CB OR HAM FOR A SOCAL WHEELER

Hello,

i live in SOCAL (los angeles) and wheel in the surrounding areas. i can decide between getting a ham radio or a CB radio for my truck. i only have room for one. what are you guys here in
SOCAL use?

 

Getting the same radio as whatever group you wheel with is best.

CB is relatively worthless for communication outside of vehicles in your direct group. The advertised four mile range on most CB's is a pipe dream established under perfect conditions on flat ground.

A two or ten meter band HAM radio will have much further range, especially if you are utilizing repeaters. It takes some general familiarity with radios / repeaters to effectively use these types of radios; in addition to an FCC license if you want to be legal. Some offroad groups are moving to this for better performance.

If you are looking for a communication solution for emergency / SOS, buy an InReach (now made by Garmin, used to be DeLorme). $250 unit cost, $10/month service cost to have satellite based text messaging, tracking, and SOS function. Also functions as a GPS device.

 

You're asking the right question - "What are you guys here in SOCAL using?" - because you want to get what the folks you wheel with use.

Personally, I've found that the barrier to entry for CB is much lower (device cost, no license) and so more folks I wheel with have a CB. However, the Ham radio is much more versatile - it allows communication across longer distances, as well as additional functionality like APRS (position tracking/broadcast). As such, the group I go out with generally tries to put a ham radio at the front and rear of the caravan, even though our primary mode of communication is CB.

As for space - you probably have room for both. At least in a first gen, a CB fits nicely in the ashtray slot, and the Ham radio can fit under a seat (passenger seems most common). With a third gen, you might even get both into the center console...

I've got a few write-ups on my installs, if you're interested in mounting ideas, and the functionality of each:

1. Icom 5100A HAM Radio Install - "OMG, I'm drilling a hole in my roof" (radio no longer installed, see #4. still use the antenna though!)
2. Uniden PRO 520XL CB Radio, 'cause not everyone's a HAM (and first impressions)
3. Adding a RAM mount (and USB power + CAT6) to the A-pillar
4. Adding APRS with a new Ham Radio (Kenwood TM-D710GA, Mobilinkd TNC2.2)
5. How APRS works

With all that, you can end up with a pretty nice cockpit - here, CB in the ash tray, Ham radio on the A-pillar.

​

 

Get a permanent mount ham radio for the truck to get 30 mile range and a hand held cb for the times you wheel with someone that only has cb

 

@WileECoyote

 

Every group that I've wheeled with in the last few years in SoCal all use HAM/Race radios or the inexpensive Chinese handheld HAM radios. I haven't been with a group that uses CB for comms in years and have since removed my CB radio because I haven't used it in quite a long time.

 

any hams you can recomend? what race radios?

 

most people are switching from cb to ham right now in ca. Just have to get a license. its not to bad.

 

^^^THIS!!!

But, as someone had mentioned earlier, you MUST get a HAM license, obviously, if you are going to utilize a repeater!!!

Also note that, even in an emergency situation, yes, you can use your HAM radio without a license, BUT, do NOT be surprised if the FCC starts investigating "legal/illegal", use of your HAM radio. Or put another way, they are going to want to know if there were other alternatives first. If so, then you illegally transmitted and get hit with a very nice HEFTY fine!!! But hey, don't listen to me if you think otherwise.

Btw, it's ALWAYS a good idea to have multiple forms of comms!!!

 

A license is not required if you are operating a Race radio or a Baofeng (or similar) and using only commercial band frequencies since they are FCC type 90 accepted. radios that have a FCC type 97 are classified as HAM/Amateur radios and requires a license granted by the FCC to transmit. The confusion lies with the inexpensive Chines radios because they often have both type 90 and 97 certifications, HAM/amateur radios only have the type 97 certification.

90% of the peeps I wheel with don't have a license, and it has never been an issue through out the years with anyone because they all use frequencies (Race Radio) that are out of the amateur radio frequency plan.

here are some of the Race Radio frequencies that are safe to use.. one of my groups has renamed the Yokahama Race Radio frequency to Tacoma World and that frequency is 153.110Mhz

 

so i can get a cheap $20 Amazon baofangodango ham and be ok with certain channels, no license?

 

I used to work alongside with fire dispatch, for example, which is basically considered to be commercial and you need a license for the commercial band. The "operators", for example, firemen, are most likely not licensed, but they can operate the radio because the city is "licensed".

Also, technically, you need permission from the license holder of that race radio frequency.

Radios also fall under "categories". A HAM radio, for example, is strictly for HAM use. You canNOT use a HAM radio for commercial/GMRS/FRS/MURS/etc and vice versa.

But, with all of that said, just telling you what I have learned and have had to deal with for close to 12yrs.

 

It still goes back to what I stated that operating a radio that is FCC Type 90 certified does not require a license from the FCC.

 

Breaker breaker

 

Now we have Waze to check road conditions..

 

I used both for awhile - got 2 flats one night and was 8 miles from camp. CB was able to communicate while the handheld ham was not able to make contact. So its nice to have both, but that being said nobody i wheel with anymore has a CB so I removed it. My handheld ham can do GRMS and FRS freq so it does come in handy when people have those radios. Also comes in handy to have a dual channel so i can monitor a simplex channel and FRS to communicate with everyone. Added a mag mount and the handheld does a little better but still limited.

 

I'm looking at these 2 radios. Any pros or cons? Which when performs the best. Just using it for trail communication and occasional fun. Or WSHTF!
I understand I need license. First HAM radio purchase and looking for advice.
https://www.amazon.com/Tri-Power-Ex...&pf_rd_p=c76a0c82-37bc-509a-a475-f183166f4a51

or

$63 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/dp/B00MAULSOK/ref=psdc_912322_t1_B01HQ8ROPC

 

As others have said, it’s all about asking who are you trying to communicate with?

If you just want to jibber jabber with folks in your group, a cb or a handheld is probably the way to go. I do just fine with my motorola handheld.

I’m not really sure why hams are all of a sudden cropping up everywhere, they’ve been around for decades... maybe it’s the smaller handheld ones(?). More likely it’s gear junkies wanting some new tech to buy.

If you want a true universal com device, for communicating back home and in in emergencies, get one of those garmin devices. True satellite communication, with no need for repeaters, fcc license, etc... they are a little spendy and require a service, but well worth it if you are out of radio range. Being in LA, that’s not likely to be an issue wih the op, so I’d just go with whatever most of the others in your groups tend to use.

I may get a hard wired cb one day, but my motorolla works great, and I can use them when I go camping (give one to the kids or whatever), so it has many uses.

 

Reason why HAMS are so popular now is because they are 25 bucks average for a viable handheld at Amazon. Average 75 bucks for a 50watt mobile unit..

 

Yeah, I’ve seen those. A good friend got one. I still am not sold on them for my purposes, though. My motorolas can be used for a great many more things, and I don’t need a license to operate them (legally) nor does the person I’m contacting. When off road, I only use a radio to communicate with others (usually one or two other rigs). I haven’t really done too much out in the boonies - multi day stuff, but when I do, imo, a satellite comm system like those garmins are a much better option, because, among others, an sos automatically sends your lat/lon, whoever you are communicating with doesn’t need a ham since it sends text msgs (which is good for checking in with the fam etc...), and there is no such thing as “out of range” for the satellites.

Don’t forget your fcc license, too.

But when I’ve never had a range problem with my hand held motorolla, I don't need the range of a cb, let alone a ham. When I’m truely out of range, a spot or a garmin is, imo, a better choice.

Hams are great, but hardly a magic bullet. Like I said, get whatever most of the people in the group you run with have. If they all have hams, get a ham, but if they’re all running cbs, getting a ham kinda defeats the purpose.