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The consumer magazine's advertisement headlines read, and the television shopping shows say: "You can talk in the Mall, on the slope, on the trail, and across the park." "Family and friends stay together even when they're apart." "Talk from car to car." "While riding you bike." "No cell phone fees." "Free!" "Up to 2 mile range." "14 channels and 38 privacy codes." "Reach out and touch someone."

If you haven't figured it out yet, I am quoting from advertisements touting the benefits of the small hand held two way radios that are used in the Family Radio Service (FRS). The Family Radio Service is a license-free, short range, low power, two-way radio service that was established by the FCC back in 1996 specifically for family and individual recreational use. These radios operate on a 14-channel frequency range from Channel 1 being 462.5625 MHz to Channel 14 being 467.7125 MHz (Specifications from my Motorola Talkabout).

Most of the radios have "Interference Eliminator Codes," Continuous Tone-Coded Squelch System, CTCSS as we HAM's know it, or Private Line, PL™ as Motorola might have you know it.

Many of the radios have advanced features such as hands free VOX, head-sets, recharging accessories and carrying accessories. Enough to make me jealous of what available for my HT's.

I know you've seen them. I have seen them in the malls, while skiing and hiking. I've even seen a family outfitted and using a yellow set of them while I was standing on line at Kennedy Airport.

I've been a HAM since 1984. My first HT was an ICOM IC-02AT. Had a few other HT's since then. But you know what? I went out a purchased a set of these FRS radios for use with my friends when hiking or traveling in separate cars. I take them to the mall. I use them when I bike with a friend.

Let me make something perfectly clear, I always have a dual band HT with me. But, since my companions may not be HAMs I keep a set of FRS radios in the trunk of my car. They are convenient, cost effective, rugged, work well, and meet the need. They work "Up to 2 miles" on a good day.

So what are we missing here?

The public (non HAM community) has become radio active. They are buying and using these things! They are getting used to pressing a Push-To-Talk button and communicating with someone else. On a HT! On UHF! Using CTCSS! With about the same power many HAM HT's put out!

BUT THEY CAN ONLY TALK UP TO 2 MILES on a good day! The FRS does not allow the use of auxiliary antennas (the unit's antennas are fixed), or the use of repeaters.

[Now before I get a zillion letters on how a UHF HT can communicate twenty-million miles, I did a very quick estimation of all the listed repeaters in the United States, took an arbitrary average area of coverage and came up with twenty-million miles of three dimensional coverage. If you want to do the research and math please do. And besides, it made a catchy title for this article.]

In the early to mid sixties many of my high school friends were on CB radio after school. They used their parents' radios to communicate in an "after school" and many times an "all night long" net. Was that the Family Radio Service of the sixties?

Wouldn't it be nice if we introduced the public to the fact that there is a whole other communications network that is free, uses the same size, shape, and style of radio they are using now, and requires a relatively simple test. That they can communicate almost anywhere in the United States and the world. They can use their radio to communicate when normal commination channels (such as land line or cell phone) are out during a disaster. They can even talk to the Space Shuttle.

And wouldn't it be nice that the public, when learning about this fantastic free HAM radio, would learn that they could even connect their computers to their radios and use the computer to communicate without the need of phone lines? And what about all the other modes of operation available to amateur radio operators Do you think that some interest may be generated once the public knew about it?

I think so.

So what are we missing here? We as the amateur radio community, HAMs, need to take advantage of the FRS communications frenzy and market to the public the fact that they can communicate "Twenty-Million Miles" using HAM radio.

Clubs have to become active and place listings in community newspapers. "Family Radio Service = Two miles - Amateur Radio Service = Twenty-Million Miles Learn how."

Set up "public information booths" at the local malls.

Place club and licensing information at local electronics stores.

Get back into the schools and let the students know about HAM radio. Explain how repeaters will allow them to communicate with their friends even if they are at the baseball game.

As individuals, carry some Ham radio promotional material with you explaining about the hobby and your club. Pass this information to families you see using the FRS. Believe me, they won't bite you.

Each year, in recent history, we have seen the dwindling of the number of amateur radio operators. We have the ability convert many Family Radio Service users to Amateur Radio Service users.

Let's do it!

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