Radios are a requirement for playing airsoft games and are used by teams and commanders as a way to communicate, but which radio should your choose?
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 of the major factors determining a radio's effectiveness is the band. Personal radios can use one of three bands; and each band performs better or worse in different terrains.
FRS or Family Radio Service and PMR or Personal Mobile Radio are the most cost effective radios available on the market. They are more compact and come with small antennas, lower powers, and operate on the FM service of fourteen channels. They are compatible with a range of microphones such as lapel mics and headsets and they do not require a license to operate.
Unfortunately, because of their small antennas and low power signals, they have a hard time penetrating buildings and forests, so their range is can be an issue depending on your requirements. For use in airsoft, these personal radios are great to be used within a team but not for command purposes.
MURS or Multi User Radio Service radios are a higher power alternative to PMR and FRS radios and use the FM service with 5 channels. They are able to connect to external antennas and have signals capable of traversing over hills, they make a popular choice for climbers and hikers and no license is required.
Of course, MURS radios are more costly than their lower power counterparts and do not support the wide range of headsets or mics. In addition, although they have stronger signals, their signals also do not penetrate buildings and forests and they are generally not a great choice to use in airsoft.
GMRS or General Mobile Radio Service radios are high performance personal radios that operate on very high power (up to fifty watts) and use up to sixteen duplex channels. They also utilize repeaters and are better at piercing buildings and dense forests.
However, this performance does come at a cost. GMRS radios can be very bulky and expensive and licenses are required to use them.
Therefore, which type should you buy? Budget will more than likely be a factor, so be sure to first narrow down the radios you can afford and then revisit your requirements. If you are purchasing radios for everyone on your team then your budget will probably be stricter and you should go with the FRS or PMR radios. However, if you are commanding a team or group of teams, you will probably want a GMRS radio in order to communicate efficiently.
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.
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 of the major factors determining a radio's effectiveness is the band. Personal radios can use one of three bands; and each band performs better or worse in different terrains.
FRS or Family Radio Service and PMR or Personal Mobile Radio are the most cost effective radios available on the market. They are more compact and come with small antennas, lower powers, and operate on the FM service of fourteen channels. They are compatible with a range of microphones such as lapel mics and headsets and they do not require a license to operate.
Unfortunately, because of their small antennas and low power signals, they have a hard time penetrating buildings and forests, so their range is can be an issue depending on your requirements. For use in airsoft, these personal radios are great to be used within a team but not for command purposes.
MURS or Multi User Radio Service radios are a higher power alternative to PMR and FRS radios and use the FM service with 5 channels. They are able to connect to external antennas and have signals capable of traversing over hills, they make a popular choice for climbers and hikers and no license is required.
Of course, MURS radios are more costly than their lower power counterparts and do not support the wide range of headsets or mics. In addition, although they have stronger signals, their signals also do not penetrate buildings and forests and they are generally not a great choice to use in airsoft.
GMRS or General Mobile Radio Service radios are high performance personal radios that operate on very high power (up to fifty watts) and use up to sixteen duplex channels. They also utilize repeaters and are better at piercing buildings and dense forests.
However, this performance does come at a cost. GMRS radios can be very bulky and expensive and licenses are required to use them.
Therefore, which type should you buy? Budget will more than likely be a factor, so be sure to first narrow down the radios you can afford and then revisit your requirements. If you are purchasing radios for everyone on your team then your budget will probably be stricter and you should go with the FRS or PMR radios. However, if you are commanding a team or group of teams, you will probably want a GMRS radio in order to communicate efficiently.
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.
About the Author:
Simplyairsoftguns is a site providing in-depth information on airsoft guns and equipment. For more information on the use of radios in close quarters games, visit airsoft electric guns.
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