What interesting use can I make of two old handheld radios?

May 1, 2013 9:15 PM

I have two old Radio Shack handheld radios. They were purchased in the US, originally for communication on the ski slopes. On the back, there is a number "09A06" and it also says CAT NO 21-1936. I was about to throw them away, but would rather repurpose them for something. I live in a large metropolitan area, in an apartment. I am good at programming and am comfortable using something like an Arduino, Rasberry Pi, BeagleBone, etc. What interesting hack can I use these for?
posted by bangitliketmac to Technology (3 answers total)

Those are GMRS/FRS radios. 1/2 watt max. FRS is in the 462 MHz range and the frequencies are interstitial to the GMRS frequencies. Minimum deviation FM radios (2.5 khz), with CTSS tones for selective communications.

Not much to hack, and if you transmit on these frequencies you are gonna be a scofflaw.

The best thing you can do with them is save them for whenever you need PTT comms in a tight spot and/or want semi-untraceable short distance comms. The second best thing is to use them as a learning tool to find out what all those acronyms in my first paragraph mean!

Radio is interesting stuff. I wouldn't throw them out. (However, I just threw out two that burned up in an office fire and that I've been holding on to for a while, intending to fix!)

Here is a manual: http://www.manualowl.com/m/Radio%20Shack/21-1936/Manual/259349
posted by FauxScot at 9:53 PM on May 1, 2013 [1 favorite]

Pass them on to folk doing a road trip and caravaning in two cars.
posted by sebastienbailard at 10:03 PM on May 1, 2013

If your units match the manual FauxScot posted they can also receive NOAA weather radio. That alone would make it worth keeping them around to keep you informed in various emergencies. You can find your local station at http://www.nws.noaa.gov/nwr/Maps/.

Transmitting on the GMRS channels might require a license, see last page of the manual.

You can have a look at the headset jack and using them for slow speed data communication, for instance with fldigi. No idea if this is allowed on GMRS or FRS, so YMMV.

Disable the squelch and use them as random number generators. :)
posted by mirage pine at 12:54 AM on May 2, 2013