Handheld HAM Radio

HAM RADIO FREQUENCIES

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:

ChannelFrequencyEIRP Restriction
1462.5625 MHzUp to 2 Watt
2462.5875 MHzUp to 2 Watt
3462.6125 MHzUp to 2 Watt
4462.6375 MHzUp to 2 Watt
5462.6625 MHzUp to 2 Watt
6462.6875 MHzUp to 2 Watt
7462.7125 MHzUp to 2 Watt
8467.5625 MHzUp to 0.5 Watt
9467.5875 MHzUp to 0.5 Watt
10467.6125 MHzUp to 0.5 Watt
11467.6375 MHzUp to 0.5 Watt
12467.6625 MHzUp to 0.5 Watt
13467.6875 MHzUp to 0.5 Watt
14467.7125 MHzUp to 0.5 Watt
15462.5500 MHzUp to 2 Watt
16462.5750 MHzUp to 2 Watt
17462.6000 MHzUp to 2 Watt
18462.6250 MHzUp to 2 Watt
19462.6500 MHzUp to 2 Watt
20462.6750 MHzUp to 2 Watt
21462.7000 MHzUp to 2 Watt
22462.7250 MHzUp 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.

ChannelFrequencyEIRP RestrictionBandwith
1462.5625 MHzUp to 5 Watts20 kHz
2462.5875 MHzUp to 5 Watts20 kHz
3462.6125 MHzUp to 5 Watts20 kHz
4462.6375 MHzUp to 5 Watts20 kHz
5462.6625 MHzUp to 5 Watts20 kHz
6462.6875 MHzUp to 5 Watts20 kHz
7462.7125 MHzUp to 5 Watts20 kHz
8467.5625 MHzUp to 0.5 Watt12.5 kHz
9467.5875 MHzUp to 0.5 Watt12.5 kHz
10467.6125 MHzUp to 0.5 Watt12.5 kHz
11467.6375 MHzUp to 0.5 Watt12.5 kHz
12467.6625 MHzUp to 0.5 Watt12.5 kHz
13467.6875 MHzUp to 0.5 Watt12.5 kHz
14467.7125 MHzUp to 0.5 Watt12.5 kHz
15462.5500 MHzUp to 50 Watts20 kHz
16462.5750 MHzUp to 50 Watts20 kHz
17462.6000 MHzUp to 50 Watts20 kHz
18462.6250 MHzUp to 50 Watts20 kHz
19462.6500 MHzUp to 50 Watts20 kHz
20462.6750 MHzUp to 50 Watts20 kHz
21462.7000 MHzUp to 50 Watts20 kHz
22462.7250 MHzUp to 50 Watts20 kHz
23467.5500 MHzUp to 50 Watts20 kHz
24467.5750 MHzUp to 50 Watts20 kHz
25467.6000 MHzUp to 50 Watts20 kHz
26467.6250 MHzUp to 50 Watts20 kHz
27467.6500 MHzUp to 50 Watts20 kHz
28467.6750 MHzUp to 50 Watts20 kHz
29467.7000 MHzUp to 50 Watts20 kHz
30467.7250 MHzUp to 50 Watts20 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:

ChannelFrequency
1446.00625 MHz
2446.01875 MHz
3446.03125 MHz
4446.04375 MHz
5446.05625 MHz
6446.06875 MHz
7446.08125 MHz
8446.09375 MHz
9446.10625 MHz
10446.11875 MHz
11446.13125 MHz
12446.14375 MHz
13446.15625 MHz
14446.16875 MHz
15446.18125 MHz
16446.19375 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:
ALBANIA6115, 7425, 7450, 7465
ARGENTINA9690, 11710, 15345
AUSTRALIA2310, 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
AUSTRIA5945, 6155, 7325, 9870, 13675, 13730
BAHRAIN6010
BANGLADESH7185
BELARUS7360, 7390, 7420
BULGARIA7400, 9400, 9500, 9700, 11700, 11900, 15700
CANADA RCI9610, 9755, 9770, 13650, 15365, 17740
CANADA CBC6160, 9625
CHINA5960, 5990, 6005, 6020, 6040, 6080, 6115, 6190, 7285, 9570, 9580, 9690, 9730, 9785, 9790, 9870, 11885, 11900, 11970, 13675, 13740, 15230, 15240
CROATIA7285, 9470, 11690
CUBA6000, 6060, 6180, 6300, 9505, 9550, 11760
CZECH REP5930, 6200, 7345, 7385, 9400, 9430, 9435, 9890, 9955, 11600, 13580, 15710
ECUADOR6050, 7385, 9745, 11700
EGYPT4680, 7270, 9990, 11885, 15375, 17835
ETHIOPIA7165, 9560v
FRANCE5920, 7315, 9720, 9765, 9805, 9865, 11615, 11725, 13680, 11995, 15160, 15275, 15605, 21620
GERMANY5905, 6140, 6180, 7225, 7240, 7280, 7285, 9565, 9735, 9755, 11690, 12045, 15275
GHANA4915
GREECE7475, 9420, 9935, 12105, 15630, 17525
GUYANA3291, 5950
HUNGARY5980, 6025, 6035, 9525
INDIA7410, 9425, 9445, 9690, 9705, 9910, 9950, 11620, 11645, 11715, 11935, 13605, 13710, 15020, 15075, 15155, 15235, 17510, 17670, 17800, 17895
INDONESIA9525v, 11785, 15150v
IRAN6010, 6120, 6250, 7160, 7320, 7330, 9855, 11695, 15460, 17660
ISRAEL6280, 6985, 7545, 9345, 15640, 15760, 17535, 17600
ITALY5965, 6010, 6035, 6090, 6120, 7170, 9760, 11800
JAPAN5975, 6110, 6120, 6145, 7230, 9505, 9535, 9875, 11690, 11695, 11715, 11730, 11740, 11935, 11970, 13650, 15195, 15355, 17685, 17810, 17825, 17845, 17870, 21610, 21670
JORDAN11690
KOREA, N3560, 4405, 6185, 6285, 7570, 9325, 9335, 9345, 9730, 9850, 9975, 9990, 11535, 11545, 11710, 11735, 12015, 13650, 13760, 15100, 15180
KOREA, S7275, 9560, 9570, 9640, 9650, 9770, 15575
LAOS7145
LIBERIA4760, 5470, 9525
LIBYA7320, 17725, 21695
LITHUANIA7325, 9710, 9875
MALAYSIA7295, 9750, 15295
MEXICO6185
MOLDOVA6235
MONGOLIA12085
MYANMAR5986
NEPAL5005
NETHERLANDS6020, 6040, 6165, 7120, 9345, 9795, 9895, 11655, 11675, 12065, 12080, 15315, 15525, 15595, 17725, 17810
NEW ZEALAND3935, 5950, 9765, 9870, 11725, 13840, 15720, 17675
NIGERIA7255, 7275, 7380, 15120
OMAN15140
PAKISTAN6215, 7530, 11570, 15100, 17835
PAPUA NEW GUINEA3385, 4960, 7120
PHILIPPINES11720, 11885, 15190, 15270, 17665, 17720
POLAND7130, 9525
ROMANIA6055, 6115, 6150, 7105, 7145, 7180, 9515, 9610, 9640, 9690, 9755, 11895, 15105, 15135, 17745
RUSSIA6240, 7150, 7250, 7350, 9840, 12010, 12030, 13665, 15425
SENEGAL12000
SERBIA6100
SINGAPORE6080, 6150
SLOVAKIA7230, 9440
SOLOMON IS.5020, 9545
S AFRICA3345, 7240, 7390, 9685, 15235, 15255, 17770
SPAIN6055, 6125, 9680, 11625, 11680
SRI LANKA6005, 9770, 11905, 15745
SUDAN4750, 7280, 9525, 9660, 9840, 13720
SURINAME4990
SWEDEN6010, 7420, 11550, 15240
SYRIA9330, 12085, 13610
TAIWAN5950, 7130, 7445, 9355, 9680, 9785, 11550, 11850, 1995, 15215, 15465
TAJIKISTAN7245
THAILAND5890, 9535, 9680, 9725, 9805, 9810, 13770
TIBET4820, 4905, 5935, 6050, 7170, 7240, 9490
TURKEY5960, 6020, 6055, 7240, 9525, 11735, 12035
TURKMENISTAN4930, 5015
UGANDA4976, 5026
UKRAINE5820, 5830, 9925
U K5875, 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 NATIONS9565, 17810
USA – ALASKA6150, 6950, 7355, 9920
USA AFRTS4319-USB, 5446.5-USB, 5765-USB, 6350-USB, 7811.5-USB, 10320-USB, 12133.5-USB, 12759-USB, 13362-USB
USA VOA4930, 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 KAIJ5755, 9480
USA WBCQ5110-LSB, 7415, 9330-LSB, 18910-LSB
USA WEWN5810, 5850, 7560, 7570, 9450, 9955, 9975, 15785, 17595
USA WRMI7385, 9955
USA WWCR3215, 5070, 7465, 9985, 12160, 15825
VANUATU3945, 7260
VATICAN4005, 5885, 6185, 7250, 7305, 7360, 7365, 9310, 9610, 9635, 9645, 9660, 9755, 11625, 11740, 11850, 13765, 15595
VIETNAM6175, 7285, 9840, 12020
YEMEN9780
ZAMBIA4910, 5915, 6165
ZANZIBAR11735


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