2-way radios

[Diamond_Girls]

We always take the 2-way radios to WDW with great success. We planned on taking them on the 7 day cruise. We just found a great deal on two more exactly like we have so that each daughter will also be able to have one. Does anyone know where on the cruise these do not work? Or places where they work really well?

I'm thinking how great it would be for a daughter to call me and tell me she wants to hook up with me!!

[dijid]

We had a tough time with our radios on the ship. They didn't seem to work well from inside our room. We switched channels and subcodes several times, but seemed someone else was always using the same one. I talked to one guy who was using his with success and he was using the 5 mile ones. Said that too many people have the 2 mile ones that they don't work well anymore. I would have to agree with him as everyone I saw on the ships was trying to use them.

[kcand sunshine]

Our 2 ways didn't work well at all either. I just had them check with me every hour or so at my chair at the pool.

[akid@hart]

but when I read on the web about their designation it said you had to have a special license to use them, so I took them back to the store and got the 2 mile one. The licenses were very expensive that you had to purchase to use them.

[tiptoen]

I had pretty good luck with my 2 mile radios. When on deck 9 we could talk to our room on deck 6. Although they did not work when our DS was in the kids club or the Disney theater. They worked great when DS and I went into Nassau and CC without the DW. When she was ready to join us It was really easy. They covered the whole island at CC from the ship.

[akid@hart]

Here is a link to the FCC licensing requirements on these GRMS radios:
http://wireless.fcc.gov/prs/genmbl.html/

"Do I need a license?
Yes. Before any station transmits on any channel authorized in the GMRS from any point within or over the territorial limits of any area where radio services are regulated by the FCC, the responsible party must obtain a license for a GMRS system. An individual 18 years of age or older, who is not a representative of a foreign government, is eligible to apply for a GMRS system license. Application for a GMRS system license is made on FCC Form 605. There is a filing fee. For information on fees see our Fee Information page.
"

[Dave_from_Marietta]

Actually, those popular radios use the Family Radio Service (FRS) bands rather than the General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) bands cited by akid@hart. No license is required to use them in the United States, but it may not be legal to use them at some foreign ports of call.

wireless.fcc.gov/prs/famrad.html