During airsoft games, radios are a great way for commanders and teams to communicate, but which radio should your team choose for the terrain being played on?
Before you choose a radio it's important to identify your requirements - are you playing in built up areas, indoors, outdoors or all of the above? Will the radios be used at long range (e.g. for command purposes) or between a small unit? What kind of headset do you require? Make sure you consider these questions carefully before choosing your radio.
One major factor when determining the radio's effectiveness is the radio band. Personal radios use 1 of 3 bands with each band designed for different terrains.
Family Radio Service (FRS) or Personal Mobile Radio (PMR) radios are the cheapest radios available. They tend to be compact with small antennas and low powers, and operate on an FM service of-- channels. They allow a range of microphones from lapel mics to headsets and do not require a license to use.
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 and PMR radios work well within a unit, but with their limited range they are not suitable for command.
Multi User Radio Service (MURS) radios are higher powered alternatives to FRS and PMR radios and use an FM service with five channels. As they can connect to external antennas and their signals are capable of bending over hills, they are a popular choice for hikers and climbers and do not require a license to use.
However, MURS radios are more expensive than their counterparts are and you are unable to use as wide a range of headsets with them. Also, even though they have stronger signals, they are not able to penetrate buildings and dense forests either so they are generally not a good option for airsoft.
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 utilise 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 / PMR 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.
The final decision is at your discretion. As with any purchase, research your options beforehand to avoid disappointment. - 31499
Before you choose a radio it's important to identify your requirements - are you playing in built up areas, indoors, outdoors or all of the above? Will the radios be used at long range (e.g. for command purposes) or between a small unit? What kind of headset do you require? Make sure you consider these questions carefully before choosing your radio.
One major factor when determining the radio's effectiveness is the radio band. Personal radios use 1 of 3 bands with each band designed for different terrains.
Family Radio Service (FRS) or Personal Mobile Radio (PMR) radios are the cheapest radios available. They tend to be compact with small antennas and low powers, and operate on an FM service of-- channels. They allow a range of microphones from lapel mics to headsets and do not require a license to use.
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 and PMR radios work well within a unit, but with their limited range they are not suitable for command.
Multi User Radio Service (MURS) radios are higher powered alternatives to FRS and PMR radios and use an FM service with five channels. As they can connect to external antennas and their signals are capable of bending over hills, they are a popular choice for hikers and climbers and do not require a license to use.
However, MURS radios are more expensive than their counterparts are and you are unable to use as wide a range of headsets with them. Also, even though they have stronger signals, they are not able to penetrate buildings and dense forests either so they are generally not a good option for airsoft.
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 utilise 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 / PMR 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.
The final decision is at your discretion. As with any purchase, research your options beforehand to avoid disappointment. - 31499
About the Author:
Simplyairsoftguns is a blog providing detailed tutorials on airsoft guns and equipment. For more tutorials on the use of radios in close quarters games, visit cheap airsoft bb guns.
