Install CB radio or not?
I have a nice CB radio from a few years back from our last RV. With cell phones, GPS with traffic/etc., and FRS radios, does CB still have a place under the dash? I don't just want to throw it away...
Forum Discussion
With apps like Waze and Google Maps, CBs don't seem so useful anymore. Truckers can tell you where the backup is and what is causing it, but Waze tells you how fast traffic is traveling and how long the delay is. Waze also tells you where speed traps, DUI check points, etc. are. With Google Maps, the app will present you with alternate routes while driving if the route you are on becomes a longer trip than it originally was. I usually keep Google Maps up. If I see traffic, I'll open Waze to see what the issue is and found out how fast traffic is moving.
I can check Google Maps or Waze before leaving the house to make sure there aren't any traffic incidents on my route and plan accordingly. With a CB, unless you have an amp and a really good antenna setup, you aren't going to be able to talk to some one more than a few miles away. There are still parts of I-95 where there are more than 10 miles between exits.
I used CBs for a long time, still have 2, but both are sitting in the garage. Never bothered hooking them up in the Motorhome. I wouldn't be able to get the antenna high enough to get much range anyway.
One of the things I really like about Google Maps is it is available 24/7. So if I am planning a long trip in the near future, I can check my route ahead of time at different times of the day to see when the best time to leave to avoid the worse traffic. For instance, we are taking a 250 - 300 mile trip (depending on the route) in the near future. I check Google Maps at say 7 am during the week to see which route is fastest. It may take me on more back roads and highways. At 10 am, the route may be all interstate, because rush hour is over and interstate is fastest. I just did it now. Google Maps indicates that along the current, fastest route, there are 11 traffic incidents and 2 Construction zones.
-Michael
I can check Google Maps or Waze before leaving the house to make sure there aren't any traffic incidents on my route and plan accordingly. With a CB, unless you have an amp and a really good antenna setup, you aren't going to be able to talk to some one more than a few miles away. There are still parts of I-95 where there are more than 10 miles between exits.
I used CBs for a long time, still have 2, but both are sitting in the garage. Never bothered hooking them up in the Motorhome. I wouldn't be able to get the antenna high enough to get much range anyway.
One of the things I really like about Google Maps is it is available 24/7. So if I am planning a long trip in the near future, I can check my route ahead of time at different times of the day to see when the best time to leave to avoid the worse traffic. For instance, we are taking a 250 - 300 mile trip (depending on the route) in the near future. I check Google Maps at say 7 am during the week to see which route is fastest. It may take me on more back roads and highways. At 10 am, the route may be all interstate, because rush hour is over and interstate is fastest. I just did it now. Google Maps indicates that along the current, fastest route, there are 11 traffic incidents and 2 Construction zones.
-Michael
