CB vs FRS

[CslRkH2]

If you could only have one, which is more useful offroad?

[CslRkH2]

If you could only have one, which is more useful offroad?

[DRTYFN]

Should have had a third choice: BOTH

[CslRkH2]

What's the effective range of an average CB?

[PARAGON]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by 05H2SUV:
What's the effective range of an average CB? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>max effective range of CB is supposed to be 4 miles

[PARAGON]

You can get 4 watt FRS/GMRS radios now that operate at max range of 12 miles.

[HummerNewbie]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by PARAGON:
You can get 4 watt FRS/GMRS radios now that operate at max range of 12 miles. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

If you are at the top of Lions Back

[CslRkH2]

Is CB range effected by the terrain/forest canopy like FRS is?

[Spike]

Given the low cost of the FRS radios and CB radios it would be foolish not to buy both. I opted for the hand held CB. Here is a picture of the setup I have in the back of my H2. I actually just picked up another set of rechargeable FRS radios with a desktop charger on sale at LL bean.

[HHummer]

12 miles would require on top of the hill, over a lake, with a tail wind!

[GeneseeMtn]

CB or FRS?
Neither!

You can't beat the clarity & distance of a VHF for off road use - zero static & distance 20 mile range easy.

You just have to convince your friends to have VHF as well (or buy some portables to lend out if your friends are poor). License recommended. Kenwood & ICON are good VHF mfrs.

[TBDAugs]

Agree with Genesee.

Marine band VHF is the way to go, problem is it's not a common vehicular purchase.

With DSC enabled Marine Band VHF by the way, you can attach it to a DSC enabled GPS chartplotter and then be able to track your position as well as all your buddies positions on your chartplotter. Garmin's chartplotter GPS's all are DSC enabled.

Also has an emergency rescue feature that broadcasts your GPS coordinates to all other DSC enabled VHF units and emergency responders.

Then all you need to do is hit the GOTO button on your chartplotter and it plots a course to your position.

If you want really great distance though, Single Side Band...

BSEEAugs

[GeneseeMtn]

When you order the VHF, you'll want it "unlocked" by the seller if you can arrange it so you can program in the frequencies & tones. There are common "Hummer" frequencies and tones that Hummer owners typically use & have licensed for off-road communication.

I'm lucky, a buddy of mine has a spare Kenwood handheld VHF, so I don't have to buy one.

BTW - Don't use HUMMER Channel 7 in Moab or you'll be talking over a local trucking company and you'll get a visit from the FCC, ask Harley Dave (GMPartsGuy) how I know

[tower]

You need a license to operate an amature (ham) radio. FWIW, the one I had in the Tahoe was 45W UHF and 50W VHF. Our commercial (emergency) channels were UHF and my truck could reach everywhere our base station reached.

[Beastmaster]

Please do not use Marine band VHF for this type of thing. The FCC really frowns upon it to the point that they will cite and fine people on it. Truckers sometimes use Marine band radios, and I've heard that the FCC will DF the band sometimes in the Midwest and other landlocked states.


<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by TBDAugs:
Agree with Genesee.

Marine band VHF is the way to go, problem is it's not a common vehicular purchase.

With DSC enabled Marine Band VHF by the way, you can attach it to a DSC enabled GPS chartplotter and then be able to track your position as well as all your buddies positions on your chartplotter. Garmin's chartplotter GPS's all are DSC enabled.

Also has an emergency rescue feature that broadcasts your GPS coordinates to all other DSC enabled VHF units and emergency responders.

Then all you need to do is hit the GOTO button on your chartplotter and it plots a course to your position.

If you want really great distance though, Single Side Band...

BSEEAugs </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

[Beastmaster]

Actually, unless you have a General Mobile Radio Service license from the FCC for channel 7 (which I believe is 151.925 Mhz), you'll generally get in trouble for it.

I highly recommend anyone who wants to use a VHF frequency to use either the old Motorola Blue Dot (154.570) or Green Dot (154.600), which have been reassigned to the Multi-Use Radio Service (MURS). MURS is now part of the Citizens Band Radio Service classification. It's license free now per the FCC.

On a lot of AZHOG runs, we will use the Motorola Blue Dot frequency as one of three radio types. The other we use are FRS/GMRS and CB.

I think the biggest thing is this: What will most of the people you are travelling with use as a communication method?

Many people in Arizona still use CB. It's cheap, effective, and providing it's mounted and tuned correctly, should reach everyone in your group.

Others use FRS/GMRS. Others use VHF. Because of the fractionalized communication methods out there, I carry and use all three on the trail.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by GeneseeMtn:
When you order the VHF, you'll want it "unlocked" by the seller if you can arrange it so you can program in the frequencies & tones. There are common "Hummer" frequencies and tones that Hummer owners typically use & have licensed for off-road communication.

I'm lucky, a buddy of mine has a spare Kenwood handheld VHF, so I don't have to buy one.

BTW - Don't use HUMMER Channel 7 in Moab or you'll be talking over a local trucking company and you'll get a visit from the FCC, ask Harley Dave (GMPartsGuy) how I know </div></BLOCKQUOTE>