FRS RADIO COVERAGE INDEX Welcome to our coverage of Family Radio Service radios and products. What Is FRS? The Family Radio Service [FRS] is a relatively new radio service made available by the FCC. FRS radios are hand held and can run up to 1/2 Watt of output power, meaning that they will carry your signal further than the average walkie-talkie - usually around 1 mile, sometimes up to two miles. In comparison, a CB runs up to 4 Watts AM or 12 Watts SSB for transmissionf 12 miles or more, and a HAM radio can run from .5 to 100 Watts or more to communicate clear around the world. There are only 14 channels available for use with FRS radios - some come pre-programmed with all 14, others can only use a few of them. Unlike HAM radio, there is NO license requirement for using FRS radios, and they are relatively inexpensive. In addition, advanced features such as 38 CTCSS signals [67Hz to 250.3Hz] and signal scrambling are available. Some newer FRS radios are weatherproof! If you would like to know more about FRS, take a look at our Technical FAQ listed on the left.. FRS Radio for Emergency Response? We are in the process of testing a variety of FRS radios. Many groups are looking at FRS as an option to augment their HAM's during en emergency. We can see this working when you have only one or two licensed HAM's [base station or limited mobility] in your response group, and a small number of people that need to get information from the immediate surrounding area to this person. The unlicensed individuals can relay messages to the HAM from the surrounding area via FRS - then the licensed HAM re-sends the messages over much greater distances with his/her more powerful HAM gear. Two things we have already found in our testing are ways to get the most distance out of your FRS radio... 1> Hold the FRS radio high above your head when the signals are weak if held at normal operating height. It may be uncomfortable to talk/listen in this position, but it has been proven to help get the maximum distance out of your radio. It has worked for us! 2> If trying to report during an emergency, remember that you may have to MOVE OUTDOORS to get the most transmitting distance. Remember that the antennas on handheld radios are not as good as the antennas on mobile/vehicle/base radios. Handheld radios are also not as powerful. Just because you CAN take a handheld radio into a building - it does not mean that it will WORK in a building. If you have trouble communicating from within the building, compile the information that you need inside - then make your report from the OUTSIDE. Don't waste time making failed attempt after failed attempt from within the building.