Have you ever heard of MURS radios? If you haven’t, you’re not alone. I get asked about all sorts of radio equipment, but MURS (Multi-Use Radio Service) is one topic that barely comes up in conversation. That’s pretty surprising when you consider what these radios can actually do.
Here’s the thing – MURS operates on five VHF frequencies between 151-154 MHz that can give you some seriously impressive range for a license-free service. We’re talking up to 2 watts of power, and with the right setup, you can potentially reach out over 50 miles. Yet most people have never even heard the term “MURS radio.”
What really gets me is that major companies like Walmart are already using these radios every day for their store communications. If they’re good enough for a company that size, why aren’t more people talking about them? The VHF frequencies actually work better than a lot of the 2.4 GHz stuff you see everywhere, and with narrower bandwidth on most channels, you get less interference too.
But here’s where it gets interesting – despite all these advantages, MURS radios are still flying under the radar. Poor marketing, confusing regulations, and limited availability have kept them in the shadows. However, recent changes to FCC Part 95 rules might just change all that.
So what exactly is MURS, why hasn’t it caught on, and more importantly, why do I think that’s about to change? Let me walk you through what I’ve learned about this overlooked radio service and why you might want to pay attention.
Breaking Down MURS: What You Need to Know
Image Source: GMRS Two Way Radios and Long Range Radio Solutions
MURS stands for Multi-Use Radio Service, and it’s been around since the FCC established it back in 2000. Like FRS and CB, it’s what they call a “licensed-by-rule” service under Part 95 of FCC regulations, which means you don’t need to get a license or pay any fees to use it. Pretty straightforward setup.
The Five MURS Frequencies
MURS gives you five specific VHF channels to work with in the 151-154 MHz range. These aren’t just random frequencies – they’re split into two groups with different characteristics:
| Channel | Frequency | Bandwidth | Common Name |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 151.820 MHz | 11.25 kHz | MURS 1 |
| 2 | 151.880 MHz | 11.25 kHz | MURS 2 |
| 3 | 151.940 MHz | 11.25 kHz | MURS 3 |
| 4 | 154.570 MHz | 20.00 kHz | Blue Dot |
| 5 | 154.600 MHz | 20.00 kHz | Green Dot |
The first three channels have to use narrowband frequency modulation, while channels 4 and 5 can use either wideband or narrowband FM. All channels are capped at 2 watts maximum power output, but here’s something interesting – there are no restrictions on antenna gain. That’s where you can really make a difference in your range.
How MURS Stacks Up Against Other Radio Services
I’ve used radios across all the major services, and MURS sits in an interesting spot. Unlike GMRS, you don’t need to pay for a license or register anything. Compared to FRS, MURS has some real advantages:
- You can use external antennas (FRS radios have fixed antennas)
- VHF frequencies work better in rural areas and outdoors
- The channels are usually much less crowded
The downside? MURS only gives you five channels compared to FRS’s 22 channels. GMRS also beats MURS on power – GMRS can go up to 50 watts and allows repeaters, which MURS doesn’t.
Where MURS Actually Gets Used
MURS radios work just like any other walkie-talkie for basic communication. But I’ve seen them used in some pretty specific situations:
- Big retailers like Walmart and Sam’s Club use MURS for employee communications
- Construction sites and warehouses where cell coverage is spotty
- Outdoor activities where you need reliable short-range comms
- Wireless intercom systems and PA setups
- Customer service call boxes
- Even dog training collars with remote control
- Emergency backup communications in rural areas
Range-wise, you’re typically looking at a few miles with handheld units, but throw on a decent external antenna and you can push that out to ten miles or more. Not bad for a license-free service.
So what’s keeping MURS in the shadows?
Image Source: Buy Two Way Radios
With all those advantages I just mentioned, you’d think MURS radios would be everywhere. They’re not. I’ve been watching this space for years, and there are some pretty clear reasons why MURS remains the underdog of the radio world.
Nobody knows they exist
This is the big one. Most people have never even heard of MURS. I can walk into any ham radio club meeting and ask about MURS, and maybe one person out of ten will know what I’m talking about. That’s among radio enthusiasts – forget about regular consumers.
Compare that to CB radios, which everyone knows about thanks to movies and truckers, or FRS radios that are in every camping section. MURS? It’s like the radio service that forgot to hire a marketing team. Even people who use two-way radios regularly for hiking or work often have no clue that MURS exists as an option.
The irony is that MURS frequencies can punch through buildings better than UHF and give you more range with a decent antenna, but if nobody knows about these benefits, they might as well not exist.
Good luck finding one on the shelf
Want to see the problem firsthand? Walk into a Walmart, Best Buy, or sporting goods store and count the FRS/GMRS radios on display. Now try to find a dedicated MURS radio. You won’t.
I’ve seen entire walls of bubble-pack radios – FRS models, GMRS models, even some CB handhelds. But MURS radios? You’ll be lucky to find one model buried in the back corner, if anything at all. The major manufacturers have put all their eggs in the FRS/GMRS basket, leaving MURS as an afterthought.
This creates a chicken-and-egg problem. Retailers don’t stock what they can’t sell, but customers can’t buy what isn’t on the shelf. Without retail presence, MURS remains invisible to the average consumer who might actually benefit from using it.
The good news is you can get them online and they are reasonably priced. The Retevis RB17V shown above are about $50 for a pair and are excellet radios built like a tank.
Radio alphabet soup confusion
Let’s be honest – the radio service landscape is confusing enough to make your head spin. FRS, GMRS, MURS, CB, FHSS, Part 90, Part 95… it’s like someone decided to make choosing a simple radio as complicated as possible.
Most people just want something that works. They walk into a store, see a package that says “walkie-talkie” or “two-way radio,” and grab it. They’re not going to research the differences between VHF and UHF, or figure out whether they need narrowband or wideband FM.
Even when someone does stumble across MURS radios, the lack of clear explanation doesn’t help. Product descriptions might mention “MURS compatible” without explaining what that means or why you might want it. Until manufacturers start speaking plain English about what makes each service different, most people will stick with what they recognize.
The Real Reasons MURS Hasn’t Taken Off
Now that we’ve covered what MURS is and why most people don’t know about it, let me tell you about the technical roadblocks that really hold this service back. The FCC has put some pretty strict rules in place that limit what you can do with MURS radios, and honestly, some of these restrictions make the service less appealing than it could be.
2-watt power limit and antenna height restrictions
The FCC caps MURS at 2 watts, which sounds reasonable until you compare it to other services. GMRS radios can push 50 watts, and even some FRS radios are allowed higher power on certain channels. That 2-watt limit really shows up when you’re trying to communicate in tough conditions or urban areas with lots of interference.
But here’s what gets me – they also restrict your antenna height to 60 feet above ground or 20 feet above whatever structure you’re mounting it on. Anyone who’s worked with radios knows that antenna height is everything for VHF communications. You can have the best radio in the world, but if your antenna is down low, your range is going to suffer.
No repeaters allowed under FCC rules
This is the big one that really limits MURS potential. The FCC is crystal clear about this: “MURS stations must not be operated as repeater stations or signal boosters”. No repeaters, no signal boosters, nothing[112]. You’re stuck with direct radio-to-radio communications only.
Think about it – amateur radio operators can set up repeaters to extend their coverage for miles and miles. GMRS allows repeaters too. But with MURS, you’re limited to whatever simplex range you can get. For businesses or organizations that need reliable coverage across large areas, this is a deal-breaker.
Narrowband requirements and compatibility issues
The bandwidth rules are another headache. Channels 1-3 have to use narrowband FM at 11.25 kHz, while channels 4-5 can use either narrowband or wideband at 20 kHz. This creates compatibility issues between different radios and especially between older and newer equipment.
I’ve seen this firsthand where someone has an older radio that won’t talk properly to a newer one because of these bandwidth differences. The FCC’s narrowbanding push makes sense from a spectrum management standpoint, but it creates real-world problems for users.
And here’s something that might surprise you – MURS radios can actually interfere with other devices on the same frequencies. Garmin’s dog tracking systems like the Astro and Alpha series operate on MURS bands. So if you’re using MURS radios in an area where someone is tracking their hunting dogs, you might hear some interesting chatter that has nothing to do with your communications.
These technical limitations aren’t just bureaucratic red tape – they have real impact on how useful MURS can be for different applications. But as we’ll see, some of these restrictions might be loosening up.
Why I Think MURS Is About to Take Off
Here’s where things get interesting. After years of MURS sitting in the background, I’m seeing signs that this might finally be changing. Several trends are coming together that could push MURS into the spotlight.
The Prepper Community Is Catching On
Emergency preparedness folks have started to figure out what MURS can do for them. They’ve actually designated specific channels – MURS Channel 3 (151.940 MHz) as the “MURS Prepper channel” and MURS Channel 4 (154.570 MHz) as the “MURS Survivalist channel” or “Blue Dot Channel”.
What I find interesting is their reasoning. These groups value MURS because the channels are typically much clearer than what you get with FRS or GMRS. As one prepper put it, MURS is “a great choice for serious recreational, prepper or SHTF emergency communications”. When you’re planning for emergencies, having reliable, uncrowded frequencies matters.
Big Business Is Already Using It
Here’s something that might surprise you – major retailers like Walmart and Sam’s Club are already using Motorola RDM2070D radios programmed on MURS frequencies for their employee communications. If it’s good enough for operations that size, that says something about the reliability.
Construction sites are jumping on board too. Think about it – cell phones can be dangerous distractions “in a fast-paced environment with heavy equipment and machinery moving”. MURS gives them clear, reliable communication without the safety issues. Warehouses and farms with big coverage areas but spotty cell service are finding MURS particularly useful.
Digital Capabilities Are Opening New Doors
The FCC recently expanded what you can do with MURS by allowing automatic location and data transmissions. This is huge for emergency situations where “an individual who is disoriented or unable to send a manual transmission could be helped by the automatic transmission of location information”.
Products like goTenna are already using MURS bands to let you “send texts and share locations on a peer-to-peer basis” through your smartphone. That’s pretty cool stuff that goes way beyond traditional voice communications.
Recent FCC Changes Are Game Changers
The FCC modernized Part 95 rules back in September 2017, and the effects are just starting to show. As one industry observer noted, “the real big changes here are not the EIRP/channels/wattage changes, its the digital data allowance changes and the ability to be included in WiFi/BT devices”.
These regulatory updates open up possibilities for MURS applications that we haven’t even thought of yet. When you combine easier digital integration with the existing advantages of MURS, you start to see why I think this service is positioned for growth.
The Bottom Line on MURS Radios
So here’s where I stand on MURS after looking at all the pieces. These radios sit in an interesting spot – they’re clearly better than a lot of people realize, but they’re held back by some real limitations that aren’t going away anytime soon.
The 2-watt power limit and no-repeater rules definitely hurt MURS compared to other services. But those VHF frequencies really do punch above their weight, especially if you can get a decent external antenna on there. I’ve seen what Walmart does with these radios, and that tells me something about their practical value.
The biggest problem remains the same one I started with – most people just don’t know MURS exists. Limited product selection doesn’t help either. When you walk into a store looking for two-way radios, you’re going to see FRS and GMRS options everywhere, maybe some CB gear, but finding a dedicated MURS radio? Good luck with that. Even with radios like the Radioddity MU-5 shown above with excellent build quality as well as NOAA weather receiving & scanning, FM, SOS alarm, flashlight, squelch, VOX, TOT (time out time), Squelch Tail Elimination, and power save mode features.
But here’s what has me thinking MURS might finally get its day. The FCC changes in 2017 opened up digital capabilities that companies are starting to use. The prepper and emergency prep communities are paying attention. And more businesses are figuring out that sometimes you need something between basic FRS radios and getting a GMRS license.
My take? If you’re looking for license-free communications and FRS isn’t cutting it for your needs, MURS is worth a serious look. Just understand what you’re getting into – limited radio choices, specific technical requirements, and a service that most people have never heard of.
The future probably depends on whether manufacturers decide to make more MURS equipment and whether people start demanding it. Right now, it feels like MURS is one good marketing push away from breaking out of its niche. Whether that happens or not, well, that remains to be seen.
As always, do your own research and figure out what works best for your specific situation. MURS might be exactly what you need, or it might not be worth the hassle compared to other options. At least now you know it exists.
