Different Types of Radios

There are two broad categories of radios:

1. Inbound (Receive and Listen) Only

Typical AM/FM Radios, battery powered preferred. An AM/FM radio is a "required" preparedness item for every household. Click or Touch HERE to learn why.

2. Inbound (Receive and Listen) plus Outbound (Send or Talk)

• Typical Walkie Talkie Type Radios - often referred to as FRS (Family Radio Service) or GMRS (General Mobile Radio Service)

-- License not required for FRS radios to listen or talk.

-- License required by the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) to transmit (Talk) but not to listen with a GMRS radio ... $35 for 10 year license and renewable ... no test required. The license covers the licensee, licensee's spouse, children, grandchildren, stepchildren, parents, grandparents, stepparents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and in-laws, regardless of age (but the licensee must be at least 18 years old). Cousins are apparently not allowed to use the license. An exception: transmission is allowed in an emergency situation without a license. Stupid or what? Oh, and if you get a license, the FCC requires only FCC approved radios can be used. According to the FCC website this licensing requirement allows the FCC to better regulate the frequencies that two-way radios utilize.

-- After May 18, 2017, FRS radios are limited to 2 watts on channel 1-7 and channels 15–22. All 22 channels are shared with GMRS radios. FRS radios come with fixed antennas, and cannot be legally modified to accommodate special antennas or amplifiers. Handheld GMRS radios can output up to 5 watts. Base station GMRS radios can output up to 50 watts on most frequencies.

• HAM Radios (Amateur Radio)

-- License required by the FCC to transmit (Talk) ... $35 for 10 year license and renewable ... must take a 35 question multiple choice test (sample tests readily available online) and get a score of at least 74% (26 correct) ... memorize the answers, take the test, pay your money, and you are legal. The test is outdated and has nothing to do with operating a radio in an emergency situation. It focuses on basic regulations, safety, and radio theory. Unlike a GMRS license, a HAM radio license only covers the licensee.

-- License not required to listen.

-- With a ham radio license, you can communicate around your local community or even the world when the infrastructure goes down. That is the key - when the infrastructure does down. But it's so much more than that. You can talk with astronauts on the international space station. You can send an email or text message over your radio. You can communicate and make new friends around the world. HAM radio is the only service that allows you to talk worldwide without any infrastructure.

(We do not recommend or endorse specific products.)