My $.02 - I've had several FRS radios and now have FRS/GMRS set. It boasts 15 mile range. I don't recall the brand but I did a lot of research when buying them. FRS and GMRS are different. When you buy one of these cheap transcievers, you usually get a fixed antenna. The article I read stated that you will never get optinum performance when getting these radios as they are made for the masses. With that said, the set I bought has 3 power modes on GMRS - 500mw (FRS output and legal without a license). 2watt and 5watt for GMRS only. I believe FCC law states you need a lic for anything 1watt and above. the 2watt setting is suppose to save battery life. while i don't expect these things to go 15 miles in everyday use, they are good for about anything I need a radio for - mostly hunting and keeping up with family members. the article I read also stated that FRS is not a good freq band for moving cars. I don't recall the article or the reasons but i used 2 radios on a family reunion trip to SD and found them very good to keep up with my sister's family in another car.