Tools / PMR446, FRS and GMRS channels

PMR446, FRS and GMRS channels

The frequency of every licence-free walkie-talkie channel in Europe and the UK (PMR446), and the US FRS and GMRS channels with their power limits. Use the privacy code chart to match radios from different brands.

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PMR446 (UK and Europe)

Channel	Frequency (MHz)	Note
1	446.00625	Original 8 channels
2	446.01875	Original 8 channels
3	446.03125	Original 8 channels
4	446.04375	Original 8 channels
5	446.05625	Original 8 channels
6	446.06875	Original 8 channels
7	446.08125	Original 8 channels
8	446.09375	Original 8 channels
9	446.10625	Added in 2018
10	446.11875	Added in 2018
11	446.13125	Added in 2018
12	446.14375	Added in 2018
13	446.15625	Added in 2018
14	446.16875	Added in 2018
15	446.18125	Added in 2018
16	446.19375	Added in 2018

FRS and GMRS (US)

Channel	Frequency (MHz)	FRS power	GMRS power
1	462.5625	2 W	5 W
2	462.5875	2 W	5 W
3	462.6125	2 W	5 W
4	462.6375	2 W	5 W
5	462.6625	2 W	5 W
6	462.6875	2 W	5 W
7	462.7125	2 W	5 W
8	467.5625	0.5 W	0.5 W
9	467.5875	0.5 W	0.5 W
10	467.6125	0.5 W	0.5 W
11	467.6375	0.5 W	0.5 W
12	467.6625	0.5 W	0.5 W
13	467.6875	0.5 W	0.5 W
14	467.7125	0.5 W	0.5 W
15	462.5500	2 W	50 W
16	462.5750	2 W	50 W
17	462.6000	2 W	50 W
18	462.6250	2 W	50 W
19	462.6500	2 W	50 W
20	462.6750	2 W	50 W
21	462.7000	2 W	50 W
22	462.7250	2 W	50 W

Privacy codes (CTCSS tones)

Code	Tone (Hz)	Code	Tone (Hz)
1	67.0	20	131.8
2	71.9	21	136.5
3	74.4	22	141.3
4	77.0	23	146.2
5	79.7	24	151.4
6	82.5	25	156.7
7	85.4	26	162.2
8	88.5	27	167.9
9	91.5	28	173.8
10	94.8	29	179.9
11	97.4	30	186.2
12	100.0	31	192.8
13	103.5	32	203.5
14	107.2	33	210.7
15	110.9	34	218.1
16	114.8	35	225.7
17	118.8	36	233.6
18	123.0	37	241.8
19	127.3	38	250.3

PMR446

PMR446 is the licence-free walkie-talkie band in the UK, Europe and many other countries. It has 16 analogue FM channels at 12.5 kHz spacing from 446.00625 to 446.19375 MHz. Radios are limited to 0.5 W ERP and must have a fixed antenna. Channels 1 to 8 are the original set, and channels 9 to 16 were added in 2018, so older radios only have the first 8. Digital PMR446 (dPMR and DMR Tier 1) shares the same 446.0 to 446.2 MHz band.

FRS and GMRS in the US

The Family Radio Service (FRS) and General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) share 22 channels around 462 and 467 MHz. FRS needs no licence and allows up to 2 W on channels 1 to 7 and 15 to 22, and 0.5 W on 8 to 14. GMRS needs an FCC licence, which covers the whole family, and allows up to 50 W on channels 15 to 22, as well as repeaters with inputs 5 MHz higher. PMR446 radios are not legal in the US, and FRS radios are not legal in the UK or Europe.

Privacy codes aren't private

A privacy code is a sub-audible CTCSS tone. With a code set, your radio only opens its speaker when it hears that tone, so you don't hear other users on the channel. But anyone on the same channel with no code set can still hear you. Most brands number the 38 standard tones the same way, as in the chart, so channel 3 code 7 on one radio usually matches channel 3 code 7 on another. Some brands also have digital DCS codes, which aren't standardised in the same way. The CTCSS tone page can play every tone.

Questions

Do I need a licence for PMR446?

No. PMR446 is licence-free in the UK and Europe, as long as the radio is approved and has a fixed antenna.

How far do PMR446 radios reach?

Usually 1 to 3 km in towns and up to 5 to 10 km over open ground or water. Range claims on the packaging assume mountain-top line of sight.

Can PMR446 and FRS radios talk to each other?

No. They use different frequencies, around 446 MHz and 462 MHz.

Why do I still hear other people with a privacy code set?

Some radios open briefly before checking the tone, and the code doesn't stop others hearing you. Try a different channel.