Affordable communication options on the trail

Mr. Bills said:
@Josh Harder is in Alberta.

The Canadian version of the UV5R is here:

https://baofengradio.ca/

However, note the following from the Canadian Baofeng webpage:

As you may notice, we have UV5R and UV82 back in stock. But before you make any purchases, make sure you read the product detail page carefully, since the UV5R and UV82 we have in stock right now is different from the original one.

The main difference is the frequency range, before the frequency range for UV5R and UV82 is VHF 136 -174 MHz, UHF 400 - 520 MHz, Now, in order to make them legally in Canada, we need to restrict their frequency to HAM radio band which is VHF 144 - 148 MHz, UHF 430 - 450 MHz.

Therefore, please make sure these "New" UV5R and UV82 will meet your requirement before place an order.

In 2019, the FCC in the U.S. and I.C. in Canada put a stop to the importation of Baofeng and other brand radios capable of transmitting on both ham and non-ham frequencies.

The FRS/GMRS frequency band is 462 - 467 MHz. The new "legal" Baofeng UV-5r radios no longer transmit on those frequencies, making them less useful as an "all frequencies in one" alternative.

There are still some of the non-compliant UV5R and UV82 radios with FRS/GMRS capability on the market, but they are getting harder to find and what is available appears to be "grey market." One needs to read the specifications carefully to know which is being sold. [As of 3/1/20 the U.S. outlet linked by @moab still lists specifications showing FRS/GMRS capability, but who knows how long that will last.]


Request: Please obtain the appropriate ham license before transmitting on a ham-capable Baofeng or please don't purchase one. Bootleg unlicensed operators on the ham frequencies will ruin those frequencies for everyone. It will only take a few hours of your time to prepare for and pass the test and it only costs a few dollars.
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I agree with you about ham and licensing. For sure.

It should be noted that the US site is still selling the old frequency range:

"The Baofeng UV-5R is a compact handheld radio scanner transceiver providing 4 watts in the frequency range of 136-174/400-480 MHz. It is a compact, economical HT that includes a special VHF receive band from 65-108 MHz which includes the regular FM broadcast band. Dual watch and dual reception are supported. "

It mentions that full frequency range twice in the description.

My honest only use for these would be hunting out past normal usage in the woods. On GMRS channels. I rarely go out in my Jeep with anyone else driving their Jeep or their vehicle with me. I would not be comfortable operating these on HAM. Except in the place of an emergency.

Or if I get my license. Which very well might make it to the top of my to do list. I've been into scanners my entire life. And nothing is more entertaining that listening to the HAM band around LA. I've picked up some of the best jokes and come backs on HAM radio. It's a salty bunch. ;)
 
Josh Harder said:
Thanks everyone. Alot of helpful info.
Can someone tell me if this unit paired with an antenna would be a good option?
Keep in mind I know very little about the "radio" world
https://www.justjeeps.com/cb-radios...-cb-radio-with-noaa-weather-soundtracker.html
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Cobra, Midland and Uniden all make good CB radios, but size matters when trying to mount a CB in a jeep.

Uniden 510/520 series CB radios are smaller than the Cobra 18 and provides more mounting options. Another popular small case CB radio is the "President Bill." If I were choosing a CB for a jeep today I would probably pick a Uniden Pro520XL or the President Bill.

bill-fcc-red-re-81.jpg


516WJICVQpL._AC_.jpg


For "all in one" units I like the Cobra 75 WX ST, and would probably choose it over the Cobra 18 just for ease of mounting.
 
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I just saw the post for the Cobra mag mount antenna.

If I were going to go with a non-permanent antenna install I would pick one of the three following CB radios and a Wilson magnetic mount antenna rather than the Cobra antenna:

Cobra HH 50 WX ST with antenna coax adapter

000X1000_b60e3562-ea70-4cca-b076-ddd6c4d3c892_800x.jpg


or

Cobra 75 WX ST

000X1000_066eb058-bf6e-4d11-b807-b8c602040b34_800x.jpg


or

Midland 75-822

75-822_feature-1.jpg




plus a Wilson "Little Wil" or Wilson 500 magnetic mount antenna

31XMGB2R9bL._AC_SX425_.jpg
 
Mr. Bills said:
I just saw the post for the Cobra mag mount antenna.

If I were going to go with a non-permanent antenna install I would pick one of the three following CB radios and a Wilson magnetic mount antenna rather than the Cobra antenna:

Cobra HH 50 WX ST with antenna coax adapter

View attachment 143366

or

Cobra 75 WX ST

View attachment 143367

or

Midland 75-822

View attachment 143368



plus a Wilson "Little Wil" or Wilson 500 magnetic mount antenna

View attachment 143369
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Do they have a big Willy version? You know for us LJ guys
 
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The UV5R is great for this. You can find them for about $20 each on ebay. They have great lipo batteries that will last an entire weekend on a charge. You can just give one to whoever you are wheeling with, they don't have to install a thing. Especially in a Wrangler having a small radio that fits easily in your glove box or center console is a big plus. Personally I wouldn't worry about the legal issues. Use the radios responsibly and you wont have a problem. When I wheel with friends I use MURS or around 151-154Mhz but most of the 2M spectrum is dead and available to use. Just avoid the local repeater channels and ask politely if the channel is in use before you get going. CB is a great option, just make sure everybody you plan wheeling with is on board with the cost and work required to get it up and running. It's allot more than the UV5R/Rugged Ridge handheld route.
 
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Mr. Bills said:
Imagine how nerve wracking it would be to encounter an oncoming fully loaded logging truck being driven by a guy in a hurry because he is being paid by the delivery and then have to back down a rough graded single track road around several blind turns to a spot wide enough to get out of his way.
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This actually happened when I was a kid. My folks own a cabin and my two sisters and I were with my mom when she was driving us up there one night after work. It was just about dark and we rounded a blind corner to have a fully loaded logging truck barreling down the hill, I remember my mom threw it in reverse and I remember her backing up for a long distance. The trucker never even slowed or waved at us, just hellbent on making his delivery or getting off the mountain, it was quite the rush.


And to contribute to the thread--I am using a Uniden 520xl with firestik and teraflex mount. The radio can be had for $50ish bucks, the mount I bought for $18, and I think I spent $20 on the antenna.
 
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moab said:
If you want affordable. This is it. And someone above mentioned these are 5w and can run on FRS and GMRS. Not legally. But there are several reasons that these are the best low cost choice. Many many people run these. And they are very cheap. I have a 2w(?) set of GMRS radios. I wish I would have bought these 5w instead. I will eventually.

This is their official site. I wouldn't buy from anyplace else. There are alot of knockoffs of these radios.

Just get their standard handheld. It will do way more than what your asking for. And you can buy tons of accessories for them.

https://www.baofengradio.com/?fbclid=IwAR0YhrshCVlyMFxevgmJnqPIvw1ww4QVaadKe94QTsJ1-cHUMuoEwmxlB4Y
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I was about to ask about those.
 
What is the appropriate antenna length if doing a taillight mount? Is 3 ft antenna sufficient enough or is it a huge improvement to go 4 ft?

Also planning for the left of drive wheel dash mount by rugged ridge.
 
LJtheunicorn said:
What is the appropriate antenna length if doing a taillight mount? Is 3 ft antenna sufficient enough or is it a huge improvement to go 4 ft?
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If you buy the correct antenna for whatever frequency you are using the difference between 2 feet and 4 feet will not be significant for trail communications. Get what is affordable and what you think will clear any obstacles you might run into. Beyond that I wouldn't worry too much about it.
 
pagrey said:
If you buy the correct antenna for whatever frequency you are using the difference between 2 feet and 4 feet will not be significant for trail communications. Get what is affordable and what you think will clear any obstacles you might run into. Beyond that I wouldn't worry too much about it.
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I think I’ll find a local CB shop and talk to them about the perfect radio and antenna set up, I don’t know a thing about them
 
Moab said:
I'm of the latter group. lol.
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Ya, it is picking up steam. I have a GMRS repeater that I can open in spots in Big Bear. All of my mobile radios can operate in the FRS/GMRS spectrum as well as the amateur bands, some dual and one tri band. This enables me to comm with guys running the baofengs UV-5r type radios. I do have a CB but have yet to use it. It is usually on but never hear anything when scanning. Seems that most guys dont mind parting with $50 for a baofeng.
 
LoL, yeah, I did that too. Didn't have much of an impact from what I can tell. Funny how they are so cheap an antenna costs the same. I just checked btw. $26 on Amazon at the moment.
 
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