Communication

[GreenLine74]

Trying to decide HAM radio or GRMS. What is the best of the two?

 

[J.W.]

The "best" is the one that lets you talk to the people you need to communicate with.

There are at a bunch of thread on here discussing it for many pages but the TL;DR answer is that you should get the one that allows you to talk with the group of people you want to talk to. Ham Radio will give you more versatility and a greater range. GMRS doesn't require a test to start using.

Let us know what you go with.

 

[M Rose]

If I had to choose between the two right now regardless of what others were using... I would go with getting my amateur radio license now... then later in the year get my GMRS.

 

[Downs]

If I had to choose between the two right now regardless of what others were using... I would go with getting my amateur radio license now... then later in the year get my GMRS.

If you're talking about getting the HAM license before the 35 dollar fee kicks in, I thought that took effect on the 19th of this month?

OP, what other's have said. Get what lets you talk to the people you go out with. I tend to go out and about alone a lot, and I like to tinker so have my XJ setup for HAM, GMRS, CB, and APRS, but the local Jeep club I admin for has pretty much adopted GMRS/FRS as our primary means of communication so my CJ is setup with GMRS.

 

[M Rose]

If you're talking about getting the HAM license before the 35 dollar fee kicks in, I thought that took effect on the 19th of this month?

OP, what other's have said. Get what lets you talk to the people you go out with. I tend to go out and about alone a lot, and I like to tinker so have my XJ setup for HAM, GMRS, CB, and APRS, but the local Jeep club I admin for has pretty much adopted GMRS/FRS as our primary means of communication so my CJ is setup with GMRS.

Yes but no... the fee hasn’t been implemented yet...

Directly from the ARRL
“
The majority of the FCC’s revised Part 97 rules (adopted in December 2020) establishing new license application fees become effective April 19, but the new amateur radio license application fees will NOT become effective on April 19, 2021. The FCC announced on March 19, 2021 that the amateur radio license fees, including those associated with Form 605 filings, would not become effective until the “requisite notice has been provided to Congress, the FCC’s information technology systems and internal procedures have been updated, and the Commission publishes notice(s) in the Federal Register announcing the effective date of such rules.”

The $35 license application fee, when it becomes effective, would apply to new, modification (upgrade and sequential call sign change), renewal, and vanity call sign applications, as well as applications for a special temporary authority (STA) or a rule waiver. All fees will be per application. Administrative updates, such as a change of mailing or email address, are exempt.

It is expected that such fees will not become effective before summer 2021. The FCC has stated that amateurs will have advance warning of the actual effective date, because it will publish such date in the Federal Register.”

As the President of the GRRA, I have been talking wit David Minster the CEO of the ARRL about the upcoming fees... when he knows, I will know.

 

[El-Dracho]

While CB, GMRS, PMR446, etc. are relatively inexpensive while providing reasonable ranges for things like driving in a group, briefing, route scouting, etc., the entry-level to HAM radio is more costly and demands more effort, but offers tremendous ranges and capabilities. Especially those who like to learn new (technical) things will find an interesting radio application here and maybe even a new hobby. In the end, everyone should choose the radio application that best meets your needs. An important question to ask yourself is which system is used by the overlander that you usually travel with.

What is also important when it comes to cross-border trips: Inform yourself before a trip about the respective regulations in the destination country. Radio Comms is often regulated very differently. This also applies to the carrying, importing and exporting of radio equipment whie crossing borders.

 

[ThundahBeagle]

If you're talking about getting the HAM license before the 35 dollar fee kicks in, I thought that took effect on the 19th of this month?

OP, what other's have said. Get what lets you talk to the people you go out with. I tend to go out and about alone a lot, and I like to tinker so have my XJ setup for HAM, GMRS, CB, and APRS, but the local Jeep club I admin for has pretty much adopted GMRS/FRS as our primary means of communication so my CJ is setup with GMRS.

Sweet gen 1 XJ

 

[afootorafloatLJ]

Based on several years of communication systems, I would go HAM, dual band radios.
Then GMRS. I’m selling my Midland CB. It is pretty useless.
I have several vehicles so I have
2 Yaesu FTM 400 XDs, 1 Yaesu MX 6, and two Baofeng UV5R’s
The Baofengs can pick up GRMS.

 

[M Rose]

Based on several years of communication systems, I would go HAM, dual band radios.
Then GMRS. I’m selling my Midland CB. It is pretty useless.
I have several vehicles so I have
2 Yaesu FTM 400 XDs, 1 Yaesu MX 6, and two Baofeng UV5R’s
The Baofengs can pick up GRMS.

Your FTM 400xd’s can pick up GMRS, and with a simple mod can be made to transmit on the GMRS band (although not exactly legal to TX).