Roy’s Two-Way Radios

Along with two-way radios and weather radios, a GPS device can mean the difference between getting stranded and having a safe excursion.  Personal navigation devices are often called a GPS.  GPS stands for Global Positioning System.  It uses a group of between 24 and 32 satellites orbiting the Earth that transmit specific signals that allow GPS receivers to determine their location, speed, direction and time.  GPS was invented by the United States Department of Defense, and many other countries are developing their own similar systems, such as China and Russia.

A Presidential directive was issued by Ronald Reagan in 1983 to make the system available free for civilian use and the greater good.  Since that time, GPS has become more widely used as time passes, proving a useful aid to navigation all over the world.  It also assists in land surveying, map making, science, the study of earthquakes, and the synchronization of telecommunications networks.

GMRS stands for General Mobile Radio Service, which is a licensed FM UHF radio service in the United States available for communication by two-way radios over short distances.  This service is designed for use by adult individuals in possession of a valid GMRS license and their immediate families.  Immediate family members of licensees may use the service to communicate with one another for personal or business reasons, but non-family members of the licensee, such as employees, are not allowed to use GMRS unless they are valid license holders themselves.

GMRS radios are usually handheld portable devices.  Base-station radios are available as well and can be used legally if GMRS-type approved, but this style more commonly serves as commercial UHF radios that utilize existing public service and commercial land-mobile frequency bands.