Mid-Atlantic 86 Club members frequently use walkie-talkies/handheld radios to communicate during club events. We utilize family radio service (FRS) channel 8 & continuous sub-audio tone (CTCSS) privacy channel 6.

While most walkie-talkies have channels pre-programmed, some handheld radios require you to manually enter in the desired frequency. The frequency equivalent to channel 8 is 467.5625 MHz and the frequency equivalent to privacy channel 6 is 82.5 Hz.

Regardless of handheld radio type, this UHF (Ultra High Frequency) allows a broadcast maximum of 2 watts, even if using a General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) device and therefore no GMRS license is required.

For most walkie-talkies, select channel 8, then activate the privacy/sub channels and select 6. For certain Motorola branded walkie talkies, this may be known as “Private Line (PL)”. Refer to your product owner’s manual in regards to choosing channels.

For most handheld radios, enter in UHF 467.5625 MHz, then activate CTCSS at 82.5 Hz. For certain BaoFeng branded radios, this is menu option 13 (“T-CTCS”). Refer to your product owner’s manual in regards to choosing frequencies.