Two-Way Radios

[RJ]

Looking to buy a couple. See a lot of the FRS band models. Any suggestions as to what features to look for? Are they all the same as to the channels they operate on? Is channel 1 on one brand the same as on another? I see people saying to contact them on a particular channel. Are they as uniform as the VHF radio in the boat?

[Guest]

I bought a couple Cobra MicroTalk 1 2-ways a year ago at the Muskie Expo in Blaine. I got a mid-priced pair (2 channel) thinking the grandkids could use them or I could with another boat not equipped with VHF. For what it's worth, the ones I got are little better than useless.

The two frequencies will not duplicate your marine radio, and they shouldn't. Marine radios are still licensed and considered stations (FCC). No license fee is required, but the same FCC regulations and radio use requirements are still intact. I'd hate to see marine radios become what happened to CBs.