Category: GMRS
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MURS vs GMRS vs FRS: Which One (or Combination) Actually Fits Your Family
I write a lot about GMRS and FRS on this site, but MURS almost never comes up, and that’s a gap. It’s the license-free service most people have never heard of, and for certain family and neighborhood comms setups it’s worth understanding alongside the two everyone already knows. The Quick Version FRS is license-free, low…
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GMRS Radio: The Complete Guide
Everything you need to know about GMRS radio: the $35 license, real-world range, repeaters, and which radio to actually buy first.
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GMRS Is Great for Family Comms, But It Won’t Save You When SHTF
GMRS gets recommended constantly in prepping and family communication circles, and for good reason. But it’s not a complete emergency communications plan by itself.
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A Comms Plan Your Non-Ham Family Members Can Actually Use
A simplified emergency comms plan for the family members who will never get licensed and never want a full radio lesson.
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GMRS Antennas: What Actually Improves Your Range
More watts get all the attention, but antenna height and gain do more for your GMRS range than a bigger radio ever will. Here’s what’s actually worth upgrading.
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What Handheld Radio Should I Get for Emergency Comms?
GMRS, ham VHF/UHF, repeaters, and HF, compared for emergency comms with real-world vs best-case range expectations, plus my actual pick by scenario.
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A Comms Plan for Apartment or Multi-Family Housing Renters
You can’t assume a yard, a roof, or even a balcony. Here’s a comms plan sized to what renters actually have.
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GMRS Scanning and Monitoring: What You Can (and Can’t) Legally Do
People get confused surprisingly often about what’s legal when it comes to GMRS scanning versus GMRS transmitting, and the confusion is understandable, since the two activities are regulated completely differently. Listening is unrestricted You do not need a GMRS license, or any license at all, to listen to GMRS frequencies. Scanners, dedicated receivers, and radios…
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GMRS for RVers and Overlanders: A Practical Setup Guide
If you travel with other vehicles, RVing in a caravan, overlanding with a group, GMRS is the easiest way to keep everyone in touch without the complexity amateur radio brings and without the range limitations FRS imposes. Why GMRS fits this use case so well One license covers your immediate family, no exam required, and…
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GMRS Repeaters, and How They’re Different From Ham Repeaters
GMRS is not just a walkie talkie service anymore. A growing network of repeaters gives it real range, with a much simpler entry process than amateur radio.
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Teaching Young Kids Radio Basics Without Overwhelming Them
A short list of what a young kid actually needs to know, taught like a game instead of a lecture.