CB radio advice

Dprochef

New member
New to jeeps and just started doing some wheeling. Looking for advice on a CB radio or Hand held Two way radio.

A couple of the locals around here use this
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But not sure how well it handles out in the wilderness like Utah. I'm planning a trip for later this summer and would like to have something in cases things go south.




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Frydaddy

New member
It kind-of depends on who you wheel with. CBs have long been a staple in the offroad community, but walkie talkies, race radios and ham radio have been becoming more popular. Ill try to lay down a few basic points of interest.

neither of these four radios (CB, Walkie, 2-meter Ham, and Race) can talk to each other. your whole crew needs to pick a band (type and frequency) and stick with it for the trip. There is no radio that can handle all of these types.

As for quality, CB uses AM, Amplitude Modulation, while the others use FM. Just like the two radio station types, AM can reach further, but FM has better quality. This is further complicated by legal power output limits held by the FCC. Mountainous terrain further levels the playing field in terms of range.

As for popularity, CBs are popular with truckers, though, it has been getting quieter over the years, and some of those guys are downright rude. Race radios are popular with the professionals, and I see a lot of side-by-sides with headphones on (i wonder what they are listening to). Walkie talkies are cheap and easy in a pinch but arent the best in quality.

The last option is my favorite, Ham radio (Amateur radio, specifically 2-meter) requires a license, but its cheap and easy to acquire, and it opens a whole world of possibilities. I particularly like connecting to local repeaters and having the ability to talk around the world. Here in the Phoenix valley, there are a dozen repeaters, and there are people always on there having Nets (meetings over the radio) and Rag chewing (BSing), Theres even a morning quiz show that anyone can attend while stuck in traffic.

Ignoring all that fun stuff, Ham has a clearer voice and allows a much higher output power (Three orders of magnitude higher than CB!). Using simplex (basic 2-way radio setting) It is very easy to operate, just like all the others.

Final words: I carry a CB and a 2-meter radio, and this seems to cover all my uses.
 
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zimm

Caught the Bug
CBs are more popular. They are cheap and most off-roaders and clubs use them. If you plan to ride with clubs, get a CB. If it's just you and your friends, you can get the FM 2 way radios which have more range and somewhat of a privacy setting. I've had many CB's over the years and my favorite is the Midland 1001.

https://midlandusa.com/product/1001lwxcb-radio/

It's compact, fits above the rearview mirror on a rugged ridge bracket. It's quiet without static or white noise, which is great. Also has weather band to receive forecasts. It's a lot of radio for $45.

https://www.amazon.com/Midland-1001...8&qid=1496696293&sr=8-1&keywords=midland+1001

I also recommend a fire stick "fire ring" 18' coax cable, one of their antennas (the longer you can get away with), and a K-4 type stud mount. I get great SWR with their 3 and 4 foot antennas. The 2 footer is pretty bad, but I run it daily as it fits in the garage. When I go off-road, I put a longer antenna on.
 

WJCO

Meme King
I'm new to CB radios as well. But the one I've used is affordable IMO and works just fine for Jeeping in general. It's nice to have one just for basic communication so you know what everyone is doing. Definitely get an external antenna to extend the range.
 
J

JKDream

Guest
If you live in an area with a lot of mountains and forestry VHF is the way to go. I run CB out here, and while it works - I'm usually close enough to someone that I'll always pick them up. General rule of thumb out here (due to the terrain) if you can't see their antenna, they won't hear you. VHF will pick up someone 20+ miles away from you in the bush.

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Dprochef

New member
We're planning on doing many more trips with the jeep in the future ( Arizona, Colorado, etc) and want a just in case radio to be able to get ahold of someone in a pinch) our local club uses both CB and the VHF like I've shown above. I don't/won't get a satellite phone because I'm just not that paranoid :)

At the price I could actually run both, but if I were to choose one for the wilderness, which one ( sounds like a CB so far)

Any other great recommendations on a CB setup


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J

JKDream

Guest
We're planning on doing many more trips with the jeep in the future ( Arizona, Colorado, etc) and want a just in case radio to be able to get ahold of someone in a pinch) our local club uses both CB and the VHF like I've shown above. I don't/won't get a satellite phone because I'm just not that paranoid :)

At the price I could actually run both, but if I were to choose one for the wilderness, which one ( sounds like a CB so far)

Any other great recommendations on a CB setup


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It really depends on what your group has as mentioned. If you're all looking to get radios I would still recommend VHF over CB. Being able to pick up your camp site while quite a ways away wheeling is very handy. I keep a handheld in the JK in case I break something and can't get off the trail.

If you decide to go CB - I'd recommend the Cobra 75. It's an awesome compact unit that has all of the controls built into the handset.
 
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