for active sports—skiing, kayaking, cycling—where you might not be able to stop and answer the call.

Radio/GPS Combo Units: Though more pricey, Garmin RINO (Radios Integrated with Navigation for the Outdoors) units offer all-in-one nav/comm capability. A key advantage is peer-to-peer positioning, which allows you to broadcast your location coordinates so they appear on your fellow RINO users’ screens.

Compatibility

Any two-way radios broadcasting on the same frequency (FRS or GMRS) and supporting the same channels will work together. Keep in mind, though, that to get full use of your radio’s other features, you’ll need another radio with the same features. Thus, it makes sense to buy in pairs.

When people buy new radios, they are sometimes frustrated by their inability to connect with older radios. Since older radios cannot send out the number of tones that newer radios can, this can usually be solved by setting the new radio to channel 1, code 0. The default setting for new radios is channel 1, code 1.

This is explained in most user manuals. And here’s something you should know about manuals: While it is natural to break out newly purchased two-way radios, insert batteries and begin experimenting with them, it’s a smart move to sit down and devote some time to reading the user manual thoroughly. You’ll usually learn a pointer or two that will make operating your radios a simpler task.

Battery

Most two-way radios run on standard AA or AAA batteries. Others come with their own rechargeable NiMH battery (nickel-metal hydride) or NiCad (nickel-cadmium) battery packs. A few can accommodate either.

In general, the higher a radio’s power output, the faster it will drain your batteries. Look for models that send the unit into a low-power, battery-saver mode after a certain amount of time has elapsed between broadcasts. Or consider a solar charger for in-the-field replenishment of NiMH and NiCad batteries.

Useage Area

Two-way radios made for use in the USA are generally not legal to use outside North America. In 2005, the frequencies used for two-way radios in the United States and Canada were aligned, both meeting the same requirements. Mexico formally allocates only FRS channels. Other countries may use these frequencies for police, military or other applications.

Summarize
For short-range use in uncrowded areas, FRS channels may be all you need. For longer-range use and more channel options, you’ll want GMRS channels. For ultimate convenience and versatility, choose one of the new radio/GPS units.

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