The buy in for CB is cheaper than for Ham or GMRS, and it works. Jeep groups are switching largely because Midland is offering incentives for them to do so - at least, that's what I read on the Internet!
Ah, but you forget: The cost and hassle of licensing skews the numbers. Not counting that, GMRS is totally cheaper and easier to deal with - I paid $50 for a basic GMRS setup which will be fine for trail use. I suggest both GMRS and CB to have everything covered - Ham isn't, never has been, nor ever will be mainstream. Its cool, its fun, its useful, and its probably "better", but it will never be universal.The buy-in for CB and ham is about the same - $100 for basic radio and antenna when comparing a Uniden 510/520 CB and a Baofeng dual band handheld ham radio with mag mount antenna.
A good ham radio with permanently mounted antenna is more.
The top-of-the line Midland MXT-400 GMRS is about $250 plus the antenna. The previous owner of my recently acquired Sprinter installed one, so now I have ham, CB and GMRS in the van. I have ham and CB in the jeep. The GMRS unit gets very little use - offroaders around me do not use that platform.
You certainly couldn't make that point anywhere I wheel.Why CB, and not GMRS? Most Jeep events are making the switch from CB..
You certainly couldn't make that point anywhere I wheel.
Ah, but you forget: The cost and hassle of licensing skews the numbers.
Okay, here’s a question, is there such a thing as HAM radio, CB radio, and GMRS all in one radio? Seems like that would be a nice thing to have as oppose to multiple different devices.
Okay, here’s a question, is there such a thing as HAM radio, CB radio, and GMRS all in one radio? Seems like that would be a nice thing to have as oppose to multiple different devices.
You might convince me yet to get a Ham ticket. Been kicking the idea around for 40 years...The ham test costs $15. The online study guides are free and a day or two of practicing test strategy is all that is required. A Beofeng UV5RA is only $21.79 on Amazon. An MFJ mag mount antenna costs about $29. The adapter to match Baofeng and antenna is $5.95. Total, including license = $71.74.
Doesn't skew the numbers at all.
73
KG6LMV
https://www.rightchannelradios.com/collections/equipment-by-vehicle/products/cb-ball-mount
this site has a ton of options
You might convince me yet to get a Ham ticket. Been kicking the idea around for 40 years...
I believe baeofung makes a highly illegal hand held unit that you can program whatever freq. you want into, again not exactly easy to use for FCC friendly.Okay, here’s a question, is there such a thing as HAM radio, CB radio, and GMRS all in one radio? Seems like that would be a nice thing to have as oppose to multiple different devices.
I believe baeofung makes a highly illegal hand held unit that you can program whatever freq. you want into, again not exactly easy to use for FCC friendly.
You certainly couldn't make that point anywhere I wheel.