PEAK PUTTERS

I know, more radio stuff... and this one is a ramble

While some of us have been playing with HAM there's also some that have jumped into GMRS.

With mobile radios available from 5 watts all the way up to 50 watts they will definitely reach farther than a properly set up CB.

Also, it definitely wouldn't be a surprise to find newer people to the hobby to only have GMRS. Crazy, I know, but they're out there. Partly do you YouTube, and partly from actual performance gains. We have run into folks in the woods that were almost lost (going right direction, just didn't realize how long the trail was) that only had GMRS.

A properly functioning CB works perfect for what we do and I know not everyone wants to add more gadgets to their rig, but its something to think about. Whether its to aid in the inclusion of new members, or to find common means of communication with other user groups, it can't hurt to have a few rigs set up.

I've got both in my bronco.

We moved to Colorado in January and now have a diesel zr2. Been wheeling a bunch and it seems that GMRS has taken over here, more people have gmrs than CB easily. So we just bought some handhelds for now and they work great.

Casey wrote:We moved to Colorado in January and now have a diesel zr2. Been wheeling a bunch and it seems that GMRS has taken over here, more people have gmrs than CB easily. So we just bought some handhelds for now and they work great.

If you're not ready to put in a mobile radio yet, an external mag mount antenna will get out even better than the short rubber duck antenna on the hand held.

Gmrs in the near future, once I pick out a radio.

Roman wrote:

Casey wrote:We moved to Colorado in January and now have a diesel zr2. Been wheeling a bunch and it seems that GMRS has taken over here, more people have gmrs than CB easily. So we just bought some handhelds for now and they work great.

If you're not ready to put in a mobile radio yet, an external mag mount antenna will get out even better than the short rubber duck antenna on the hand held.

Yah for now I’ve had no issue with just he handheld. Other in our groups have had some troubles though

This is the solar flare activity graph for the next few years. The higher the flares the more "skip" activity on CB. UHF GMRS isn't affected by this activity, so it will remain clear through these cycles.

Roman wrote:

Screenshot_20211014-060545_Google.jpg

This is the solar flare activity graph for the next few years. The higher the flares the more "skip" activity on CB. UHF GMRS isn't affected by this activity, so it will remain clear through these cycles.

only if it made sense.

scumby wrote:

Roman wrote:

Screenshot_20211014-060545_Google.jpg

This is the solar flare activity graph for the next few years. The higher the flares the more "skip" activity on CB. UHF GMRS isn't affected by this activity, so it will remain clear through these cycles.

only if it made sense.

The fun thing about the solar cycle for us HAMs on HF (high frequency bands that include CB) the bands 'open' up and we can work skip all across the world much more easily. Exciting stuff! For CB, we will be picking up 'skip' from across the country, even around the world when we are playing up high (altitude). You know how you pick up the gatormouth CB operator and you have to squelch them out? There is going to be a lot more of it. Jose and I have clearly picked up California and Texas from our driveways with our Jeep CBs when the band was right / wrong (depending on your point of view.) The nature of the CB band is that during the daytime the charged atmosphere will reflect / bounce more of that skip, so that local operation between CBs will be more difficult. Now, GMRS is UHF (ultra high frequency.) Unlike bumbles, it does not bounce. It is not reflected by the charged atmosphere, in pierces it and sends your message off to space.
What does this mean? GMRS will be much clearer, very low noise floor, only pretty local traffic (70 miles is tough trip even with 50 watts... though I have worked 100 miles with a large dedicated base antenna at altitude, Kennewick-Wenatchee), but Florida is not going to happen.
CB's noise floor will rise forcing you to squelch out noise to work (talk to) your local station. So what? In that squelching you are going to miss the 4.5 mile call that a Jeep is on its lid while you are trying to quiet the gatormouth.
But, on the plus side, in 2025 you might work Hawaii (they love working skip on CB) from your Jeep up high at Liberty.
HTH

Got my GMRS license!
Been waiting for the email like they did with the Ham license, but apparently with GMRS you have to just keep checking their site.

After seeing what Norm's would do in the hills a couple of weeks ago, I am thinking of adding one to the kit.

Last 4th of July Lee and I were able to use HAM radio to talk from Williams Creek camp ground to Kennewick through the Naneum Ridge HAM repeater (For those of you that get cell reception in camp, this isn't that amazing ) It was handy since the Screaming Toy had some questions about the camping situation. We have also worked that repeater while both in Kennewick, 190 miles round trip while we are only 2 miles away from each other.

Now that we both are also licensed GMRS users we tested the Windy Ridge GMRS repeater thats also located on the same ridge. This time it was again Kennewick to Kennewick, handy test to check range.

Just as an FYI, the Jeep Jamboree USA now requires gmrs radios for all trail runs across the country. Seems CB is fading.

Ok ordered my radio and payed for my license!

So, I have been informed the rates have changed from $75.00 to $35.00…. Nice! Good for 10 years.

SallySue wrote:So, I have been informed the rates have changed from $75.00 to $35.00…. Nice! Good for 10 years.

And it covers your immediate family too

What radio is the radio of choice for what we need it to do and why?

I haven't settled on a specific unit to recommend yet. I'm trying to get a feel for the in's and out's of different units.

Some of the units that have been on the trail with us are:

-Midland
MXT275
MXT400

-Radioddity
DB20-G

-Kenwood
TK-8180 (business radio thats not exactly turn key)

Soon to be in use:

-Midland
MXT500

-Rugged Radio
GMR25

There's a huge swing in prices, most of the higher priced models do everything that we would ever need and more, and some of the lower priced units can have some odd quarks.

Hand held for spotter/winch duty was pretty awesome on the last trip, and Jennifer has used hand helds as "hand out" radios for folks without GMRS capability. They're not as nice as a permanently mounted mobile radio, but get the job done for short range.

Roman wrote:Hand held for spotter/winch duty was pretty awesome on the last trip, and Jennifer has used hand helds as "hand out" radios for folks without GMRS capability. They're not as nice as a permanently mounted mobile radio, but get the job done for short range.

do the permanently mounted mobile radios need a special antenna?

scumby wrote:do the permanently mounted mobile radios need a special antenna?

Yes, a mobile radio has all the basic components that a CB radio would have. The radio itself, coax and GMRS specific antenna.

The required antenna itself can be MUCH shorter, but because of the small size requirements fancier/high gain antennas can be used without getting HUGE.

Got my radio installed! Much nicer look in the cabin than the cb, kinda miss the firestick though…

Gregandlina wrote:Got my radio installed! Much nicer look in the cabin than the cb, kinda miss the firestick though…

pics