There are two main types of handheld radios in the united states, FRS or Family Radio Service, and GMRS or General Mobile Radio Service. The two types differ in a number of ways, but what many don’t know is that a license is needed for one, and not the other.

 

FRS

The Family Radio Service was created in 1996 for use by individuals in close range. The FRS system uses frequency modulation (FM) rather than amplitude modulation (AM) which increases its predictability, as opposed to the CB band. Most FRS systems are found at local sports and hunting stores, and used between family members and friends. They are relatively inexpensive, can be used by anyone and are easy to find.

Unlike their more powerful big brother, GMRS, the FRS system is only allowed 500 milliwatts (half a watt) of power according to the FCC. Because of this, their range is very limited. Most FRS radios will work up to about 1 mile apart. Large trees, buildings or hills will interfere with and reduce the range of communication.

Each different radio service operates on specific channels. FRS radios are allowed on channels 1-14. Specific to FRS are channels 8-14, but channels 1-7 are shared with GMRS radios. FRS radios also use codes on each of these channels to filter out unwanted noise from other FRS users. Although this can increase privacy between talkers, it does not guarantee that others cannot hear what is being said. (Learn More about FRS Radios)

 

GMRS

The GMRS system, as mentioned previously, is like the big brother to the FRS. Like the FRS, GMRS uses FM rather than AM waves to send signals, but unlike the FRS, GMRS can use up to 50 watts of power. Typically though, most GMRS radios use between 1 and 5 watts of power. Their range is a bit better than FRS radios, with typical hand-held devices being somewhere in the 1-2 mile window. Some mobile units with higher antennas can have a range up to 5 miles.

Today GMRS radio’s range is expanding exponentially, due to what is known as Wide Area Service. Similar to cell phone towers that are placed all around the country, wide area service providers are placing radio repeaters high atop buildings and other tall structures. Instead of a signal going directly from one radio to another, the signal is sent to the repeater, and then to the intended radio recipient. This repeater service increases the range dramatically, with each individual repeater being able to send out signal up to a 20 mile diameter around it. The range for GMRS radios using repeaters can be up to hundreds of miles.

GMRS radios share channels 1-7 with the FRS, but have their own specific channels of 15-22. On channels 15-22, GMRS radios are able to be used in duplex mode (where signals can be sent and received at the same time – explained in our previous blog on two-way radios vs. cell phones) whereas on channels 1-7 all radios can only be used on simplex mode.
In general, GMRS radios are higher powered, have an increased range, and are typically are bit more expensive (but also higher quality) than the FRS radios. The main, but often unknown, difference between the two is that in the United States, GMRS radios can only be used by licensed operators. (Learn More About GMRS Radios)

 

Licensing for FRS and GMRS Radios

Before 1987, the FCC required that businesses using GMRS radios be licensed. In 1987, this law switched to individual users. Today, anyone above the age of 18 can apply for a GMRS license (no test required). The fee is $85 and the license is good for 5 years, where at which time it can be renewed. Businesses with licenses that were obtained prior to 1987 can still renew for a fee, but new businesses cannot apply as such. Only individuals can get new licenses, and the licenses of businesses that were grandfathered in cannot be changed drastically.

In addition to the licensee, their immediate family can also use the GMRS radio under their license. GMRS licensees can communicate with FRS users under the FCC law, along with other GMRS licensee holders.

 

FRS and GMRS Radios, Which One Should I Use?

Are you a business with many employees, or a hunter who will only use a radio once a week? Do you travel long distances away from the people you need to communicate with, or are they merely a few hundred yards away? Cost is also a factor to consider, the cost of the radios themselves, and also the fee to get licensed. If you are a large company with employees, the licensing fee can be costly, but also well worth it. As a recreational user, an FSR radio is likely a better option for you. (Get More Tips On Choosing Your Radio

Classifying emergency situations is subjective. Depending on each person’s view, emergency situations could be as small as the toaster smoking. Fortunately most of us consider emergency situations to be at least somewhat life threatening. During such emergency situations, it is imperative that people are able to communicate. Not just emergency personnel, but everyday citizens need to talk to their family and contact others for help. As we have seen with situations like the brown out, 9-11 and hurricane Katrina, there are different modes of communication that are better than others in catastrophic situations.

 

Landline Phones In Emergency Situations

Although landline phones do not count on cell towers or satellites to operate, they do often need a modem nowadays. If your phone is serviced through a company like Verizon, make sure to ask if your landline will operate without power. Many won’t. If yours does, also keep in mind that landlines, unlike cell phones, are not required to be hooked up to a local 911 center. If your power is out, a landline phone might be your best option short term.

 

Internet – Email In Emergency Situations

If you have power, or a cell phone, your internet and/or email might be a good way to contact family members who are far away. Also, you can access local websites to see what is going on, where power is out, and if there are any instructions for people at that time. Utilize Facebook, see what people around you are doing, and keep in contact with others. But, if you don’t have power or cell phone access, none of these are options.

 

Cell Phone In Emergency Situations

For most every day emergencies, cell phones are the best option available. To call a tow truck, to let your wife know you broke your wrist playing softball, or when you just need some Chinese food. But what about during a hurricane or a blizzard? Most of the time cell phones work well even in these situations, until everyone tries to use their phones at the same time. Cell towers get overloaded, and quickly no one is able to get a call out.
When there are more disastrous events, such as hurricane Katrina, cell towers actually lose power. If they are knocked down by wind or water, they will no longer transmit a signal. If they lose access to the A/C power needed to run them, they also will not transmit signal. In addition to towers losing power, if power is out among your neighborhood or city, you will also have a difficult time charging your phone. During a long term outages, a car is an option, but keep in mind that fuel might be hard to get, and the battery in your car is charged by your car running. Some cars do not even charge a cell phone unless the motor is on, so use gas sparingly.

 

FRS Radio In Emergency Situations

FRS radios are a good option during an emergency; they are just typically unable to reach others at long distances. The emergency channel used for FRS and GMRS is the same, so likely if you are tuned into that channel, you can reach emergency personnel within a few miles distance. If you live in a remote area though, your best bet is a GMRS or Ham radio.

 

GMRS Radio In Emergency Situations

GMRS radios require you to obtain a license, but are able to send and receive signals from other radios from many miles away. GMRS radios use repeaters on tall buildings and towers to send and receive signals out over very far distances. As long as the repeaters are intact, the radios will work, and you can contact a larger number of people than FRS radio can.

 

Ham Radio In Emergency Situations

Using a ham radio, people have reported being able to chat with others across the world, using repeaters of course. A license is required, but well worth it. And with some practice, in an emergency situation ham radios can be invaluable. You can get them as stationary or portable devices, and with some tinkering, and additional antennas, you can reach out to most anyone. The test to get licensed is not particularly hard, and knowing Morse code is no longer needed, but it does take some studying. Overall according to preppers and the like, the Ham radio is your safest bet in an emergency.
Remember that in an emergency, communication is important, but so is being prepared. In addition to whatever form of communication you choose, make sure you have batteries, water, some source of heat and extra food. A generator is always a plus, just remember to keep extra fuel at home (stored appropriately) for it. Keep your phone or radio charged, and don’t panic. Clear headed, calm individuals are always beneficial in an emergency and can be of great help to emergency workers and their very own fellow citizens.

We often hear from customers that cell phones have the same capabilities as two-way radios. With cell phones now being able to connect you to the internet, share pictures, and access email (among many other things) it is not surprising that they are seen as a descendant of two-way radios. This could not be farther from the truth. It is no secret that cell phones have come a long way in recent years, but what is widely unknown are the many uses of two-way radios that cell phones just can’t do.

 

The History of Two-Way Radios

Two-way radios date back to the late 1800s. In 1885, Heinrich Hertz proved the existence of electromagnetic waves and that these waves could be sent and received. Shortly thereafter, Nikola Tesla used this theory and created the first radio. To learn more about Hertz, visit (this article). To learn more about Tesla and his part in two-way radio history, visit (this link). Two-way radios made their first appearance on ocean ships and airplanes. Before this, pilots often had to land their planes to deliver important messages, and ships were relegated to using Morse code and carrier pigeons. Within a few decades, two-way radios were implemented in police cars, and used by the military in WWII. Today two-way radios are used in numerous public and government functions. From firefighters to police officers, and construction workers to miners, two-way radios go where cell phones simply can’t.

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Three Modes of Communication

When electromagnetic waves were first harnessed to serve as communication transmitters, they were sent in only one direction, which is referred to as simplex communication. Your car radio or home televisions are examples of this form of communication. Simplex communication is one-directional and often used in instances of emergency when a large population needs to receive information. Your television harnesses simplex communication to deliver you the news, and both your TV and radio will interrupt normal broadcasting to inform citizens of emergency situations. Today simplex communication is still used in daily life more than most people realize. Pagers, GPS services, baby monitors, garage door openers, video cameras, and printers all rely on simplex communication.

While advancements in technology with radios and harnessing electromagnetic waves continued, two new systems evolved: half-duplex and full-duplex communication. Half-duplex communication is when radio waves can be transmitted and received by the same tool, but signals can only move in one direction at a time. Most walkie-talkies work in this fashion. A button is held down by the current transmitter, while the receiver simply hears the message. After the message is received, the receiver can then send a message back. In contrast, a full-duplex system of communication allows for both transmitter and receiver to send messages at the same time. Examples of this are today’s home and cellular telephones. While people are speaking to one another using telephones, both speakers can talk and be heard at the same time. Two-way radios can also be designed to work on full-duplex mode, where the transmitter relays their message on one frequency, and the receiver of that message can also relay a message at the same time using a different frequency. (Read More)

Most people would follow the logic that when looking at the advancements in communication, full-duplex is better than half, and half is better than simple. In contrast, all three forms of communication have their own pros and cons. Simplex communication is used in technology that is all around us, and would have no added benefit if turned into half or full-duplex forms. Do we really need our garage door openers to transmit signals back to us? Or do we need to send radio signals to our GPS services? Most would say no. It would be a waste of time and money to create car radios that also send outgoing messages. On the other hand, our telephones would be of little value to us if we were only able to speak to our friend at the other end without them being able to respond. When we compare two-way radios to telephones, cell phones in particular, we see many advantages to using a two-way radio.

 

Emergency Situations: Group and Instant Information

When it comes to emergency personnel, one would be hard pressed to find individuals who believe that a cell phone would be of greater use to them than a two-way radio. There are two main reasons for this: group communication and instant messages. Picture a large house fire. Firefighters and other emergency workers arrive to the scene, already with their two-way radios set to the same channel. All messages sent out by each person are heard by every worker who is set to the designated frequency. No answering, no buttons to push, no stopping. In addition to all personnel being able to hear the same messages, they receive these messages instantly. While a paramedic is moving an injured person to a nearby ambulance, he hears on his radio that another person has been rescued and needs medical support. He can quickly prepare himself and his team for the next person, and do it within a matter of seconds. The lives of all workers, and the people they are trying to rescue, require immediate action and to the second information.

In addition to emergency personnel, every day citizens will find it difficult to use their cell phone during national emergencies. It has often been seen during these times that millions of people get on their phone trying to reach loved ones. Because of this massive deluge of callers, cell phone networks often do not work. Callers cannot get through, and messages are not sent or received.

 

Durability

In addition to ease of use, group and instant messaging and reliability in emergency situations, two-way radios are much more durable than today’s cell phones. As most of us know, a cell phone can be destroyed with one simple drop onto an asphalt or concrete surface. Two-way radios are much sturdier and able to withstand much more abuse than any cell phone on the market. In tough work environments, a cell phone might last a matter of months, whereas a two-way radio can withstand the conditions and last for years.

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Remote Locations

Even though most of us are used to having excellent cell phone coverage, there are many locations around the world where cell phone towers are absent. When in remote locations, two-way radios are far superior. Two-way radios do not need any towers to send signals. The radio waves are simply transmitted from radio to radio. Examples of these areas include remote forests, underground construction sites, and open ocean.

 

Wide Area

Today, two-way radio providers are creating larger and larger areas in which radios are able to transmit to one another. A common problem with two-way radios is that their range can be just a few miles. For many companies, and during emergency situations, this short distance is detrimental to operations. Towers and tall buildings equipped with radio transmission equipment are making it possible to send messages via two-way radios that are up to 300 miles away. Using this equipment, messages are received in less than one second, just as if the two-way radios were only feet apart. (Learn More)

Overall two-way radios and cell phones are wonderful pieces of technology that in and of themselves serve very different purposes. Each has had advancements that further their uses, and in many ways are on separate tracks. Cell phones are great for having conversations, playing games or browsing the web. Two-way radios are a means of instant communication in emergency situations, in remote locations and when cell phone towers are overwhelmed. For more information on two-way radios for your company or government sector, please check out our contact us page (HERE).

Highland Wireless is proud to say we give back! With an excellent team of individuals and plenty of resources, Highland Wireless has stepped up to the plate to give back what we can to the community.

 

The Past

Toys in the Sun, Run – In the past, Highland Wireless has worked closely with Toys in the Sun, Run, an organization combining motorcycles and car shows to raise money for needy children in the Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital Foundation. We were able to provide radio communications for the entire event and we are always looking forward to giving in any capacity we can to this organization.

Ride 4 Orphans – Another charitable event we sponsor is the Ride 4 Orphans bike ride by Spanish River Church. It is a ride to benefit orphan children in developing countries such as Haiti and in the Sub-Saharan African region. This year and previous year, we as a company attended the event and provided radio communications to the church staff for use.

 

The Present

Currently, Highland Wireless is jumping right into new opportunities for giving back and were engaging our whole team to pitch into the effort.

5k Race to End Homelessness – On March 22, 2014, The Highland Wireless team will be participating in the 5k Race to End Homelessness. While supporting this race financially, the Highland Wireless team will also be running in the race, showing our support for this worthy cause.

House Building at Habitat For Humanity – An ambitious project coming up on the horizon, Habitat for Humanity has called for volunteers to help construct a house in the local area. Highland Wireless is taking up the challenge by lending a helping hand to fund and help build a house for a needy family.

 

The Future

The work of giving back is never “Done;” the more we have, the more we can give. That is an ethic this company follows as a whole and as individual employees. We understand that for a company to be sustained, it must sustain others. We are willing to exert the time and energy to support any worthy cause that comes our way! We are all in to contribute to a anyone with a charitable organization and would love to discuss with future partners how we can aid in event execution and funding! Please call, (954) 376-7400 to see how Highland Wireless can get involved with your event!