I notice that some books and web sites recommend having a CB radio for emergency communications.

Is that a good idea?

What is an affordable model?

Would appreciate your feedback.

Blake

www.outdoorquest.biz

Highly recommend doing a search on Amazon - they carry a bunch and customer reviews can be illuminating and some are quite detailed by knowledgable users.

I bought a Midland from Amazon a couple years ago that I still need to have installed.

Somehow slips my mind when I visit my mechanic. I might just add that to the to-do list for my next oil change. Has to be hidden in my car so will see what they suggest for that.

CB radio works well in populated areas, where cellphones are more likely to work. Amateur radio usually comes with a significantly greater investment in equipment. It's even more costly in terms of time, since you have to pass an exam to become licensed, where there is no licensing requirement for CB.

I'd suggest you carry a cellphone no matter what, as nothing is more useful if it works. Between CB and amateur radio, check to see which is more popular in the places you expect to be.

Breaker 19. Looks like we got us a convoy...

They are still used. Stop by a major interstate truck stop if you want to see a good selection in person. Midland, Cobra, Uniden seems to be the brands of choice, or the surviving manufacturers.

One interesting feature on some radios is 'driver alert'. It makes a loud sound at a set interval to startle you back to consciousness.

Some also have weather radios built in.

You can get a basic new unit for under $30.

You could probably do a search on this board and find the topic. It's come up several times over the years.

My opinion is that if you don't know what they do and don't do, you could spend your money and time on more productive things.

as Garly Dog commented, one of the reasons for my choice was the NOAA WX radio channels...my home radios have the SAME localized warning systems, but it's nice to have some capability on the road....my "peaked" Radio Shack unit is portable with a cigarette plug in for power and a magnetic Hustler antenna...have someone with a meter check the standing wave ratio to tune the antenna's length (and mounting location if a magnetic mount)... and as stated in an earlier post, having the antennas tied down with curve to the antenna orients the ground plane for closer range reception..

all in all the reliable range for my CB is about 3 miles for highway use... more if talking to a ground station with a high antenna...I do a lot of interstate driving, and like having some voice communication regarding road blockages

prior to cell phones they were widely used on the coast here, but not so much any more...some hunters have the sideband units illeagly converted to non allocated channels to talk within hunt camps...

it is an option,but for serious communications I would look at the amateur radio license

I would have to agree with Les Snyder on this one I became a ham for one main reason "to communicate" and with my Icom IC2200H I can!

CB radio is better than nothing, but given the range limitations others have discussed, not by much. If you are planning on going off the grid, the chances of making contact with someone by CB is pretty slim off the well-traveled truck routes.

I would also recommend putting the effort into the relatively easy amateur radio license and a basic 2m/440 handheld transceiver.

Is there any reason to look at the 4 and 6 meter amateur bands? I'd expect more range, but would it be useful locally?

let me play the devil's advocate:

question for Outdoor_Quest -

if you haven't had a need for one in the past, why would you think it would be needed in the future? who will you talk to? who would you need to contact? what would it do for you? you might wish to analyze that first.

i personally have no reason to own a CB. that's just me. OTOH, for some folks they're invaluable and useful tools. you have to decide for yourself. don't just accept a "recommendation" from a list you read on line.