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 choosing a radio, it is important to recognize all the requirements such as are you playing in areas with a lot of buildings, indoors, outdoors in open areas or all of the above? Will you use the radio at long ranges (i.e., for command purposes) or within a small unit? What sort of headset will you require? It is important to consider all these questions and more when 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.
Personal Mobile Radio or PMR and Family Radio Service or FRS are two of the most reasonably priced types of radios on the market. They tend to be more compact, have small antennas, lower power, and can operate on-- channels of the FM service. In addition, they are compatible with many types of microphones and headsets and do not need a license to operate.
However, because they have low powered signals and small antennas, they have difficulty piercing dense forest and buildings so their range is significantly reduced compared to what they are quoted as capable of. For airsoft, PMR and FRS radios work great within a unit, but they are not effective for command because of their limited range.
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 performance does come at a cost. GMRS radios can be very bulky and expensive and licenses are required 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.
Before choosing a radio, it is important to recognize all the requirements such as are you playing in areas with a lot of buildings, indoors, outdoors in open areas or all of the above? Will you use the radio at long ranges (i.e., for command purposes) or within a small unit? What sort of headset will you require? It is important to consider all these questions and more when 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.
Personal Mobile Radio or PMR and Family Radio Service or FRS are two of the most reasonably priced types of radios on the market. They tend to be more compact, have small antennas, lower power, and can operate on-- channels of the FM service. In addition, they are compatible with many types of microphones and headsets and do not need a license to operate.
However, because they have low powered signals and small antennas, they have difficulty piercing dense forest and buildings so their range is significantly reduced compared to what they are quoted as capable of. For airsoft, PMR and FRS radios work great within a unit, but they are not effective for command because of their limited range.
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 performance does come at a cost. GMRS radios can be very bulky and expensive and licenses are required 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.
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 airsoft electric guns.
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