Family Radio Service
The Family Radio Service (FRS) is an improved walkie-talkie radio system authorized in the United States since 1996. This personal radio service uses channelized frequencies around 462 and 467 MHz in the ultra high frequency (UHF) band. It does not suffer the interference effects found on citizens' band (CB) at 27 MHz, or the 49 MHz band also used by cordless telephones, toys, and baby monitors. FRS uses frequency modulation (FM) instead of amplitude modulation (AM). Since the UHF band has different radio propagation characteristics, short-range use of FRS may be more predictable than the more powerful license-free radios operating in the HF CB band.
Initially proposed by RadioShack 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. New rules issued by the FCC in May 2017 clarify and simplify the overlap between FRS and General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) radio services.[1]
Worldwide, a number of similar personal radio services exist; these share the characteristics of low power operation in the UHF (or upper VHF) band using FM, and simplified or no end-user licenses. Exact frequency allocations differ, so equipment legal to operate in one country may cause unacceptable interference in another. Radios approved for FRS are not legal to operate anywhere in Europe.
Technical information
FRS radios use narrow-band frequency modulation (NBFM) with a maximum deviation of 2.5 kilohertz. The channels are spaced at 12.5 kilohertz intervals.
All 22 channels are shared with GMRS radios. Initially, the FRS radios were limited to 500 milliwatts across all channels. However, after May 18, 2017, the limit is increased to 2 watts on channels 1-7 and 15–22.[1]
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. Although these codes are sometimes called "privacy codes" or "private line codes" (PL codes), they offer no protection from eavesdropping and are intended only to help reduce unwanted audio when sharing busy channels. Tone codes also do nothing to prevent desired transmissions from being swamped by stronger signals having a different code.
All equipment used on FRS must be certified according to FCC regulations. Radios are not certified for use in this service if they exceed limits on power output, have a detachable antenna, allow for unauthorized selection of transmitting frequencies outside of the 22 frequencies designated for FRS, or for other reasons. After December 2017, the FCC no longer accepts applications to certify hand-held FRS units providing for transmission in any other radio band.
FRS radios must use only permanently attached antennas; there are also table-top FRS "base station" radios that have whip antennas. This limitation intentionally restricts the range of communications, allowing greatest use of the available channels by the community. The use of duplex radio repeaters and interconnects to the telephone network are prohibited under FRS rules.
The range advertised on specific devices might not apply in real-world situations, since large buildings, trees, etc., can interfere with the signal and reduce range. Under exceptional conditions, (such as hilltop to hilltop, or over open water) communication is possible at 60 km (37 mi) or more, but that is rare. Under normal conditions, with line of sight blocked by a few buildings or trees, FRS has an actual range of about 0.5 to 1.5 km (0.3 to 1 mile).
FRS/GMRS hybrid radios
In May 2017, the FCC significantly revised the rules for combination FRS/GMRS radios. Combination radios will be permitted to radiate up to 2 watts on 15 of the 22 channels (as opposed to 0.5 watts), and all FRS channels are now considered shared with the GMRS service. Operation over 2 watts, or operation on GMRS repeater input channels, will still require GMRS licensing. The FCC will not certify combination FRS/GMRS radios that exceed the current power limits for the FRS service.
Hybrid FRS/GMRS consumer radios have been introduced that have 22 channels. Before May 2017, radios had been certified for unlicensed operation on the 7 FRS frequencies, channels 8–14, under FRS rules.
Prior to the 2017 revision, FCC rules required a GMRS license to operate on channels 1–7 using more than 0.5 watts. Many hybrid radios have an ERP that is lower than 0.5 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.Beginning September 28, 2017, FRS operation is permitted at up to 2 watts on these channels.
Interference to licensed services may be investigated by the FCC.
Channels 8–14, formerly exclusive to FRS, since 28 September 2017 can be used by GMRS at 0.5 watts. Channels 15–22, formerly reserved exclusively for GMRS, can be used at up to 2 watts in the FRS.
Effective September 30, 2019, it became unlawful in the US to import, manufacture, sell or offer to sell radio equipment capable of operating under both GMRS and FRS. This does not include amateur and other radio equipment that are not certified under Part 95, such as many handheld radios that are marketed for amateur use but are also able to transmit on FRS and GMRS frequencies.
List of FRS channels compared to GMRS
| Channel | Frequency (MHz) | FRS EIRP Restriction | GMRS EIRP Restriction |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 462.5625 | Up to 2 watt | Up to 5 watts |
| 2 | 462.5875 | Up to 2 watt | Up to 5 watts |
| 3 | 462.6125 | Up to 2 watt | Up to 5 watts |
| 4 | 462.6375 | Up to 2 watt | Up to 5 watts |
| 5 | 462.6625 | Up to 2 watt | Up to 5 watts |
| 6 | 462.6875 | Up to 2 watt | Up to 5 watts |
| 7 | 462.7125 | Up to 2 watt | Up to 5 watts |
| 8 | 467.5625 | Up to 0.5 watt | Up to 0.5 watt [Note 1] |
| 9 | 467.5875 | Up to 0.5 watt | Up to 0.5 watt [Note 1] |
| 10 | 467.6125 | Up to 0.5 watt | Up to 0.5 watt [Note 1] |
| 11 | 467.6375 | Up to 0.5 watt | Up to 0.5 watt [Note 1] |
| 12 | 467.6625 | Up to 0.5 watt | Up to 0.5 watt [Note 1] |
| 13 | 467.6875 | Up to 0.5 watt | Up to 0.5 watt [Note 1] |
| 14 | 467.7125 | Up to 0.5 watt | Up to 0.5 watt [Note 1] |
| 15 | 462.5500 | Up to 2 watt | Up to 50 watts |
| 16 | 462.5750 | Up to 2 watt | Up to 50 watts |
| 17 | 462.6000 | Up to 2 watt | Up to 50 watts |
| 18 | 462.6250 | Up to 2 watt | Up to 50 watts |
| 19 | 462.6500 | Up to 2 watt | Up to 50 watts |
| 20 | 462.6750 | Up to 2 watt | Up to 50 watts |
| 21 | 462.7000 | Up to 2 watt | Up to 50 watts |
| 22 | 462.7250 | Up to 2 watt | Up to 50 watts |
- GMRS has other exclusive channels for repeater input
- No FRS unit shall exceed 0.5 watt ERP (Effective Radiated Power) on channels 8-14. FRS Channels 15-22 are shared with GMRS also under 2 watt ERP limit. However, if the device includes any of the following channels (467.5500, 467.5750, 467.6000, 467.6250, 467.6500, 467.6750, 467.7000, and 467.7250 MHz) a GMRS license is required. Benefits of a GMRS license include the ability to use repeaters, run higher power (up to 50 watts), and utilize external antennas, which result in much greater communication distances.
General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS)
The General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) is a land-mobile FM UHF radio service designed for short-range two-way voice communication and authorized under part 95 of the US FCC code. It requires a license in the United States, but some GMRS compatible equipment can be used license-free in Canada. The US GMRS license is issued for a period of 10 years. The United States permits use by adult individuals who possess a valid GMRS license, as well as their immediate family members. Immediate relatives of the GMRS system licensee are entitled to communicate among themselves for personal or business purposes, but employees of the licensee who are not family members are not covered by the license. Non-family members must be licensed separately.
GMRS radios are typically handheld portable (walkie-talkies) much like Family Radio Service (FRS) radios, and they share a frequency band with FRS near 462 and 467 MHz. Mobile and base station-style radios are available as well, but these are normally commercial UHF radios as often used in the public service and commercial land mobile bands. These are legal for use in this service as long as they are certified for GMRS under USC 47 Part 95. Older radios that are certified under USC 47 Part 90 are "grandfathered in", and can also be used legally for GMRS.
GMRS licensees are allowed to establish repeaters to extend their communications range. However repeaters cannot be linked together over the internet nor connected to the public switched telephone network.
Licensing
Any individual in the United States who is at least 18 years of age and not a representative of a foreign government may apply for a GMRS license by completing the application form, online through the FCC's Universal Licensing System. No exam is required. A GMRS license is issued for a 10–year term. The fee was reduced to $35 for all applicants on April 19, 2022.
A GMRS individual license extends to immediate family members and authorizes them to use the licensed system. GMRS license holders are allowed to communicate with FRS users on those frequencies that are shared between the two services. GMRS individual licenses do not extend to employees.
New GMRS licenses are being issued only to individuals. Prior to July 31, 1987, the FCC issued GMRS licenses to non-individuals (corporations, partnerships, government entities, etc.). These licensees are grandfathered and may renew but not make major modifications to their existing licenses.
In any case, each GMRS station must be identified by transmission of its FCC-assigned call sign at the end of a transmission or a series of transmissions, and at least once every 15 minutes for a series lasting more than 15 minutes. The call sign may be spoken or sent with audible tones using Morse code. A repeater station handling properly identified transmissions of others is not required to send its own station identification.
Range
As with other UHF radio services, reliable range is considered to be line-of-sight and the distance to the radio horizon can be estimated based on antenna height. Theoretically, the range between two hand-held units on flat ground would be about one or two miles (about 1.5–3 km). Mobile units might have a slightly farther range when mounted on a car roof. A GMRS repeater with an antenna mounted high above the surrounding terrain can extend the usable range to 20 miles or more (30+ km) depending on height. Obstructions such as hills, trees, and buildings will reduce range. Higher power does not give much increase in range although it may improve the reliability of communication at the limits of line-of-sight distance.
Frequency assignments
GMRS is allotted 30 frequency channels in the vicinity of 462 MHz and 467 MHz. They are divided into 16 main channels and 14 interstitial channels.
Licensees may use the eight main 462 MHz channels for simplex communication or repeater outputs.
The eight main 467 MHz channels may only be used as repeater inputs, in conjunction with the 462 MHz channels as outputs. The repeater input frequencies are exclusive to GMRS, and may be used only by licensed GMRS operators.
GMRS operators are permitted to transmit at up to 50 watts transmitter power output, on the 16 main channels, but transmitting 1 to 5 watts is more common in practice.
The interstitial frequencies are in-between the main channels, and the 462 MHz interstitial frequencies may be used for simplex as long as the effective radiated power (ERP) does not exceed 5 watts. The 467 MHz interstitial frequencies have a power limit of 500 milliwatts ERP, and only hand-held portable units may transmit on these channels.
Sharing with FRS
All 22 Family Radio Service (FRS) frequencies are shared with GMRS, and users of the two services may communicate with each other. With the exception of FRS channels 8 through 14, GMRS licensees may use higher power radios with detachable or external antennas.
Frequency table
| Frequency | Channel | FRS power | FRS bandwidth | GMRS power | GMRS bandwidth | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 462.5625 MHz | 1 | 2 W | 12.5 kHz | 5 W | 20 kHz | (1)(4)(5) |
| 462.5875 MHz | 2 | 2 W | 12.5 kHz | 5 W | 20 kHz | (1)(4)(5) |
| 462.6125 MHz | 3 | 2 W | 12.5 kHz | 5 W | 20 kHz | (1)(4)(5) |
| 462.6375 MHz | 4 | 2 W | 12.5 kHz | 5 W | 20 kHz | (1)(4)(5) |
| 462.6625 MHz | 5 | 2 W | 12.5 kHz | 5 W | 20 kHz | (1)(4)(5) |
| 462.6875 MHz | 6 | 2 W | 12.5 kHz | 5 W | 20 kHz | (1)(4)(5) |
| 462.7125 MHz | 7 | 2 W | 12.5 kHz | 5 W | 20 kHz | (1)(4)(5) |
| 467.5625 MHz | 8 | 0.5 W | 12.5 kHz | 0.5 W | 12.5 kHz | (1)(4)(6) |
| 467.5875 MHz | 9 | 0.5 W | 12.5 kHz | 0.5 W | 12.5 kHz | (1)(4)(6) |
| 467.6125 MHz | 10 | 0.5 W | 12.5 kHz | 0.5 W | 12.5 kHz | (1)(4)(6) |
| 467.6375 MHz | 11 | 0.5 W | 12.5 kHz | 0.5 W | 12.5 kHz | (1)(4)(6) |
| 467.6625 MHz | 12 | 0.5 W | 12.5 kHz | 0.5 W | 12.5 kHz | (1)(4)(6) |
| 467.6875 MHz | 13 | 0.5 W | 12.5 kHz | 0.5 W | 12.5 kHz | (1)(4)(6) |
| 467.7125 MHz | 14 | 0.5 W | 12.5 kHz | 0.5 W | 12.5 kHz | (1)(4)(6) |
| 462.5500 MHz | 15 | 2 W | 12.5 kHz | 50 W | 20 kHz | (2)(5) |
| 462.5750 MHz | 16 | 2 W | 12.5 kHz | 50 W | 20 kHz | (2)(5) |
| 462.6000 MHz | 17 | 2 W | 12.5 kHz | 50 W | 20 kHz | (2)(5) |
| 462.6250 MHz | 18 | 2 W | 12.5 kHz | 50 W | 20 kHz | (2)(5) |
| 462.6500 MHz | 19 | 2 W | 12.5 kHz | 50 W | 20 kHz | (2)(5) |
| 462.6750 MHz | 20 | 2 W | 12.5 kHz | 50 W | 20 kHz | (2)(5)(7) |
| 462.7000 MHz | 21 | 2 W | 12.5 kHz | 50 W | 20 kHz | (2)(5) |
| 462.7250 MHz | 22 | 2 W | 12.5 kHz | 50 W | 20 kHz | (2)(5) |
| 467.5500 MHz | 15R | — | — | 50 W | 20 kHz | (3)(5) |
| 467.5750 MHz | 16R | — | — | 50 W | 20 kHz | (3)(5) |
| 467.6000 MHz | 17R | — | — | 50 W | 20 kHz | (3)(5) |
| 467.6250 MHz | 18R | — | — | 50 W | 20 kHz | (3)(5) |
| 467.6500 MHz | 19R | — | — | 50 W | 20 kHz | (3)(5) |
| 467.6750 MHz | 20R | — | — | 50 W | 20 kHz | (3)(5) |
| 467.7000 MHz | 21R | — | — | 50 W | 20 kHz | (3)(5) |
| 467.7250 MHz | 22R | — | — | 50 W | 20 kHz | (3)(5) |
Table notes(1) Shared FRS and GMRS simplex.
(2) Shared FRS and GMRS simplex; GMRS repeater output.
(3) GMRS repeater input. The output frequency of this repeater input is the input frequency minus 5 MHz.
(4) FRS transmissions are limited to bandwidth of 11 kHz with a transmitter deviation of +/- 2.5 kHz. Channels are on 12.5 kHz centers.
(5) GMRS transmissions may have a bandwidth of 16 kHz with a transmitter deviation of +/- 5.0 kHz. Channels are on 25 kHz centers.
(6) GMRS transmissions are limited to a bandwidth of 11 kHz with a transmitter deviation of +/- 2.5 kHz. Channels are on 12.5 kHz centers.
(7) National GMRS calling channel (CTCSS tone 141.3 Hz).