HOBBY RADIO: What's the best license-free radio service?

You may know about CB, MURS and FRS, but we're going to serve up another band

Summary of this article: What’s the best license-free radio service? America’s Hobby Radio Magazine takes a dynamic look at CB radio, the Family Radio Service and the Multi-Use Radio Service in an attempt to determine the best option for personal and business communications. We also throw out an additional option that many may not consider, but might be worth checking out.

It’s not uncommon to see social media posts from radio hobbyists trying to figure out the best radio service to use without getting a radio license. The top candidates are citizens band at 27 MHz; the Multi-User Radio Service, or MURS, at 151 and 154 MHz; and the Family Radio Service, or FRS, at 462 and 467 MHz.

If you want to use license-free radios in the United States and its territories, there are just a handful of options for you to consider. We take a look at each one and offer the facts, range variables, radios available, antenna considerations and some tips for each radio service. Read below for all the details. | AI image created for National Communications Magazine

These three radio services range from HF to VHF to UHF, so each is distinct in its own offerings and characteristics, but the bottom line is that you are not required to obtain a license from the Federal Communications Commission in order to use these frequencies. For those trying to decide what band to use for their own purposes, we’ll take a look at each, but also throw out yet another band you can use without obtaining a license and you probably haven’t even thought about using. You might be surprised!