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#301278 - 10/06/22 02:49 PM CB Radio (Again) and Why GMRS
MartinFocazio Offline

Pooh-Bah

Registered: 01/21/03
Posts: 2203
Loc: Bucks County PA
After my failed experiment with flammable CB radios, I bought a nice new CB radio on Amazon, got it for free due to accumulated credit card "points." Also found one of those all-in-one "Help" radios that were sold in the 90's at Sears and other places, and it worked fine.

The good news: CB Radio is not dead - I'm 7 straight-line miles from the nearest interstate, and there's lots of chatter audible on channel 19 - and other channels. That 11-meter radio wave on AM - even at a measly 4 watts - has an easy time of getting out and over things outdoors. I did a few experiments and with just a magnet-mount antenna, I have a reliable "reachability radius" around my house of about 3 miles, which isn't too bad. If I had an SSB setup, I know it would do better, but there's a limit to how much I want to invest in CB.

The bad news: CB Radio is not dead. I don't know what would cause a person to think that making fart noises into an echo-box and blasting those noises into a super-amplified CB radio across a randomly changing assortment of channels for literally 60 continuous minutes was a good use of their time, but I guess that CB Radio is sort of the "Facebook of the air" so from that perspective it makes sense.

I guess for inter-communication with truckers, there's still some use for CB, but I get why GMRS is "the thing" now.

There are a few repeaters for GMRS around here, and even with a tiny 5w Baofeng garbage radio, I can easily reach a repeater that is 10 straight-line miles away from my basement, and that repeater has a rock-solid 35 mile radius of coverage. The interoperability with FRS is a huge plus. I like the sense of formality on GMRS and the simplicity of it as compared to ham radio. The nationwide nets and regional nets are pretty cool too.
If you haven't checked MyGMRS.com yet, take a look, it's a great resource.

In terms of local & regional "grid power out" emergency comms, I'm going with GMRS over CB or any Ham radio solutions. I loved my time in Ham radio, but satcoms, cellular, and DMR commercial radio have really reduced and eliminated the need*. Even down in Florida, while there was some ham radio stuff going on, Also, FRS is nearly useless beyond a really small radius (especially if you have evergreens!) If you have a local repeater, by all means, get a GMRS radio that is repeater-capable and set yourself up with it.


*Yes, I know, I know. And for HF comms, it's hard to beat the flexibility of ham. But consider that the best article I could find about Ham radio for Hurricane Ian was actually almost entirely a Satcom/Cellular story, with a teeny bit of ham radio that was not strictly necessary in there.
https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/hurric...-sanibel-island

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#301280 - 10/07/22 02:47 PM Re: CB Radio (Again) and Why GMRS [Re: MartinFocazio]
Michael2 Offline
Journeyman

Registered: 10/07/04
Posts: 83
The accessibility and user-friendliness of GMRS is a big plus. Also the fact that the $35 / 10 year license is a family license is also an advantage.

It should be noted that most of the leadership for our local GMRS activity comes from hams, with the technical knowledge, the long history and know-how of emergency communication methods, and the decades-long experience working and establishing relationships with local fire departments, hospitals, etc. When the local ARES group provided communication support for the Oakland Fire 30 years ago that wiped out 3000 houses, they faced the "Who the hell are you?" problem when trying to get places. That doesn't happen now. The Fire Chief knows who we are.

The GMRS nets here are based almost entirely on ham radio protocols. I think the sense of formality may also be inherited from that.

To my mind there's a clear progression from FRS to GMRS to Amateur Radio. FRS (Family Radio Service) no license required, get a pair of radios at Home Depot, and you're in business, although with the least power and capability. GMRS, inexpensive license, no test, and you can use repeaters, which is a big expansion in coverage. Ham, you have to study a bit, and it has the most technical and communication options. (Note that Amateur frequencies don't overlap with FRS/GMRS; you need both licenses to use both.)

For most people interested in emergency communication, GMRS is the arguably the sweet spot. But there are advantages in also having a core of people with a deeper understanding of radio. I'm happy when someone gets a GMRS radio, and I'm also happy when someone wants to go deeper and look into amateur radio.


Edited by Michael2 (10/07/22 02:48 PM)

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#301281 - 10/07/22 03:00 PM Re: CB Radio (Again) and Why GMRS [Re: Michael2]
MartinFocazio Offline

Pooh-Bah

Registered: 01/21/03
Posts: 2203
Loc: Bucks County PA
Yes, I agree about Ham radio, but I also can't help but notice that ham radio's complexity seems to have grown since the adoption of DMR and other digital modes. I guess my thinking about Ham is, and was, about its effectiveness in emergency comms, and I admit to a certain nostalgia for:

144.54 for Simplex, no PL and
144.XXX + PL 97.4 for a repeater being all the information needed to bring up a local/regional communication system.

But I definitely agree that GMRS is a "gateway drug" to ham radio for some. But for others (like me) it's ham radio rehab smile

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#301283 - 10/10/22 07:46 PM Re: CB Radio (Again) and Why GMRS [Re: MartinFocazio]
Russ Offline
Geezer

Registered: 06/02/06
Posts: 5357
Loc: SOCAL
Newbie to GMRS, just paid my $35 to FCC -- never was HAM. Have a GMRS handheld with upgraded whip antenna in hand but still learning the radio and menu buttonology. The radios I used in the past had physical buttons and switches, now it's all menu driven. Fun and games for us dinosaurs.

Off-hand, just based on available accessories like that longer whip, this is a much better radio than is available with FRS. Mostly the same channels, but much better hardware.

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#301302 - 10/19/22 08:20 PM Re: CB Radio (Again) and Why GMRS [Re: MartinFocazio]
MartinFocazio Offline

Pooh-Bah

Registered: 01/21/03
Posts: 2203
Loc: Bucks County PA
I just got a pair of Radioddity GM-30's.
Really solid radios, was hoping to test on a local repeater, but it seems to be that the repeater is having some kind of issue where audio IN isn't making it to the OUT side. But the point-to-point stuff is working great.
Going to check if there are any "hidden" repeaters around.

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#301303 - 10/22/22 11:48 PM Re: CB Radio (Again) and Why GMRS [Re: MartinFocazio]
Eugene Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 12/26/02
Posts: 2995
I need to get a CB back in my truck. I bought a Uniden 980 and found out about the screen dimming issues a few years out of warranty and parts seem to be unavailable.
We heard a call driving through PA "anyone have a cell phone charger?" and came around a curve and a big truck was stopped off the side of the road. Apparently the truck lost all electrical power and his cell phone battery was dead. We let him charge his phone while using one of our phones to call his dispatcher.
We've heard of backups due to road closures and accidents and were able to detour. PA DOT likes to close a lane on a holiday weekend to re-paint lines so you have the traffic due to lanes being reduced and the extra holiday traffic together. We've been stuck in multiple hour backups without CB.

I haven't looked at GMRS. Is the license for an address, can I get a license at my home in Ohio and still use it on the farm in WV?


Edited by Eugene (10/22/22 11:52 PM)

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#301304 - 10/23/22 01:47 AM Re: CB Radio (Again) and Why GMRS [Re: Eugene]
RayW Offline
Addict

Registered: 12/06/01
Posts: 601
Loc: Orlando, FL
The GMRS license is issued to a person and any family member can use it. I know there are rules on what constitutes family but those are not listed at this link.

https://www.fcc.gov/wireless/bureau-divisions/mobility-division/general-mobile-radio-service-gmrs

For road conditions I think CB's are still the best solution just because it's the most prevalent communications system used by trucks.

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#301305 - 10/23/22 05:20 PM Re: CB Radio (Again) and Why GMRS [Re: MartinFocazio]
chaosmagnet Offline
Sheriff
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 12/03/09
Posts: 3819
Loc: USA
You and your “immediate family members” may use your GMRS license anywhere in the United States, with the exception that GMRS channels 19 and 21 within 100 miles of any part of Canada. There may also be local restrictions near military bases and other places.

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#301306 - 10/23/22 08:55 PM Re: CB Radio (Again) and Why GMRS [Re: MartinFocazio]
Russ Offline
Geezer

Registered: 06/02/06
Posts: 5357
Loc: SOCAL
As I understand GMRS is becoming more common on the interstates, can't say for sure, don't have a mobile radio in my truck. Although there is no official highway common for traveling the highways and by-ways, per the video at: "What Is The Official GMRS Road, Tr...ghway Use", Channel 19 with no tone is the (not) official designated channel for traveling whistle
Ch.19 was the CB road channel, stay consistent. Yes, the guy in the video refers to the issue of using Ch.19 near the Canadian border (line "A") but until we get a national consensus on something else -- his reasoning regarding Ch.19 sounds good to me. If I ever put a radio in my truck I will actually care.

BTW, Ch.16 is apparently the designated off-road common channel. That's also mentioned in the video.


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#301307 - 10/23/22 10:51 PM Re: CB Radio (Again) and Why GMRS [Re: MartinFocazio]
Russ Offline
Geezer

Registered: 06/02/06
Posts: 5357
Loc: SOCAL
I had both Radioddity's MURS and GMRS radios while making the decision on which was the better option for me; once I had the GMRS license and callsign I decided that was the place to be. That said, a friend who doesn't want to go the FCC licensing route will be gifted the two Radioddity MU-5 radios I had been playing with. There's a third (non-Radioddity) MURS radio here so I can still use that piece of VHF spectrum if need be and that radio is near identical to its GMRS counterpart (even uses the same whip antennas, dual band 2 meter/0.7 meter).
Note: Be aware of antenna compatibility -- some have SMA-male connectors and some have SMA-female connectors. If you are like me and want to have options in both MURS and GMRS, make sure they can share antennas. Personally I like longer whip antennas with these radios; MURS radios in VHF and limited to 2 watts definitely benefit from a longer antenna. It may not be as convenient as the shorter antennas but more antenna gain equates to better signal strength.

I'm really more about receiving than sending. For those here considering a purchase -- GMRS or MURS -- look for radios that can receive both VHF and UHF. You can't talk to GMRS from a MURS radio (or vice versa), but you may still receive good info just being able to receive. The good news is that a number of these radios can receive across multiple bands: UHF, VHF, NOAA and FM (you know, music). Some radios receive on even more bands.

OTOH, some of the radios only receive on their transmit band, as in a MURS radio that only listens to the MURS channels 1 thru 5 in the 151-154 MHz spectrum range. That's all they receive because (I assume) the customer these radios are intended to serve don't want their employees distracted by out-of-band "nonsense"). I bought one of those and then found it had serious receive limitations -- good MURS radio, but that's all. Now that I've gone mostly GMRS, that MURS only radio is my only MURS radio grin

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