Does anybody make use of CB radios or GMR ass in their vehicles on trips

[Morgan3820]

Does anybody make use of CB radios or GMRS in their vehicles on trips? Came across this researching camping trips. Apparently CB radios are still a thing. But there’s a new technology called GMRS.

 

[Piperonca]

Weird call-signs, somewhat like the old CB radios. https://forums.radioreference.com/threads/what-is-your-gmrs-call-sign.158673/

 

[SoonerAviator]

Not sure what information I'd get from having one. It's one thing if you're overlanding and need an alternate way to contact someone when off the grid/out of reliable cell phone range. However, just to go on a trip down the interstate to a popular camp ground? Probably more reliable to use Waze or Google maps for bear traps or traffic reports.

 

[Agronomist]

I've started playing around with GMRS out in Utah. My intention is the fact that I regularly leave cell coverage camping and hunting. Baefang GMRS radios are inexpensive and work well. UV-5G is the easiest and cheapest option for you.

 

[SkyChaser]

I think it's mostly useful if you're caravanning with someone else. We didn't use CB radios, as we were all amateur radio operators, but when my parents decided to move from Minnesota to TX and we had to caravan six or seven cars down to TX, it was really handy to have every car with an always-on radio. It made it so much easier to coordinate gas and bathroom stops, and just provided general entertainment and information.

 

[weilke]

GMRS is UHF. If you don't build a repeater it's not all that useful. Lots of restrictions and nobody to talk to. Can be useful on a farm property or a ski slope as you can carry small radios and the range is sufficient for that.

 

[SoonerAviator]

I think it's mostly useful if you're caravanning with someone else. We didn't use CB radios, as we were all amateur radio operators, but when my parents decided to move from Minnesota to TX and we had to caravan six or seven cars down to TX, it was really handy to have every car with an always-on radio. It made it so much easier to coordinate gas and bathroom stops, and just provided general entertainment and information.

Walkie Talkies are pretty good these days for that kind of thing when you only need a mile or two of coverage. We have a set of four that the kids play around with, but we use if we're at a theme park or something where we may have several groups split apart.

 

[Lndwarrior]

Off roaders use them in the backcountry

 

[Daleandee]

Walkie Talkies are pretty good these days for that kind of thing when you only need a mile or two of coverage. We have a set of four that the kids play around with, but we use if we're at a theme park or something where we may have several groups split apart.

We have a set that's used at the airport when doing maintenance work. Easier to hear someone confirm the power is off over a radio than yelling across the field or to someone up on a pole. (We use lockout/tag out as needed).

On the motorcycle Bluetooth is your friend (good for about a 1/4 mile).

 

[Gary Ward]

Still have a CB radio in our RV and keep it on. Still useful to talk to truckers.

In 1975-80? all my friends had CB radios base stations in our homes. Mine was in my bedroom and we would determine where we would meet that night to hang out. Some of our parents would be on it also. I think I can still remember my license KAAB1130? Damn I am old. I still have a pile of CB and 10 meter ham stuff in the basement. Late at night on the weekends you could turn on the illegal power booster and hopefully not be on all the TVs nearby.

 

[Half Fast]

I think it's mostly useful if you're caravanning with someone else. We didn't use CB radios, as we were all amateur radio operators, but when my parents decided to move from Minnesota to TX and we had to caravan six or seven cars down to TX, it was really handy to have every car with an always-on radio. It made it so much easier to coordinate gas and bathroom stops, and just provided general entertainment and information.

I used a ham radio when we took a long trip out west several years ago. I could always find someone on the local repeaters and there were several large linked repeater nets (some multi-state). With Echolink I could even talk over the repeaters back home. It was fun, but didn’t have much practical benefit.

For caravan driving, I’ve used FRS radios and they worked okay up to a few miles. No license required, unlike GMRS or ham. I haven’t used CB since the early ‘80s.

(IIRC, my old CB license was KBKT1601.)

 

[Jim K]

I have gmrs radios in the combine and tractor so I can yell at the grain cart driver. One of my favorite features is that you can set up privacy codes so you don't have to listen to all the other people on frequency. Mine have external antennas, but they're just little metal sticks about 6" long, and we've used them up to 10 miles apart. 15w iirc.

 

[Daleandee]

I think I can still remember my license KAAB1130? Damn I am old.

I was KACG155. My older brother had a three letter CB call sign but when the CB boom happened they had to start using four letters in front of the numbers. Like you, I have a bit of CB & Ham gear sitting around doing nothing. I prolly should take a moment and string up some antennas ...

PS: I'm old too!

 

[Albany Tom]

I always keep a 2m ham radio wired up in the truck, but normally only use it when I'm doing some sort of public service event. That said, it makes a good emergency communications system. Haven't had a cb in a vehicle in years, and the last truck I had one installed in was in 87, in a 78 blazer. That was before I had a ham ticket, and before I had a cell phone.

If I did 4 wheeling I could see getting a CB. Also maybe if I did long caravans with people, where they didn't have ham licenses and we didn't have cell coverage.

Walking around where there's no cell coverage? I could see FRS or GMRS for that. Handheld CB is kinda crappy, because the antennas are so inefficient because they're so short for the wavelength. UHF band makes a lot more sense for family or friends or whatever, walking around in the woods where there's no cell coverage.

 

[CJones]

Used to have a CB in the Jeep when I was in a club that would do backroad trips. Haven't had it in there in several years now.

In 2009, my wife and I drove the Jeep from Iowa to Colorado. I had the CB on the whole time thinking "This will be cool to listen/talk to the truckers." We didn't hear a peep on channel the whole trip.

My grandad used to have a CB base station with ?Startduster? or ?Moonraker? antenna that he would talk on every morning while drinking his coffee (he was '4wheeler' and he had a good hunting buddy named 'Yallerdawg'). I remember several times something wonky would happen and he would interrupt the FM radio next to my bed (their house was about 300 yds from our house) and I could hear him talking for a few seconds. I can also remember sitting under the shade tree shucking corn and he would have the CB on in his truck and we could hear people speaking some sort of Asian language...among other things.

Might have to see if I can find my old Bearcat and mount it back in the Jeep to see if there's any traffic in the area.

 

[flyingron]

My wife and I used to have 2m/440 handhelds when we were out and about, but that was way before we all got chained to cell phones. Margy even had a power amp in her car to jack up the power of hers when she was driving. I had an HF rig in my car for a while.

Of course, these days Waze is a better traffic spotter/chat app (better if you're not the driver).

 

[Dana]

We were still using CB for 4-wheeling 10-15 years ago when I was into it. Nothing like the old days, though, when everybody had one.

At one time a CB license was required for R/C models as the radios were in the CB band, I remember Dad's was KAZ1575.

 

[CJones]

Somewhat of a side track...

When we were building the RV-10 (c. 2008-2010), my dad had considered installing a flight tracker device that communicated on HAM radio networks. Basically it would send down an ID and position via the HAM radio frequencies and there was a crowd-sourced network of antennas across the country that would pick up the data and feed it onto a map for tracking. We didn't do it, but I do remember us talking about how we would likely need to get our HAM Operator's License so we could operate the system. Then ADSB and InReach devices came along and antiquated that system before it got popular. Has anyone else ever heard of something like that?

 

[Hang 4]

Somewhat of a side track...

When we were building the RV-10 (c. 2008-2010), my dad had considered installing a flight tracker device that communicated on HAM radio networks. Basically it would send down an ID and position via the HAM radio frequencies and there was a crowd-sourced network of antennas across the country that would pick up the data and feed it onto a map for tracking. We didn't do it, but I do remember us talking about how we would likely need to get our HAM Operator's License so we could operate the system. Then ADSB and InReach devices came along and antiquated that system before it got popular. Has anyone else ever heard of something like that?

APRS - Packet Radio. I tried for a long time to make this work for cross country hang gliding. Gave up as it was so unreliable. Think the technology has advanced, but now you can use your phone for the same thing.

 

[CJones]

APRS - Packet Radio. I tried for a long time to make this work for cross country hang gliding. Gave up as it was so unreliable. Think the technology has advanced, but now you can use your phone for the same thing.

Not sure why they haven't grown. They seem to be keeping up with the times. They are in their "25st year" after all...

 

[flyingron]

At one time a CB license was required for R/C models as the radios were in the CB band, I remember Dad's was KAZ1575.

Back in the sixties, a license was required for all CB use (on any of the 23 channels at the time) over 100mW. I remember it cost $20 and a buddy encouraged me to get a ham license instead (Novice was free at the time).

There were classes of CB license. C for RC as you describe. D for regular radio. I think there were A and B that was more akin to GMRS today.

 

[Pinecone]

At one time a CB license was required for R/C models as the radios were in the CB band, I remember Dad's was KAZ1575.

SOME R/C equipment was CB band. There was also the 72 MHz stuff and there was Ham Band R/C in the 50 MHz range (technician clas ham ticket required).

 

[Dana]

Right, the early R/C was in the 27mhz CB band, as I recall every 5th slot was reserved for R/C. 72 came later (maybe after the license requirement for R/C was dropped?). Relatively few people I knew used the 6 meter band. 27mhz fell out of favor when the CB thing exploded, too much imterference from CBers illegally using the uncongested R/C frequencies, or swamping the entire band with illegal linear amps or power mikes.

 

[Zeldman]

PS: I'm old too!

My old CB license was KNG0251.

I can't believe I still remember that. I had an old 23 channel Johnson (no jokes please) in my truck. It was the size of a shoe box. A friend's uncle was a radio expert and ''turned it up'' for me.

Back then on Friday and Saturday nights it was impossible to squelch out the noise.

 

[Pinecone]

I am trying to remember if I had a license for my 72MHz HeathKit RC radio.

I think I did.

 

[Daleandee]

I had an old 23 channel Johnson (no jokes please) in my truck. It was the size of a shoe box. A friend's uncle was a radio expert and ''turned it up'' for me.

I had a blackface Johnson with a Turner 2+2 power mike and a 102" stainless steel whip antenna. It had been cranked up and would really talk some distance. Seems it was turned up a bit too much as it lasted a few weeks before the finals went out in it ...

Edit: Later I had a 40 channel Cobra with a Gray 300 watt linear amp. Nice thing with that was when folks came around with their cheap car stereos cranked up to the bothersome level a few taps on the key with the linear on would have them wondering what was wrong with their stuff ...

 

[DaleB]

KIV2628, if I remember right. We had a Midland mobile in Dad’s car and another one with a power supply in my room. This was back around ‘74? ‘75? I was on the radio ALL the time for a few years. My parents bought a new Olds station wagon in ‘77 that had a factory AM/FM/CB in the dash.

Our Harley had a CB, which came in handy on road trips but that was 10+ years ago. When we rode with a group, most of the others had CBS as well.

 

[Pinecone]

I still have my HyGain 23 channel CB rig. Not sure what happened to the antenna. I used a top loaded Shakespeare.

 

[Bill]

Have/had a nice cobra with magnetic stick on antenna. I liked it for long night drives the chatter kept me awake. I don’t remember getting rid of it but also haven’t put eyes on it in a looong time.