Member III
What comms are right for you? This depends on who you want to talk to and what they are using.
CB:
Longer distance/emergency comms:
Ham radio:
Quick reference:
If you have any specific questions please post them below and a number of knowledgeable people here will gladly answer your question.
If you see a mistake above please let me know.
- Trail/Convoy comms: CB use has declined among off road groups though still may be useful around logging areas. MURS (no license) is another option, though it is not widely used. GMRS (license required) has gained popularity over the last few years and is now the most used form off communication among the off road community, it also communicates with FRS (no license) handhelds so they can also be used for those without a GMRS license or for spotters. Ham radio is also suitable for trail comms in addition to emergency comms and it is versatile, but for those groups that don’t want to take the ham test and get licensed (as easy as it is) then GMRS is a suitable alternative for trail/convoy communication.
- Contact outside your group/Emergencies: If we are discussing 2 way radios only, then ham radio without a doubt. There are many hams, repeaters, and linked repeater networks across the country. Many times someone is monitoring, even if you don’t hear any traffic. Ham radio is also capable of APRS which can be use for tracking your vehicle, sending SMS text messages/emails, getting weather reports, etc though much of this does require infrastructure and is not always 100% it is a useful tool to have in addition to voice communication. A PLB is also a valuable emergency tool.
CB:
- 27 MHz
- License: None (technically referred to as license by rule, which means as long as you follow the rules you are considered to be licensed)
- Radios: There are generally 3 types of radios available, the all in the mic type (Cobra 75/Midland 75-822), the compact CB (Cobra 19, Uniden Pro 505/510/520) and the larger trucker CB (Cobra 29, Uniden Bearcat 880/980). Which one you choose is up to you as they all put out about 4 watts AM (some of the trucker CBs also have SSB – Single Side Band- but it isn’t commonly used on off road). For trail/convoy comms the small CBs are sufficient, the all in the mic kind are pretty popular due to their small size and ability to be easily stowed away. Mounting a CB varies depending on the vehicle but in general the most common places are on the passenger side of the center console, between the visors, or under the dash. An external speaker may also be needed.
- Antennas: The optimum mobile CB antenna is 108” (1/4 wave). This is too large for most and will whip around and hit trees while on the trail and in the city. They are typically frowned upon at organized off road events. There are shorter antennas available but the shorter they are the more they impact your signal, for close quarters communication this may not be an issue. There are solid fiberglass antennas, half fiberglass half stainless whip, and full stainless whips. Generally the fiberglass or half fiberglass antennas will need a spring at the bottom to survive off road while full stainless whips are flexible enough on their own. Firestik is probably the most common CB antenna, Wilson and Frances are also popular brands. Mounting a CB antenna can also be troublesome as they typically require being mounted to a large piece of metal. On some vehicles such as Jeep Wranglers it is common to mount the antenna on the tailgate or spare tire carrier, this is by far one of the worst places to mount them as neither provides a sufficient “ground plane”. There are NGP (No Ground Plane) antennas typically used on fiberglass vehicles and boats that may be an option for you, though they may not perform as well as a properly mounted vertical antenna. A fender mount, ditch light mount, taillight mount, bed stake pocket mount, etc will all work fine though a compromise compared to being mounted on the roof. The more antenna you can get up above the top of the vehicle the better. If you have the real estate on the roof and are comfortable with the height an NMO mount CB antenna (Larsen NMO27, Browning BR-140) through the roof is the best place. When using an antenna mount, where the antenna stud goes through the mount and where the bolts go through the mount should be bare metal as to provide adequate grounding between the mount, the shield of the coax, and the body of the vehicle. Additional braided ground straps from the hood to the body, exhaust to frame, body to frame, in multiple areas is recommended. Not only does it help tie the large metal parts of the vehicle together it can also reduce some RFI. Mag mount can be used for temporary CB use, for long term they can damage the paint. They are also not all that efficient given their relatively small size and magnetic coupling for the necessary ground plane, but may be ok for small groups.
- Coax: If you have a properly mounted ground plane style antenna then the length of coax you need is whatever it takes to get from the radio to the antenna. A coax length requirement comes into play with NGP antennas and phased dual antennas. Due to the short run of coax needed in a mobile install RG58 or RG8x coax is fine, but you will want to look for coax with a 95% or better shield. Due to the short run of coax needed for vehicle comms, RG58 or RG8x is sufficient.
- 462/467 MHz
- License:
$70$35 for license effective April 19th, 2022, no test, good for 10 years, pay to renew, covers immediate family. How to get your GMRS license: https://www.overlandbound.com/forums/threads/how-to-gmrs-za-fcc-license.5412/ - Radios: GMRS radios come in two forms, handheld and mobile. Handhelds are common as they are sold in most sporting good stores and are classified as GMRS if they put our more than 2 watts. Below 2 watts are classified as FRS and do not require a license. The FRS and GMRS radios now share 22 channels, minus the GMRS repeater input frequencies so the FRS handhelds can be good for non-license individuals to use to listen into the trail comms or for spotters. FRS itself with 2 watts or less is fairly limited and transmitting from inside a vehicle will decrease it’s range even more so they may be better for listening in rather than trying to communicate with GMRS users. Mobile radios are slowly starting to come into the market. The largest provider of GMRS mobile radios right now is Midland with a handful of models with 5 watts, 15 watts, or 40 watts. The 15 watt version comes in both common radio design and all-in-mic design. For trail/convoy comms the 15 watt should be sufficient and the better price point. BaofengTech (Btech) is also now in the mobile GMRS radio market with their GMRS-50x1, which is priced better than Midlands 40 watt unit but not as compact. Radio mounting is similar to compact CBs as the radios are similar in size and design.
- Antennas: GMRS radios are allowed to have removable antennas to they can be connected to an external antenna. Some of the Midland radios come with a small ¼ wave mag mount antenna, some of their radios don’t. Midland does sell NMO mount GMRS antennas with increased gain (increased gain means the power coming out of the antenna is more focused in a horizontal direction vs going in “all directions”, more gain = longer antenna). There are aftermarket GMRS antennas as well, but there aren’t a whole lot of obvious options. If you do your own search you are looking for an antenna that operates around the 460Mhz range. For train/convoy comms a ¼ wave antenna (only about 6” tall) up high should work well and not be as prone to trail damage due to it’s small size, of course if you can get away with a little longer antenna it certainly wouldn’t hurt. If you are going to mount the antenna lower such as a fender mount or ditch light mount or such then a longer antenna would be advisable due to being obstructed by the vehicle. Due to GMRS antennas requiring such a small ground plane they can be mounted to almost any piece of metal and work well. GMRS antennas generally require little if any tuning as they are pretty well tuned to frequency from the manufacturer. If you have the means to check SWR on a UHF antenna it is always a good idea, a local ham may be willing to help.
- Coax: You can get coax with NMO connectors with either a 3/4” or 3/8” center stud. The most common is 3/4” but a 3/8” can fit a CB antenna mount (if the base is at least about 2” wide) and is a smaller hole to drill if you decide to mount it through your roof. Due to the short run of coax needed for vehicle comms, RG58 or RG8x is sufficient.
- 462/467 Mhz
- License: None (license by rule)
- Radios: Found at most retail stores (Walmart, Academy, Cabelas/Bass Pro, Dick’s, etc) They are handheld only with up to 2 watts with 22 channels shared with GMRS. Popular manufacturers are Cobra, Midland, Motorola, and Uniden. You can even get them in cool colors with Superheros/Princesses on them.
- Antennas: Legal radios do not have removeable antennas so there are no aftermarket options available.
- Coax: None (handheld radio with non-removeable antenna).
- 151/154 MHz
- License: None (license by rule)
- Radios: Handheld only up to 2 watts and 5 channels. With only 5 channels it could get crowded quickly, however with so little use in the off road world at this point it may be a good option for groups that don’t want to deal with interference from other users. The most common manufacturers that you are likely to find are BaofengTech (Btech), Motorola, Tera, and Dakota Alert. MURS may be used by businesses but are often short range so you may encounter brief interference if using MURS in the city. And for your listening pleasure, Walmart often uses MURS channel 5 for their radios.
- Antennas: You may have to search for mobile antennas by frequency range rather than by MURS in order to find more options. Laird, a fairly well known brand in ham radio antennas, makes an antenna that works for MURS called the QWB152. Surprisingly Firestik also makes a MURS antenna (1/4 wave – 16” or 5/8 wave – 45”) that matches their CB antenna line. The Comet CA-2x4SR ham radio antenna is widebanded enough to work on MURS with a 2:1 or less SWR.
- Coax: Depends on the antenna, if you get the Laird or similar it utilizes an NMO antenna mount however the Firestik uses the same 3/8x24 CB antenna mount and PL259 connector coax as used for CB. In either case you want to make sure the coax has adequate shielding, 95% or better. Most ham radio outlets offer coax by the foot with your choice of connectors. USAcoax is another good coax vendor. Due to the short run of coax needed for vehicle comms, RG58 or RG8x is sufficient.
- 30-50MHz (low band VHF), 150-174MHz (high band VHF), 450-470MHz (UHF)
- License: About $260 for a license with an application process, good for 10 years, covers group/entity/organization.
- Radios: You would need a radio certified for Part 90 operation. Tera, Baofeng, Alinco, Motorola, Kenwood, and Icom are popular PLMRS radio manufacturers.
- Antennas: High band VHF and UHF are similar to VHF/UHF ham radio. Will need to search by Land Mobile radio antenna and verify the frequency range meets your allocated frequency(ies).
- Coax: Good quality with NMO connector, good shielding of 95% or better. Most ham radio outlets offer coax by the foot with your choice of connectors. USAcoax is another good coax vendor. Due to the short run of coax needed for vehicle comms, RG58 or RG8x is sufficient.
- These are typically programmed with GMRS and PLMRS frequencies so see above. These are commonly used illegally without license and some of the “race radios” on the market are cheap Chinese radios with a high markup. These radios are not recommended.
Longer distance/emergency comms:
Ham radio:
- 2 meter VHF (144-148Mhz), 70cm UHF (420-450MHz), HF (Various frequency ranges from 10m (28Mhz) up to 160m (1.8MHz))
- License: Tests, Typically about $15 to take the test, *+$35 license fee to the FCC effective 2021*, can take all 3 test in same session (one fee) as long as you pass the previous license class test (pass Tech, take General, pass General, take Extra), good for 10 year,
free($35 effective 2021) to renew, only covers the individual. How to get your ham radio license: https://www.overlandbound.com/forums/threads/how-to-get-your-amateur-ham-radio-license.24822/ - Radios: Ham radios come in many flavors. You can get handheld (HT), mobile, base, digital, analog, single band radios, dual band radios, tri band, quad band, HF, and all band all mode radios. It all depends on what you want and/or need…and the level of license you hold. For back country travel a dual band radio would be advisable. I know off roading hams who get by with a 2m only rig just fine but like many things we carry on our rigs it’s a tool and why not have the capability of 2 meter and 70cm? When I first started looking at getting a mobile ham radio I thought a 2m only rig would be fine and the price was within my budget as they are reasonably priced, this was before I found out that the largest linked repeater system in my state was on 70cm. Most dual band radios allow the control head to be mounted separate of the radio body, single band radios do not. The most common digital voice modes are D-star (Icom), DMR, and System Fusion/C4FM (Yaesu), but digital voice may not be available outside of metro areas or along popular highways and the available mode may differ by area depending on what is most popular there so for back country travel analog is preferred.
- Handheld (HT, Handy Talkie) radios: There are cheap Boafeng radios that make ok entry radios if you are just getting into ham radio and not sure you want to make the financial investment of a good HT or mobile radio. Baofengs also make good trail/camping radios, if you lose it, drop it in the mud, run over it, etc you are out $40. The more expensive HT radios offer better sensitivity and receive, with some having GPS and APRS built in. The Yaesu FT60/FT70 seem to be pretty popular entry level dual band name brand HTs. For using in a vehicle an external antenna is advisable and you will likely also want a 12 volt power adapter and perhaps a hand mic. Keep these additional cost and “clutter” in mind when deciding between a HT and a mobile. Also when holding a HT, the way you hold it and it’s relation to your body can have an effect on the signal (receive and transmit).
- Mobile radios: (Some radios mentioned below may no longer be available, prices are also likely outdated since article was originally written - Jon 7/2/2024)
- Mono band: Name brand (Yaesu, Icom, Kenwood) 2 meter monoband radios can be purchase new for between $140-$160. Mono band radios aren’t huge, about the size of a compact CB. However they don’t have a remote head so you will want to weigh your mounting options. Mono band 2m radios generally come with 50-85 watt max power.
- Dual band: There are three types of dual band mobile radio; dual band capable one band at a time, dual simultaneous receive single transmit, and true dual receive dual transmit. Dual band radios run between $200 up to almost $600 for name brand radios depending on options. At the low end is the Yaesu FTM-7250r which is one of if not the only dual band radio to not have a remote head and though it’s a dual band radio it only uses one band at a time but it does come with C4FM digital capabilities. The cheapest dual receive radio would be the Icom IC-2730a at around $265. The cheapest radio to include APRS built in is the Yaesu FTM-100DR at about $300. Though it has APRS built in, it can’t do voice and APRS at the same time. It also has C4FM capabilities. The top 3 mobile radios from the “big 3” are the Icom ID-5100A Deluxe at about $390 with touch screen and Dstar, the Yaesu FTM-400dr that has been holding steady at about $450 for many months now, comes with color touch screen, C4FM, and APRS built in that allows for simultaneous APRS and Voice. The Kenwood D-710G tops them at about $530 (currently on sale, retails at about $590) with APRS built in allowing for simultaneous APRS and Voice. Though many hams feel the Kenwood D-710G does APRS a bit better than the Yaesu FTM-400DR, the Yaesu’s price point and more modern look has made it quite popular. As you can see prices can vary quite a bit and you will need to decide what options you want/need. Having APRS built into the radio reduces you to monitoring one frequency, if you want to monitor multiple frequencies and have APRS you will need to look at adding an additional 2m radio specifically for APRS. Also something to note, some of the Icom radios such as the IC-2730 don’t come with mounting hardware and is purchased separately. Yaesu also has the FT-8900r quad band radio that offers 70cm, 2m, 6m, and 10m all of which are FM only and the typical band plan puts 10m FM outside of the Technician allocation. There are some 6m and 10m FM repeaters and some FM simplex though it’s use on the trail is not likely. Also an antenna that covers 4 bands isn’t likely to be all that efficient on all of the bands. RT systems (purchase) and CHIRP (free) are popular programming software to make it much easy to program a multitude of frequencies, but don’t neglect to learn how to manually enter a repeater into your radio. There are many cheaper Chinese radios available, it is up to you to decide if the cost savings are worth the possible additional hassle of programming as some are not as intuitive or supported by popular programming software, possible lack of customer support, and lack of integrated APRS.
- HF radios: (General/Extra class license) Though not typically used for trail communication a HF radio can be useful if you are really out away from a populated area where even a VHF/UHF radio may be useless such as part of Canada and Alaska or possibly even a few areas in the lower 48. HF is most popular with ham hobbyist. So if you think you may be interested in more than just trail/convoy comms, mobile or portable HF can be fun. Currently there are only a handful of new mobile HF radios on the market, the Yaesu FT-857D, Yaesu FT-891, Icom IC-7100 and the Kenwood TS-480SAT/HX ranging in price from about $600 up to about $1100. Mobile HF radios come with remote heads and some are more menu driven than others. The FT-891 and the TS-480 are HF plus 6m while the FT-857D and the IC-7100 are HF/VHF/UHF all band all mode radios which would allow you to have one radio in your rig but you would lose the APRS ability and being able to monitor more than one frequency. The IC-7100 is also touch screen and has Dstar digital voice mode. The TS-480SAT has a small built in antenna tuner while the TS-480HX has 200 watts where the other radios do not, making their radio bodies bigger than the others.
- APRS: Automatic Packet Reporting System is most commonly used for tracking your vehicle and others however it can also be used to send SMS text message and emails if the infrastructure is available (terrestrial digital repeaters and internet gateways or satellites). Some off road hams find value in this additional tool, others do not. Deciding if you want this capability will effect your ham radio budget. It can be added later using an additional 2m radio and APRS hardware/software, but will require mounting an additional radio and an additional antenna.
- Mounting: The control head may have it’s own mounting bracket however aftermarket solutions such as Ram Mount can be used as well. The radio bodies are commonly mounted below a seat or in the spare tire storage area below the cargo floor in the rear of the vehicle, however if you think you may encounter a water crossing where your vehicle may take on a bit of water you may want to consider mounting the radio a bit higher. Areas such as cubby holes in the rear cargo area, in/behind the glove box, under/behind dash panels, or in overhead consoles can help keep the radio up and out of the way.
- Antennas:
- VHF/UHF: Height is king when it comes to VHF/UHF antennas especially when using them to reach further out than you would in a trail/convoy situation as they utilize line of sight between radios. Taking into account height restrictions in your daily life and over head obstructions on the trail may or may not dictate a compromise between antenna height and the antennas surviving on the trail, or you making it through the drive thru for your favorite latte. VHF/UHF antennas require a lesser ground plane than CB antennas do so they can be mounted in places that a CB antenna wouldn’t work as well. Fender mounts, roof rack/basket mounts, tailgate/spare tire mounts, bumper, lightbar, etc are all common mounting locations for VHF/UHF ham radio antennas. Most VHF/UHF antennas are loaded wire whip antennas, springs can be added to some but they are pretty flexible on their own. Firestik does make a 2m antenna that resembles their CB antennas if you wanted them to match. Comet, Diamond, Laird, Larsen, and Tram/Browning are popular brands of VHF/UHF mobile antennas. Some have antennas that fold over that make it much easier to have the antenna up high but be able to clear low obstacles. The Larsen 2/70 is pretty popular with the offroad crowd and may be considered by many to be one of the best. The Tram/Browning antennas are the budget antennas of the group but work and hold up well. Mag mount antennas are ok for temporary use as they will scratch/damage the paint if used long term. Not quite as good as permanent mounted antennas due to the magnetic coupling for the necessary ground plane. VHF/UHF antennas likely need little if any tuning as they come pretty well tuned. If you have the means to check the antenna (antenna analyzer) it would be wise to do so, a local ham may be willing to help.
- HF antennas: Antenna height is not quite as important here as you are not using line of sight but instead bouncing the signal off the ionosphere. If the antenna is mounted lower it’s relation to the metal body of the vehicle may cause some tuning issues. A common tough as nails approach to mobile HF antennas is a 102” whip with a mobile auto antenna tuner. The tuner may be controlled from your radio or by a simple button push on the tuner itself. It’s hard to kill a 102” whip and it can be tied over when not in use if desired, but is really only good to about 40m. Another budget option are hamsticks which are half fiberglass mast and half stainless whips that are mono-band. The drawback here is that you have to carry an antenna for every band you wish to use while mobile and get out to change them. They also benefit from having a spring as they do not hold up well to being hit against trees. Another budget option is a loading coil such as that from Wolf River Coils with a 102” or less whip. They offer coils that can get you up to 40m or one for up to 75/80m. These also require that you get out and adjust the coil for the band you wish to work but they are strong, you could also build one yourself if you enjoy DIY projects (which is part of the ham hobby). The notably more expensive option is the screwdriver antenna where the loading coil is mechanically (or automatically) adjusted to the frequency used. Hi-Q, Tarheel, Diamond, and Super Antennas are among the most common screwdriver antenna manufacturers. Yaesu also makes the ATAS line of screwdriver antennas specifically for their HF radios. The screwdriver antenna is the best option for efficiency and ease of operation however your budget may greatly decide which antenna option you choose. When dealing with HF antennas it is almost mandatory to have an antenna analyzer available to check the operation of the antenna.
- Coax: Most VHF/UHF antennas use an NMO mount however not all do so you will want to look for the coax with the right end for your antenna. Many HF antennas use the standard 3/8x24 mounting stud and just like CB antennas use so the mounts/mounting options will be similar to CB antennas. In either case you want to make sure the coax has adequate shielding, 95% or better. Most ham radio outlets offer coax by the foot with your choice of connectors. USAcoax is another good coax vendor. Due to the short run of coax needed for vehicle comms, RG58 or RG8x is sufficient.
Quick reference:
If you have any specific questions please post them below and a number of knowledgeable people here will gladly answer your question.
If you see a mistake above please let me know.
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