Handheld CB OK?

FRS-GMRS radios aren't compatible with CB and if you use the GMRS frequencies, you are supposed to have an FCC license. Checked out the price of the licenses and they are $85 (SHOCKING), as CB and ham licenses are free. Also, you'll need an external antenna for a portable CB. Tried to use them to communicate on the highway when we used two vehicles and couldn't talk with each other with only a 100" between us. A magnetic mount works great. Put in the center of the roof and you will be able to talk a lot further than those that are mounted on the bed of the truck. Go ahead and ask me how I know.

 

I have the Midland with a 4' Wilson flex (check it out in the build page). Works excellent on the trail, but I wish it was louder. It can be a bit hard to fool around with while driving since you have to get to the handheld and fool with buttons/small screen, so all I mess with is talk button, channel up/down, squelch, volume, and scan button - other buttons are more for looks for me, and really, what else do you need?

I don't have anything to compare it to since this is the first CB I've owned, but it definitely gets the job done.

Note that the battery pack takes a whopping amount of batteries, and you have to use non-rechargeable (rechargeables won't put out enough power).

 

Snoboarder mounted a CB in his stock location, I looked into it. Ended up being easier just to mount the CB elsewhere though, by far.

 

Just do what I did.

 

I have an ICOM programmable one, cost something like 380 I think, but goes 10km easy in the bush. Its handheld also.

 

hook up an amp to it,,long time ago my dash mounted cb was pushing 800 watts,,yeah not legal, but it would really get out..

mark