Public Radio Channels Frequently Asked Questions

What Is PRS and Why Use It

PRS is meant for direct, personal voice communication among two or more people, operating on the UHF CB band under a General User Radio Licence, meaning you don't need to apply for an individual licence to use it. It's an inexpensive, easy way to keep a team, family, or group in touch.

PRS radios are small, lightweight and genuinely useful for keeping a group together, whether you're hiking, camping, at the marina, on a family road trip, at a busy event, or keeping track of the kids around the neighbourhood.

How Many Channels Does PRS Have

New Zealand's PRS band has 80 channels, expanded from the original 40 in 2011. All PRS radios sold in NZ cover the full channel set, transmit in FM, and are limited to 5 watts output, whether handheld or vehicle-mounted.

Typical direct (simplex) range varies from about 5 to 10 kilometres in urban areas to 20 kilometres or more in open countryside. Since UHF is a line-of-sight technology, height matters more than raw power, from a good hilltop position, distances of 50 kilometres are achievable even with low-powered handheld equipment.

What Equipment Is Available

Both handheld and vehicle-mounted equipment cover the full 80-channel band and can be used with repeaters.

Vehicle-Mounted Units

Typically run off the vehicle's 12V supply with an external roof-mounted antenna, putting out the full 5 watt legal limit, so there's very little difference in raw range between a budget and premium mobile unit. Better units simply offer more useful features: automatic channel scanning, a signal strength meter, a frequency readout alongside the channel number, and CTCSS tone squelch to filter out unwanted chatter.

Handheld Transceivers

These vary more widely in features and price. The cheapest sets skip rechargeable batteries and external antenna or power connections, but for short-range use they're compact and get the job done. Mid-range and better handhelds typically include 5 watt output, a rechargeable battery pack and charger, CTCSS subtone, voice-operated transmit (VOX), and the ability to connect an external antenna and power source, letting a handheld run off a vehicle for extra range.

Understanding the Controls on Most PRS Transceivers

The core controls are straightforward once you know what each one does:

• Channel select: switches between the available channels, via a rotary knob or up/down buttons.
• On/off/volume: self-explanatory.
• Squelch or mute: adjust to the point where background noise stops, allowing silent monitoring, the squelch breaks and you hear a voice when someone transmits. Loosen it if signals are weak and you're missing calls.
• Simplex/duplex switch: leave in simplex if operating direct with no repeater. To use a repeater, select the appropriate channel and switch to duplex.
• Scan: searches across the channel set for activity, stopping as soon as it finds a busy channel.

Other controls you may come across include CTCSS, memory channels, power output select, and VOX. None are essential for basic operation, and the radio's instruction manual will walk you through them.

For Whom Is PRS Unsuitable?

The low cost of PRS radio is attractive compared to a licensed commercial system, but like anything cheap, it has real limitations. PRS will not reliably do the following:

• Long-distance backcountry communication. Fine on main roads, but next to useless where genuine long-distance coverage is required. NZ trampers and hunters can instead hire an HF radio through the volunteer Mountain Radio Service, which provides scheduled radio contact for people heading into remote terrain.
• Reliable coverage across an entire city. Five watts simplex isn't enough for citywide communication. Metropolitan coverage is possible via UHF repeaters, but these can be busy, interfered with, or switched off without warning. For serious business needs, talk to a specialist provider who can supply a properly licensed system with dedicated repeater access.
• Privacy. PRS is a public, shared medium, and anyone with a compatible radio can potentially hear your conversation. CTCSS filters out unwanted chatter on your end, but it does not encrypt or make your transmission private. If confidential, interruption-free communication is required, a licensed private channel or a mobile phone is the better option.