The Frequency Modulation Box is a rare recyclable item in ARC Raiders. It is not a quest, hideout, or expedition project requirement; its entire value comes from being sold or broken down into other crafting materials.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Item type | Recyclable material |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Primary use | Sell or convert into electrical crafting components |
| Sell price | 3,000 Raider Coins |
| Weight | 1.5 kg |
| Stack size | 3 per inventory slot |
A full stack (3 boxes) weighs 4.5 kg and sells for 9,000 Raider Coins, making it one of the better coin-per-weight recyclable items if you simply vendor it.
Frequency Modulation Box location and how to get it
Frequency Modulation Boxes are found through scavenging on the Exodus map. They drop as loose loot or inside containers in that region; there is no trader who sells them directly.
Because they are tagged as rare, you should not expect them in every raid. Treat each one you find as either a good cash item or a convenient shortcut to specific electrical components, depending on what your hideout and projects currently need.
Recycling and salvaging a Frequency Modulation Box
The box can be broken down in two different ways, depending on where you are when you recycle it.
| Action | Output items | Quantity | Sell value per item | Total sell value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard recycling (full return) | Advanced Electrical Components | 1 | 1,750 | 2,250 (with Speaker Component) |
| Speaker Component | 1 | 500 | ||
| In-raid salvage (reduced return) | Electrical Components | 2 | 640 | 1,280 |
Outside raids, recycling returns the full component set: one Advanced Electrical Components and one Speaker Component. If you break it down during a raid, you only receive two Electrical Components, reflecting the general rule that in-raid recycling yields fewer or lower-tier materials.
Sell vs recycle vs salvage: value comparison
Because the Frequency Modulation Box is primarily an economic and crafting piece, it is worth comparing each option directly.
| Option | What you get | Total Raider Coins (if sold) | When this makes sense |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sell item directly | 1× Frequency Modulation Box | 3,000 | Best pure-money choice when you do not urgently need high-tier electrical parts. |
| Recycle outside raid | 1× Advanced Electrical Components, 1× Speaker Component | 2,250 | Gives up 750 coins compared to selling, but converts into materials required for late-workshop upgrades and projects. |
| Salvage during raid | 2× Electrical Components | 1,280 | Emergency option if you need Electrical Components immediately during a raid or must free weight fast. |
From a pure currency standpoint, selling the box intact is always more profitable than recycling or salvaging it. The only reason to break it down is to shortcut into specific components.
Component uses unlocked by recycling the box
Recycling a Frequency Modulation Box produces parts that are central to higher-tier crafting and hideout progression:
| Component | Tier | Typical uses |
|---|---|---|
| Advanced Electrical Components | Rare refined material | Required in quantity for Gear Bench III, Utility Station III, and certain high-level expedition projects. |
| Speaker Component | Rare topside material | Intermediate electrical part that can itself be recycled into basic plastics and rubber if needed. |
| Electrical Components (from in-raid salvage) | Uncommon refined material | Used for mid-tier upgrades such as Gear Bench II and Utility Station II, and as a project requirement. |
Note: Recycling outside raids is the only way to convert a Frequency Modulation Box directly into Advanced Electrical Components. In-raid salvage never produces that higher tier; it only gives basic Electrical Components.
Because Advanced Electrical Components are a bottleneck for late upgrades and some expedition projects, Frequency Modulation Boxes effectively act as compressed bundles of that resource. When you are pushing into Gear Bench III, Utility Station III, or Project IV requirements, converting boxes into advanced electricals can be more valuable than the missing 750 coins per box.
In practice, treat the Frequency Modulation Box as flexible value: early on, it is a strong cash item thanks to its high price and low weight; later, when advanced electrical parts become the limiting factor for your hideout, it turns into a convenient way to stockpile those components. Decide per raid whether you need immediate money or long-term crafting progress more, and sell, recycle, or salvage the box accordingly.
