While game rules generally preclude the use of radios in most forms of paintball play, the alternative nature of scenario games is the perfect environment for them. Not uncommon to other forms of play, radios are used by game organizers and referees to keep track of things. However. In scenario games they are also used by Generals to communicate with their troops in the field, for spies to relay information back to their base, and for personal communication between players.

Physical Use of radios
The most common type of radios found in scenario game play are the "Family Radio Service", or FRS radios, which are available at most department stores in the U.S. With better clarity than radios operating on the Citizens Band (CB), better range than the 49mhz style radios that were sold for personal communication a decade ago, more features than both and no licensing requirements, FRS radios have become the choice for most scenario players. The quality of the audio is good enough that you can recognize the voices of people you know at least as easily as you can using a telephone. A flood of different models have entered the U.S. market over the past several years, driving the cost down. Today, a decent pair can be bought for around $30, which gives in excess of a mile range, easily covering most paintball fields. Although some people will use other types of radios during scenario games, chances are if you want to stay in touch with your team and your base, FRS will be the way to go.

Although FRS radios have 14 channels, in a game with hundreds and hundreds of players, those channels can get crowded quick, making radios sometimes seem almost unusable. Some radios have the additional feature of "quiet codes", or "sub-channels" for each of the 14 main channels. By using these, the operator can block out everyone on a given channel not using the same code. It does not stop anyone from hearing your transmission, but stops you from hearing theirs. In other words, they are not security codes. The problem with using the codes is that everyone has to make sure they are on the same channel/sub-channel, or those who aren't will miss things. On some FRS radios, use of the sub-channel codes can cause the first word or so of the transmission to be blocked out from the receiver. Overall, we have found the use of the sub-channels to be less than reliable, especially when it comes to staying in contact with the whole team and command base.

One of the drawbacks to using a radio is the noise they make. When you're in a concealed position, the last thing you want is for an incoming radio transmission to draw attention to you. This is easily overcome in several ways. A small cheap earplug can be used and the radio can be kept in a breast pocket which gives easy access to the radio's built-in microphone. The condenser mics on FRS radios pick up well and there is no need to have the radio right up to your face. As a matter of fact, if you hold an FRS radio too close to your mouth, the transmission will likely be distorted as your voice overdrives the mic. On the more expensive side of things, headsets which include both a built-in mic and ear piece are available for most FRS radios. Some of the newer style headsets are lightweight and clip over the ear, making them easy to use under a paintball mask. Other's like the older style I have are cumbersome because of an over-the-head type arraignment. I detached mine from the head piece and mounted the remaining parts inside my mask with zip-ties.

Some headsets and radios offer a "voice activation" feature, which in most cases should be avoided. Unless there is a very good sensitivity control, the voice activation feature tends to make the radio transmit for things other than your voice, such hard breathing, paintball guns firing, etc. The worst part is, the player transmitting usually doesn't even realize it until his teammates point it out. Not using voice activation a will also keep a player from "abusing" radio time. On the headset radio I use, I have found it necessary to glue the switch into the "PTT" or "Push-To-Talk" position after constantly having problems with it being knocked into voice activation.

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Tactical Use of Radios
One of the first things I'll do when going into a scenario game is determine on which channel our base camp is operating. Most of the time, depending on the situation, as a squad we'll stay off that channel, preferring to have our own channel on which to communicate as we move across the field - but it's nice to know what the base channel is in case we have to communicate with them. Most of our intra-squad communication is about movement when running missions. The radios allow us to have a field formation with wide flanks where some members of the squad are completely out of sight. The radios give the players in the squad what is in essence a "beyond visual" capability, allowing the squad to cover much more ground. This capability really comes in handy for surprise flanking maneuvers when we meet up with opposing players.

Our radio communications tend to be fairly straightforward and simple. I have never seen the need to remember complicated "secret" codes. Although I am not personally good at measured distances, we try to point out enemy locations on a scale of yards, and a clock position relative to player; "three reds, about 100 yards, your 11 o'clock", or in a descriptive manner "third bunker from the left tape". As a general rule, we don't have anyone barking out orders. If we need help from team members we ask; "can you swing up that hill and hit 'em on the left side?" It's all the fairly obvious and same as if we were talking or yelling, except that the radios give us the luxury of operating on a larger scale, and without having to shout so loud that opposing players can hear exactly what we are doing; "everybody hold positions - only three minutes left to complete the mission"

For us, the most frequent use of radios during scenario games concerns locating each other, since scenario games are usually played on large fields. Sometimes it's a matter of locating your team mates after being separated because someone was eliminated and had to re-insert. Other times the separation is on purpose, and made practical only by the radios. In one recent game I spent the majority of my time tracking enemy tank movements and relaying the positions to a team mate who was carrying an anti-tank weapon. This allowed us to be on opposite ends of the field and cover more ground. I'd use the radio and try to guide him to an intercept point with the tanks, which in some cases allowed him to take an indirect and less traveled route. We have even worked on a plan where I would act as a spotter, allowing him to remain in a concealed position along the roadway until the last possible second before popping the tank.

If you want to get the most productive use of the radio, it's important to remember to use it on an "as needed" basis. Of course that's a subjective term, but basically you don't want to tie up the channel with things that don't have an immediate impact on the game at hand. It can be a little frustrating not being able to warn your teammates they are about to be flanked because someone on your team is cluttering up the channel discussing how much beer they drank last night.

Then again, talking about how much beer you drank last night might be a good tactic if your doing it on the opposing team's channel. Jamming the enemy's radio signal certainly is a valid tactic, although maybe not a very practical one to implement. It requires someone's time to locate the enemy channel - which can change frequently - and keep up a stronger signal -which is often a matter of location. At the same time, it can be beneficial to actually let the opposing players talk, and listen to what they say. Of course, what they say may be all lies, but that's part of the fun of scenario games. I have seen several instances where players have used radios to fake an attack at a certain location in an effort draw the other team into ambushes, etc. One thing's for sure, outside of the voices you recognize, you can never be exactly sure of who you are talking or listening to during a scenario game.

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Practical Use of Radios
Not all use of radios during scenario games involves the obvious "combat related" situations. Although in most forms of paintball it's against the rules to talk to eliminated players, in most scenario games the gaming goes on both on and off field.  With re-insertion rules, a player eliminated from the game may have to wait a half of an hour before returning to the field. In that time, his squad may have moved to a completely different location. As mentioned before. on fields that sometime span dozens of acres, the radio can be invaluable in helping the player to rejoin his squad. At the same time, that eliminated player can be used as a re-supply mule for his team mates, bringing paint, air, water, etc. back on the field. It's not unusual for me to spend several hours at a time on field, after asking eliminated teammates over the radio to grab a bag of paint from camp.

The radio has all sorts of practical uses beyond on-field game play. We use them to communicate all over the facility. When one of the team takes our papers to the registration area, he usually takes a radio in case there are any questions for those of us back at camp.  I have even used the radio to make orders for dinner from on the field, in cases where it's almost time to break and someone back at camp is already setting up the grill.

On a side note, FRS radios have really come in handy while traveling in multiple vehicles. The incredible range of the radios let's us coordinate gas and food stops on long trips, and on several occasions has allowed us to locate each other after we got separated by someone taking a wrong turn.  Where would be without technology?

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