Anyone planning to install two way radio (either Ham, CB or other?)

[K8GTH]

Well, it is what it is. As long as we stay on the CB frequencies I see no harm no foul. I don’t even know the wattage hopefully it won’t cook my frontal cortex like an egg

I’d happily purchase a plug and play solution that was without reproach if I could get my crew to all agree to a direction.

Frankly what little I know of the regulations suggest that the tech supporting market development is years beyond matching with the wildly outdated govt regulations.

If you're using a Baofeng, you're not using CB frequencies. Hard stop.

It's not no harm no foul because you may be unknowingly interfering with incredibly important stuff such as aviation communications and navigation, maritime communication and distress signaling, police/fire/ambulance dispatching and a few other protected business uses as well. It's way more than a few bitter ham operators upset that they can't talk about their health problems and the weather. Human lives and massive amount of property are potentially at risk.

There's plenty of different types of modulation schemes and data encoding out there that you can't even hear on a baofeng and these differences also mean you're putting out energy beyond just the frequency you see on the screen. They're not particularly good radios and are known to emit spurious emissions and harmonics well outside the frequency on the display. These radios are not held to the same testing procedure as CB or FRS/GMRS ones are because they're intended to be used by people who have proven that they know at what exposure they'll start cooking their eyeballs and do know how to identify and correct when stuff is not operating as it should.

FRS is literally a plug and play solution. No registration, no license, no hassle. If you want more capability in terms of power and the ability to use repeaters, you have to pay a $70 fee that gives you and your family a license that is good for 10 years. You also have to abide by a few rules. The radios are turnkey. You have easy, legal options.

I know it's difficult to hear especially in the current political climate...
The United States government, the governments of most countries on earth and even those operating in space are members of a consortium that does actually know what it's doing. All that seemingly outdated regulation isn't behind the times at all. The fact of the matter is radio communication is bound to the laws of physics over everything else.

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[Ramble_Offroad]

If you're using a Baofeng, you're not using CB frequencies. Hard stop.

It's not no harm no foul because you may be unknowingly interfering with incredibly important stuff such as aviation communications and navigation, maritime communication and distress signaling, police/fire/ambulance dispatching and a few other protected business uses as well. It's way more than a few bitter ham operators upset that they can't talk about their health problems and the weather. Human lives and massive amount of property are potentially at risk.

There's plenty of different types of modulation schemes and data encoding out there that you can't even hear on a baofeng and these differences also mean you're putting out energy beyond just the frequency you see on the screen. They're not particularly good radios and are known to emit spurious emissions and harmonics well outside the frequency on the display. These radios are not held to the same testing procedure as CB or FRS/GMRS ones are because they're intended to be used by people who have proven that they know at what exposure they'll start cooking their eyeballs and do know how to identify and correct when stuff is not operating as it should.

FRS is literally a plug and play solution. No registration, no license, no hassle. If you want more capability in terms of power and the ability to use repeaters, you have to pay a $70 fee that gives you and your family a license that is good for 10 years. You also have to abide by a few rules. The radios are turnkey. You have easy, legal options.

I know it's difficult to hear especially in the current political climate...
The United States government, the governments of most countries on earth and even those operating in space are members of a consortium that does actually know what it's doing. All that seemingly outdated regulation isn't behind the times at all. The fact of the matter is radio communication is bound to the laws of physics over everything else.

If I set the radio to the same channel as my buddies CB radio’s and stay on that channel that’s not using the ham frequency, as per my understanding they don’t cross over to each other. But then if I’m wrong we’re right back into why I struggle here, I don’t want to have to learn how to navigate a series of internet chat forums, user manuals, etc, I just want to turn occasionally chat with my crew when we’re In the middle of nowhere. Hell, 80% of the time if I can’t see the other truck the radios don’t work anyway, too many trees or mountains, so I don’t see how we could interfere with anything.

If I had the license I’d still be using the same CB channels that my buddies use....because none of my buddies have Ham or GMRS.

As stated I’m familiar with GMRS as a excellent solution but it’s only viable if my wheeling partners also make the switch. So yeah I agreed but no good if solo.

This is the handheld I have, tell me if this is problematic.

 

[ResidualGenius]

CB's are still around? Thought they went our with 8-tracks

 

[buildbigboats]

I’ll likely be going with a CB, something like Cobra 75 and 4' Firestik black antenna mounted on the rear bumper or tire carrier. I‘ll grind off some of the powder coat on the place I mount it and ground inside somewhere on the tub/body. I’ll mount the control box behind the glove box and have the connection of the CB to the control box on the lower part of the passenger footwell so you dont see it and its out of the way. Plus it makes the cord connection in the right place for mounting the hanheld on the center dash or near the grab handle. I already have an SWR meter so I’ll get it tuned to about 1.5 on channels 1 and 40 and I should be good to go.

This is how I did on my Jeep and unless I see a better set up for the Bronco, I’ll probably do the above.

A CB will likely be required for Bronco Off Roadeo rides (kinda like required for Jeep Jamborees).

Jeep Jamboree switching from CB to GMRS
https://jeepjamboreeusa.com/cb-replaced-by-frs-gmrs-two-way-radios/

 

[That_Hal]

10/4 ... Call name will be Broncie

 

[ZackDanger]

Kenwood dual-band with remote head on rail (hopefully) and antenna on rack?? possibly on trail sight

Dual band?

That's cute...

 

[ResidualGenius]

Dual band?

That's cute...

NIce, had an ICOM that pushed out 90W could talk from the CO/NE boarder to the mountainsLOL

 

[Krisegon]

I intentionally got a pic of this on the overlanding concept at Super Cel East. I thought I got one of the other end coming through the dash area. The CB was mounted on the accessory rail.

edit to add:

 

[Rubisquatch]

Jeep Jamboree switching from CB to GMRS
https://jeepjamboreeusa.com/cb-replaced-by-frs-gmrs-two-way-radios/

Thank you, I may switch and not do CB. we’ll see...

 

[Tech Tim]

Will be installing a CB, a GMRS and a 2 meter unit.

Gotta be ready to talk to whoever else shows up for the wheeling trip...

 

[Jim Walter]

Going for a compact CB, most likely this self contained Cobra so I don't need to worry about mounting a head unit in a visible location.

Same here. Have one in my Jeep. But have only used it on the trails.

 

[618TRVLWILD]

I’ll likely be going with a CB, something like Cobra 75 and 4' Firestik black antenna mounted on the rear bumper or tire carrier. I‘ll grind off some of the powder coat on the place I mount it and ground inside somewhere on the tub/body. I’ll mount the control box behind the glove box and have the connection of the CB to the control box on the lower part of the passenger footwell so you dont see it and its out of the way. Plus it makes the cord connection in the right place for mounting the hanheld on the center dash or near the grab handle. I already have an SWR meter so I’ll get it tuned to about 1.5 on channels 1 and 40 and I should be good to go.

This is how I did on my Jeep and unless I see a better set up for the Bronco, I’ll probably do the above.

A CB will likely be required for Bronco Off Roadeo rides (kinda like required for Jeep Jamborees).

This is exactly what I'd like to have done in Mae Pearl!! I've been shopping Cobra and Midand.
I'm going to have to find a good place be able to do this around my area. I'm not equipped do it on my own!

 

[Rubisquatch]

This is exactly what I'd like to have done in Mae Pearl!! I've been shopping Cobra and Midand.
I'm going to have to find a good place be able to do this around my area. I'm not equipped do it on my own!

Once we get our Broncos, we can share on this forum or call if we need to on how to do it but it’s not that hard.

 

[Rubisquatch]

Going for a compact CB, most likely this self contained Cobra so I don't need to worry about mounting a head unit in a visible location.

This is the Cobra 75 so even though this is handheld, there is a separate 3”x6” control box that does need mounted to support this, and the best place is behind the glove box or under the dash. That dangling pigtail cord then plugs into the controlbox.

 

[K8GTH]

If I set the radio to the same channel as my buddies CB radio’s and stay on that channel that’s not using the ham frequency, as per my understanding they don’t cross over to each other. But then if I’m wrong we’re right back into why I struggle here, I don’t want to have to learn how to navigate a series of internet chat forums, user manuals, etc, I just want to turn occasionally chat with my crew when we’re In the middle of nowhere. Hell, 80% of the time if I can’t see the other truck the radios don’t work anyway, too many trees or mountains, so I don’t see how we could interfere with anything.

If I had the license I’d still be using the same CB channels that my buddies use....because none of my buddies have Ham or GMRS.

As stated I’m familiar with GMRS as a excellent solution but it’s only viable if my wheeling partners also make the switch. So yeah I agreed but no good if solo.

This is the handheld I have, tell me if this is problematic.

That handheld you have can be problematic if used improperly.

You are not using CB on that radio because its not possible.
CB radio is AM from 26.905 to 27.405 mhz

That radio you have is FM from 136-174 and 400-480mhz.
Thats actually a pretty wide range which has a ton of stuff in it, including stuff that a ham license doesn't even permit you to use. Nothing on that radio will restrict you from keying up on aircraft or public safety frequency where you can be hit with a $10k fine and jailtime for EACH TRANSMISSION. Yes, its enforced. Yes they can and will locate you

The radio you have does communicate with FRS and GMRS frequencies. However unless somebody programmed it specifically for doing so, its not setup correctly out of the box.

If you don't know and you've already expressed not being interested in learning, leave it in a drawer and go buy an actual FRS or GMRS radio since that's probably what your buddies are using anyways.

Technically speaking, even configured correctly that radio isn't legal to use on FRS or GMRS, but its minor transgression against what it could potentially do.

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