Two-Way Radios in the Cemeteries

Have you and a friend ever gone "cemetery hunting?" I am referring to a joint effort in which two or more people mentally "divide" a cemetery into sections, and then each person searches through his or her section alone looking for specific tombstones while the other searcher(s) does the same in a different section.

I have conducted joint effort cemetery searches many times and suspect that you have, too. However, upon discovering a particular tombstone, you have to shout to the other person. In a large cemetery, the other person(s) may be some distance away, making shouting impractical. There may even be a safety issue involved with a twisted ankle or insect bites. Yelling loud enough to wake the dead isn't a good solution in a cemetery!

Every well-equipped genealogist should consider taking a pair of Family Radio Service (FRS) walkie-talkies on cemetery hunting trips. These tiny handheld transceivers make it easy to talk back and forth, even if the two are at opposite ends of the cemetery. FRS radios typically have a range of a mile or so. Some may have an even longer range.

If you are not familiar with Family Radio Service transceivers, these are small, handheld, two-way radios that you can purchase at most any electronics store and at many department stores. Even a drug store near my home carries FRS radios. These two-way radios typically are about the size of a handheld cell phone. Prices start at about $35.00 for a pair of walkie-talkies. To see some examples of these handy devices, look here.

Do not confuse FRS with CB radio; the two services are quite different. FRS has a much shorter range, and its UHF (ultra-high frequency) channels are not plagued with "skip" and other noisy interference. There is none of the "breaker breaker one-nine" silliness. With FRS radios, you simply press the button and talk. Then you release the button to listen to the other person.

FRS two-way radios also can have a serious use in emergencies. If one of the genealogists twists an ankle or needs help for any reason, a two-way radio in one's hand can be very helpful. You can even use these handhelds for those "semi-emergency messages," such as, "Is there any water left in your water bottle?" or "Do you have the mosquito repellent?"

Of course, you might be able to use cell phones for the same purpose. However, FRS radios are faster (just push the button and talk), and you do not need to be within range of a cell phone tower. FRS radios only need to be within range of each other.

Many of the cemeteries I have tromped through are in rural areas, so freedom from fixed cell towers is important to me. My ancestors had a knack for being buried many miles from the nearest (future) cell phone tower. A cell phone in those northern Maine cemeteries is about as useful as carrying a brick. FRS radios do not rely on "towers" or other external equipment as they communicate directly from one walkie-talkie to the other. FRS radios always work on short distances, even when cell phones fail. I find FRS radios to be the second-most useful device in my cemetery-hunting tool bag. (Mosquito repellent is number one.)

With FRS two-way radios, there is no monthly air time charge or monthly service commitment. Cell phones typically charge $30 a month or more for each phone, just to be able to use them. With FRS radios, the on-air time is free. Your only expense is the initial purchase price of the radios plus occasional replacement batteries. Some of the better radios even include rechargeable batteries.

Since FRS channels are open to everyone, it is possible that you will occasionally hear other people talking on their FRS radios. All of these devices have fourteen channels; you can simply switch to an unoccupied channel.

One word of caution: the advertising for these radios often claims "up to five miles range" or something similar. To be sure, five miles is possible, but only if the two are within line-of-sight of each other, such as when standing on hilltops that are five miles apart. As you get into the "real world" among trees, buildings, granite tombstones, and other obstructions, the range drops significantly. As prices approach $75 a pair, some FRS radios claim "up to ten miles range." These higher priced radios will, indeed, cover a wider range than the inexpensive ones, but still, ten miles is achievable only under optimum conditions. However, all FRS two-way radios should work well even in the largest of cemeteries.

Prices vary widely, and you generally get what you pay for. I have seen FRS two-way radios sell for as little as $15.00 for a pair, but these are the wireless equivalent of two tin cans and a string. You won't be happy with them. As you get up to $35.00 per pair, the quality seems to improve. As prices move to fifty dollars and up, you find rechargeable batteries, charger docking stations, weather channel receivers, and other such niceties. A few high-end radios with high price tags even include built-in GPS (satellite Global Positioning System) receivers. That may be nice for certain applications, but I wouldn't recommend an expensive, top of the line model just for occasional use in cemeteries.

NOTE: I purchased a nice pair of FRS walkie-talkies on sale for $35.00. These included rechargeable batteries and charging stations. To charge the radios, I simply drop each unit into its charging station.

I find rechargeable batteries to be a mixed blessing. To be sure, in theory I never have to purchase batteries. However, it seems that every time I go to use the radios, the rechargeable batteries are flat. Leaving the radios on the shelf for a few weeks does not keep the batteries charged. The units I purchased have the advantage of being able to use either the included rechargeable batteries or standard penlight cells. If I need to use the walkie-talkies right now and they have dead batteries, I can stop at nearly any corner store and pick up standard penlight batteries for immediate use.

If you do purchase a pair of FRS radios, I'd suggest that you look for similar dual-battery capability. Not all the FRS units offer such flexibility.

FRS walkie-talkies have plenty of other non-genealogy uses: going to the local shopping mall, around the house and neighborhood, and so forth. These units are also popular with motorcyclists and snowmobilers. Many of these walkie-talkies can plug into a headset worn under the helmet. Two or more motorcyclists can chat back and forth for miles as they ride together along the highways.

I was on a cruise ship a couple of months ago and saw several walkie-talkie equipped families. Parents and children all carried FRS radios and seemed to have constant communication anywhere on the ship or even when in port.

I recently used a pair of FRS walkie-talkies while leading another driver down unfamiliar roads, and it came in quite handy when the other driver lost sight of me. (Editor's note: As the other driver recalls, Dick's walkie-talkies have a power-saving feature that turns off the devices after 20 minutes of non-use. If you have this feature, a periodic "checking in" message ensures continuous on-air time.) You will probably dream up many other uses for FRS radios.

FRS is an abbreviation for "Family Radio Service." What better tool could you use to find your family in the cemeteries?

You can find Family Radio Service walkie-talkies at RootsBooks.com, Radio Shack, Target Stores, and many other places.

Comments

[Hugh Watkins]

These days we use cell phones
which have free peer to peer calls

Even videophones I use my Sony Ericsson K800i to take photos of documents in archives
very successfully

http://karl-dane.blogspot.com/ and scroll down
http://karl-dane.blogspot.com/2006_01_01_karl-dane_archive.html

But I have not mastered photographing memorial inscriptions yet

regards

Hugh W

[Sandra Quinn]

I have used these also for years. I use them in the Super Walmarts and Home Depot's so that I can track my family once we have all scattered so that we can find each other when we are done shopping.

It is great for traveling in two cars, not only can the other person keep track of the lead car but you can talk freely on long trips to break up the monotony of the trip.

You always share great information Dick!

Thanks,

Sandy

[Bill Atherton]

Note that these radios have two power settings. One must use the lower power setting unless they have a license issued by the F.C.C. It is important to remember that in order to use the higher power setting you must have a license. Every radio I've seen, as well as the ones I have, have a note explaining this in the manual. You have to request a license form from the F.C.C. and pay a fee (I don't recall right now how much it costs). Therefore using them in another country could present problems with licensing. I would assume you would need a license in other locales. Please note that this is for the HIGHER power setting only.

[Terence L. Day]

I also have used and recommended walkie-talkies for cemetery prowls and have years of totally successful experience. The cell phone option is a good one in urban settings, especially if one's plan provides free calls within families or subscribers of the same service. But I guarantee there is no cell phone service in many of the rural cemeteries that I visit.

[Bob Tripi]

Just a word of warning. You need to remember that any channel above 14 is not FRS, but GMRS.
You need an FCC license to operate on GMRS channels. Possible fines could be over $1000 if you get caught.