I used to keep a CB radio mounted in all of my vehicles, but since I got my truck in 2000 and a cell phone shortly after, I have not bothered. But the Kim family's ordeal convinced me to permanently add some sort of 2 way radio to my vehicle kit. I have an older Motorola Distance DPS 2W radio that I am going to start carrying along with the car charger. Aside from redundancy, would there be any advantage to also mounting a CB? Also, is there a dedicated emergency channel for FRS/GMRS radios (like Channel 9 for CB's?)

I recently put a CB back in my truck as well, actually bought a new one because I couldn't get my old one working after it got banged around the garage for a few years. I've noticed they are starting to get popular again from posts on other forums where poeple ask about them. I still see signs posted along rural highways saying state police monitor cb channel 9 so it must still be programmed into their scanners. I bought one with the NOAA alerts as a switch for channel 9 and 19 and placed the state to NOAA channel lookup card on my sunvisor so every so often I can check and quickly and change that channel as the miles go by. If I need to call out the ch9/19 switch will work well as I could alternate between the so that a passing truck might hear me on 19 before the state police drive by. I picked up a used handheld CB so if one of us leaves the truck for some reason we can communicate back if cell phones can't get a signal say if I want to walk up a hill to try and get a signal or ne of us goes into a restroom at a rest stop.
I don't see much point in the FRS radios, CB can cover the same or better range and is more commly listened to. We tried a set of FRS radios one year at deer season and the range was so limited we could sometimes see each other but not talk to each other with them, they are not something I would want to chance being rescued on.

That is strange. We use them for deer/elk hunting as well, and while we have had occasions where we couldn't hear each other, we have never been unable to communicate within visual range. I wonder if that is because we use the larger 2 Watt versions?

That is a good point about CB's being more commonly listened to, especially on or near a major road.

There is really no dedicated channel for emergencies. Even the lower cost radios have scanning capabilities these days, so that shouldn't be an issue.

My suggestion would be to set it to NOT use the so-called "eliminator" or "privacy" codes. On mine I do this by setting them to code 0.

I like the comment made elsewhere here to submit a plan to use a radio only for five minutes at the top of each hour, or on the half hour in order to conserve batteries.

Also, when broadcasting on a FRS/GMRS radio antenna remember that height is the primary method for increasing range. They essentially broadcast through line-of-sight, so you're not going to get over large hills and such. Increased power helps a bit, but only a bit. Users of "real" GMRS radios - with removable antennas - have been known to raise an external antenna up a tree using rope and a long antenna cable in order to maximize range.

Ken K.

These are so cheap its seems silly not to have one available.( I've seen 12 mile rated radios for as little as $20 a pair on ebay.)

If you can get in the clear or over water -- and if the searchers are scanning the right channels -- you can extend your 'reach' 10 miles or more. I also read that your body absorbs much of the power so holding the unit at arms length and using an earpiece can increase your effective range. (Also consider that straight up to a plane is quite useful and seldom blocked.)

The key, of course, is power, so carry spare aa or aaa batteries.

Teacher

Aa a note, the "12 mile" rated radios are FRS/GMRS radios. 8 of the 22 channels are GMRS frequencies. FRS radios are limited by FCC regulations 0.5 watts and the unit must have an integrated antenna. GMRS radios can operate on up to 50 watts, but they require an easily obtained license to be used legally.

I keep a FRS in the console my truck and as soon as I can some wiring done, I have a CB to add to my 2M/20cm ham rig. Now that morse has been phased out, I'm gonig to upgrade my license in a few months then I can drop in my Icom 706 mk2

M.C.

JimJr

FRS radios are limited to a fixed antenna and 0.5W on transmissions. The combination FRS/GMRS radios may provide 2W on transmissions on the GMRS frequencies, but they still have fixed antennas. If you can find dedicated GMRS radios (no longer manufactured, as far as I can tell), they have a maximum power of 5W and have a removable antenna, so you can put an external magmount on it and get some better range.

People have tried to say that Channel 1 of FRS is the emergency call frequency, but there is no requirement and no general agreement. See
http://www.nationalsos.com/
http://www.emcomus.org/commwp.html
for information on this effort.

_Generally_, FRS range is very limited - a few blocks. GMRS range with 5W and a more nearly decent antenna is several blocks in urban and suburban areas where there are buildings and trees.

My suggestion instead of FRS/GMRS is amateur radio. Most areas have repeaters, so even if you have a handheld ham radio of 5W, you often can hit a repeater. (Many places sell repeater directories so you can get local frequencies.) With a decent mobile radio of 25W or so and an external antenna, you'll be much more likely to raise someone than you would sitting in a stranded truck with your FRS.

In some locations, CB is heavily used, and you can raise someone quicker that way, but in many areas, CB is not that common.

My 2002 ARRL repeater directory lists 4 repeaters (2 meters) in Grants Pass, 2 in Medford, 4 in Rogue Valley. Whether the Kim family could have hit any of them from their location, I can't say. I have no doubt they would have had no contacts on FRS.

I dug out the owners manual. Apparently it is a GMRS-only radio, having a removeable antenna and channels 1-7, A, B, C, and S. "S" is "scan" and "C" is listed as the emergency channel (462.675 MHz). I am not really looking to get into ham radio, at least at this time. Right now I am just looking for something capable of signaling a low flying search plane or helicopter, and it would only be used for emergencies.

> Right now I am just looking for something capable of signaling a
> low flying search plane or helicopter

Seriously, I'd suggest a mirror. I have no expectation that people on planes and choppers would have FRS or GMRS radios, nor would they have radios that would be tuned to those frequencies.

IC-A5 VHF Air Band Transceiver "All 760 channels (118.000 MHz - 136.975 MHz). . . One touch access to 121.5 MHz emergency channel". . . 25 kHz tuning steps

Don't ask me about the legalities of using one. Handhelds are handy, usually used as a second radio in small private acft.