Radios for Airsoft

~Please note that the author of this post is licensed by the FCC as a General Class Amateur Radio Operator~

The purpose of this post is to lift some of the cloud that surrounds the radios that we use for airsoft and what features that they have. So as radios are often a requirement for playing airsoft games and are used by teams and commanders as a way to communicate, we ask the question, "which radio should you choose?"

To start out it is important for you to decide how you are going to use the radio before going out and buying, such as will you be using it in open terrain or lots of hills? Will you be using it indoors or outdoors of a combination of both? Will your radios need to be long range or used within a small team? What type of headset will you need? All of these considerations are important and should be figured out when deciding which radio to use. Depending on your needs, radios can start out for as little as $25.00 including the battery and charger and can easily go up into the hundreds of dollars or more.... So let me start by discussing some of the radios that are available that are well suited for airsoft as well as radios that you should stay away from and why. My personal radio choice is the Motorolla T5500 and the MR350R as the have great battery life and are compatable with most single pin headsets.


Family Radio Service or FRS (1-3 mile range)
FRS or Family Radio Service are the most cost effective radios available on the market. They are more compact and come with small non-removable antennas, lower powers, and operate on the FM service of fourteen channels. They are compatible with a range of microphones such as throat  mics and headsets and they do not require a license to operate. The better ones also include features such as sub-tones also known as "privacy tones", National Weather Service reception, frequency scan, led lights and even in the very high end models, GPS. However, as their signals are low powered and
have small antennas, they often have difficulty penetrating forest and buildings and their effective range can be significantly shorter than quoted*. In airsoft, FRS radios work well within a unit, but with their limited range they are not always suitable for command. *Ranges advertised my the manufactures are for perfect conditions such as over water with no obstructions such as buildings, trees or even your own body.
http://wireless.fcc.gov/services/personal/family/

  


FRS / GMRS Dual Service Radios (1-5 miles)
Some manufacturers have received approval to market radios that are certified for use in both the Family Radio Service (FRS) and the General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS). Other manufacturers have received approval of their radios under the GMRS rules, but market them as FRS/GMRS radios on the basis that: 
Some channels are authorized to both services, or A user of the radio may communicate with stations in the other service. Radios marketed as "FRS/GMRS" or "dual-service radios" are available from many manufacturers and many retail or discount stores. 
If you operate a radio that has been approved exclusively under the rules that apply to FRS, you are not required to have a license. FRS radios have a maximum power of ½ watt (500 milliwatt) effective radiated power and integral (non-detachable) antennas. 
 http://wireless.fcc.gov/services/per...ile/index.html

General Mobil Radio Service or GMRS 
General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) radios are the highest performance personal radios, operating on significantly higher powers (up to 50 watts) and up to 16 duplex channels. They can also utilize repeaters and a much better at penetrating dense forests and buildings. However, this high performance does come with a hefty price tag. GMRS radios are expensive and often bulky and you must have a license to use them.


So which should you buy? It’s likely that budget will be a factor, so identify the radios that you can afford and revisit your requirements. If you’re purchasing radios for each member of your team it’s likely that you’ll be on a tight budget, in which case FRS radios may be the best choice initially. If you are commanding a group of teams, you will likely need a GMRS radio to communicate effectively, so have a shop around.

FRS/GMRS Channels

Chan No.	Frequency	Max Ouput
Family Radio Service
01	462.5625	500 mW
02	462.5875	500 mW
03	462.6125	500 mW
04	462.6375	500 mW
05	462.6625	500 mW
06	462.6875	500 mW
07	462.7125	500 mW
08	467.5625	500 mW
09	467.5875	500 mW
10	467.6125	500 mW
11	467.6375	500 mW
12	467.6625	500 mW
13	467.6875	500 mW
14	467.7125	500 mW
General Mobile Radio Service
15	462.5500	50 W
16	462.5750	50 W
17	462.6000	50 W
18	462.6250	50 W
19	462.6500	50 W
20	462.6750	50 W
21	462.7000	50 W
22	462.7250	50 W

Finally...

Amateur radio - Ham Radio

Operation of any Ham Radio equipment requires an FCC issued license and operation of this equipment without the appropriate license can have severe consequences....  I'm only adding Ham radio to the list because there has been a lot of discussion about a very inexpensive radio with lots of bells and whistles that is available from Amazon, the Baofeng dual band transceiver. 

DO NOT GET THIS RADIO!!!! 

While it is very inexpensive it is also illegal for most people to operate! As it can transmit and receive on not only frs/gmrs but Police, Fire, Military, EMS, SAR , Ham Radio and more frequencies, you have the risk of fines (up to $20,000) and jail time (up to 8 years). Also if that is not enough deterrent for you, imagine the possibility of someone losing their life because you inadvertently interfered with life saving efforts!

 

Baofeng 136-174/400-480 MHz  Transceiver

As with anything, the final decision is your choice. Be sure to research and review your options ahead of time to avoid any issues later. As you look make sure that the radio is compatible with the type of microphone that you want to use and that the VOX (Voice operated transmit) is able to be turned off

Padre' out...