The Family Radio Service is an improved walkie talkie system authorized in the United States. This personal radio service uses frequencies in the UHF band, and so does not suffer the interference effects found on Citizens Band (CB) at 27 MHz, or the 49 MHz band also used by cordless phones, toys, and baby monitors. FRS uses FM instead of AM, and has a greater reliable range than license-free radios operating in the CB or 49 MHz bands. Recreational, toy and amateur radio walkie talkies A walkie-talkie is a portable, bi-directional radio transceiver, first developed for military use. ... This article is about the radio frequency. ... Citizens band radio (CB) is, in the United States, a system of short distance radio communication between individuals on a selection of 40 channels within the single 27 MHz (11 meter) band. ... MegaHertz (MHz) is the name given to one million (106) Hertz, a measure of frequency. ... A portable phone or cordless phone is a wireless telephone which is associated with a fixed telephone landline (POTS) and can only be operated close to (typically less than 100 metres of) its base station, such as in and around the house. ... Frequency modulation (FM) is a form of modulation which represents information as variations in the instantaneous frequency of a carrier wave. ... Amplitude modulation (AM) is a form of modulation in which the amplitude of a carrier wave is varied in direct proportion to that of a modulating signal. ...

Although initially proposed by Radio Shack for use by families, FRS has also seen significant adoption by business interests, as an unlicensed, low-cost alternative to the business band. RadioShack Corporation (formerly Radio Shack) (NYSE: RSH) runs a chain of electronics retail stores in the United States, as well as parts of Europe. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The business band is a series of frequencies on the VHF and UHF two-way radio bands. ...

Technical information

FRS radios are limited to 500 milliwatts in the U.S., according to FCC regulations. Channels 1 to 7 are shared with GMRS, the General Mobile Radio Service. A license is required for those channels only if the power output is over FRS limits, up to GMRS limits. Unlike Citizens' Band (CB) radios, FRS radios frequently have provisions for using sub-audible tone squelch (CTCSS) codes, filtering out unwanted chatter from other users on the same frequency. These codes are sometimes called "privacy codes", but they offer no real deterrence against eavesdropping. The watt (symbol: W) is the SI derived unit of power. ... Motto: Official (Latin): E pluribus unum (1789 to 1956) (Translated: Out of Many, One) In God We Trust (1956 to present) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York, New York Official language(s) None at federal level; English de facto Government  â€¢ President  â€¢ Vice President... The FCCs official seal. ... Channel, in communications (sometimes called communications channel), refers to the medium through which information is transmitted from a sender (or transmitter) to a receiver. ... The General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) is a land-mobile UHF radio service in the United States available for short-distance two-way communications to facilitate the activities of an adult individual and his or her immediate family members, including a spouse, children, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces, and... It has been suggested that Licensing (strategic alliance) be merged into this article or section. ... In telecommunications, squelch is a circuit function that acts to suppress the audio (or video) output of a receiver. ...

The use of repeaters and interconnects to the telephone network are prohibited, unlike in GMRS. FRS radios must use only permanently-attached antennas, which restricts the range of communication but also limits interference to other users. For other meanings, see repeater (disambiguation). ... The public switched telephone network (PSTN) is the concatenation of the worlds public circuit-switched telephone networks, in much the same way that the Internet is the concatenation of the worlds public IP-based packet-switched networks. ...

FRS manufacturers generally claim an effective range of 3 km (2 miles), but actual performance varies widely. The presence of large metal buildings can reduce range, but hobbyists have found that under exceptional conditions (hill-top to hill-top) communication is possible over 50 km (30 miles) or more. Under normal conditions, FRS generally has an effective range of approximately 1.5 km.

Recently, the personal electronics industry has begun producing 22-channel FRS/GMRS hybrid radios. Use of the GMRS channels on such radios requires a license from the FCC.

FRS in other countries

FRS radios have been approved for use in Canada since April 2000. The revised technical standard RSS 210 has essentially the same technical requirements as in the United States. Since September 2004 low-power GMRS radios and dual-standard GMRS/FRS radios have also been approved for use in Canada, giving additional channels. The General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) is a land-mobile radio service in the United States available for short-distance two-way communications to facilitate the activities of an adult individual and his or her immediate family members, including a spouse, children, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces, and in...

Since tourists often bring their FRS radios with them, and since trade between the US, Canada, and Mexico is of great value to all three countries, the Mexican Federal Telecommunications Commission has authorized use of the FRS frequencies and equipment similar to that in the US. However, dual-mode GMRS/FRS equipment is not approved in Mexico, so caution should be exercised in operating FRS devices purchased elsewhere. A tourist boat travels the River Seine in Paris, France Tourism can be defined as the act of travel for the purpose of recreation, and the provision of services for this act. ...

FRS is an American description. In Europe, a similar service with the same sort of licensing restriction is PMR446 having eight channels in the 446MHz range. Thus one cannot legally use the FRS radio in Europe or PMR446 in the USA. The 446 MHZ band is allocated to amateur radio in the United States, so in principle a licensed amateur operator could use non-FCC-type-accepted PMR446 radios in the US in compliance with the rules for amateur radio operation. In Great Britain FRS frequencies are used for Fire brigade communications and this sometimes causes problems when FRS equipment is illegally imported from the USA and used (usually inadvertently) by members of the public. World map showing Europe Europe is conventionally considered one of the seven continents which, in this case, is more a cultural and political distinction than a physiogeographic one. ... Alan 456r PMR446 (Personal Mobile Radio, 446 MHz) is a radio frequency part of the UHF range that is open without licensing for personal usage in most members of the European Union. ... Mrs. ...

FRS services are available in Brazil and other South American countries.

List of channels

External links

• CTCSS Codes for some Radios
• FRS Radios in Mexico
• Industry Canada discussion on the approval of FRS in Canada
• Personal Radio Association Members serve the FRS GMRS community