The Golden Triangle (Beaumont, Port Arthur, Nederland)

A great option if you get service

I like the concept, but I don't want to make things so complicated it's not fun.

I'd say for keeping things simple GMRS is honestly the easiest, cheapest, and simplest way to go.

Ham is really just for nerding out and having a second way to communicate, with better distance. I'd always keep GMRS around because there's a good chance we won't all have ham licenses.

But does that mean there would be a ham-only super secret awesome radio channel? Yes. Yes there would be. It's 146.250 mhz

 

Fuck it I'll be running both radios

 

Why not tres??

 

Dammit I forgot I got the CB in there

 

Like a boss

 

I actually won't be doing a CB at all, with the better antennas the GMRS is clearer and simpler, no tuning required. Nothing at all against CB, but 2m + 70cm will cover my bases until I get into Quad Band and go 6m and 10m. Then we talking distance....

 

I will still run both I think.

CB is kinda hard to not run at like Jambo and bigger events where there is not as many people with HAM.

 

Lee,

Thank you for the great information. I'm fairly knowledgeable about the CB, well I thought I was, lol. You sir most definitely have a great understanding of the applications that we are looking for. I will have to get with you as I too will run a Ham radio. We don't need everyone in the convoy to have one but as long as there are at least two, one in front and one in rear we can manage.

 

How much clearer is the ham radio? Plus the more of us that have it the easier it is. Technically you need a CB liscense so not sure if it's worth getting the ham liscense? How can they track me down?

 

I'm with you and probably others

 

A good comparison is the quality of sound from AM to FM radio. Which is pretty relative because CB is on the 26 - 27mhz AM band and 2m is 146 - 148mhz FM, and 70cm is 440 - 470mhz FM band.

Here's an exerpt from a website that explains it best.
FM signals have a great advantage over AM signals. Both signals are susceptible to slight changes in amplitude. With an AM broadcast, these changes result in static. With an FM broadcast, slight changes in amplitude don't matter -- since the audio signal is conveyed through changes in frequency, the FM receiver can just ignore changes in amplitude. The result: no static at all.

TLDR: AM signals will generate a good bit of static while moving, speaking too loud into the mic, and while the antenna is whipping around alot.
FM signals just don't care, and filter out most of the static for a clearer signal that tends to penetrate objects better.

 

So I might be shopping for a detachable face ham radio. I was on the fence a few months ago about doing it and thanks for pushing me and I'm sure some others over

 

CB stands for Citizens band. There was a license required long ago but it's been dropped. It was never enforced anyways.
GMRS is essentially the walkie-talkie channels, and actually requires a license from the FCC to operate. No one enforces it, no one has ever been brought up on charges. It's like the CB channels.

Ham (or really Amateur) bands are regulated by the ARRL and often have people who server as monitors who are listening on repeaters and simplex channels. These guys are associated with the FCC and will very much come after you if you don't indicate your callsign when communicating (every 10 minutes during transmission and at the end of every call).

In fact, using beam antennas is a popular hobby of the radio operators in the area is to triangulate locations of people who are communicating without a license and visit them, or notify the FCC.

In other words, no one cares about CB, GMRS, FRS, or MURS regarding license.

People will scramble on Amateur frequencies.

Another reason is that fire, police, red cross, commercial (like ups), radio stations, and military use some portions of the bands you can access with a Ham radio, so intereference with these frequencies without knowing which ones you are on is a big deal. With the CB, GMRS, etc...you just have preset channels and you can't stray off them into someone else's territory.

A ham radio don't care, I could join a police dispatch freq and transmit.

 

My head hurts now. I'll stick to my walkie talkies lol. Y'all just holler out the window if y'all need to tell me something, or send up a flare.

 

Actually another reason for a GMRS or ham radio capable of GMRS. Chris doesn't have to know about stuff, he can just grab a walkie and get after it.

 

But for real, HAM radio would be nice, I think I might just stick to a handheld HAM. Should be good enough.

 

Indeed. Y'all work on the complicated stuff, and I'll just beat on metal.

This guy has been in my cart for a long time, just haven't seen the need for one. But if I have people to talk to on it then I'm in.

$45 BaoFeng BF-F8HP (UV-5R 3rd Gen) 8-Watt Dual Band Two Way Radio (136-174MHz VHF & 400-520MHz UHF) Includes Full Kit with Large Battery

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00MAULSOK?psc=1

 

Actually, the

$45 BF-F8HP (UV-5R 3rd Gen) 8-Watt Dual Band Two Way Radio (136-174MHz VHF & 400-520MHz UHF) Includes Full Kit with Large Battery

BF-F8HP is exactly the unit I have. It has more power than regular walkies and can be programmed for those channels easily. Can also be adapted for vehicle use or handheld use.

 

I like @Tacodriver08 idea for the flare. Still considering the HAM but might need it dumbed down and say hey get this radio and this antenna and it will work.