What *is* needed and what is fluff?

They really don't come with much fluff. If you're operating in remote
areas, I suppose you don't need to have all 14 channels and all 32 ctcss
tones, but most come with the whole thing anyway. Just look for cheap.
I saw a pair of FRS radios at Fry's Electronics in California yesterday
for under $10.00.


How congested are these freqs these days?

Might be congested if you were on a cruise ship or some large sport
event or similar crowd; otherwise finding a clear channel shouldn't be a
problem.

What models have the best range?

The units that are ALSO GMRS capable probably do. However,
technically, you must have an FCC GMRS license to operate these. Bet you
a dollar to a donut that 99% of the buyers of these units don't. While
I don't condone unlicensed operation, I must say I haven't ever heard of
the FCC issuing citations to FRS/GMRS HT owners for this infraction, yet.



Ed WB6SAT