How can an FRS radio help me find a geocache?
Actually, it can't. What it can do, and is most often used for, is short range communication between the members of your party. For example, if you're going to leave your spousal unit in the car at the trailhead, a radio will alleviate much of the worry if it should take much longer to find the cache than you anticipated (and it always will). If you are caching in a small group, the radio can serve to keep all members of the party informed about the progress, particularly if the group splits up to approach the cache site from different directions. Some geocachers, like me, monitor to the FRS radio in hopes of making contact with another geocacher while driving to the trailhead or walking to the cache site. Due to the very limited range it is a very poor choice for emergency communications, this contingency is better served by a cellular telephone.

Family Radio Service was designed to be...a family oriented communications device.What is FRS? Where did it come from?
To better understand the Family Radio System (FRS), we might like to first go back to the citizens Band (CB) radio craze of the '70s. I've heard it said, "The great thing about CB radio is that anybody can buy and operate one, the bad thing about CB radio is that anybody can buy and operate one." CB radio started with 23 channels spread out around 27 MHz, on what is known as the High Frequency (HF) Band. CB became so popular that two things happened. The good was that the band was expanded out to 40 channels, to relieve some of the congestion on the original 23. The bad, at least bad to some people, was that the FCC removed the licensing requirement. Now anyone can operate a CB radio as long as they comply with the regulations. Few did, or do. One of those regulations limited the maximum power to 4 watts.

Recently, the FCC opened up a portion of the Ultra High Frequency band (UHF) band for non-licensed public use. They had the foresight to write strict and limiting rules to prevent the CB nightmare from destroying the new service. Family Radio Service was designed to be just that, a family oriented communications device. It was also intended to be used for short range transmissions, not the cross country chattering that characterized CB. To realize this set of ideals, there is a limit on the power output of an FRS radio to not more than one-half watt. The other major limitation is that the antenna must be permanently affixed to the radio body. These limits ensure that you will likely never see the two mile range that's boasted on the blister card of the FRS radio you see in your local Mega-lo-mart.

So what is the real range of these radios?
Unfortunately, that is not a very simple question. FRS radios operate in the UHF band, at 462 MHz. Without getting too technical, HF radio waves (CB radio) can bend around the horizon and will sometimes bounce off the ionosphere, giving them a greater range than their 4 watts might suggest. UHF is considered "line-of-sight", meaning that the line between the transmitting radio and the receiving one must be along a straight path with little to no interfering obstacles. Trees, hills, walls, and car bodies all wreak havoc on the signal, drastically reducing the total distance the signal will travel. To correct for this, the two radios must be placed closer together to allow intelligible conversation. Across flat terrain or water, you might actually see more than two miles; through the woods in hilly terrain, you might be lucky to get 200 meters.

The higher you can get your antenna, the farther you can transmit and receive. Standing on the roof a five story building will easily double your effective range compared to standing on the street. So if I increase the output wattage of the radio I will get better range, right?
Not really. The problem has more to do with "line-of-sight" than output power. While flying a C-141B at 37,000 feet, I could speak quite clearly and intelligibly with stations on the ground below, many many miles away, with only four watts. That's over seven miles down and sometimes 50 miles or more away! However, there was a direct path between the two stations with no limiting obstacles. Sitting on the ramp we sometimes couldn't contact the Follow-Me vehicle on the other side of the airfield, only one mile away. The antenna's height above the ground is the greater determining factor of the FRS radio's range. The higher you can get your antenna, the farther you can transmit and receive. Standing on the roof a five story building will easily double your effective range compared to standing on the street.

I notice that some radios in the store have claims of five or even seven miles, what is that about?
That is the orange to the FRS apple. Those radios are not FRS, but an FRS - GMRS hybrid. An FCC issued license is required to operate a GMRS radio.

What is GMRS?
General Mobile Radio Service is older than FRS. FRS shares the channel one through seven frequencies with GMRS. A radio built to operate in the GMRS band may operate with up to five watts on the shared frequencies, and up to 50 on the exclusive ones. Physical reality dictates that there must be a balance between the output power and the battery life though, and you are unlikely to find a handheld radio with more than two watts. A purely GMRS radio also has other advantages over FRS, including the ability to attach an outboard antenna. Since elevating the antenna is the easiest and most economical way of increasing potential range, the removable antenna presents the greatest promise for realizing long range communication from a handheld unit. Unfortunately, most of the blister-pack radios you will find in a department store will have a fixed antenna, as these are hybrid radios. Radios dedicated to GMRS exclusively are expensive, usually starting around $200 each.

An advertisement for an FRS radio said it had 14 channels and 38 sub-channels, for 532 possible channel combinations. That seems confusing, are there 532 different channels to talk on?
No, this was meant to mislead you into believing that this particular radio has something the others on the shelf do not. The 38 sub-channels are actually sub- audible tones. In fact, almost all but the cheapest FRS radios have sub-tone or CTCSS capability. There are 14 frequencies available for use in the Family Radio Service. That means there are 14 channels over which the radio is capable of operating. More about CTCSS below.

If I buy a radio made by one company, will it work with a radio made by a different company?
Yes. With FRS, each channel has an assigned frequency. For example, the frequency for FRS Channel 5 is 462.6635 MHz. Regardless of manufacturer, channel 5 will always be 462.6635 MHz, and the different radios will always be able to communicate. This includes the Garmin Rhino series and other combination units.

What is squelch?
Squelch is what keeps you from having to listen to nonstop static while you wait for someone to call you. Think of squelch as a door that is spring loaded closed. If you push on it with enough force, the door will open. The squelch on your radio is much like this, closed; the static noise does not get in. If the signal is strong enough, however, the squelch will open and the signal will be played through the radio's speaker. Whenever anyone transmits on the same channel you are listening to, the squelch opens on your radio and you hear what they're saying, even if it is of no interest to you. Like the door, anyone with enough push can get in. On CB radios, the squelch had to be adjusted manually by turning a knob. On FRS radios, the squelch is set at the factory. This makes the radio easier to operate, but limits you when you're trying to listen to a weak signal that can only intermittently open the squelch.

But what if I don't want just anyone getting in? What if I want the door locked so that only people of interest to me can get in?
While no user or group of users can reserve any of the 14 FRS frequencies for their exclusive service, radio manufacturers offer units with the ability to filter transmissions somewhat. Sub-codes, or Continuous Tone Coded Squelch System (CTCSS), is an invention of Motorola. They are also known as "privacy tones" or "Private Call". They all mean the same thing. There are usually 38 different tones that are used, although there is no standardization between manufacturers. Think of it as a door with a cheap lock on it, it can keep out some of the people trying to get in. The key to this door is the sub-audible tone. The receiving radio listens to the signal for a split second to determine if the code set in the receiving radio matches the code of the transmitting radio. If it does, the squelch opens and the transmission is heard through the radio speaker. If not, the door, or the squelch, stays closed and you hear nothing. For example, if you select channel two and tone code 37, you will not hear any transmission on channel two except those that are also broadcasting that same tone code. If I call you with my radio set on channel two and code zero, you will not hear me calling. In the reverse, if you call out on channel two, code 37, I will hear you on my radio with channel two, code zero. (Code zero is "no code".) This feature offers the convenience of keeping your radio quiet until a message meant for you is transmitted.

The most common mistake people make is talking too fast and too soon. It is best to wait a moment or two after pressing the talk button before you begin to speak. Someone loaned me their radio for an event. We spent most of the time asking "What?" Our messages were unintelligible most of the time. What were we doing wrong?
The most common mistake people make is talking too fast and too soon. It is best to wait a moment or two after pressing the talk button before you begin to speak. This is even more important when you are using the sub-audible tone feature, as the listening radio takes a split second to "hear" the tone. Additionally, you should not shout into or mouth the microphone, these will make you very hard to understand on the receiving end. Another cause of poor transmissions is simply the distance between the radios. If the transmitting radio and the receiving radio are farther away from each other than the terrain allows, the signal will not have enough "push" to fully open the squelch. This results in choppy transmissions, where you hear a few words followed by static. Actual measured distance has little to do with this.

OK, so which radio should I buy?
You should first determine what your needs in a radio are, as well as how much you're willing to spend. As with most things, the name brand models are more expensive and usually worth the extra expense. A cheap radio with a phone company brand is likely going to provide disappointing performance. First, determine whether you need the full capabilities of GMRS or the more limited and license free FRS. If you'll only use your radio for short range communicating and want a simple to operate unit, FRS is the best choice. If you want to be able to use more than one half watt, use more channels, and have the ability to add antennas to increase range, you'll need to get a GMRS license from the FCC. These cost $75, are good for five years, and here's the best part, there is no test to take and the license covers your whole family. You're required to have a license if your radio, like the Garmin Rhino, operates on the GMRS frequencies. I would highly recommend getting one if you do. If you later decide that the radio hobby is to your liking and you want the ability to use repeaters and higher wattages, you can upgrade to a GMRS only radio. You can also consider getting your amateur radio license and using the 2 meter or 70 cm bands.