PMR-446 (Walkie Talkies) Introductory Guide

PMR-446 is an inexpensive form of communication for either business or personal use. PMR is an abbreviation of Private Mobile Radio, whereas 446 simply indicates the band on which these license-free two way radios operate (446MHz). Such devices are commonly referred to as walkie talkies. PMR-446 was introduced in 1999 as a European alternative to the FRS (Family Radio Service), which is available in the USA. Eight 12.5kHz Channels are available for operating your PMR-446 radios on.

Because of the rather limited number of channels, there is potential for interference if many people are using these walkie talkies in a small area. To combat this, many of these two way radios have Continuous Tone Squelch System (CTSS) built-in. Such radios continuously emit a subaudible tone which can be recognised by the receiving handset. The receiver will ignore all signals that are not accompanied by such a tone. In addition to CTSS, Digital Squelch (DCS) can also be used to avoid interference in high usage areas.

The distance over which these walkies talkies may be used to communicate varies depending upon the area. In urban areas the range of these radios is generally limited to around 1 mile, whereas in open countryside much greater ranges may be achieved (particularly if the land is flat and there are no obstructions between the two handsets).