Alabama Goes to Moab - Trip Planning Thread

No such thing has "Ham" channels that don't require a license.

What you're thinking of is a set of UHF frequencies called "FRS" Family Radio Serves and "GMRS" General Mobile Radio Service.

The FRS frequencies do not require a license and have been set aside by the FCC for general everyday use by the American Public. However the are limited to an output power of 500 milliwatts of power. Meaning there range is less than a mile and UHF is only line of site at that. Basically any LEGAL off the shelf FRS radio is garbage and useless.

GMRS is pretty much the same as FRS (different frequencies) but you DO need a license to run it. No test but still a fee ($65 per family) to use these frequencies. You can run more power (5 Watts) but everyone would need to buy a new radio to run these and of course the license to stay legal.

VHF/UHF aren't necessarily better than HF (CB). If we all have a properly tuned CB radio then they will preform more than good enough for our needs and we can all stay legal.

I will be more than happy to tune or critique everyone's CB installs so that we can all be talking loud and clear for the trip at our first meet up.

 

There is also the point that everyone already has a CB.

We tested mine the other day, and I'm clear up to 2 miles.

 

I do not have a CB, but I want to go whatever the cheaper route is haha. I do not want to pay for some sort of license.

 

A lot of times you will see people using these Chinese radios from eBay that have been flooded on the market. They are illegal to use by anyone without a basic HAM radio license. That's probably what @dcoursler was talking about.

Everyone should get a CB and we can have a CB install day before we go.

I'll have my VHF/UHF HAM rig running so our group will at least be able to get on the local repeaters there in MOAB and reach our further than a CB will allow if we need to.

 

I'll do my best. My plans to dump money into the truck may be slowing up some with this house hunting. Didn't really expect to be buying a house just yet, but this one kinda fell into my lap and meets exactly what I want. So....we shall see. Obviously the truck will still be getting modded...just slower.

 

If you skip on anything I wouldn't suggest it be a CB. Trail comms add to the enjoyment of riding so damn much. Figure about $100 to do a CB install so it's a pretty cheap item to add.

 

Oh right I won't skip on it at all, I hope not to skip on anything...I just meant I may not have it before our mod day.

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01EG665FC/ref=ox_sc_saved_image_11?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=AA3MGRC7F9EI2


Thoughts on this one?

 

This would illegal to run on any frequency without a license.

 

Why do we have to talk about laws and crap? Nobody got time for that. And well if your going to be a stickler for laws then go ahead and post up links for building a quality CB setup and we can all budget accordingly and get on board with it. I however am a law breaker myself. Sticking it to the man everyday with my yaesu

 

And this is what I have in my truck. Again no lecture necessary on laws. I do not care. I will at some point get licensed, until then TYT TYT-TH-9800 Two Way Radio https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00I53VUEY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_MRS4xbVRWNFAH

 

Most of the guys I know are running the cheap Cobra CB from Walmart ($26) and a Firestik antenna and coax purchased at your favorite local truck stop. Works great and have never had any transmit or receive issues with the guys running them.

I have a

$125 Uniden Bearcat 880 CB Radio with 40 Channels and Large Easy-to-Read 7-Color LCD Display with Backlighting, Backlit Control Knobs/Buttons, NOAA Weather Alert, PA/CB Switch, and Wireless Mic Compatible

Uniden Bearcat 880 mounted and I love it.

 

I'm pretty sure you're going to be alone in those regards. Not many people want to risk getting a fine in the sum of $10K+. I really don't care what you do I break the law myself as my CB pumps out twice the legal limit for power.

Generally the FCC doesn't track down law breakers on their own but if someone calls and gives them your address they will come out and check it out for sure. I know at least once here in Mobile some HAMS tracked down a kid with a Baofeng radio. Parents ended up paying a huge fine.

It's all about how you break these laws. You can program that YTT radio you have for FRS and GMRS freqs (illegal because of the power you're using) and I doubt anyone will say a word. You start running on actual HAM bands and you're going to get caught sooner or later.

 

Yea most people who don't know about radios or RF hate on CB because they install them improperly and get piss poor results. I see idiots around Mobile all the time riding around with their CB antenna mounted on their plastic tool box behind their cab! Then they use a VHF radio and think it's better because it's pumping out 50W of power compared to your CB which is only 4W. More power generally can over come poor installations.

VHF/UHF also loses to CB because it's purely line of sight. Meaning if there's a hill in between you and your contact your signal will be blocked. 27Mhz (CB) is in the HF band and it's wave length allows it to bounce back off the atmosphere and can go a lot further than VHF/UHF if setup right.

More power isn't everything I've talked to Russia on 0.1Watt before! (Not CB) It's all about your frequency and how well you tune your setup. 27Mhz (CB) has gotten a bad rap because those out of the know just don't understand the science behind RF.

 

Well I'm a dumb dumb when it comes to that stuff, so I will need advice/recommendations/help when I am ready to buy and install mine.

 

Getting a license is not hard.

 

Not at all. Super easy.

 

but it costs $$

 

The HAM license is cheaper than the GMRS license but requires you to study. GMRS you just pay the fee.

I think I paid like $20 to take my first HAM test.

GMRS is also known as the "business band" because it's the frequencies that businesses operate on.

 

but..CB at walmart...cheap..done.