Posted on http://revistaminimi.com
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?
It is essential to understand all the requirements before choosing a radio, such as will there be a lot of build up in the terrain you are playing in, will you be indoors or outdoors of a combination of the above? Will your radios need to be long range or used within a small team? What type of headset will you need? All of these considerations are important and should be figured out when deciding which radio to use.
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.
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.
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.
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.
However, MURS radios are more expensive that FRS and PMR radios and generally don’t support as wide a range of headsets. Also, although they are more powerful, their signals do not penetrate forests and buildings as well as FRS and PMR radios and are generally not a good choice 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.
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.
