CB Radio vs. GMRS Radio

Does anyone know if the hand held C.B. radios are still available and where at? A friend of mine used to have one it was like a big walky talky but with a lot better range.

wa8yxm wrote:


FRS is a short range UHF radio service, this is very low power, NO license required, mostly hand held hardware, Get transceivers at most any superstore and more than a few drug stores and truck stops and gas stations and even some grocery stores.

GMRS is higher power, and the most common GMRS radios live next to (And on) the FRS band in UHF (Though there are other GMRS services). The higher power gives you a bit more range but you DO need a license 80 bucks for 10 years, unlicensed operation can net you a multi-thousand dollar fine or prison time.

And many of the GMRS talkies switch back and forth between the FRS and GMRS frequencies and power requirements. My Motorola Talkabout 250's are strictly FRS, while my Motorola Talkabout MH230R operates on both FRS and GMRS. If one has a combination FRS & GMRS talkie, one has to make sure they stay on the FRS frequencies unless they are licensed to operate on the GMRS frequencies.

As mentioned above, both have their place, and are completely different animals.

FRS is perfectly usable car to car within about 1/4mile, maybe a little more. Out in Quartzsite you can almost talk across town on them. They are quiet, and you can program them to lock almost all other traffic out.

CB on the other hand suffers from allot of issues, one being the 11year skip is in and at its peak. During the day you will be lucky to talk as far as any good FRS radio, and really stand a better chance of talking to someone 1000 miles away than the car in front of you. Nighttime is different as the skip is out, but it's by no means completely gone. People complain and whine all the time about truckers and language, but the simple solution is to get off of Ch 19 and 6, where 99% of that traffic is and problem solved.

With the prices of either these days, keeping both on hand is not an unreasonable option

Gonzo42 wrote:
I'm currently designing in my head mirror mounts to have dual antennae at least 8 feet apart.

You don't need dual antennas. But you might want to consider the No Ground Plane Firestik II. It is designed for use on fiberglass vehicles.

If you have family in the vehicle and decide to use the cb on ch 19 your family will learn lots of new words

CB works for us when traveling with friends. We live out west and there are many areas off the Interstate that have limited or no cell service.
RJ

Well both have their place... And you missed one

FRS is a short range UHF radio service, this is very low power, NO license required, mostly hand held hardware, Get transceivers at most any superstore and more than a few drug stores and truck stops and gas stations and even some grocery stores.

GMRS is higher power, and the most common GMRS radios live next to (And on) the FRS band in UHF (Though there are other GMRS services). The higher power gives you a bit more range but you DO need a license 80 bucks for 10 years, unlicensed operation can net you a multi-thousand dollar fine or prison time.

CB is higher power and longer range still. Used to required a license but that requirement was dropped long time ago. Many truckers and such have CB in the cab of their trucks and will discuss traffic conditions and other things.. I have had CB save me from problems twice so far,, Not so GMRS or FRS.

One time near Christmas on a road covered with ICE CB told me of a rollover a ways down the road.. I began slowing and wound up sheltering the players in a 4 car crash since I was able to SAFELY stop without damage till the police arrived and wound up taking them home after.

I do admit to needing to drive real carefully that night.

The other time was fall 2012, coming South on I-75 in KY Im about 77 miles from TN when I hear of a pair of fatal accidents long about mm-73.. Took exit 76 just as they closed the freeway, Found parking, Restful night, Good breakfast and on down the now fully cleared road. No problems.

IN both cases had I not had the CB things would have been much more stressful. (Like an hours long traffic jam in one case and possibly a crash in the other).

Gonzo42 wrote:
We are new to RVing and we are considering a CB or GMRS. Any opinions regarding which is better especially considering the GMRS is newer technology?

Would antennae (s) installation be similar?

Who do you want to talk or listen to, what radio type do they have?

Thanx for the advice. Looks like my first choice of CB would work best. I'm currently designing in my head mirror mounts to have dual antennae at least 8 feet apart.

Guess my Motorola GMRS Talkabout radios are the exception. Two different Talkabout sets have been very reliable when traveling in two cars, even when the other car gets out of sight. But if you want to keep track of what is happening on the highway, CB is the best way to go. CB has saved me many times from traffic headaches and bad accidents. And if you want to talk long distance, then Amateur Radio Service is the hobby of choice.