The Family Radio Service (FRS) is an improved walkie talkie system authorized in the United States since 1996. A walkie-talkie (more formally known as a handheld transceiver) is a hand-held portable Two-way radio Transceiver. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the This personal radio service uses channelized frequencies in the ultra high frequency (UHF) band, and so does not suffer the interference effects found on citizens' band (CB) at 27 MHz, or the 49 MHz band also used by cordless phones, toys, and baby monitors. Citizens' Band radio ( CB) is in many countries a system of short-distance simplex radio communications between individuals on a selection of 40 channels within The hertz (symbol Hz) is a measure of Frequency, informally defined as the number of events occurring per Second. A cordless telephone or portable telephone is a Telephone with a Wireless handset that communicates via Radio waves with a Base station FRS uses frequency modulation (FM) instead of amplitude modulation (AM). Amplitude modulation ( AM) is a technique used in electronic communication most commonly for transmitting information via a Radio Carrier wave Since the UHF band has different radio propagation characteristics, the short range use of FRS may be more reliable than license-free radios operating in the HF CB band. Radio propagation is a term used to explain how Radio waves behave when they are Transmitted, or are propagated from one point on the Earth High frequency (HF radio frequencies are between 3 and 30 MHz.
Initially proposed by Radio Shack in 1994 for use by families, FRS has also seen significant adoption by business interests, as an unlicensed, low-cost alternative to the business band. RadioShack Corporation (formerly Tandy Corporation) ( is a chain of electronics retail stores in the United States, as well as parts of North America Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar) A business (also called firm or an enterprise) is a legally recognized organizational entity designed to provide goods and/or services to The business band is the name used by US scanner hobbyists who listen to Federal Communications Commission licensees using Industrial/Business pool frequencies
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Technical information
FRS radios are limited to 500 milliwatts in the U. The watt (symbol W) is the SI derived unit of power, equal to one Joule of energy per Second. S. , according to FCC regulations. This article is for the legal term For regulation of genes see Regulation of gene expression. Channels 1 to 7 are shared with low-power interstitial channels of GMRS, the General Mobile Radio Service. Channel, in communications (sometimes called communications channel) refers to the medium used to convey Information from a The General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS is a licensed land-mobile FM UHF Radio service in the United States available for short-distance two-way A license is required for those channels only if the power output is over FRS limits, up to GMRS limits. The verb license or grant license means to give permission The noun license is the document demonstrating that permission Unlike Citizens' Band (CB) radios, FRS radios frequently have provisions for using sub-audible tone squelch (CTCSS and DCS) codes, filtering out unwanted chatter from other users on the same frequency. In Telecommunications, squelch is a circuit function that acts to suppress the audio (or Video) Output of a receiver in In Telecommunications, Continuous Tone-Coded Squelch System or CTCSS is a circuit that is used to reduce the annoyance of listening to other users on a Although these codes are sometimes called "privacy codes" or "private line codes" (PL codes), they offer no protection from eavesdropping and are only intended to help share busy channels. Tone codes also do nothing to prevent desired transmissions from being swamped by stronger signals having a different code.
FRS stations on channels 1 through 7 may communicate with GMRS stations on those channels; the GMRS stations may use up to 5 watts of power, while the FRS stations are restricted to 0. 5 watts.
The use of duplex radio repeaters and interconnects to the telephone network are prohibited under FRS rules, unlike in GMRS (where repeaters, but not telephone interconnects, are permitted), and the Amateur Radio Service. A radio repeater is a combination of a radio receiver and a radio transmitter that receives a weak or low-level signal and retransmits it at a higher level or higher power so that The public switched telephone network ( PSTN) is the network of the world's public circuit-switched Telephone networks in much the same way that the Amateur radio, often called ham radio, is both a Hobby and a service in which participants called "hams" use various types of Radio communications FRS radios must use only permanently-attached antennas. An antenna is a Transducer designed to transmit or Receive electromagnetic waves In other words antennas convert electromagnetic waves into This limitation intentionally restricts the range of communications, and promotes sharing of the available channels.
FRS manufacturers generally claim an effective range of 3 km (2 miles) or more, but actual performance is limited by the physics of propagation. The presence of large buildings can reduce range. Under exceptional conditions, such as hilltop to hilltop, communication is possible over 50 km (30 miles) or more. Under normal conditions, however, with line-of-sight blocked by a few buildings or trees, FRS generally has an effective range of 0. 5 to 1. 5 km (1/3 to 1 mile).
FRS/GMRS Dual Service Radios
Recently, hybrid FRS/GMRS consumer radios have been introduced that have 22 channels. Many of these radios have been certified for unlicensed operation (on the 14 FRS frequencies) under FRS rules. [1]
The FCC rules and statements regarding the use of hybrid radios on channels 1-7 stipulate the need for GMRS licensing only when operating under the rules that apply to the GMRS. Many hybrid radios have an ERP that is lower than 0. In radio Telecommunications, effective radiated power or equivalent radiated power (ERP is a standardized theoretical measurement of radio frequency (RF 5 watts on channels 1-7, or can be set by the user to operate at low power on these channels. This allows hybrid radios to be used under the license free FRS rules if the ERP is less than 0. 5 watts AND the unit is certified for FRS operation on these frequencies.
Owners of dual-service radios should be aware that it is unlawful to operate on channels 15-22 at any power level without holding a valid, FCC-issued GMRS license in the United States of America. In practice, however, many radio manufacturers do not make this distinction sufficiently clear to customers. Consequently, this often leads to unlawful interference to GMRS licensees by others that erroneously believe they are simply using additional FRS channels. As GMRS licenses cost money to obtain, such interference can often be a source of frustration for duly-licensed operators.
Channels 8-14 are reserved exclusively for the FRS, and GMRS operation is not allowed on these channels.
Channels 15-22 are reserved exclusively for GMRS, and FRS operation is not allowed on these channels.
List of FRS channels
| Channel | Frequency (MHz) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 462. 5625 | Unofficially designated the National Call Channel. Shared with GMRS. |
| 2 | 462. 5875 | Shared with GMRS. |
| 3 | 462. 6125 | Shared with GMRS. |
| 4 | 462. 6375 | Shared with GMRS. |
| 5 | 462. 6625 | Shared with GMRS. |
| 6 | 462. 6875 | Shared with GMRS. |
| 7 | 462. 7125 | Shared with GMRS. |
| 8 | 467. 5625 | FRS use ONLY (GMRS not allowed) |
| 9 | 467. 5875 | FRS use ONLY (GMRS not allowed) |
| 10 | 467. 6125 | FRS use ONLY (GMRS not allowed) |
| 11 | 467. 6375 | FRS use ONLY (GMRS not allowed) |
| 12 | 467. 6625 | FRS use ONLY (GMRS not allowed) |
| 13 | 467. 6875 | FRS use ONLY (GMRS not allowed) |
| 14 | 467. 7125 | FRS use ONLY (GMRS not allowed) |
Similar services in other regions
Personal UHF radio services similar to the American FRS exist in other countries, although since technical standards and frequency bands will differ, usually FCC-approved FRS equipment may not be used in other jurisdictions.
Canada
American-standard FRS radios have been approved for use in Canada since April 2000. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The revised technical standard RSS 210 has essentially the same technical requirements as in the United States. Since September 2004 low-power GMRS radios and dual-standard FRS/GMRS radios have also been approved for use in Canada, giving additional channels. The General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS is a licensed land-mobile FM UHF Radio service in the United States available for short-distance two-way In Canada only no license is required to use the GMRS shared channels 15 through 22.
Mexico
Since tourists often bring their FRS radios with them, and since trade between the U. Tourism is Travel for Recreational or Leisure purposes The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people who "travel S. , Canada, and Mexico is of great value to all three countries, the Mexican Federal Telecommunications Commission has authorized use of the FRS frequencies and equipment similar to that in the US. The United Mexican States ( or commonly Mexico (ˈmɛksɪkoʊ () is a federal constitutional Republic in North America. However, dual-mode FRS/GMRS equipment is not approved in Mexico, so caution should be exercised in operating those hybrid FRS/GMRS devices purchased elsewhere.
Europe
In Europe, a personal radio service with the same sort of licensing restriction is PMR446 having eight channels in the 446MHz range. PMR446 (Personal Mobile Radio 446 MHz is a Radio frequency part of the UHF range that is open without licensing for personal usage in most countries of the One cannot legally use the FRS radio in Europe or PMR446 in the U. S. The 446 MHZ band is allocated to amateur radio in the United States, so in principle a licensed amateur operator could use non-FCC-type-accepted PMR446 radios in the U. Amateur radio, often called ham radio, is both a Hobby and a service in which participants called "hams" use various types of Radio communications S. in compliance with the rules for amateur radio operation. In Great Britain, FRS frequencies are used for fire brigade communications and this sometimes causes problems when FRS equipment is imported from the U. See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands S. and used without awareness of the consequences by members of the public.
South America
Dual-mode GMRS/FRS equipment is also approved in Brazil and most South American countries. |utc_offset = -2 to -4 |time_zone_DST = BRST |utc_offset_DST = -2 to -5 |cctld South America is a Continent of the Americas, situated entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a Portable radios are heavily used in private communications, mainly by security staff in nightclubs and malls, but also in private parking, maintenance, and delivery services.
China
A service similar to the American-style FRS in Hong Kong, Macau, and China is also approved by respective organizations for legal license-free operation. Hong Kong ( officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a territory located on China 's south coast on the Pearl River Delta, and borders For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Macau topics. China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National However, different UHF frequencies with 20 allocated channels near 409 MHz are used. 462 MHz and 446 MHz band are not opened to FRS service, so European, American, and Canadian residents are advised not to use FRS or PMR446 radios for communication when traveling to the aforementioned areas.
Japan
In Japan, a similar service uses low-power in the 420, 421, and 422 MHZ bands. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. It is called "Tokutei Shoudenryoku Musen" ("SLPR:Specified Low Power Radio").
Australia and New Zealand
In Australia and New Zealand, the UHF CB citizen's band near 477 MHZ is used for a similar purpose. UHF CB is a class licensed (meaning Licence -free use for most users Citizen's band Radio service authorised by the
See also
References
External links
- CTCSS Codes for some Radios
- FRS Radios in Mexico
- Industry Canada discussion on the approval of FRS in Canada
- Personal Radio Association
- FRS and GMRS radio information and forums
- F-R-S Communications Center
- The situation of License Free Radio System in Japan
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