FRS
GMRS
FRS-GMRS
FRS:
(Family Radio Service)
FRS or Family Radios Service radios operate on
any of 14 dedicated channels (1-14) designated
by the FCC (Federal Communications Commission)
expressly for FRS radio usage.
FRS is an unlicensed service. FRS consists of 14
UHF channels on PM. FRS channel 1 is
unofficially used as the common call channel. It
shares channels 1 through 7 with GMRS, and many
FRS radios are also GMRS radios.
In order to comply with FCC standards, FRS
radios have a maximum allowable power of 0.5
milliwatts (or 1/2 watt).
GMRS
(General Mobile Radio Service)
GMRS is a licensed radio service. GMRS consists
of 16 UHF channels on FM, plus 7 channels that
are shared with FRS. 462.675 is the unofficial
channel for emergencies and assistance. GMRS
radios are allowed to transmit on the channels
they share with FRS at 5 watts, ten times the
power of FRS radios.
The maximum allowable power for a GMRS radio is
50 watts. The GMRS channels which are shared
with FRS are limited to 5 watts of power.
The use of repeaters is allowed on GMRS. Most
GMRS repeaters use CTCS (Controls Tone Coded
Squelch). GMRS radio use requires you to
purchase an FCC operator’s license.
Consumer Model 22 Channel FRS-GMRS Radios:
FRS-GMRS 2-way radios are that provide access to
both the FRS and GMRS bands, utilizing FRS
channels (1-14) and GMRS channels (15-22).
Consumer Model radios may be used without an
operator’s license, if only the FRS channels are
used.