Hello all!
As we are putting together our overland Toyota Tacoma, I have begun researching communications options and it can get a little overwhelming! I’ll start off by saying I am a novice with these things, so far. I have a simple CB radio from my Jeep days and have installed that in the truck. I find it useful on day trips off-roading, but am looking to expand our choices. Our vehicle is being built for long-distance, family overland trips in the US, Canada and eventually international. We will be doing many solo-rig adventures as well. We will be doing a lot of hiking on our trips and this includes myself, my wife and our very young son.
With the CB, does anyone know where I can go to get it tuned properly? This is my first goal.
Beyond CB, we have some small frs/gmrs handheld radios for camping and hiking. I have been seeing more powerful units to be mounted in the vehicle and was considering going that route. After some online reading, this site in particular, I see a lot of discussion and interest in HAM. That seems to be the most powerful and complicated option. I have no issue learning a new tool and getting licenses if needed. But I always prefer simplicity whenever possible. I am also fine investing in new equipment if it serves a good purpose.
What would everyone recommend for our communications beyond the CB and handheld frs/gmrs radios? Thanks!!
If anyone is interested, Ole was kind enough to bring out the SWR meter and check my CB, seems there is something very wrong with it! I am hoping it's just the coax cable getting smashed and not the radio itself, which used to work fine. I've ordered a new coax and and relocating the antenna to see if that helps. Oh, and getting an SWR meter! I've also started reading my HAM manual for testing and will start piecing that together once my CB is actually functional 😅. Thanks everyone for the help and I look forward to asking a lot of HAM questions here soon!
Austin, you can find my cell# in my profile (click on my picture), ping me & we can set up some time to meet.
@Ole I would certainly meet up with you for tuning my CB! I live in Issaquah and have a pretty flexible schedule. Ish.
Thanks everyone one for the insights. My plan:
Tune the CB, it’s handy.
Keep the hand helds for family hikes and camping.
I’ve already been looking at the InReach for solo backpacking but had seen a lot of negative feedback. The endorsements here might make me reconsider.
I was was up late last night reading a book about ham testing and researched some units. Kenwood has one that seems popular and I like. I will probably go deeper into this and pick one up in the coming months. Taking the test too of course!
Thanks! Can’t wait to meet more people from this forum.
Another reason to have CB in the back country is for communicating with logging trucks. That is really the only communication I use have used it for except for the occasional use with other travelers without Ham. I haven’t even used it on the highway talking to truckers. CB is used widely, but I’m not sure if it’s used like it was in the 80s. I had a CB in my car in the Army back then and we used it all the time. I have rarely heard it on the Interstates now. But I have used it a number of times talking to logging trucks.
Ham is our primary radio for communication. I have made the jump to a mobile unit for our truck this past Black Friday. I would say our money is in Ham.
We only use FRS/GMRS for spotting, mountain biking or hiking. Stuff that is just within our family. It’s easy to find a clear channel where no one is operating, not have to worry about clogging up a frequency and we can talk more freely.
New FCC regulations have increased the power limit for FRS so that is a more viable option for intra family communication on a trip. Another thing to keep in mind is that other countries' licensing and band plans don't necessarily align with our own. That would be another plus for ham is greater flexibility/interoperability when abroad. As mentioned, the InReach line of devices are great for contracting those back home and letting them track your progress. Also potentially life saving allowing emergency services to find you easier if things go sideways.
GMRS is trying to be the new CB. It seems better than CB in almost every way except being widely adopted, which is a huge hurdle to get over. It’s utility seems to be dependent on wh you go with or where you go. With NWOL, HAM is probably your best bet, and it doesn’t have to be complicated, but it can easily become so.
If you do solo, I strongly suggest the Garmin Inreach as well as a dependable safety net.
I have been thinking of getting a mobile GMRS radio, mostly because I am a gadget guy and it might come in handy some day...
With regards to tuning your CB, there are a few members here with an SWR meter and who know how to use it. If you can make it to Issaquah/Bellevue, I'll be more than happy to help.
With regards to ham and other options - answer is it depends... on what equipment the ones you're trying to reach have. Many of our NWOL trips have ham as our primary mode of communication, so I'd definitely recommend getting at least a technician's license and a cheap handheld. A handheld ham radio (aka HT, Handie-Talkie) is at least 10x as powerful as your FRS radios, and they will give you additional range when you're away from your truck.
If you're out on your own and want to communicate back to town, I recommend getting a Garmin InReach. I pair mine with my phone and can send text messages and drop breadcrumbs. This is probably the most reliable way to communicate.
Finally, GMRS is another option. Midland offers mobile units that are as powerful as most mobile ham radios, but are easier to use. GMRS does require a license, but there is no test, and the license is good for the whole family. There are also a few hand held GMRS radios available, such as this BTECH GMRS-V1. I haven't seen anyone with GMRS radios on the trail however, so ymmv.