Radios for Communication—not the music kind (1 Viewer)

[Dragos80]

You guy are putting gas on some fire here. Retrofive knows my stance on HAM's and you should not get me started here... again.
Just help the OP out.

If you travel alone, HAM is the way to go. Think emergency situations where you need to be heard.
CB is good if travel in small packs and the first to last car distance is not that great.
walkie-talkie good too, if the distance is not that great and there are no obstacles. Line of sight pretty much.

Antenna placement is by far the most important aspect in either case (CB or HAM).

But again, all of you need to be using the same frequency or radio capability. If you have a CB and the other car has a CB too, but is using SSB and you don't have that, then you might just use a rock to catch his attention.

 

[surfpig]

Everyone is correct here.

What are we arguing about again?

 

[HAAANK]

Thanks for all the info, fellas. I'm realizing that aside from the aid of a radio, better planning is a must, rendezvous points etc. I'm embarrassed to say that I made the assumption, that the other truck in my party wasn't going to follow me down an unfamiliar trail as I scouted it out. In my situation, a CB probs would have been just fine

 

[HAAANK]

The beofang units look pretty appealing as do this pair of Motorola 2-way radios:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001UE6MIO/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_R1VHvbW1T0ZXF

 

[LFD2037]

Get a CB and a 32 pill linear amp and walk all over just about everybody from here to Australia!

 

[tacosupreme]

The beofang units look pretty appealing as do this pair of Motorola 2-way radios:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001UE6MIO/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_R1VHvbW1T0ZXF

I bought a set of those for hunting. 23 mile range is impossible. One kilometer range is more accurate, if you can see the other person. In dense forest it's more like 500 meters range. I lost a dude last hunting season because I overestimated the range of those. I dropped him off on a mountain top and he was supposed to roughly parallel the road down the mountain and meet at a certain spot. He broke off on a finger less than a mile from the road and we had zero comms. They are only one watt of power. At least get a 5 watt if you want to go GMRS. http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&ke...vptwo=&hvqmt=b&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_6xccdx65zs_b

 

[ThreeEyedBandit]

That depends. I TX on a ham almost every day with no license. So does every LEO, Fire/EMS, pilot, ATC, military, CG, DHS, NOAA, etc. I've also legally TX on ham during offroad races (SCORE/SNORE/etc) without a personal license. Also if your life is in danger you can use any freq you can raise help on. I would not hesitate to contact the patrol car directly in a serious emergency. That said, you should get your license.

I think you are getting ham bands and the vhf or uhf band confused. None of these people(other than score/snore possibly) transmit on a daily basis on a allocated ham band. Yes it is part of the vhf or uhf band depending on location which coincidentally have ham band(s) inside them, but they are not a part of a ham band. Score/snore may transmit on a ham band if they are licensed or with a licensed operator.

Now in an emergency situation you are allowed to transmit on anyy frequency to get help. Even if it wasn't 'allowed' I could care less at that point if myself or someone else needed help.

 

[ThreeEyedBandit]

If it where me I'd get my license and keep a couple of baofeng radios handy on long trips. I've handed mine out programmed to fra frequencies(I know, not certified for tise band) to keep in touch with others. And if needed you can tap into your hamness and use many 2 meter and 70cm repeaters around to keep in touch over broader distances if you need and are in range.

The license is super easy to get these days and is a fun hobby if you get into it.

Matt

 

[jonheld]

Love those Baofeng radios. Always have 2 with me along with my mobile unit when going on trips. IMO, ham is he way to go for any real world communications either on the road or off. The suggestion of adding a linear amp to a CB will only enable you to transmit further. It will still have the crappy shortcomings of CB in general and won't help the other people contact you.
There are ham repeaters everywhere you go these days and that extends your comms radius upwards of 20-40 miles. There is free software that makes pre-programming the radios as easy as typing numbers into a spreadsheet. Getting the technicians license is really easy and there are great online study guides that help you. I used www.hamradiolicenseexam.com which is an interactive and learning site. It reinforces the stuff you're having trouble with.
CB radio is dead technology, horrible range, poor clarity, no available repeaters, noisy, limited channels, generally sucks.

 

[half k cruiser]

I second the Baofeng. I had the chance to use one on the trail this weekend and you can hear clear as day out in the woods. Nice to be able to get out of the vehicle with it. I actually borrowed one from a club member since mine was at home. I think its a great idea to keep one or two of these around to hand out to people. I would like to get a Kenwood or Yaesu to put in the cab permanent though.

 

[abruzzi]

The summary:

CB: cheap, and you don't have to convince the person at the other end of call to get a license too. Biggest limitation is since it is a comparatively low frequency (~27mhz, 11meters) most antennas are serious compromises, especially handhelds. Also, uses AM modulation which is more effected by interference.

FRS (the cheap motorola handhelds): dirt cheap blister pack radios. High UHF frequencies (~470mhz)are more suited to little stubby antennas. FM modulation can sound pretty decent. No license required. Biggest limitation is it is handheld only with non replaceable antennas and .5wat power.

GMRS (also the cheap motorola handheld): very similar to FRS (most FRS radios can also do GMRS). Requires a no-test license (but almost nobody bothers with the license). Higher max wattage than FRS. Mobile/vehicle units available, and better antennas possible.

MURS: rare to find people using this band so not ideal

HAM: this gets very complicated because there are a lot of options, but most people in 4x4s talking HAM are talking 2meter/70cm, VHF/UHF radios. Technically this gives you the most flexibility. Most mobile radios are 50-70 watts, but with an amp you could run much higher. (not worth it for these frequencies) Lots of options and lots of spectrum. Also, the ability to use repeaters (CB and FRS can't, and GMRS repeaters are rare) means tha your signal can go much farther than line of sight. Cost of entry can be very cheap (see Baofeng) or a lot more. Main drawbacks are 1) license required to transmit, and the license requires a knowledge based test. Meaning you have to get all your potential comm partners on board. 2) Things can be a lot more complicated. Its not channel based like the other services, setting up for repeaters requires some basic skill, and choices of radios, antennas can be overwhelming to beginners, especially if they don't want to be a radio geek, and just want a radio that works. 3) can get expensive if you want better stuff. For example, if you want a mobile/vehicle radio, be prepared to spend $220-$250 for a 2meter radio + antenna + cabling. If you want both 2m and 70cm it will set you back $400. (a super cheap baofeng mobile hasn't been invented yet.)

Anyway, the best choice depends on what you want out of it.

 

[Dragos80]

Not Baofeng, but close enough. Quad band for only $300.
Wouxun KG-UV950P Two Way Radio

 

[RABID1]

Study a little. Take the test, get the license , go the ham route and it will open up a whole new method of comms for you and your buddies. Also a huge plus for disaster preparedness. There are lots of hams on here.

 

[Dragos80]

I'm not going to bother getting a license. I can use HAM radio in case of emergency anyway. The license is pointless.

 

[Cruiserdrew]

I'm not going to bother getting a license. I can use HAM radio in case of emergency anyway. The license is pointless.

Off to the "ignore list".

 

[WB8LBZ]

This is not rocket science. The internet has info on Volunteer Examinations (VE Testing), sample questions and sample tests are available at QRZ.COM . Local radio clubs are a good place to learn about getting your equipment set up right. It will require you to LEARN a few things. You can even put a tracker on your vehicle (APRS) and others will be able to find you if you get broke down. You can load as much or as little equipment in your 4X4 as you wish. New technology has been great. Give it a try.

Larry in El Paso

 

[Kofoed]

A CB is sufficient for what you described. FRS radios are probably sufficient.

 

[Elbert]

2 meter radio designed for mobile use....not a handheld. Forget CB. Forget the other stuff. Take the 2 meter FCC lic test and get an icom or yaseu radio....obviously your "friends" need a similar radio (2 meter)...done. Yes there probably a few choices of things....fsr/gmsr... whatever. Ham is proven and had good range both in simplex and duplex. Test is easy, that is if you want a radio solution that works.

if you want to use something in close range just here and there...FSR/GMSR stuff would work I'm sure...(not sure I got the acronyms right but anyway...

 

[pillguy]

agree CB is not sufficient. it is like taking a 2 wheel drive truck off road. You must think of worst case scenario, no cell coverage, etc.
The test is easy and the cost of a basic baufeng handheld and a $30 mag mount 2m/440 antenna for about $75 will get anyone started.
It took several years, for our club to convert, but we are getting there and the ones who resisted the most, cannot believe the clarity and distance over hilly terrain.
Once you figure out programming repeaters, 25-50 miles in not uncommon with just 5 watts.