Using VOX while driving frees up the driver's hands to do other things.

We all know that communications between vehicles enhance our trail rides and adds safety to our on-road caravans, but sometimes we’re too busy driving—or negotiating a technical obstacle—to grab a CB microphone. With an FRS hand-held and VOX (and an ear bud and attached mic) all you do is talk. No buttons, no fuss.

The FRS frequencies (see the sidebar) were designated by the FCC back in the mid-90s. When the first models came out, they were offered in two sizes with two advertised ranges. The smaller, lighter talkies were sold with “up to two-mile range, depending on conditions and terrain.” While the slightly larger, heavier models offered “up to five-mile range, depending on…”

I can still remember testing the limits of these new radios. At the time, having been using CBs for about 30 years (since when they offered only 19 channels and were made with vacuum tubes) and becoming used to the radically-varying ranges of off-the-shelf CBs, I was quite excited about using small hand-held radios promising ranges of “up to five miles.”

From left to right, the units tested were: Cobra CXR925, Garmin Rino 530HCx, Motorola MJ27OR, TriSquare TSX 300-2VP, and Uniden GMR2889-2CK.

Cobra CXR925 offers a replay of missed calls, VibrAlert silent calling, and 10-channel memory.

I was working for Trailer Life magazine at the time, so myself and another editor grabbed the four radios we’d been sent for testing (a pair each of each size), jumped in a motorhome and pickup truck, and hied ourselves off to the flatlands of the strawberry fields of Camarillo, California. We knew from previous vehicle testing in that area that the backcountry farm roads could give us “up to five miles” without being hindered by hills, buildings, or traffic. Using the motorhome as the “base station,” the pickup drove two miles straight down the road for the first test.

The smaller units worked fine at their two-mile limit as long as both of us were standing outside the vehicles without the metal and glass of the cabs being between us. We discovered through trial and error that as soon as we climbed back into the vehicles, the effective range of the smaller units was cut to about half or down to a one-mile range. Subsequent tests proved that the same happened with the larger, longer-range models (their range was cut down to about a two- to three-mile range when used inside the vehicles). This also proved that the one-mile range wouldn’t be very effective for caravaners with more than two vehicles in their caravans; however, the five-mile range models would be ideal (and they could be carried conveniently in a shirt pocket for instant access).

Since today’s FRS radios have seen much improvement in the past 15 years, today’s radios now offer up to 35-mile ranges and VOX capabilities (VOX means voice-operated transmission). Let me say right up front that not all manufacturers or all their models involved in this guide offer the 35-mile range (see the accompanying chart). Some models have other features and offer shorter ranges; however, all manufacturers offer models with much longer ranges than the original two- and five-mile distances.

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Garmin Rino 530HCx is the only radio to offer GPS with a map screen, altimeter, electronic compass, and can share your GPS location with other Rino radios.

Obviously, since I live in Arizona and the desert is not as flat as many people think, and I have neither the time nor the money to travel over to the east side of the Rockies for testing the “up to 35-mile range” where I might be able to find an area with 35 miles of clear, unobstructed line-of-sight, I’ve only been able to test the radios across the Colorado River valley between Arizona and Nevada. We live on a hill overlooking Laughlin, Nevada, and our backyard has a direct unobstructed line-of-sight to the point where the highway to Las Vegas disappears into the hills as it climbs out of the Colorado River valley. Since our Jeep has GPS, it told me both the road mileage (11.4 miles) and the direct straight-line distance (8.0 miles) between the house and that point. With my wife, Saraine, sitting in the backyard and me across the valley on the highway, I tested the effectiveness of each radio from outside and inside the vehicle. It may not have been perfect but I believe it was a good test for radios meant to be used between vehicles.

All five radios were understandable over the distance involved (both from inside and outside the Jeep)—and I doubt if any of us will be traveling in caravans that are longer than eight miles from nose to tail—the Cobra CXR925 provided clear transmissions on both ends of the conversation and from inside and outside the vehicle, as did the Motorola MJ27OR and the Uniden GMR2889-2CK (which was very clear). Inside the Jeep the Garmin Rino 530HCx appeared to be broken up for some reason, and the TriSquare TSX 300-2VP produced some static.

Motorola MJ27OR gives you 10 call tones to alert others that you want to talk to them, transmits a tone to let the other person know you’re finished talking, and eliminates interference from non-Motorola radios.

I tested only hand-held radios with VOX capability. I decided that concentrating on the units with VOX capability was the smarter way to go so that operators can be driving on the highway or on a trail and be able to converse without dialing or pushing buttons. Just talk and ye shall hear. However, remember that these radios are what is called “simplex” not “duplex,” which means a signal cannot be received on a radio that is transmitting (hence the reason we’ve all seen the World War II radio guys using “over” after every transmission—it lets the other end(s) know they are through talking). Regardless of whether you’re using VOX or the button, you must be courteous and wait for the other person to be finished before you start talking. Duplex circuitry is now used in speakerphones so that both sides of the conversation can be heard by both sides.

VOX also, in my opinion, is much easier to use when you’re trying to back into a campsite with directions from a spouse or partner, or when hooking up the Jeep, or for those rare occasions when you have to drive your motorhome/camper and the Jeep separately. Voice-actuated transmissions allow two or more people to converse easily and normally, as they would face to face, without having to hold a radio up to their lips or pushing a button to transmit. Just turn on the radio, put it in your pocket, and talk. Cool, huh?

In the accompanying chart, since each manufacturer makes so many models, I’ve listed only those models I tested (one pair from each company). Below the name of each manufacturer is the company’s website, which will lead you to see the other models that company offers, most of which will have less range than the test models and will be less expensive.

The chart can give you a list of features with which you can compare the other models. The prices of all the radios listed in the chart are for pairs of the radios except for the Garmin units, that price is for one Rino 530HCx; however, the Rino is the only unit that can also provide you with your GPS coordinates and the coordinates of your companions as well.

* Company states that the unit has texting capability and 10 billion channels for privacy.

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TriSquare TSX 300-2VP is the only unit to offer text messaging, gives you caller ID and call waiting, can converse only with other eXRS radios (not compatible with other FRS/GMRS radios), and its “phone book” stores up to 100 contacts for private or group calling.

Family Radio Service (FRS) is one of the Citizens Band Radio Services. It is used by family, friends, and associates to communicate within a neighborhood and while on group outings and has a communications range of up to 35 miles with present-day radios. You cannot make a telephone call with an FRS unit. You may use your FRS unit for business-related communications. There are some advantages of FRS and General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) radios over CB radios or cell phones, which include: no charge for airtime, no monthly contracts, no per-call charges, less static and interference than CB radios, lighter and more compact than CB radios, and easy to operate.

License documents are neither needed nor issued. You are provided authority to operate a FRS unit in places where the FCC regulates radio communications as long as you use only an unmodified FCC-certified FRS unit. An FCC-certified FRS unit has an identifying label placed on it by the manufacturer. There is no age or citizenship requirement. In truth, if you use these radios in the GMRS mode, a license is required. However, it’s a “no-test” license (just submit a fee) and enforcement is not pursued. You may operate your FRS unit within the territorial limits of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia. You may also operate your FRS unit on or over any other area of the world, except within the territorial limits of areas where radio communications are regulated by another agency of the U.S. or within the territorial limits of any foreign government.

Several manufacturers—as you can see here—have received approval to market radios that are certified for use in both FRS and the 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. The manual that comes with the radio, or the label placed on it by the manufacturer, should indicate the service for which the unit is certified. If you cannot determine in what service the unit may be used, contact the manufacturer.

Uniden GMR2889-2CK is ideal for private conversations with caller ID, offers key tone beep and another tone for roger beep, and has a DC power jack.

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 half-watt (500 milliwatts) effective radiated power and integral antennas. If you operate a radio under the rules that apply to GMRS, you must have a GMRS license. GMRS radios generally transmit at higher power levels (1 to 5 watts is typical) and may have detachable antennas.

I also need to say something about privacy codes here. Each of these models offer a number of privacy codes, which when multiplied by the number of channels offered by that model results in the number of private conversations by that model. Other radios with the same channels and privacy codes can be added to conversational mix. These radios can use sub-audible tone squelch codes—called privacy codes—to filter out unwanted chatter from other users on the same frequency. These codes offer no protection from eavesdropping and are only intended to help share busy channels. Tone codes also do nothing to prevent desired transmissions from being covered up by stronger signals having a different code.

The five manufacturers I’ve included in this article offer several different models with varying ranges and features. While I didn’t have the space to test all the models being offered by each individual manufacturer, I do encourage you to investigate the companies’ Web sites to see the other models being offered (Web sites are listed in the accompanying chart). Perhaps another model might meet your needs better than the radios tested here.

Author’s note: FRS is an unlicensed service, and there are almost no restrictions on the content of FRS communications. Complete rules and comments from the FCC can be found on the FCC’s website, at: www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Wireless/Orders/fcc96215.txt.