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Select a Feature or Term:
 Adjustable
Gain
Audible
Button Beeps
Audio
Accessory Connector
Backlit
Display
Battery
Charger
Battery
Meter
Battery
Saver
Battery
Type
Call
Tones
Channel
Scan
Channels
Clock
Companding
Digital
Compass
Drop-In
Charge Capable
Dual
Channel Watch
Eavesdrop
Reducer
Fixed
Antenna
FRS
Channels
GMRS
Channels
Interchangeable
Face Plates
Keypad
Lock
Low
Battery Alert
Manufacturer
Warranty
Memory
Locations
Monitor
Channel
Noise
Filtering
Plug-In
Charge Capable
Power
Selectable
Privacy
Codes
Range
Range
Extender
Rechargeable
Battery Included
Scan
Channel Delete
Shared
Channels
Signal
Strength Indicator
Silent
Mode
Stopwatch
Talk
Confirmation Tone
Timeout
Timer
Transmit
Power
Vibrate
Alert
Voice
Scramble
VOX
Water
Resistant
Weather
Channels
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| Adjustable
Gain |
| Two way radios with
the adjustable gain feature allow you to adjust the
sensitivity of your microphone. This is useful along
with hands-free operation because it helps minimize
the possibility of unintended noises triggering a
transmission, or enhances the ability to pick up quiet
voices. |
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| Audible Button Beeps |
| Radios with this
feature play a tone whenever a button is pressed.
This helps you to confirm that the button was actually
pressed. |
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| Audio Accessory Connector |
| Radios with the audio
accessory connector feature have a port that will
allow you to connect external devices to your two
way radio. The actual devices supported vary by model.
Some of the most popular external accessories are
microphones, speakers, and hands-free kits. |
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| Backlit Display |
| Most two way radios
have a digital LCD display that displays useful information,
such as your current channel. Radios with this feature
allow you to turn on a lighted display, to make information
easier to read in darker environments. |
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| Battery Charger |
| A battery charger
will re-charge two way radios that include rechargable
batteries. If you plan to use your two way radio with
any frequency, rechargable batteries are a good idea
and will pay for themselves in the long run! |
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| Battery Meter |
| A battery meter will
indicate the amount of charge remaining on the battery.
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| Battery Saver |
| Two way radios with
this feature generally have a "low power"
mode that they will switch to automatically after
being left unused for a certain amount of time. While
in the "low power" mode, the drain on the
battery is less than during normal operations. |
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Battery Type |
| Two way radios are
mobile devices and were intended to move around with
you. Because of this all radios operate on battery
power. Most models will work with standard alkaline
AA or AAA batteries. Several models include rechargable
batteries. Rechargable batteries included with two
way radios are usually either Nickel Cadmium (NiCd)
or Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH). NiMH rechargable batteries
are usually considered superior to NiCd. NiMH batteries
usually last longer and have no "memory effect".
NiCd batteries do suffer from the "memory effect"
and because of this it is recommended that you completely
drain your NiCd batteries before you recharge them.
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| Call Tones |
| Call tones allow
you to transmit a tone to other radios in your group
to alert them that you want to talk. This is similar
to a telephone's ringing to indicate that someone
wants to talk to you. Many radios allow you to choose
from several different call tones. |
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|
Channel Scan |
| The channel scan
feature enables a two way radio to continuously scan
each channel for activity. When activity is detected
on a channel the scan process will stop and you will
hear the transmission. |
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| Channels |
| A channel is a frequency
on which two way radio users can communicate. There
are 14 FRS channels and 15 GMRS channels, and of those
7 are shared. Radios supporting both FRS and GMRS
will support 22 channels. To communicate with others
using a two way radio, all radios in the group must
be set to the same channel. |
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|
Clock |
| Two way radios with
a clock will display the current time. Some radios
with this feature also have an alarm feature. |
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| Companding |
| A sophisticated digital
voice compression technology that reduces the static
hiss between words. This technology extends the effective
range of the radio and delivers noticeably clearer
transmission quality. |
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|
Digital Compass |
| A digital compass
will tell you which direction you are headed. Two
way radios with this feature will usually show you
abbreviations for your direction while the compass
is active. Common abbreviations are: N, E, S, W, NE,
NW, SE, SW. |
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| Drop-In Charge Capable |
| Two way radios that
are drop-in charge capable are compatible with desktop
type cradle chargers. In these chargers, you drop
the entire radio in a cradle while it recharges. |
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|
Dual Channel Watch |
| Dual channel watch
allows you to monitor two channel/privacy code combinations
at once. |
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| Eavesdrop Reducer |
| The eavesdrop reducer
feature will allow you to set a special "eavesdrop
reducer" code. Setting this code will cause your
radio to garble the tranmission for anyone else who
may be listening. Another radio with this feature
must be set to the same "eavesdrop reducer"
code before they will be able to hear your transmission
correctly. This feature does not guarantee secrecy,
but it does add an extra layer of privacy. |
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| Fixed Antenna |
| Fixed antennas are
not able to be removed from the radio. |
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|
FRS Channels |
| FRS channels are
channels that were set aside by the FCC for use by
the Family Radio Service (FRS). There are 14 FRS channels
available. The FCC has limited the amount of power
that a device can use to broadcase on an FRS channel
to .5 watts, which is a maximum of around 2 miles. |
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GMRS Channels |
| GMRS channels are
channels set aside by the FCC for use by the General
Mobile Radio Service (GMRS). There are 15 GMRS channels
available. The range limit put in place by the FCC
for FRS frequencies does not exist for GMRS frequencies.
Because of this most radios that support the GMRS
frequencies have a greater maximum range than FRS
radios. The FCC requires that all operators using
the GMRS frequencies obtain a radio license before
operating their equipment. To obtain this license
request form 605, which includes all forms and instructions.
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| Interchangeable Face
Plates |
| Two way radios supporting
interchageable face plates have snap-off front covers.
These "face plates" can be replaced with
others to give your radio a fresh look and style! |
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Keypad Lock |
| Radios with the keypad
lock feature allow you to "Lock" the buttons
so that pressing them has no effect. This is useful
if you are carrying the radio in your pocket or in
a purse where buttons could accidentally get pressed. |
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| Low Battery Alert |
| Two way radios with
the low battery alert feature will alert you in some
way when the battery charge is getting low. Some models
will provide an audible tone to indicate the battery
is low. Other models show a special icon in the display
when the battery charge is getting low. |
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Manufacturer Warranty |
| This is the warranty
provided by the manufacturer. See manual for specific
details. |
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|
Memory Locations |
| Two way radios with
memory locations allow you to store your frequently
used channel/privacy code combinations for easy access
later. |
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Monitor Channel |
This feature allows you to check if a channel is clear
before you transmit. |
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Noise Filtering |
| The noise filtering
feature reduces unwanted noise. Many models accomplish
this by shutting off weak transmissions, thus eliminating
unwanted noise due to terrain and conditions. For
some other manufacturers, turning this feature on
means that the radio only receives transmissions from
other radios by the same manufacturer with this feature
enabled. |
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| Plug-In Charge Capable |
| Two way radios that
are plug-in charge capable have a port where you can
plug in a charger. This is similar to how most wireless
phones are charged. |
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Power Selectable |
| The power selectable
feature allows you to switch between high and low
power modes for GMRS frequencies. Low power mode would
reduce the range of your two way radio. If your group
is using a GMRS frequency, it could be useful to have
to option to reduce your range if you are receiving
unwanted transmissions from outside of your group. |
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|
Privacy Codes |
| Many radios divide
individual channels up into a certain number of privacy
codes. Instead of only needing to be on the same channel
to communicate with other members of your group, radios
using privacy codes require all radios to have the
same channel/privacy code combination in order to
be able to communicate. This is an extremely useful
feature. In places where many people are using two
way radios, such as sporting events or theme parks,
it would be very difficult to find a channel that
wasn't always being used or monitored if only 22 channels
were available. Privacy codes make it possible for
your to take your two way radio to high traffic places
and still be able to communicate with your group in
relative privacy. |
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|
Range |
| It is important to
be aware that the number of miles of range advertised
by two way radio manufactures is always the maximum
range that the radio will get under perfect circumstances.
Many things can affect the range, such as trees, bushes,
buildings, vehicles, or almost anything that could
interfere with line of sight. |
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| Range Extender |
| This is the opposite
of the Noise Filter feature. When the range extender
feature is turned on, your radio will receive even
very weak transmissions. This may result in unwanted
noise, but will extend the range of your two way radio. |
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Rechargeable Battery Included |
| Some two way radios
include rechargeable batteries. If you plan to use
your radio frequently, upgrading to a model that includes
rechargeable batteries will pay for itself in no time! |
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|
Scan Channel Delete |
| Radios with this
feature allow you to remove a specific channel from
a scan. This can be very useful if you need to perform
a scan, but there are channels with activity that
you know you are not interested in. |
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Shared Channels |
| There are seven channels
assigned by the FCC to the Family Radio Service (FRS)
and General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) that overlap.
Channels 1 through 7 have been assigned to both services.
Almost all radios that support the GMRS channels also
support the FRS channels. You will sometime see a
difference between how some radios supporting both
services handle these frequencies. Some treat them
as low range FRS channels and others as high range
GMRS channels. Some others give you the option of
setting the range yourself for these shared channels. |
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Signal Strength Indicator |
| A signal strength
indicator will give you an indication of how strong
the signal of your incoming and outgoing transmissions
are. |
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Silent Mode |
| In silent mode, the
radio will indicate an incoming transmission without
making an audible alert of any kind. Typically, the
display will flash several times to indicate the incoming
transmission. This is a great feature for hunters,
where a noise may be disruptive. |
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Stopwatch |
| Some two way radios
have a stopwatch feature. A stopwatch displays the
amount of time between when it was started and when
it was stopped. |
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|
Talk Confirmation Tone |
| The Talk Confirmation
Tone is sometimes called a "Roger Beep".
When this feature is activated, a tone is transmitted
to the listener after a transmission. This alerts
the listener that you are finished, and that it is
their turn to talk. |
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Timeout Timer |
| The timeout timer
feature is intended to prevent accidental transmissions
and to save battery life. If the "TALK"
button is held for a long period of time, the radio
will automatically stop transmitting. |
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Transmit Power |
| The transmit power
of a two way radio is measured in watts and is the
major factor in determining the range of a radio.
Generally the more watts of transmit power, the greater
the range of the radio. The FCC limits the transmit
power of radios on the FRS channels to .5 watts. |
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| Vibrate Alert |
| Two way radios with
the vibrate alert feature have the ability to vibrate
to alert you that you are receiving a message. This
is very useful in noisy environments where it would
be difficult to hear a call tone or a message. |
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Voice Scramble |
| The voice scrambling
feature garble your transmissions, allowing you to
have conversations that are more private and secure.
In order to use the voice scramble feature, all members
of your group must have radios supporting this feature.
This feature does not guarantee secrecy, as someone
with a similar radio could hear your conversations,
but it does add an extra layer of privacy. |
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VOX |
| Radios supporting
the Voice Activated Transmit (VOX) feature allow you
to use your two way radio "hands-free".
The radio will automatically begin transmitting when
you speak. |
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| Water Resistant |
| Radios supporting
this feature can tune into broadcasts by the NOAA
Weather Radio and Environment Canada Weather Radio.
Most radios that will allow you to listen to weather
channels also have the ability to alert you automatically
to emergency weather broadcasts. This feature requires
that NOAA or Environment Canada service be available
in your area. Check with your local weather office
to verify that this service is available. |
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Weather Channels |
| Radios supporting
this feature can tune into broadcasts by the NOAA
Weather Radio and Environment Canada Weather Radio.
Most radios that will allow you to listen to weather
channels also have the ability to alert you automatically
to emergency weather broadcasts. This feature requires
that NOAA or Environment Canada service be available
in your area. Check with your local weather office
to verify that this service is available. |
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