Home › Learning Resources › Playing Around › Frequency Modulation Box in ARC Raiders: Location, Uses & Best Farming Spots

Frequency Modulation Box in ARC Raiders: Location, Uses & Best Farming Spots

Where to find the Frequency Modulation Box, what it is used for, how many you need for Expedition 2, and the safest places to farm it on Stella Montis — plus the Ion Sputter you need alongside it.

Playing Around 25 September, 2026 8 min read

Quick Answer

The Frequency Modulation Box is a Rare component in ARC Raiders that you can only get by scavenging on the Stella Montis map. The best-reported spots are Assembly, Assembly Workshops, Medical Research and the Lobby. You need 5 of them for Expedition 2, Stage 4. It can’t be bought or crafted.

Compiled September 25, 2026 from public guides and community wikis. Game data can change with patches, so double-check in-game.

What Is the Frequency Modulation Box in ARC Raiders?

The Frequency Modulation Box is a component item in ARC Raiders, the extraction shooter from Embark Studios. It is a Rare-tier loot item that is not part of any regular crafting recipe: it is a progression item, needed for the Expedition system. It was added to the game in patch 1.2.0.

Not to be confused with real-world FM radio: in ARC Raiders it is a fictional component that only shares its name with frequency modulation.

FREQUENCY MODULATION BOX — Item Card Illustration only, not in-game art RARITY Rare WEIGHT 1.5 STACK SIZE 3 SELL VALUE 3,000 Coins OBTAINED BY Scavenging on Stella Montis only

Figure 1: Frequency Modulation Box at a glance. Stats per the ARC Raiders Wiki; the box drawing is a generic illustration.

PropertyValue
RarityRare
Weight1.5
Stack size3
Sell value3,000 Coins
Recycles into1× Advanced Electrical Components + 1× Speaker Component
Salvages into2× Electrical Components
Where it comes fromScavenging on the Stella Montis map (cannot be bought, and nothing recycles or salvages into it)
Added inPatch 1.2.0

Where to Find the Frequency Modulation Box

Community guides agree on one point: the Frequency Modulation Box is exclusive to Stella Montis. You won’t find it on the other maps, so queue into Stella Montis when you’re hunting for it. Inside the map, these areas come up most often:

Stella Montis Farming Areas: Consistency vs. Risk DROP CONSISTENCY COMPETITION / DANGER Assembly Most consistent Highly contested Assembly Workshops Highly reliable Moderate Medical Research Moderate Shredders in halls Lobby Viable Dangerous Ratings summarize community guides (e.g. TheGamer); actual results vary by run. Not a map.

Figure 2: Frequently cited Frequency Modulation Box areas on Stella Montis, compared on drop consistency and risk.

Assembly Most consistentContested

Reported as the most consistent spawn area. Because it also spawns Ion Sputters (which you need for the same Expedition stage), it is popular and often crowded. If you spawn near it, start here.

Assembly Workshops Highly reliable

Another strong option. One guide recommends searching the drawers on the first and second floors on the northern side.

Medical Research ModerateShredders

A solid alternative if Assembly is picked over: search the shelves and cabinets. Shredders patrol the hallways, so keep your time in them short.

Lobby Dangerous

Viable, but risky. Only worth it if you’re passing through or the other areas are already looted; guides mention small closets in the large stairwells.

A Note on Container Types

Guides don’t fully agree on which specific containers are best (drawers, lockers, cabinets, computer cases). Treat the areas above as the reliable part of the advice and use your own experience for the exact containers.

What Is the Frequency Modulation Box Used For?

The Frequency Modulation Box is needed for Expedition 2. In ARC Raiders, an Expedition is a recurring project where you build a caravan and send your Raider away in exchange for permanent and temporary rewards. During the Outfitting stage (Stage 4) of Expedition 2, you must contribute:

Expedition 2, Stage 4 (Outfitting): Required Items Frequency Modulation Box × 5 Advanced Electrical Components × 5 Ion Sputter × 3 Leaper Pulse Unit × 3

Figure 3: Items required for Expedition 2, Stage 4, per the ARC Raiders Wiki. Bar length is proportional to quantity.

Items Can’t Be Retrieved

Once you contribute items to the Expedition, they cannot be retrieved. Double-check you have everything before you commit, and don’t hand over items you might still need elsewhere.

Expedition 2 rewards (per the wiki) include the evolved Patchwork Raider outfit (2/3) with new cosmetic toggles, a Scrappy Beanie, +12 stash space, and up to 5 skill points based on damage dealt.

Ion Sputter: The Item You Need Alongside It

Ion Sputter is an Epic-tier item, also found on Stella Montis (added in patch 1.2.0). Expedition 2, Stage 4 needs 3 of them, and one quest, With a View, requires 1.

PropertyFrequency Modulation BoxIon Sputter
RarityRareEpic
Weight1.51.5
Sell value3,000 Coins6,000 Coins
Recycles into1× Advanced Electrical Components, 1× Speaker Component4× Voltage Converter, 1× Exodus Module
Needed for Expedition 2, Stage 453
Where to findStella Montis (scavenging)Stella Montis (scavenging)

Where to find Ion Sputter: guides point to Assembly, which spawns both Ion Sputters and Frequency Modulation Boxes, so one trip can help with both. Some guides also mention the Business Center.

Farming Tips & Common Mistakes

Tips

  • Use the Safe Pocket. Put your Frequency Modulation Box (or Ion Sputter) in it so you keep the item if you’re eliminated.
  • Avoid free loadouts when farming; guides recommend a proper loadout and the Safe Pocket instead.
  • Start at Assembly if you spawn close, then move to Medical Research or Assembly Workshops.
  • Expect PvP. Other Raiders are hunting the same items, especially at Assembly.
  • Mind the Shredders in the Medical Research hallways.
  • Scavenge, don’t shop. You can’t buy a Frequency Modulation Box, so extra time spent hunting a vendor is wasted.
A Simple Farming Loop 1. Queue Stella Montis 2. Assembly Boxes + Sputters 3. Workshops or Medical Research 4. Safe Pocket Protect the loot 5. Extract Keep for Expedition Adapt to where you spawn and how crowded each area is.

Figure 4: A simple loop based on the community advice above.

Should You Recycle the Frequency Modulation Box?

Recycling one box gives 1 Advanced Electrical Components and 1 Speaker Component. That sounds tempting because Expedition 2 also needs 5 Advanced Electrical Components, but Expedition 2 needs the boxes themselves and you can’t make new ones from anything. In practice, keep every box until you’ve completed Stage 4, and only consider recycling spares afterward.

The same logic applies to Ion Sputter: recycling yields 4 Voltage Converters and 1 Exodus Module (better than salvaging’s single Exodus Module), but hold on to at least 3 for the Expedition.

Quick Summary

  • What: Rare component, needed for Expedition 2 (Stage 4).
  • Where: Stella Montis only, by scavenging (Assembly, Assembly Workshops, Medical Research, Lobby).
  • How many: 5 Frequency Modulation Boxes (plus 5 Advanced Electrical Components, 3 Ion Sputters, 3 Leaper Pulse Units).
  • Can’t: buy it, craft it, or recycle anything into it.
  • Tip: Use the Safe Pocket and keep your boxes until the Expedition.

Frequently Asked Questions

It’s a Rare-tier component found by scavenging on the Stella Montis map. It can’t be bought or crafted, and 5 are required for Expedition 2, Stage 4.

Guides report it is exclusive to Stella Montis. The most-cited areas are Assembly, Assembly Workshops, Medical Research and the Lobby; Assembly is the most consistent but heavily contested.

Expedition 2. In the Outfitting stage (Stage 4) you contribute 5 Frequency Modulation Boxes, 5 Advanced Electrical Components, 3 Ion Sputters and 3 Leaper Pulse Units. Contributed items can’t be retrieved.

5, according to the ARC Raiders Wiki for Expedition 2, Stage 4.

No. Guides state it can’t be purchased and no material recycles into it; you have to find it while scavenging.

1 Advanced Electrical Components and 1 Speaker Component (salvaging gives 2 Electrical Components). Since Expedition 2 needs the boxes themselves, most players keep them.

Also on Stella Montis. Assembly spawns both Ion Sputters and Frequency Modulation Boxes, and some guides mention the Business Center. You need 3 for Expedition 2, Stage 4.

Recycling gives 4 Voltage Converters and 1 Exodus Module, which beats salvaging (1 Exodus Module). Keep at least 3 for the Expedition first.

No. It’s a fictional ARC Raiders component that only shares a name with frequency modulation.

Related ARC Raiders Guides

Ion Sputter Locations Expedition 2 Guide Stella Montis Map Guide Leaper Pulse Unit Advanced Electrical Components Best Loot Farming Routes