It is not easy or cheap. The Tech class license is the easy part. Buy a book, study for a week or two and pay $14 and take an easy multiple choice test. The Mars deal requires taking ecom training and participating in a minimum amout of MARS functions handling ecom traffice etc. The radio setup I have for mobil in my H2 consists of the radio, tuner for the HF, a VHF/UHF ant on the roof and an 8' whip with ball and spring (old CB style) mounted on the drivers side rear quarter panel, cost about $2500. (including grounding, extra rear mounted battery etc)
It works great and in an emergency can transmit at up to 100 watts on HF (and CB) and 50 watts on VHF/UHF (Hummer freqs, GMRS, FRS and MURS).
It is worth it to me because I participate in may ecom functions local and national.
I also travel alot and want every capability I can get in an emergency. It called life insurance.
Your right, the easy solution is get the different radios. You can use a duplexer or triplexor to combine some of the radios to one antenna. All the VHF/UHF can be combined to a small (16') rubber antenna on the roof. The best CB is still the old full length whip and ball/spring which can be tied down with a gutter clip. Or use the firestick mount in an earlier post.
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