yes, we had this discussion awhile back and i explained it as being like a cb radio, channel to channel, maybe a 1 or 2 mile range, maybe a couple more, anyway i remember getting ridiculed for saying "like a cb" so this time ill explain it like this, take a ham radio if you key up on 146.880 it transmits on 146.28, but if you turn off the offset you can talk on 28 and not key up the repeater. or you could just turn your dial to any frequency in the 2 meter band and tell your friend to go there too and talk direct. .... let the ridiculing begin,, oh yea, i just bought an ar-15 so go easy pokes.....lol!