Radios and Airsoft

Radios are an effective way for teams and commanders to communicate during airsoft games, but with a wide range of terrains being played on, which radios should your team 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 of the major factors determining a radio’s effectiveness is the band. Personal radios can use one of three bands; and each band performs better or worse in different terrains.

Family Radio Service (FRS) or Personal Mobile Radio (PMR) radios are the cheapest radios available. They tend to be compact with small antennas and low powers, and operate on an FM service of– channels. They allow a range of microphones from lapel mics to headsets and do not require a license to use.

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.

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.

Of course, MURS radios are more costly than their lower power counterparts and do not support the wide range of headsets or mics. In addition, although they have stronger signals, their signals also do not penetrate buildings and forests and they are generally not a great choice to use in 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.

Of course, this high performance comes at a cost. GMRS radios can be expensive and bulky and you are required to have a license to operate them.

So, which radio should you purchase? Your budget will determine your starting point and narrow down the options that are affordable. If you are buying the radios for your entire team than your budget will become even smaller per radio and you will probably need to stick with the PMR or FRS radios. However, if you are the commander of a team and only required to purchase your radio, then you might be able to purchase a GMRS radio so you can communicate more effectively.

Of course, the final decision on which radio to choose is up to you. Always be sure to research all options in advance in order to avoid disappointment with your purchase later.