Guides

A dark suburban street at night in a power cut, with one red light glowing on a cell tower on the ridge behind the houses.

Walkie Talkies for Emergencies: What Still Works

Most outages leave the cell towers standing and the phone lines jammed. A few take the towers down. The right emergency radio depends on which one you are planning for,...

Walkie Talkies for Emergencies: What Still Works

Most outages leave the cell towers standing and the phone lines jammed. A few take the towers down. The right emergency radio depends on which one you are planning for,...

A compact handheld radio clipped to a hiker's daypack strap, with a single cell tower on the ridge behind.

GMRS vs FRS vs Cellular Push-to-Talk: Who Needs...

FRS and GMRS share the same 22 channels. The license is the whole difference: $35 for ten years, one licensee, the immediate family covered. Here is what it buys, what...

GMRS vs FRS vs Cellular Push-to-Talk: Who Needs...

FRS and GMRS share the same 22 channels. The license is the whole difference: $35 for ten years, one licensee, the immediate family covered. Here is what it buys, what...

A compact handheld radio clipped to a passenger's daypack strap on a harbor quay, the white side of a cruise ship filling the background.

Walkie Talkies on a Cruise Ship: What Works, Wh...

A consumer walkie talkie reaches a few decks through a ship's steel. Norwegian bans walkie-talkies by name, Carnival bans radios, Royal Caribbean permits them with limits, and Princess and Disney...

Walkie Talkies on a Cruise Ship: What Works, Wh...

A consumer walkie talkie reaches a few decks through a ship's steel. Norwegian bans walkie-talkies by name, Carnival bans radios, Royal Caribbean permits them with limits, and Princess and Disney...

A compact Echo radio clipped to the chest strap of a plain work vest, with a loading bay blurred behind at dawn.

Commercial Two-Way Radios: What Long Range Actu...

Long range means three different things, and only one of them survives a loaded racking aisle. What the FCC actually licenses, why a business cannot get a new GMRS license,...

Commercial Two-Way Radios: What Long Range Actu...

Long range means three different things, and only one of them survives a loaded racking aisle. What the FCC actually licenses, why a business cannot get a new GMRS license,...

A compact handheld radio stands on a desk in front of a plain unlabeled globe turned to show the Atlantic.

How Far Can a Walkie Talkie Really Reach? Range...

The range figure on a box is the distance to the horizon from high ground. At hand height on a street the same radio reaches a few hundred yards. This...

How Far Can a Walkie Talkie Really Reach? Range...

The range figure on a box is the distance to the horizon from high ground. At hand height on a street the same radio reaches a few hundred yards. This...

A compact Echo radio clipped to the front of a blaze-orange vest at chest height, with a misty treeline blurred behind.

Best Walkie Talkies for Hunting: What Works Pas...

The best walkie talkie for hunting is decided by coverage in the unit you hunt, and this guide gives both answers with the evidence for each. What testing measures in...

Best Walkie Talkies for Hunting: What Works Pas...

The best walkie talkie for hunting is decided by coverage in the unit you hunt, and this guide gives both answers with the evidence for each. What testing measures in...