GE 35810 FRS Radios

This pair of General Electric 35810 FRS Radios came into my collection in the Summer of 2001.

I bought these at a local Wal-Mart store after an "adventure" where my then-9-year-old daughter and a friend of hers wandered off into a forest preserve on their own.  After that experience, everyone stayed in contact with these (and their FRS companions in my collection, a pair of Motorola T6300s), at least until cellphones became affordable.

These radios have the standard 14 channels, along with 38 CTCSS subcodes, which allow for clearer, easier communications.   I've found that these have a pretty good range in the open, and inside a mall they do the trick as long as you don't wander too far from your partner or you try to call him/her from the back of Hot Topic while they're in the changing room at The Gap.

The display shows the channel, subcode, battery and signal strength, volume, and the current temperature.  My only complaint with the display (and it's a very minor one) is that the temperature shown is usually 8-10 degrees higher than it actually is.  Interestingly, both of these units have the same problem.

Another nice feature is the fact that you can lock the channel, subcode, and volume on the unit, so you can't accidentally get off the channel where you're partner's tuned.  The "Lock" feature does not stop the unit from being turned off, however.  

Another control called "Monitor" removes the squelch on the current channel, in case your partner is out there "in the weeds."

There are also jacks for a headset and microphone, and a "Page" button in case you want to call the others.

As I mentioned above, these radios are completely compatible with the Motorola T6300s I recently acquired.  They also talk nicely with my father's Uniden FRS radios, as long as the GEs' CTCSS codes are not set (the Unidens in question do not have subcodes).

I paid under $25 each for these; at the time, it was a good deal for a lot of peace of mind!

Click here to return to the main Radio Page.