GMRS Web is Good!

"I have yet to find a better overall resource for an area of communications that seems to be taking the nation by storm"

Eric Force commenting on GMRS Web Magazine in, Radio & the Internet, Popular Communications Magazine, April 2000 Edition.

GMRS WEB Magazine

October 25, 2000

"A waste of your hard earned cash."

When I first saw the VoxBox advertised in a Fry's newspaper ad I was shocked. The radio was marketed as a hybrid GMRS and FRS radio. Fry's advertised this radio as "5-Mile radio, GMRS/FRS FREQUENCY." They claimed it transmitted one-half watt on FRS channels which is NOT the case. The radio packaging claims two watts on all channels but GMRS Web measured only .9 watts on all channels using akaline batteries and .5 watt using the supplied pack.) The advertised sale price was $89.99, regularly $99.99. It had all the ear marks of a low-cost radio being dumped on the market at Christmas time. The radio can be found at Frys, and Comp USA that we know of. GMRS Web purchased one of these radios at Fry's in Milpitas, CA so we could see for ourselves what Audiovox had to offer. (Fry's never advised us that the radio required an FCC license to use. ) We believe this radio is nothing more than cheap-plastic toy that will contribute horrendously to the GMRS bubble-pack piracy problem. Low-cost junk radios dumped on an unsuspecting public will cause quite a stir both for the rado owners and the GMRS community. Audiovox actually states on the radio bubble pack that this radio is perfect for municipalities and job sites. We can all expect to hear companies and government agencies using these radios in violation of FCC rules. Why? It says so on the bubble pack. The only positive note about the review is that the radio is so poorly constructed that it cannot last long in service. The VoxBox is a waste of your hard earned cash. Please see the GMRS Web Magazine GMRS Intruder Forum discussion on the VoxBox. [Doug Smith, Editor GMRS Web Magazine]

The VoxBox GMRS-1525 Review

As my audience knows, Tina and I normally review FRS radios for the GMRS Web Magazine and we leave the GMRS radios up to our contributing writer Greg Forrest. When our Editor Doug Smith gave me a new radio that said on the package ‘GMRS’ and ‘FRS’, I knew this was something strange as well as new. A manufacturer and a retailer were claiming that this was a hybrid radio for use in both radio services. The licensing information on the bubble pack was vague and confusing. Consumers were definitely going to see this as an FRS radio. After looking quite thoroughly at the Audiovox VoxBox GMRS 1525 I find it is much more of an FRS radio than GMRS radio. Read on.

The Audiovox VoxBox GMRS 1525 operates on 15 frequencies, which include the first 7 FRS channels (1-7) and the 8 GMRS simplex (repeater output) frequencies. The first seven FRS channels are shared with GMRS. FRS channels 7-14 are the only channels exclusive to FRS. GMRS radios cannot have FRS 7-14. (GMRS radios require an FCC license to operate, FRS radios do not. If you operate the VoxBox on FRS channels you MUST have an FCC license and you must use the call sign issued to you by the FCC.

First and foremost, any radio submitted to GMRS Web Magazine for review faces the ‘Tina Test’. My wife Tina, from a non-technical standpoint, tries to figure out how to use a radio herself and judges its, quality, ergonomics, and sex appeal. Tina’s first inclination was that this radio was strictly FRS and had no idea that it would transmit simplex on GMRS repeater output channels as well. One reason for the mix-up is the packaging. Audiovox markets this radio as a more powerful FRS unit. The packaging clearly states that it is “Ideal for sports enthusiasts, boating, construction/ factory sites, municipal facilities." I won't get into the illegalities of using GMRS for these last few suggestions, but suffice it to say this packaging would certainly lead someone to think of this as nothing more than an enhanced FRS product. You have to dig to find the small print advising you that a GMRS license will be required in order to operate it. In fact, the package suggests you to ‘FCC self license’ (and we have NO clue what that means)…

Description:

The VoxBox GMRS 1525 is almost exactly the same size as the Kenwood UBZ-LF14 FRS radios. It even copies most of the Kenwood’s styling. The case contours and the dimensions are identical. The VoxBox has a much larger display and is backlit by more than one light bulb. You can really see this display in the dark! It is bright enough that you could probably use it as a makeshift flashlight.

On top of the VoxBox GMRS 1525 you find the external speaker/microphone receptacles and a rotary knob used to turn the radio on and to adjust the speaker volume. I always liked a rotary knob for this function much more than buttons that step through volume levels. Even Tina acknowledges the rotary knob as the preferred method of controlling volume and power on/off. To change the channels, there are up and down buttons just to the left of the large front-facing display.

The push-to-talk (PTT) button is made of soft rubber material and is easy to find by touch on the upper-left corner. Again this is amazingly identical in size and feel to the Kenwood. If you quickly press the PTT button twice, the radio transmits a ringing sound just like an FRS radio ‘call’ function. That is very non-GMRS like! The VoxBox GMRS 1525 muddies up the difference between FRS and GMRS radios. Just below the PTT button is the ‘MON’ button. This button does many of the radio functions in addition to monitor duties, and is THE button for setting and changing modes or tones.

You will find the usual list of features on the VoxBox GMRS 1525 like keyboard lock, battery level indicator, scan, and all the normal CTCSS tones. A pleasant feature to find was the busy channel lockout and the received signal strength meter. Busy channel lockout is a must with hyper youngsters who continuously talk over others who are not yet finished transmitting. You hear it all the time….

Also interesting to note is that the VoxBox GMRS 1525 has VOX (Voice Operated Transmit) capability. When this mode is selected, as you begin speaking, the radio automatically switches to transmit mode. To go back to receive mode, you simply remain silent.

One button that is not common on GMRS radios is the ‘Emergency button’. On the VoxBox GMRS 1525, there is a red button, that when pressed, takes you to 462.675 simplex. This is the frequency that REACT and other repeater groups monitor in some metropolitan areas of the country. Such activities are not wide spread which confuses us as to the necessity for an Emergency button that is more likely not going to help at all in an emergency. Anyone that has ever used the old Radio Shack PRS101 radios can tell how unsuccessful simplex use of 462.675 was. This frequency is predominantly used for normal GMRS traffic. There is NO guarantee and Audiovox should have never set the expectation that emergency help can be summoned with the push of a button.

The other button likely to get the most action is the ‘Mode’ button. Cycling through the functions, the list reads:
First press- CTCSS selection
Second press- VOX level (from 1 to 10)
Third press- Channel scanning skip select
Fourth press- Turn the ‘BEEP’ on or off
Fifth press- Turn the busy channel lockout on or off
Sixth press- Set squelch level
Seventh Press- Set priority channel

The battery cover latch holds the bottom half of the radio case back plate over 4 AAA size cells. The VoxBox GMRS 1525 comes with 4 ‘AAA’ Ni-Mh rechargeable batteries and a wall charger. The short antenna is curiously enough not removable. This is an FCC requirement for FRS radios but not GMRS radios. We are at a loss as to why this radio was built for GMRS in this manner.

The case is constructed of abnormally thin plastic. You would certainly want to invest in padded cases for these radios. Dropping the VoxBox GMRS 1525 is highly inadvisable. The plastic is thin enough, that when transmitting, the transmit indicator light illuminates the whole top of the radio case. Quality of construction is very important to longevity. This radio is very poorly constructed.

Technical:

The receiver in the VoxBox GMRS 1525 is a lot more sensitive than most FRS receivers I have tested. The sensitivity was measured at nearly 0.1 microvolts! The SINAD sensitivity was near 2 microvolts. The selectivity (adjacent frequency rejection) was above average at nearly 70 dB. This is not typical of an FRS radio, but closer to the performance I would expect from a commercial hand-held radio. Although the receiver was hot, the radio's speaker audio was very low and much more distorted than speaker audio from a commercial-quality hand-held radio. At about one-half volume, the VoxBox audio becomes noticeably distorted and at full volume, the speaker audio is unintelligible. In comparison, most commercial portable radios are quite clear at full volume and loud enough to make your ears ring. We think users are going to be very disappointed in the in the audio output of this radio.

The drawback to the ultra-tight receiver is that when communicating with another GMRS radio, the audio from the GMRS user will cut out at high-peak transmitted modulation levels. GMRS radios use 5 kilocycles (abbreviated: kc) deviation. That means, that the carrier frequency will deviate + or ­ 5 kc from center when at full-modulation levels. As a comparison, FRS deviation is only 2.5 kc. This receiver is certainly designed to receive signals from FRS radios rather than GMRS signals. The VoxBox receiver had very noticeable signal cutoff when test instrument sine wave deviation levels reached 4.7 kc. The receiver would completely drop out at this level and mute. The receiver would again open when the levels dropped to 4.4 kc, but the received signal was really scratchy and distorted until the deviation got down to about 3 kc. What this means to the user in the field, is that when communicating with a GMRS radio, the person listening on the VoxBox GMRS 1525 would hear the person cutting in and out badly. The VoxBox can successfully communicate with another VoxBox or another FRS radio. Communicating with legacy GMRS radios would be a very frustrating experience.

Transmitted audio was very clear, though, and the microphone sensitivity was good. One does not need to yell into the VoxBox GMRS 1525 to be heard. The deviation level of the transmitter was a bit high for FRS radio specifications and quite low for GMRS at +/- 3kc average and nearly 3.75 kc peak. We are at a loss as to why Audiovox used 2.5kc as the receiver bandwidth spec and 3.75 as the transmitter spec. It doesn't meet GMRS or FRS standards.

The transmitter was something of a mystery. On the package and in the instruction manual, the VoxBox GMRS 1525 is supposed to transmit with a power level of 2 watts. However, with 4 AAA alkaline batteries (6 volts total), I could only get 990 milliwatts (0.99 watts) of power. Using the supplied rechargeable battery pack (4.8 volts total), the transmitted power is only 500 milliwatts (1/2 watt).

According to my bench power supply, the current drain transmitting at .99 watts at 6 volts supply voltage was 600 milliamps (0.6 amps). The current drain when transmitting ½ watt at 4.8 volts supply was 500 milliamps (1/2 amp). Either way, this means that your 4 quantity AAA batteries will not last long. The radio quits working completely when the battery voltage drops to 3.4 volts or below. (maybe 3.5 hours.)

I wanted to see if the transmitter was even capable of 2-watt operation. With my eyes firmly trained on the IFR watt-indicating meter, I held the transmitter push to talk switch down, and slowly advanced the power supply voltage…. Just as the radio came up to the 2 watt mark, I quickly glanced very closely at the power supply meters. I was supplying 7.9 volts at 710 milliamps to the radio when my experiment came to an abrupt end. Yes, the radio had a fatal malfunction! So, the answer is yes, you can transmit at 2 watts- for about 3 seconds! The advertising claims this is a two-watt radio, however the VoxBox falls 1.1 watts short of the mark and blows up when you try.

It was truly disappointing to have to end a bench trial session on such a negative note. I had been prepared to test frequency stability and try some other experiments. But, I returned the VoxBox GMRS 1525 to its bubble pack and put it in the ‘done’ box. I chose not to perform a repair on the radio, but instead return it to its rightful owner in the condition destiny dealt it.

Conclusion:

The Audiovox VoxBox GMRS 1525 can communicate successfully with another GMRS 1525; however, as for successful communication with other GMRS radios, it is disappointing and practically incapable. The VoxBox GMRS 1525 can probably communicate successfully with other brands of FRS radios on the FRS channels. Since it has only FRS channels 1-7 it is not as full featured as a high-end FRS radio. The extra .410 watts of the VoxBox provides negligible transmit distance improvement over an FRS radio. This radio was type approved as a GMRS radio but it can only communicate reliably with FRS radios. We think this is one radio model likely enough to find its way to Santa’s “land of the misfit toys.” The customer is going to find it difficult to use, easily breakable, poor on battery performance, and not much better in range than a good FRS radio.

There is no reason or advantage to owning one of these radios. If someone is looking seriously at GMRS they will be terribly disappointed with this radio for following reasons:

• No removable antenna. No provision for an external antenna that is legal on GMRS.
• Battery life is pathetic.
• Actual output power into a lossy antenna is only .99 watt making it a sad improvement over most FRS radios.
• Communicating with legacy GMRS systems will prove frustrating and almost impossible in most cases. This of course renders the so-called emergency button useless.
• Case construction is very poor. This radio will break.
• It is not a 5-mile radio as advertised.
• It is not an FRS radio. It has only the first seven channels used by FRS.

The radio comes with four AAA Ni-MH batteris and a wall wart charger.

Ethical

The damage is done. These radios are in the stores and being sold for Christmas.

Audivox says right on the packaging that these radios are excellent for municipalities and job sites. GMRS is a radio service for personal licensees. Businesses and government agnecies have not been eligible to use these channels since 1987. We think the marketing message on the outside of the bubble-pack places unsuspecting customers in jeopardy of violating FCC rules and subject to heavy FCC fines. We find it puzzling how Audiovox can be correct in the manual for the radio and one hundred eighty degrees out of synch with reality on the bubble pack. This is not ethical. many consumers are going to feel cheated when they discover they have to license or are not eligible for a license. We believe the radios packaged in this fashion should be recalled.

Warning

It is illegal to use the VoxBox GMRS radio in other countries. The VoxBox is NOT an FRS radio. You cannot use the VoxBox in Canada even on the first seven GMRS Interstitial (FRS) channels. You can be fined and/or arrested if caught using your GMRS radio anyplace other than the United States. (More accurately, use your GMRS radio only where the FCC has jurisdiction over radio regulatory matters. Canada has approved the use of FCC type approved FRS radios but NOT GMRS radios!) It is illegal to use these devices on commercial aircraft! Before using any radio transmitting device on board a ship you must have the permission of the Captain. When in doubt about whether you can use your radio where you are traveling please research the rules before you leave!

FCC

PRSG

Last updated October 25, 2000