Portable HAM radios are handheld devices that are used for two-way radio communication in the amateur radio service. These radios are popular among outdoor enthusiasts, such as hikers, campers, and backpackers, who need reliable communication in remote areas where cell phone coverage may be unreliable or non-existent. Portable HAM radios typically operate on frequencies that are reserved for licensed amateur radio operators, and they require a license to operate legally. They are versatile devices that can be used for a variety of purposes, such as emergency communication, and socializing with other HAM radio operators. Portable HAM radios are designed to be durable and easy to use, with features such as backlit displays, built-in antennas, and weather-resistant designs. They can be powered by batteries or external power sources, making them a reliable and convenient communication tool for outdoor enthusiasts who want to stay connected in the great outdoors.
walkie-talkies for private use can usually communicate in a frequency range from 462.5625 MHz to 462.7250 MHz. Also, there are other radio applications with which walkie-talkies communicate. I would like to introduce all of them to you now and explain their most important features.
FRS
The Family Radio Service (FRS) is a personal radio service designed for use by families and individuals in the United States. It uses 22 channels in the Ultra High Frequency (UHF) band to provide short-range, two-way communication for personal or recreational purposes. The frequency range is from 462.5625 MHz to 462.7250 MHz. The maximum power output is 2 watts (channels 1 to 7 and 15 to 22) or 0.5 watts (channels 8 to 14). No license is required to operate walkie talkies with FRS. However, you must follow the rules of the FCC.
In the table below, all FRS channels are listed with the corresponding frequencies:
Channel | Frequency | EIRP Restriction |
---|---|---|
1 | 462.5625 MHz | Up to 2 Watt |
2 | 462.5875 MHz | Up to 2 Watt |
3 | 462.6125 MHz | Up to 2 Watt |
4 | 462.6375 MHz | Up to 2 Watt |
5 | 462.6625 MHz | Up to 2 Watt |
6 | 462.6875 MHz | Up to 2 Watt |
7 | 462.7125 MHz | Up to 2 Watt |
8 | 467.5625 MHz | Up to 0.5 Watt |
9 | 467.5875 MHz | Up to 0.5 Watt |
10 | 467.6125 MHz | Up to 0.5 Watt |
11 | 467.6375 MHz | Up to 0.5 Watt |
12 | 467.6625 MHz | Up to 0.5 Watt |
13 | 467.6875 MHz | Up to 0.5 Watt |
14 | 467.7125 MHz | Up to 0.5 Watt |
15 | 462.5500 MHz | Up to 2 Watt |
16 | 462.5750 MHz | Up to 2 Watt |
17 | 462.6000 MHz | Up to 2 Watt |
18 | 462.6250 MHz | Up to 2 Watt |
19 | 462.6500 MHz | Up to 2 Watt |
20 | 462.6750 MHz | Up to 2 Watt |
21 | 462.7000 MHz | Up to 2 Watt |
22 | 462.7250 MHz | Up to 2 Watt |
GMRS
GMRS (General Mobile Radio Service), which operates on frequencies ranging from approximately 462 MHz to 467 MHz, is a type of radio service commonly used for short-distance data transmissions, such as those made with a walkie-talkie. A license from the FCC is mandatory to use GMRS, which is valid for a period of ten years, and individuals must be at least 18 years old to obtain it. The table below provides information on all GMRS channels and their corresponding frequencies.
Channel | Frequency | EIRP Restriction | Bandwith |
---|---|---|---|
1 | 462.5625 MHz | Up to 5 Watts | 20 kHz |
2 | 462.5875 MHz | Up to 5 Watts | 20 kHz |
3 | 462.6125 MHz | Up to 5 Watts | 20 kHz |
4 | 462.6375 MHz | Up to 5 Watts | 20 kHz |
5 | 462.6625 MHz | Up to 5 Watts | 20 kHz |
6 | 462.6875 MHz | Up to 5 Watts | 20 kHz |
7 | 462.7125 MHz | Up to 5 Watts | 20 kHz |
8 | 467.5625 MHz | Up to 0.5 Watt | 12.5 kHz |
9 | 467.5875 MHz | Up to 0.5 Watt | 12.5 kHz |
10 | 467.6125 MHz | Up to 0.5 Watt | 12.5 kHz |
11 | 467.6375 MHz | Up to 0.5 Watt | 12.5 kHz |
12 | 467.6625 MHz | Up to 0.5 Watt | 12.5 kHz |
13 | 467.6875 MHz | Up to 0.5 Watt | 12.5 kHz |
14 | 467.7125 MHz | Up to 0.5 Watt | 12.5 kHz |
15 | 462.5500 MHz | Up to 50 Watts | 20 kHz |
16 | 462.5750 MHz | Up to 50 Watts | 20 kHz |
17 | 462.6000 MHz | Up to 50 Watts | 20 kHz |
18 | 462.6250 MHz | Up to 50 Watts | 20 kHz |
19 | 462.6500 MHz | Up to 50 Watts | 20 kHz |
20 | 462.6750 MHz | Up to 50 Watts | 20 kHz |
21 | 462.7000 MHz | Up to 50 Watts | 20 kHz |
22 | 462.7250 MHz | Up to 50 Watts | 20 kHz |
23 | 467.5500 MHz | Up to 50 Watts | 20 kHz |
24 | 467.5750 MHz | Up to 50 Watts | 20 kHz |
25 | 467.6000 MHz | Up to 50 Watts | 20 kHz |
26 | 467.6250 MHz | Up to 50 Watts | 20 kHz |
27 | 467.6500 MHz | Up to 50 Watts | 20 kHz |
28 | 467.6750 MHz | Up to 50 Watts | 20 kHz |
29 | 467.7000 MHz | Up to 50 Watts | 20 kHz |
30 | 467.7250 MHz | Up to 50 Watts | 20 kHz |
PMR446
PMR446 has emerged as a de facto standard for personal walkie-talkie use, and is an EU and UK public address radio service that uses analog speech transmission. DMR446 serves as the digital alternative to PMR446.
The channel grid for PMR446 is 12.5 kHz, with a maximum transmission power of 0.5 watts and a maximum transmission duration of 180 seconds. There are 16 channels available for communication, each with its own frequency, as outlined in the table provided below:
Channel | Frequency |
---|---|
1 | 446.00625 MHz |
2 | 446.01875 MHz |
3 | 446.03125 MHz |
4 | 446.04375 MHz |
5 | 446.05625 MHz |
6 | 446.06875 MHz |
7 | 446.08125 MHz |
8 | 446.09375 MHz |
9 | 446.10625 MHz |
10 | 446.11875 MHz |
11 | 446.13125 MHz |
12 | 446.14375 MHz |
13 | 446.15625 MHz |
14 | 446.16875 MHz |
15 | 446.18125 MHz |
16 | 446.19375 MHz |
The use of PMR446 is restricted in the United States, Canada, and Australia as it is allocated for use by amateur radio operators and military radar systems.
Shortwave Listening: Tips on finding broadcasts
- Shortwave Radio Stations do not generally operate 24/7 and where and when they operate could depend on the time of day and propagation.
- Invest in a good pair of head phones; headphones help you isolate sounds and can be a good way to hear weak stations.
- As a general rule of thumb, Shortwave reception is much better after the sun goes down. The best nighttime bands are from 5900-10000khz. During the day, the easiest frequencies are from 12000 to 22000.
- Most countries broadcast at least an hour of English-language broadcasts every day, some do a lot more.
When it comes to survival radio frequencies to monitor during an emergency, some of the most useful frequencies will fall within the Ham Radio bands.
NWR Station Listing (weather.gov) Nationwide Station Listing Using Broadcast Frequencies.
RadioReference.com – Scanner Frequencies and Radio Frequency Reference
ARRL.org – The National Association for Amateur Radio®
English-Speaking Shortwave Broadcasts
If you are looking for counties that broadcast in English, these are going to be the best places to find them:
Country: | Frequencies to Monitor: |
---|---|
ALBANIA | 6115, 7425, 7450, 7465 |
ARGENTINA | 9690, 11710, 15345 |
AUSTRALIA | 2310, 2325, 2485, 4835, 4910, 5025, 5995, 6020, 6080, 7240, 9475, 9560, 9580, 9590, 9660, 9710, 11650, 11880, 12080, 13630, 13670, 15160, 15230, 15240, 15515, 17715, 17750, 17775, 17785, 17795, 21725 |
AUSTRIA | 5945, 6155, 7325, 9870, 13675, 13730 |
BAHRAIN | 6010 |
BANGLADESH | 7185 |
BELARUS | 7360, 7390, 7420 |
BULGARIA | 7400, 9400, 9500, 9700, 11700, 11900, 15700 |
CANADA RCI | 9610, 9755, 9770, 13650, 15365, 17740 |
CANADA CBC | 6160, 9625 |
CHINA | 5960, 5990, 6005, 6020, 6040, 6080, 6115, 6190, 7285, 9570, 9580, 9690, 9730, 9785, 9790, 9870, 11885, 11900, 11970, 13675, 13740, 15230, 15240 |
CROATIA | 7285, 9470, 11690 |
CUBA | 6000, 6060, 6180, 6300, 9505, 9550, 11760 |
CZECH REP | 5930, 6200, 7345, 7385, 9400, 9430, 9435, 9890, 9955, 11600, 13580, 15710 |
ECUADOR | 6050, 7385, 9745, 11700 |
EGYPT | 4680, 7270, 9990, 11885, 15375, 17835 |
ETHIOPIA | 7165, 9560v |
FRANCE | 5920, 7315, 9720, 9765, 9805, 9865, 11615, 11725, 13680, 11995, 15160, 15275, 15605, 21620 |
GERMANY | 5905, 6140, 6180, 7225, 7240, 7280, 7285, 9565, 9735, 9755, 11690, 12045, 15275 |
GHANA | 4915 |
GREECE | 7475, 9420, 9935, 12105, 15630, 17525 |
GUYANA | 3291, 5950 |
HUNGARY | 5980, 6025, 6035, 9525 |
INDIA | 7410, 9425, 9445, 9690, 9705, 9910, 9950, 11620, 11645, 11715, 11935, 13605, 13710, 15020, 15075, 15155, 15235, 17510, 17670, 17800, 17895 |
INDONESIA | 9525v, 11785, 15150v |
IRAN | 6010, 6120, 6250, 7160, 7320, 7330, 9855, 11695, 15460, 17660 |
ISRAEL | 6280, 6985, 7545, 9345, 15640, 15760, 17535, 17600 |
ITALY | 5965, 6010, 6035, 6090, 6120, 7170, 9760, 11800 |
JAPAN | 5975, 6110, 6120, 6145, 7230, 9505, 9535, 9875, 11690, 11695, 11715, 11730, 11740, 11935, 11970, 13650, 15195, 15355, 17685, 17810, 17825, 17845, 17870, 21610, 21670 |
JORDAN | 11690 |
KOREA, N | 3560, 4405, 6185, 6285, 7570, 9325, 9335, 9345, 9730, 9850, 9975, 9990, 11535, 11545, 11710, 11735, 12015, 13650, 13760, 15100, 15180 |
KOREA, S | 7275, 9560, 9570, 9640, 9650, 9770, 15575 |
LAOS | 7145 |
LIBERIA | 4760, 5470, 9525 |
LIBYA | 7320, 17725, 21695 |
LITHUANIA | 7325, 9710, 9875 |
MALAYSIA | 7295, 9750, 15295 |
MEXICO | 6185 |
MOLDOVA | 6235 |
MONGOLIA | 12085 |
MYANMAR | 5986 |
NEPAL | 5005 |
NETHERLANDS | 6020, 6040, 6165, 7120, 9345, 9795, 9895, 11655, 11675, 12065, 12080, 15315, 15525, 15595, 17725, 17810 |
NEW ZEALAND | 3935, 5950, 9765, 9870, 11725, 13840, 15720, 17675 |
NIGERIA | 7255, 7275, 7380, 15120 |
OMAN | 15140 |
PAKISTAN | 6215, 7530, 11570, 15100, 17835 |
PAPUA NEW GUINEA | 3385, 4960, 7120 |
PHILIPPINES | 11720, 11885, 15190, 15270, 17665, 17720 |
POLAND | 7130, 9525 |
ROMANIA | 6055, 6115, 6150, 7105, 7145, 7180, 9515, 9610, 9640, 9690, 9755, 11895, 15105, 15135, 17745 |
RUSSIA | 6240, 7150, 7250, 7350, 9840, 12010, 12030, 13665, 15425 |
SENEGAL | 12000 |
SERBIA | 6100 |
SINGAPORE | 6080, 6150 |
SLOVAKIA | 7230, 9440 |
SOLOMON IS. | 5020, 9545 |
S AFRICA | 3345, 7240, 7390, 9685, 15235, 15255, 17770 |
SPAIN | 6055, 6125, 9680, 11625, 11680 |
SRI LANKA | 6005, 9770, 11905, 15745 |
SUDAN | 4750, 7280, 9525, 9660, 9840, 13720 |
SURINAME | 4990 |
SWEDEN | 6010, 7420, 11550, 15240 |
SYRIA | 9330, 12085, 13610 |
TAIWAN | 5950, 7130, 7445, 9355, 9680, 9785, 11550, 11850, 1995, 15215, 15465 |
TAJIKISTAN | 7245 |
THAILAND | 5890, 9535, 9680, 9725, 9805, 9810, 13770 |
TIBET | 4820, 4905, 5935, 6050, 7170, 7240, 9490 |
TURKEY | 5960, 6020, 6055, 7240, 9525, 11735, 12035 |
TURKMENISTAN | 4930, 5015 |
UGANDA | 4976, 5026 |
UKRAINE | 5820, 5830, 9925 |
U K | 5875, 5975, 6005, 6040, 6130, 6195, 7130, 7160, 7320, 9410, 9480, 9660, 9740, 9750, 11675, 11750, 11765, 11920, 12095, 15105, 15285, 15360, 15400, 15575, 17640, 17830, 17885, 21470 |
UNITED NATIONS | 9565, 17810 |
USA – ALASKA | 6150, 6950, 7355, 9920 |
USA AFRTS | 4319-USB, 5446.5-USB, 5765-USB, 6350-USB, 7811.5-USB, 10320-USB, 12133.5-USB, 12759-USB, 13362-USB |
USA VOA | 4930, 4960, 5960, 6080, 6105, 6110, 7125, 7175, 7205, 7405, 9645, 9760, 9785, 9885, 11655, 11885, 11890, 11975, 12015, 12150, 13600, 13640, 13710, 13735, 13755, 15150, 15185, 15205, 15290, 15445, 15580, 17640, 17715, 17730, 17895 |
USA KAIJ | 5755, 9480 |
USA WBCQ | 5110-LSB, 7415, 9330-LSB, 18910-LSB |
USA WEWN | 5810, 5850, 7560, 7570, 9450, 9955, 9975, 15785, 17595 |
USA WRMI | 7385, 9955 |
USA WWCR | 3215, 5070, 7465, 9985, 12160, 15825 |
VANUATU | 3945, 7260 |
VATICAN | 4005, 5885, 6185, 7250, 7305, 7360, 7365, 9310, 9610, 9635, 9645, 9660, 9755, 11625, 11740, 11850, 13765, 15595 |
VIETNAM | 6175, 7285, 9840, 12020 |
YEMEN | 9780 |
ZAMBIA | 4910, 5915, 6165 |
ZANZIBAR | 11735 |
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