FRS, GMRS, SHTF, communications, prepper, preparedness,
Preparedness

SHTF Communications: FRS/GMRS Walkie-Talkies

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Look up “SHTF Communications” and you’ll often find advice suggesting that if you do not spend a boatload of money, get a multitude of licenses, and be able to talk to people literally thousands of miles away….well…..you might as well give up. Exaggeration? Hmmm…..maybe slightly. I would never discount the importance of Ham radio and it’s ability to offer a multitude of communication options however far too often those that cannot afford or simply choose to go a different route are frowned upon as inferior.

Can’t we all just get along?

In most emergency situations where the power is out and cell phone service is down AM/FM for news and simple FRS/GMRS walkie-talkies would be the priority communication items. If I need to go down the street to talk to a neighbor and then swing by the old couple’s home around the corner powering up the HF isn’t necessary. With a $25 pair of FRS/GMRS radio’s, I can reach my entire neighborhood.  This is an important and inexpensive communication tool.

SHTF, radio, FRS, GMRS, communications, prepper, preparedness

I’ve taken the kids to the beach back before they had cell phones and sent them out with FRS/GMRS radios. I’ve done the same at several KOA campgrounds. No issues being able to reach them as they went about discovering and having an adventure. The very same results can be had when you give a radio to your buddy and set up a neighborhood watch.  These budget-friendly FRS/GMRS radios are an important and inexpensive survival tool that far too often is discounted and not given the attention they deserve. Typical range? 1/2 to 2 miles depending on terrain and geography. Forget the 20+ miles reported on the packaging.

BTW – generally FRS channels transmit at a lower power than GMRS. With this said GMRS should provide additional range IF the radio is set up to take advantage of the legal transmit power limits.

So – while Ham radio is a fantastic communication tool do not discount the value of a pair of FRS/GMRS walkie-talkies.

“Rourke out.”

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8 Comments

  1. Earnest Lubiani says:

    Ok JR I have owned a pair of 2 way radios and they crapped out after a year. Motorola’s in fact. I agree that this is a great thing and comms can be very important. What are your suggestions on a good set of radios and a good price range? What kind of testing have you done? I’m very interested in this because this is my big weak spot in my whole prepping plan.
    Thanks

    Reply
    1. JR says:

      Earnest – good questions and could be the subject of an entire post. I’ll try to summarize:

      Let me ask you this – what are your goals when it comes to communications?

      – As stated these FRS/GMRS radios are for very short range communications.
      – As far as testing I have used Motorola and Midland radios. Both my Motorola’s failed within a year. See the picture below to see I now use Midlands.

      – Every FRS/GMRS radio I have tested has had the same range capability. Regardless of what the package said – the 5-mile versions went just a far as the 30-mile versions. Your testing might provide different results.
      – Typical reliable communication range was between 0 feet and 1.5 miles. I have gone as far as two miles with some static.
      – The Baofeng UV-5R radios do a little better and “require” a ham license to transmit. I and thousands of others have used them on FRS/GMRS frequencies within no issues of black helicopters swooping in.
      – I would recommend THESE RADIO’s for walkie-talkies. I have the same set and so far they have worked well – like all the Midlands I have.
      – Using Baofeng UV-5R handhelds with an antenna set up close to 22 feet around very flat land I reached out over 5 miles to another Baofeng. These are very capable radio’s and there are tons of video’s on YouTube showing how to operate and program.

      Get back to me on that question when you get a chance.

      Thanks – Rourke

      Reply
  2. Patriot Believer says:

    JR,
    I agree wholeheartedly. Very few can afford to do the full multi band wiz bang talk to the astronauts setup and the critical first need is to be able to communicate with those immediately around you.

    But, there are some “minimums” to avoid frustration with GMRS radios:

    1. If bubble pack is all you can afford, fine, run with it. But, if you can afford a little more to get something with a lithium battery, you’ll be much happier in the long run. Nickle metal hydride batts have memories and terrible lifespans.

    2. With your lithiums, store them at about half charge. Fully charged storage destroys them.

    3. Get something well supported with a replaceable antenna that can be swapped out for one matched for GMRS use (centered on 465 MHz) like the ones from Smiley antenna. Can’t overemphasize this–a poor antenna can easily rob you of half your power.

    4. A radio with a replaceable antenna will usually allow you to get a vehicle magnetic antenna and adapter so you can run an antenna outside the vehicle when driving–dramatically improves range.

    5. Be sure to pick something that you can get an adapter to plug into a car cigarette lighter. Think about it. Your vehicle can keep your radio going by charging it once a day and started and run for 15 minutes to charge the battery when needed.

    6. There’s a number of radios below $100 that meet the above. Baofeng UV-5R is a good example. If you’re willing to invest a $100-$150 you can get a first class, ultra reliable, high quality handheld that will last for years and years and even go digital if desired.

    Finally, find a ham whose like minded if possible. The technical help alone will be invaluable. And, he/she can link you and/or relay comms from your GMRS with long legs in time of emergency. We do this for our group and have made the investment to talk to nearly anyone. We are currently migrating to digital radios–many great advantages.

    PB

    Reply
  3. Brad M says:

    Just to add a little bit to the conversation on the HAM Radios. While you can program a UV5-R (or similar) HAM radio to transmit on the FRS frequencies, it is actually not legal to do so. That is because their low power setting is 1 Watt, which is twice the limit for the FRS Frequencies of 0.5 Watts. Another item is that in an Emergency (Personal, Regional, or other) you may transmit on the HAM bands / channels without an Amateur Radio License. That being said, to get a license you just need to pass a test that costs $14.00 to take, and is offered quite often all over the country. You don’t need to buy a book or take a class. I know someone who passed it by doing online practice tests until he learned enough of the answers to the questions to pass. To pass you need to get 26 out of 35 questions correct (74%) from a pool of a possible 426 questions (With set answers). Some of the questions are just a different variation of each other. That being said it is easy enough to just get your license and then you can become proficient.

    There are three levels of license (Technician, General, Extra) and those in the hobby are always willing to help a new HAM become more proficient. Also as an added bonus, there is no longer a CW (Morse Code) component to the test.

    So if you get your license, then you can buy a radio for as little as $30.00 that will allow you to connect to repeaters that will allow you to communicate for hundreds of miles. That allows you to get information on what is happening in your region, not just from 2 miles away, and there are fewer folks on the air chatting about how to find a tree house, or just being a knob.

    Stay Calm and HAM ON

    Reply
  4. 3rdMan says:

    When using the FSR/GMRS the privacy codes only prevent you from hearing others on the channel your using. Anyone who has not set their privacy codes still can hear ALL communications on that channel.

    Reply
  5. goingray58 says:

    it seems there are a couple types of communications.
    1.) Personal or Tactical Communications – stuff happening now, more of importance to your immediate. group or area (things like status, observation etc all local)
    2.) Strategic communications – Communications in the broader arena you might need to plan what you do locally. (maybe 50 miles or more … group disposition, order of battle, etc.. Could also be storm and rescue services.)

    Imagine you need to know a station just got a gas delivery and you run get it before it’s gone, same with food or medicines, relief truck locations… a network of information. Or you could also get information on a group moving your way and it’s time to decide stay or go.. That is a big one and you need all the information you can get for a decision like that.

    There is a lot to consider with what radios and types. All purpose driven.
    In communications more is not less
    remember 1 is noe and two is one (In this case I’m talking about options)

    Reply

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