Comms Clarification Questions

[Frdmskr]

I am new to overlanding but not ham radio. I am an Extra Class op licensed more than 20 yrs ago. My overlanding is generally a rough path to a field day site. With 2 kids growing up that is something my wife and I want to change. We want them playing in the dirt and exploring things not on TV if you will.

I was wondering...

When folks talk about CB here I get the idea they are talking both 11m and GMRS/FRS interchangeably. Is there is prevalence favoring one or the other?

I ask because in one thread elsewhere they talked about CB and then said they had to swap channels because they were going to use a 1.5w channel and not a 1/2w channel.

So as a second question, other than 2m what else do you carry with you?

To answer my own second question I have 80-440 capabilities for the truck but usually stick around 2/440 using an FT8900. Sometimes on long road trips I'll hang out on 10, 17, 40 and 60 using the TS-480 with a Tarheel Model 75. I do not currently have a an 11m rig but will listen on CH 19 when driving using the 480. (I did 11m before I got my ticket, its how I got licensed.) I've not transmitted on 11m in eons because I am not modding a perfectly solid radio. I've never used GMRS or FRS but am starting to think having it and an 11m rig in the kit is not such a bad idea.

 

[Crom]

I use 2M, 440, FRS, and MURS. I'd pack an HF radio but don't have one yet. No desire for 11 meters here.

 

[ExploringNH]

CB radio refers to 11m. This is the most common means of communication between off-road groups, largely due to the low initial cost and the lack of any type of certification or testing needed. It is cheap and easy to run and works well for the shorter distances typically seen on a group trip.

2m is becoming increasingly more popular due to the clarity and range. In recent years the initial cost of HAM has dropped to CB levels which helps to get more people interested.

I run a CB radio in my rig for group travels because that is what everyone uses. I will be adding a 2m at some point this summer and hope to inspire others to do the same. There is no point in running 2m if I am the only one in the group with it.

 

[Martinjmpr]

FWIW I've never heard anybody refer to FRS or GMRS as "CB."

Most of the people I see here in CO run CB on group trail runs, just because it's so common. I have CB and a dual band HT that I'm bringing to our desert camping trip starting Monday. I have a mobile 2m as well but it's not installed yet.

 

[Robert Bills]

My take on the current status of offroad radio communications:

CB - Despite its limitations, still the common denominator for offroading and usually required for club events or organized runs. A decent radio and clean antenna installation can be done for $100-150. In my opinion, every offroading rig should have one.

FRS/GMRS - Great for communications between driver and spotter and for handing out to your kids to keep track of them. Not very good for rig-to-rig communications or anything else. But they're cheap, so no reason not to carry at least a pair.

2m/70cm - gaining in popularity but still not common. Whether anything more than 2m is necessary is debatable. Not much 70cm traffic in my area, but other areas of the country may be different. Most offroaders who are Hams have a Tech license and are more interested in the range and clarity of communications than in radio theory and in being a Ham hobbyist (i.e., an "appliance operatior" like me). Some clubs now require Ham capability in addition to a CB, but these are a rarity due to resistance to taking the Ham test, FCC regulations, and greater cost than CB.

UHF commercial bands/Race radios, etc. - I doubt the popularity of these will ever extend much past the desert racing crowd.

My radio communications: Yaesu FT-90R 2m/70cm; Cobra 75WXST CB; 4 Motorola FRS/GMRS HTs, and a Baofeng 2m/70cm HT with both a rubber duck antenna and mag mount external antenna. [This $45 transceiver comes from the factory capable of transmitting on the FRS/GMRS frequencies at 5 watts (although illegally per FCC regulations).] Oh yeah, and my cellphone in the unlikely event that I can get a signal.

 

[Frdmskr]

Thanks for the replies. I kinda suspected that but it caught me as odd. Might just be a local thing in that area of the country.

Great threads and someday I hope to be able to contribute a bit more.

 

[DaveInDenver]

People not in the USA refer to UHF CB, which is common in Australia and new Zealand for example. It would be roughly equivalent to our FRS & GMRS, 70cm allocation, more channels and external antennas are OK but limited to 5W. Here FRS and CB require no license but GMRS requires a no-test license. For doing this you are authorized to use 50W, external antennas and repeaters which is an improvement over FRS at 0.5W and fixed antennas.

My most highly used band is amateur 70cm, mainly because I've been doing more DMR lately (I have a Vertex Standard VXD-720 HT). But I also have a group of friends who hang out on a 70cm FM repeater, so my FTM-350 mobile gets used for that. After that it's 2m or FRS for non-ham friends. I don't do much vehicle travel with non-hams, so while I have a CB I rarely use it. I have FT-a 857 that I carry a rig with me for portable operation.

 

[Frdmskr]

People not in the USA refer to UHF CB, which is common in Australia and new Zealand for example.

Yes, I've noticed that and technically, back in the day, FRS/GMRS frequencies were the original Citizens Band before 11m was handed over. This particular group using that terminology was in the Mid-Atlantic of the US so it caught me off guard. I've seen others actively using GMRS and FRS in overlanding videos so wasn't quite sure.

Thanks!

 

[DaveInDenver]

FRS is common, it's really the lowest common denominator in that you don't need anything other than the HT. Being all self contained and requiring no license makes it easy to toss an extra one in the glove box to hand out. Plus you don't have to listen to crude and foul language for the most part, which is more family friendly. As far as I'm concerned if I never key a 11m CB the rest of my life I wouldn't much mind. But I do agree for OHV and 4wd use it's pretty much the standard and on road trips it's handy to find out road and traffic conditions. So I do leave it on to monitor and do use it for group runs where there might be a non-ham. The club is mostly hams now, so it's not a big deal but there are still a few hold outs.

 

[robgendreau]

I got a stud antenna mount on my vehicle and I just swap out either a CB or 2m/70cm dual on it. I use a little Midland CB unit that is essentially a HT with an attachment for power and antenna. Handy since some groups use CB.

And for FRS I just toss in a Baofeng. Once you program it for that easy to use, and doubles up for FM use of course. I have to remember to not have the Baofeng hooked to an external when I use FRS, though, since I seem to recall you can't use one in the US. Not sure about that with GMRS, but I don't have a license for that anyway.

 

[prerunner1982]

And for FRS I just toss in a Baofeng. Once you program it for that easy to use, and doubles up for FM use of course. I have to remember to not have the Baofeng hooked to an external when I use FRS, though, since I seem to recall you can't use one in the US. Not sure about that with GMRS, but I don't have a license for that anyway.

The Baofeng is illegal for FRS use either way so having an external antenna connected isn't going to matter. FRS is limited to 1/2 watt and can not have a removable antenna. Not likely to get caught using is on FRS though as long as you keep it on the down low and maybe keep the power turned down.