walky talky?

This is really great advice -- I'd like to echo it.

I too wound up licensed for ham, with a 50W mobile setup as the mainstay of backcountry comms... but I also carry a pair of cheap FRS handhelds in the truck for caravanning, plus a variable assortment of Baofeng ham handhelds, and I use these interchangeably with licensed and unlicensed folks frequently -- including handing them out to others I'm driving with, and discussing how we can use them in a way that won't bother anyone else. I can't recommend breaking the rules like this, but in my experience, it helps convince others to learn about radios and get licensed in the long run, and I think that's a good thing.

I have never regretted having a handheld radio, but sometimes regret not having one. My friend and I just got lost, err, couldn't find each other, in a gigantic cave in a national park this week. For several hours -- it was a really big cave! And we are kicking ourselves for leaving our radios in the car!

I still spend the majority of the time driving solo, though, and this is where ham radios can really shine, not only as a viable (but imperfect) emergency comms platform should something go wrong, but also as a fun and fascinating hobby. For example, on the drive home from that cave, I had a random conversation with someone in Australia, via a networked VHF ham repeater.

It all started with a cheapo handheld and a license for me -- but don't think of the license as a barrier to entry, just a logical and prudent point to pass as your interests and skills grow. I have added several other inexpensive radios to the collection... with APRS transceivers for example you can find your way to where your friends set up camp, long after they've turned in for the night. And if you enjoy geeking out, no need for a license, just hook up an SDR scanner to your phone or tablet, and now you can see the spectrum as you puzzle over random radio towers in the middle of nowhere. Or ID distant ships from your coastal camping site. Or decode ADS data from all the airplanes flying overhead. (Except sometimes the super-loud low-flying ones, but you can still see them if you know where to look on the spectrum.)

So in short, even though you asked about an easy-to-use comms solution, I am instead recommending you consider the more complex yet more fun and rewarding hobby of ham radio.

I also have a CB with a 4' whip, which is a fun novelty on the interstates, but has turned out to be relatively useless as few others in my circle of friends have one. I have not had as much fun trying to make random contacts with this one either, whereas I have had countless random and fun conversations on 146.52 (ham vhf) on long road trips. There is lots of activity on the trucker CB channel, but it is not particularly welcoming, and you can rarely even reach out to join the conversation with standard-power equipment. The truckers you hear from distant truck stops are running super high-power radios and can't hear you, even if wanted to chime in with your own racist jabs or conspiracy theories. And the interstate banter isn't as helpful to driving as it once was. So I would not recommend CB unless you have specific plans to travel with other CB-equipped friends.

Range largely comes down to terrain, at least in places like SoCal. But on level highways, with vhf handhelds including FRS/GMRS, reception between vehicles will be somewhat short -- a few hundred yards tops in my experience. An external antenna can easily bump that up to several miles, terrain permitting, although some radio types aren't permitted to be connected to external antennas. My 50W mobile vhf radio can easily make 100-mile contacts from a mountaintop, but won't reach the guy half a mile behind me after cresting a hill.

While it would be best to follow the rules, this seems reasonable to me, and is quite common. And as mentioned above, a ham vhf radio will also provide means to communicate on FRS/GMRS, although this too falls outside of what is technically permissible. I can't recommend that you break the rules, but based on what you've written, I would recommend a ham radio, if you are willing to do some learning, even if your plans might deviate slightly from what is technically permitted. It is a great tool and skillset to have. There is tons of info online, and if you have any questions, you can ask me or literally any other ham on earth, and we will talk your ear off.

If what I've written doesn't sound interesting though, and you are really just looking for an easy walky-talky solution, then I would recommend you buy a cheap pair of FRS radios--with USB charging as a desirable feature. They will totally work for caravanning and spotting. If you want more range or an external antenna... sure, GMRS is a slightly better option. But I would recommend going to ham instead.

Yes, it definitely would!

 

That was true 20-30 years ago, now it's just garbage. Don't waste the time, space, money, or brain power using CB.

If you get a UV5R it might be worth getting it programmed. If someone local to me wanted to meet up I could have their radio programmed with all the usual "channels" within a few minutes. otherwise you better print out the pages like this one.

If you are handy with computers you can

$23 BTECH PC03 FTDI Universal Plug & Play USB Programming Cable for BTECH, Baofeng, Kenwood Radios - Compatible with UV-5R, BF-F8HP, GMRS-V2, UV-82HP & More - Easy Setup, No Driver Needed

buy a programming cable for $22 on Amazon and figure out how to use "chirp" and then enter the frequencies and channels into the radio yourself.

 

So what walkies should I get lol
FRS or GMRS
Maybe both work. I don’t mind the license.

yes it is absolutely interesting and at some point I want to learn everything there is to know about comms, just later

and get walkies for now
For an upcoming wheeling trip on a time crunch where I’m sure it’s better spotting up obstacles and if second truck comes with behind

tried that with a cell phone before and it was horrible. Not to mention never any reception on trails.

maybe just flip a coin say screw it get something like a UV5R, try it out see how it works
Potentially learn the hard way what it can or cannot do
And if an issue, return or sell and figure out what’s next

 

Easiest solution -- just get a pair of cheap FRS radios. They are modern-day walkie talkies. Another vehicle joins the party? Stop by a truck stop and they can buy their own FRS handheld. Hardest part is opening the stupid packaging. They'll all work together, no worries about licensing, and nothing to screw up except for picking the same channel, or hopping to a different one should it be in use by others. They're totally adequate for spotting on the trail, and for caravanning at close but safe following distances.

Why do I recommend this over GMRS, even though GMRS offers more power? Well, if you are going to limit yourself to walkie-talkies (handhelds), then it doesn't really matter, at least not nearly as much as you would think. Range comes down to terrain, then antennas, with power in distant third place. That is why radio stations broadcast with gigantic antennas on mountaintops. You could have a 1000W mobile radio in your truck, but if your truck is stuck in a slot canyon, you will have better luck making contact by hiking out with a 1W handheld. So don't worry about the power difference between GMRS and FRS. The benefit of GMRS is that you can connect the radio to an external antenna on your truck, which can yield dramatically better performance than any conceivable power difference between handheld radios. That still won't help you out in the slot canyon scenario, so maybe just avoid getting stuck in a slot canyon in the first place. As another downside, GMRS technically requires licensing, but that is inexpensive and easy.

But... if you want that better antenna performance, or dramatically higher power... and you don't mind the licensing process... then it sounds like you will enjoy being a ham radio person. Then you can have the best antennas and the most power without even bending the rules. So why fight destiny? Cut to the chase -- order that

$18 Baofeng UV5R BAOFENG UV-5R VHF/UHF Dual Band Radio 144-148MHz 420-450MHz Transceiver

Baofeng UV5R and schedule your exam.

Make sure to end each transmission by making a "chchchchch" noise with your mouth -- that joke never gets old.

 

so basically FRS is easier cheaper and works for this then.

everything else later
trying to fix a leak so to speak, not LS swap (though valid)

am seeing FRS two packs on Amazon for as low as $20

 

$16 Baofeng UV-5R Two Way Radio Dual Band 144-148/420-450Mhz Walkie Talkie 1800mAh Li-ion Battery(Black)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074XPB313

UV5R - as long as you don't mind spending a few minutes figuring out how to input frequencies. Most every trip i've been on it's "We are on FRS channel 5" and we stay there the entire trip. So you punch in 462.6625 off that sheet and off you go.

You will likely need to make a small change to the radio by decreasing the "step" to 2.5k to allow that xxx.xx25 in the frequency above. (I think I am remembering this properly?)
Here is a youtube video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_x8nc8DDTE

Also be aware that the radio has a number of power output settings. Out of the box it should be at maximum (5w), but as you see on the chart above, thats a lot more then the legal limit (you make that decision)

This radio has probably the largest following online, there are hundreds of youtube videos if you want to learn more.


The first page of this PDF is great, make note of that channel spacing paragraph at the bottom, thats what I am talking about above.
https://www.ke4rx.org/cheatsheet/Baofeng/Setting up and programming your UV-5R.pdf

 

I’m a

$40 UV-5R 8Watt Ham Radio Handheld Long Range UHF/VHF Radio with 2 Rechargeable Battery, Portable Radio for Adults with Earpiece, GV-771 Antenna, Programming Cable (3rd Gen)

UV-5R user too. Don’t have a ham license but if I ever need it in an emergency I know how to use it. Mostly stick to GRMS and FRS and Marine. What’s nice is the radio has a huge following and can find all kinds of accessories for the truck and radio for really cheap. The kid and wife have cheap GRMS radios for when we hike.

 

thank you.

would have to get two.
Intended use case is borrow second to spotter or following vehicle.
And keep two in truck for these scenarios.

 

I went through this a couple months ago. Decided I needed something better then a typical handheld blister pack radio. After watching a ton of YT videos I ended up getting a GMRS license and a

$40 Baofeng UV5G BAOFENG UV-5G (UV-5X) GMRS Radio, Long Range Rechargeable Two Way Radio with NOAA Weather Receiving & Scanning, GMRS Handheld Radio for Adults, Support Chirp, 2 Pack

Baofeng UV5G plus, it's a 5W GMRS radio similar to the others. The primary difference is some menu tweaks, a little bigger color screen. One of the reasons I picked this one is I can run it off the battery or the USB C plug on the back of the radio's battery. Basically making battery life a non issue while in the truck. It's not waterproof so it's dedicated to the inside of the truck.

I added the programming cable, a better 17" antenna and a speaker mic along with one of those retractable clips for the mic so it can hang from the rear view when I'm using it.

 

My brother and I have used these for over 5 years, on multiple trips, and I couldnt be happier with the purchase.

https://www.buytwowayradios.com/wouxun-kg-805g.html

 

I started with the UV5Rs and eventually gave them to my daughter out of state who does a lot of hiking and camping with her friends. I gave her enough for her and each friend when they go out. I have them programmed on GMRS with the simplex and GMRS repeaters in their area. She uses my call sign when need be.

I still have my UV5R GMRS but I have switched over mostly to the newer radios that have USB-C charging ports in the event I need to recharge in the truck. I like the Tidradio H3 due to its compact size for keeping in my daily backpack. The Talkpod is lighter weight but still solid build. It's a deep radio with the extended battery pack so it feels really good in hand. The Baofeng GM21 is a relatively new radio so there are no reviews on YouTube yet, but it has even more girth so it feels best in hand. (insert masturbation joke here).

The UV5R-G and GM21 can't seem to be jailbroken to transmit outside of GMRS as I like having MURS frequencies. The other two can be. The Tidradio can be programmed via Chirp or from their proprietary app called Odmaster on Android or IOS phones via bluetooth. Not shown is the UV5R-8W which can be unlocked.

For both of my Tacomas, I went with the Radioddity DG25G mobiles paired with the Nagoya 200C pretuned for GMRS. The radio works great but my antennas are not in a good ground plane, so I have them grounded to the chassis via wire. I don't feel like drilling into the roof. I may switch over to the hood lid mount instead.