June 22, 2008
What is the difference between FRS & GMRS with the motorola two-way radios?
burnzz asked:
I am going on a cruise in the caribean and would like to get some simple hand held radios to keep in touch with family & friends. While shopping for radios I noticed that some are FRS and some are GMRS. Does anyone know the difference and benefits of each?
I am going on a cruise in the caribean and would like to get some simple hand held radios to keep in touch with family & friends. While shopping for radios I noticed that some are FRS and some are GMRS. Does anyone know the difference and benefits of each?
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Comments on What is the difference between FRS & GMRS with the motorola two-way radios? »
FRS is lower wattage and doesn’t carry as far (distance), however the advantage is that a license is not required.
GMRS is higher wattage and carries further, but requires a FCC license (~$50 for 3 years), and you are supposed to announce your assigned call letters once during each exhange.
You could always get a set that has both frequencies.
I’ve never gotten even CLOSE to the distances the radios claim. Keep that in mind. I believe the signal is line-of-sight dependent.
FRS & GMRS are on different frequencies (i.e., channels), and different rules apply. FRS is limited to half a watt of power and has other restrictions, like non-detachable antennas. Some GMRS channels can be used with up to 50 watts, while others are limited to five watts, although most handheld radios don’t put out more than a watt or two.
If you are going on a cruise in the Caribbean, you may be under the jurisdiction of several countries, as well as the captain of the ship, so you might need permission and/or licenses from those jurisdictions. In the United States, a GMRS license is $85 for five years and can be easily obtained online through the FCC’s Universal Licensing System (ULS) at by first obtaining a FRN, then using the FRN to obtain the license.
As was mentioned, don’t believe the advertised range of the handheld radios, especially if they will be used in a metal structure like a ship.