Handheld two-way radios for groups and families: use and radio etiquette

A handheld radio is transmitter and receiver in one. When you press the talk button, it sends your voice as a radio wave. All devices set to the same channel and within range receive it. There is no mast and no network in between – that is why the devices still work when the mobile network fails.

Range depends very strongly on the surroundings. The radio waves of typical handheld radios travel, much like light, mainly in line of sight. On a hill or across open water they go far; in a deep valley, dense forest or between concrete walls much less. An elevated position, such as an upper-floor window or a rise in the ground, often helps more than anything else.

Because everyone on a channel shares the same frequency, only one can transmit at a time. If two talk at once, the signals overlap and nobody is understood. That is where the rules of radio etiquette come from.

Radio frequencies are a shared resource and regulated by law so that users – such as emergency services, aviation and marine radio – do not interfere with each other. In Europe, PMR446 is a common radio service for simple handheld radios that may be used without a licence in many countries. Other regions have their own systems, such as FRS in the USA, with their own rules.

Which devices are licence-free, at what power and on which frequencies differs by country. A device permitted in one country may be prohibited in another. So buy devices approved for your country, and check the rules of your destination before travelling.

CB radio is also open to everyone in many countries, but there too channels, power and modes differ. Amateur radio offers far more options but usually requires an exam and licence. Many amateur radio clubs are involved in emergency communication and welcome newcomers.

Set all devices to the same channel beforehand and, if used, the same sub-code. Also agree a backup channel in case the first is busy or disturbed, and write both on a card everyone carries. A sub-code only filters what your device plays to you – it does not make the conversation secret. Others can still listen in.

Before transmitting, listen briefly to check whether the channel is free. Then press the talk button, wait a moment and only then speak, or the beginning is cut off. A clear structure helps: who is calling whom, the message, ‘over’. Have important details such as place and time read back to rule out misunderstandings.

Agree fixed call times, for example on the hour, when everyone switches on. This saves battery, and everyone still knows when they can reach the others. Spare batteries are part of the kit.

A handheld radio is not an emergency call system. Nobody is necessarily listening on general radio channels, and certainly not emergency services automatically. So in an emergency, try the local emergency number (112 in the EU) first. At sea there is marine radio with its own distress procedures for this.

If you hear on your channel that someone is in distress, that takes priority: keep the channel clear, listen, note details and alert help, for example by phone. Never send distress calls as a joke or a test. A false alarm can tie up rescuers who are urgently needed elsewhere.

Always remember that radio is not private. Do not say things over the radio that strangers should not know, such as that your home is empty right now.

In a group in the field: the front and back of a hiking group stay in contact even when they cannot see each other. Radio helps when someone strays from the path or the group has to wait for a straggler.

In the family and neighbourhood during a network outage: if the mobile network fails during a longer power cut, family members nearby can keep talking to each other. Agree channel, backup channel and call times beforehand and try it out once while everything still works.

At events or work sites: handheld radios are ideal for short arrangements between several people at once. Over long distances and in terrain with many obstacles, though, they quickly reach their limits.