@Jerry Bransford with the cbs today is there much difference between handhelds and mountables for line of sight use on the trails? I’m doing some minor housekeeping on the jeep and I can’t remember the last time I used my mounted cobra.
What type of communication radio is best?
- Thread starter Jerry Little
- Start date
The key to CB performance is the antenna more so than the radio. A handheld "rubber duck" antenna will never perform as well as a properly tuned fixed mount antenna with even a minimal ground plane, and that includes a short 2' Firestik.
Probably not when it's line of sight but handheld CBs are less convenient to hold and use inside the Jeep. Plus the tiny antenna on most handheld radios gives very limited range. You can connect a handheld to an external antenna but that makes it even less convenient and a bigger PITA to hold, especially if you also plug it into the Jeep for power to avoid draining its batteries. I'd stick with a fixed mount CB, they're just easier to use inside the Jeep.
@Nickgsjeep ,
A friend recently purchased a Cobra HH50 WX ST handheld CB. His intent was to use it with his "overlanding" rig rather than in his jeep, but he discovered that the window tint in that rig is metallic which creates a "Faraday Cage" which in turn blocks/interferes with radio transmissions. He is now using a mag mount external antenna for his overlander rather than the rubber duck antenna that came with the HH50.
Other than that, he really likes his HH50. I am thinking about buying one as a back up and potentially for a spotter to use, but I suspect that it would be used primarily as a loaner for people new to the sport who might otherwise be turned away from a run due to the lack of a radio.
If I do purchase one I will let you know how it works.
A friend recently purchased a Cobra HH50 WX ST handheld CB. His intent was to use it with his "overlanding" rig rather than in his jeep, but he discovered that the window tint in that rig is metallic which creates a "Faraday Cage" which in turn blocks/interferes with radio transmissions. He is now using a mag mount external antenna for his overlander rather than the rubber duck antenna that came with the HH50.
Other than that, he really likes his HH50. I am thinking about buying one as a back up and potentially for a spotter to use, but I suspect that it would be used primarily as a loaner for people new to the sport who might otherwise be turned away from a run due to the lack of a radio.
If I do purchase one I will let you know how it works.
If you go alone I would suggest carrying one of these or something similar. I carry one even when not going alone
To follow up on this, while it may not be a violation of FCC rules for an unlicensed individual to transmit on a ham radio during an emergency, will you know how to use it or know which frequencies to try? Will you know how to access a repeater for long distance communications, assuming that you are even in an area with repeater coverage?
An inReach or similar device with 2-way text capability and a subscription to emergency response services would be more reliable and more effective.
I am considering a Garmin GPSMAP 66i for my upcoming Baja trip, a full-feature GPS unit with inReach 2-way satellite text communication:
If you’re going to go with a handheld, think about getting one that accepts an external mic. That and a radio chest harness gives you options.
Our club primarily uses the Baofeng UV82’s that we set up to use on the FRS and GMRS frequencies. They are cheap, very reliable, no finicking around with tuning antennas and portable.
The clubs I ran with in SoCal are moving from CB to Ham. I used my CB on club runs and it paid for itself but I’m going to buy a pair of handheld Hams.
I got a few UV-5Rs and use them with friends. You can use MURS without a licence. Three radios are way less than that CB handheld. Most of my UV-5Rs I found for about $20 delivered. There is no better value, they are so much better than just about anything else. They aren't the easiest to program but you only have to have one nerd in the group.
The Cobra HH50 WX ST has a jack for an external microphone, sold separately.
Cobra P/N PMR-SM - Lapel Speaker/Microphone
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001DXBIQ8/?tag=wranglerorg-20
PNWBrian
New Member
Are many using FRS/GMRS? I installed a Midland Micromobile MXT115 in my vehicle. I haven't connected with many local clubs yet and liked the idea of being able to use it with some handhelds I already had. Now I'm wondering if I'll need to at least add a CB.
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Airjunky
TJ Enthusiast
What type of communication radio is best?
One that is compatible with the other guys on the trail with you. If you get an FRS, and everyone else is running CBs....... it's probably gonna be pretty quiet.
I tried handheld CBs. They worked great outside the Jeep. But inside their reception wasn't even good enough to talk to the guy 100' in front of me. A conventional CB with a 2' Firestik is working great for those short ranges. A longer antenna would probably get better reception, but I'm not trying to talk to someone 10 miles away.
One that is compatible with the other guys on the trail with you. If you get an FRS, and everyone else is running CBs....... it's probably gonna be pretty quiet.
I tried handheld CBs. They worked great outside the Jeep. But inside their reception wasn't even good enough to talk to the guy 100' in front of me. A conventional CB with a 2' Firestik is working great for those short ranges. A longer antenna would probably get better reception, but I'm not trying to talk to someone 10 miles away.
This is great advice. I have the newer Garmin mini version and when you sign up (I did the $25/month plan) there are different pricing options plus you can get insurance coverage for something like $20/year for $100k in coverage if you need to hit that SOS button.
Also another cool feature is that it will track where you go and others can follow you online.
I have the most common covered — a CB with a 2' Firestik mounted and I carry a handheld GMRS.
It's a bit of a combo of a Ram Mount w/ 67 Designs https://www.67d.com/ for my InReach
If you look to the right side in the first picture you can see the Ram Mount that I was using for my Tablet before changing all three mounts to 67 Designs. The one in the center is for my IPhone
I had one of the Ram Mounts clamps that attaches to my Rock Hard roll bars but I hated the look of a hose clamp so I up graded to the 67 Designs
PNWBrian
New Member
On a somewhat related note, anyone here use GoTenna devices for mesh text communications?
https://gotenna.com/
https://gotenna.com/
A $499 antenna? No thanks.
I'll stick with CB, 2m ham, Baofeng 70cm/2m/FRS/GMRS backup, Samsung tablet and smartphone for mapping and conventional comms, and my Garmin inReach Explorer Plus for SOS, location tracking, and satellite texting capability.