Ham Radio

[Padre Richard]

A newbie here, and enjoy all the posts about comm.
My thoughts quickly:
FRS is really not worth the funds expended. Line of sight radios that don't have much for hills etc. The miles listed on the package are really not accurate. Good if you are close to each other and not in the next valley.
GMRS is fine, and actually requires a license, no tests, just pay your fee and send in your application. The radios vary with which ones you have and what antenna your're using. Though the distance covered is not much better than FRS radios.
CB could be ok if you had a good antenna and others weren't around (though that is true what ever freq you use). CB radios are normally just on channels and if you find unused channels the better off you are. CB is 27 MHz, the 11 meter band. a dipole would work, as I have used one in the past, a good mobile whip works well. CB will do the distance, normally, depending on conditions. Just a quick note, normally a CB antenna will not work for 2m etc. Your talking about HF and VHF, different animals.
Ham Radio is good though you have to have a license, and now a days, one is not hard to obtain. All the levels have their test questions and answers available to study and practice. The FCC has now decided to charge a fee for your license, $35. Once you get a license, the radios are limitless, and distance is much improved, though still depending upon your antenna. 2m and 70cm, handy-talkies work well even as simplex from one mountain top to the other, that you see in the distance. Repeaters are all over these days, though they are not secure if your looking for secure comms. Though nothing you put over the air is actually secure, anyone with a receiver can hear and they normally do. Small portable rigs with a good antenna and low power are used by many out in the woods and on mountain tops, and they are able to reach long distances. So the possibilities are actually endless.

So being a newbie here, I'd go for a Ham license first, with CB second. Guess it all depends on the funds available for the gear you want and the distance you wish to work.
Just my quick few cents worth whatever you put on it.

 

[DRAX]

Some more thoughts and clarifications...

• All radios are "line of sight" in their range, however signal bounce and frequency will affect how well your signal penetrates "through" or reflects off obstacles. The antenna used will also dictate how well and where your signal can propagate, especially if there are hills at play. Don't confuse antenna gain with how well an antenna will perform, meaning the highest gain antenna isn't always the best. It depends on terrain. See below image. Higher gain means a wider but flatter signal beam, it will reach farther but will also go right over antennas in hilly terrain.
• EDIT: The FCC has reduced the GMRS license fee from $70 down to $35. Apparently the FCC is now including ham licenses in this new fee structure.
• GMRS distance is on-par with 70cm ham seeing as they are neighbors in the frequency spectrum. GMRS radio output is limited to 50W, the same as most ham radios on 70cm.

Something you left out in your thoughts is considering who you want to communicate with. CB is largely dead. GMRS is picking up steam. Most group events will use GMRS, so while you may have ham and CB...they will be useless if everyone else is on GMRS. So priority #1 is determining which means of communication is most practical. Going out solo and just want a way to communicate with others? I'd skip CB and go with GMRS and ham. Going out with the same group of people often? Find out what they use and plan your comms around that.

 

[Padre Richard]

Yes, I agree thank you, determine what your group will be using and all use that gear and frequencies.

Actually the $35 is a new fee for Ham Radio, up until now, we have not had to pay a fee for new or renewals, at least in my opinion. I do believe they wanted to charge the $70 initially, though finally changed it to only $35.
73/72

 

[DRAX]

Yes, I agree thank you, determine what your group will be using and all use that gear and frequencies.

Actually the $35 is a new fee for Ham Radio, up until now, we have not had to pay a fee for new or renewals, at least in my opinion. I do believe they wanted to charge the $70 initially, though finally changed it to only $35.
73/72

You're right, I was thinking of the GMRS license fee which was $70 and was reduced to $35. Apparently the FCC is now including ham licenses in this fee structure.

 

[Renegade]

So being a newbie here, I'd go for a Ham license first, with CB second. Guess it all depends on the funds available for the gear you want and the distance you wish to work.

IMO, it depends upon what the folks you are traveling with are using, or what is common in area you are going to.

A top of the line HAM setup will be useless of your caravan is all using GMRS and the trails guides are too.

 

[Padre Richard]

Yep, I agree thank you, determine what your group will be using and all use that gear and frequencies. If you are using guides, they will let you know what comm they are using. Though if you and your friends are without a guide, it will be up to y'all to determine what comm will be used, and that all are on the correct freq or channel , and understand the agreed upon procedure to change freqs if needed. So IMHO, this is why it is so important to talk about this way before you head out. Learn your procedures and gear, practice with it before you head on your trip and exploring. Comm is so needed for constant communication between team members, in order to, know where all are and if one gets separated from the team. Practice, Practice, and more practice with all your gear.

With all the gear you are carrying, comm is paramount for a safe and enjoyable overland outing, as significant as medical. Train, Train, and practice some more, individually and as a team. In Florida (when I lived there), we all had the same radio and procedures. The radios were programmed the same. The same in Virginia, we all had the same and knew where, what, and how. Now I'm not with those groups, though, I still head out often, mainly solo for now. Anyways, what the heck do I know!! Thanks for all reading and giving their opinions!!

 

[DRAX]

With all the gear you are carrying, comm is paramount for a safe and enjoyable overland outing, as significant as medical. Train, Train, and practice some more, individually and as a team. In Florida (when I lived there), we all had the same radio and procedures. The radios were programmed the same. The same in Virginia, we all had the same and knew where, what, and how. Now I'm not with those groups, though, I still head out often, mainly solo for now. Anyways, what the heck do I know!! Thanks for all reading and giving their opinions!!

For solo outings and safety/emergency needs do not rely on radio comms if not with a group. Radio comms are only useful if someone is able to receive your transmissions. Going out solo I wouldn't go without a satellite communicator or a PLB (preferably both for redundancy), so if you roll over and break your antenna or get stuck in a valley the chances of anyone picking up your call for help are slim to none unless they're basically on top of your location. Same if you're out and have a medical emergency and need rescue. Ground-based radio comms are essentially useless and you likely won't have cell service either, so this is where satellite communicators (Zoleo, Garmin inReach, Spot, etc) and PLBs become lifesavers.

 

[Padre Richard]

Yes modern day satellite comm is one item all should have when they are out there, and we are not talking about your cell phone! Depending on location, as you stated, my ham gear, if I am able to set up, will get out someplace, and I do understand that some 2m simplex freqs are monitored a lot, however, and.......... redundancy is important, so good info from all, thanks. One last item for me personally, when I can afford one of the communicators you mentioned, I'll get one for the reason you stated, though that may be some time for now.......

 

[DRAX]

My wife has a Garmin inReach Mini and I have a Zoleo satellite communicator. Both use the Iridium satellite network but the devices and plans are priced differently and there is slightly different functionality between them. The Zoleo device is cheaper and has a larger battery but on-device functionality is limited to sending check-in messages and triggering the SOS function, all the rest is done via an app on your phone or tablet. Zoleo's subscriptions are priced a little better as well (more messages for less money than Garmin offers) and after 3 months you can suspend your service, paying $4/mo to keep your dedicated SMS number and email address reserved and not having to pay to re-activate your account later. Garmin has a similar service suspension option as well. For reference, my Zoleo device cost $199, the mid-level service is $35/mo for 250 satellite messages, and there was a $20 activation fee. There is a cheaper $20/mo plan that sets your message cap at 25 before incurring extra charges or a more expensive $50/mo plan that provides unlimited messages. Compared to something like a satellite phone, these devices/services are much more affordable.

A PLB will have similar equipment costs but there is no service fee. The flip side is they are for emergency use only where there is a grave risk to life or property and someone needs to be rescued. There's no way to use the PLB to check in or communicate with individuals, the PLB transmits signals that are picked up by NOAA SARSAT in the US which then triggers SAR activity for you. There is no way to cancel a PLB emergency beacon, once activated and the beacon has been picked up the only way to try and cancel the rescue is if you have cell service and can contact the coordinating station to let them know it was a mistake or rescue is not needed. Think of it like pulling the pin and tossing a grenade.

 

[rtexpeditions]

The switch from CB to GMRS reminds me of the change from 27Mhz to UHF in Australia in the 1990s. Now, 27Mhz CBs are rare, and every 4wd vehicle has a UHF CB.

Because they are common, they have the advantage of contacting others local to you, Which is great if you just need some help to get unstuck. So in those situations, it is my first choice.

I also carry a PLB and satellite communicator for life and death situations. If you can spare the resources, a call on radio is also something you should do. Rendering first aid is hard work, and getting assistance from someone nearby will help the situation, especially if professional help is a long time coming.

When I venture into the Australian Outback, I will also be carrying an HF outpost radio which has channels between 3 and 15Mhz with a range of several thousand miles and has manned base stations

 

[M Rose]

Overland Bound’s official stance on communication priority is as fallows:

1. Amateur Radio
2. GMRS/FRS
3. CB

Amateur Radio first because it’s most powerful (up to 1500 Watts, I know a 1500w amplifier isn’t practical for overlanding), Universal a crossed borders of other countries (as long as the license is reciprocal, which most countries are), and is a Swiss Army Knife of communication.

GMRS: second most powerful radio system in terms of wattage, but very limited outside of FM voice coms, not wildly adapted a cross the US, and definitely not a crossed the globe.

FRS- Great for trail spotting and can talk to most GMRS channels.

CB: is dieing in the US, although with Solar Cycle 25 coming into its own, CB usage is in the climb. Again CB isn’t a global set range of frequencies, and most countries require an amateur radio license (or equivalent) to access the 11m Band. CB is also limited to 4 watts AM/FM and 12 watts Single Sideband.

 

[Prerunner1982]

US Comms - An Introduction to your Communication Options | OVERLAND BOUND COMMUNITY

 

[Padre Richard]

US Comms - An Introduction to your Communication Options | OVERLAND BOUND COMMUNITY

Thank you for sharing, 73