two way radios

[kat]

i'm going to buy one to stay in touch while scooting. any input on models and headsets?

[Ken]

Well, that depends a little on whether you're talking about amateur radio sets or if you're talking about the FRS (Family Radio Service) radios that you can get at places like Best Buy or Radio Shack.

~Ken

[hcstrider]

Most of the time I use my mobile phone. If someone calls me while I am driving I find a convenient place to stop and then return their phone call.

When my wife gets her Buddy, I am looking at using our walkie-talkie radios so that we can have scooter to scooter communication while we are driving. For our walkie-talkies there is a motorcycle headset with an earpiece and a microphone that fits inside of the helmet so you can talk while driving. With this set up the walkie-talkie “talk” button attaches to the Buddy’s grip so that when you want to talk you just press the button on the grip. It looks like a nice set up but I haven’t tried it yet.

You can get the walkie-talkie radios at just about any store: WalMart, Sears, Target, Radio Shack, Best Buy, etc... The walkie-talkies that we have operate under 2 radio frequencies: FRS and GMRS and the difference is:

FRS – Operates under the Family Radio Service (FRS) frequency and you do not need a license to use this frequency. The downside is that this is a relative low power transmission and the range of your communication is usually only about half a mile.

GMRS – Operates under the General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) frequency and unfortunately to use this radio frequency you need a license from the FCC. The cost of the license is currently $85 and the license is valid for 5 years. If you have a license then everyone in your family is licensed to use the GMRS radio frequency. The GMRS frequencies broadcast using a more powerful transmission and the range of a GMRS radio is generally somewhere between 5 and 25 miles depending upon the radio.

The make/model of FRS/GMRS radios that I have is Cobra MicroTalk PR 4200 and they work great. This particular model has a range of about 7 miles when using the GMRS radio frequencies. We use these quite a bit when we are camping. I purchased these radios about 8 years ago and I don’t think that Cobra makes this particular model any more but they have been replaced by better models that have a longer range. Good manufacturers for these types of FRS/GMRS walkie-talkie radios are Motorola, MidLand and Cobra.

[Ken]

Great summary, Wayne!

Let me add, though, that if you decide to go with an FRS radio, make sure that you get one that is ONLY FRS. Many manufacturers make radios that can be used on both FRS and GMRS frequencies. If you have one of those radios, the FCC requires you to have a GMRS license, even if you're not using the GMRS frequencies. Look at the packaging carefully: It may say (often in small print on the back) something along the lines of "Use of this radio requires a license from the FCC." If it does, then it's a GMRS radio and using it without a license can net you a firm-but-polite letter from the FCC.

That being said, I used FRS radios in the job I had with the University of North Texas this past summer and I had (usually) no trouble talking to my coworkers who were all the way on the other side of the campus from me. They were probably about half to three-quarters of a mile a way at least. Keep in mind, too, that your scootering partner may be over a mile away on your odometer, but still within radio range; radio signals travel "as the crow flies."

~Ken