The thing about cells have about squashed CB's........you don't get weather reports on your phone for the area your in! We have a Cobra with NOAA channels, and wouldn't leave home without it - cheap insurance. We were coming thru AL a few years back, hit a bad storm, and kept pushing on to TX. When we arrived in TX, at the Welcome Center, we found out that we had been around a hurricane/torando, whatever. That was when we installed the CB. Even when it is off and a storm is in the area, the loud beep sounds - we've experienced that, and then turned it on to hear the weather channel report. It is cheap insurance, forget the bad language, most times you never hear anyone, as in years past. Safe travels.