Best Radios for Off-Roading | Chasing Dust
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- Опубліковано 23 лип 2024
- Lack of proper communication on the trail can lead to disaster. If you’re gearing up for an off-road adventure, one of the key components you’ll need to pack is a radio. Staying in constant contact with others on the trail prevents you from getting lost, allows for easier spotting over obstacles, and provides a level of safety should anything go wrong on the trail.
But with so many options out there for radios, how do you know which is best for you and your rig? On this episode, Matt explains the differences between handheld and mobile radio stations, and gives you the pros and cons of CB radios, FRS radios, GMRS radios, HAM radios, and Race radios.
We hope this video gives you the information you need to make the best choice when it comes time to adding a radio to your 4x4 or off-road vehicle.
0:00 | Intro
0:40 | Nitto Pit Crew
1:16 | Why You Need a Radio for Off-Roading
1:50 | Hanheld Radios vs Mobile Radios
3:22 | CB and FRS Radios for Off-Roading
5:10 | GMRS Radios for Off-Roading
7:24 | HAM Radios for Off-Roading
10:12 | What is a Race Radio?
11:34 | Wrap-Up
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I run cb & gmrs in my 1982 GMC K - 2500 and 1979 Jeep CJ 7. I’m running 102” whips on the cb’s, and 3db antennas on my gmrs radios. CB is still king for highway travel.
There's been so many times I would have benefitted from an external radio like these. This video definitely helps narrow down the choices. Much appreciated!
Nice work Matt! Super informative.
Nice video! I like it. Maybe it is good to suggest that mounting the antenna on the middle of the roof in stead of the side of the vehicle does wonders. Your signal will go so much farther in all directions.
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2:24 While holding a GMRS radio... "you can lend them to your friends"
If your friend doesn't have a GMRS license, no you can't. Everyone that transmits from a GMRS radio is required to have a licensed or operate under the license of an immediate family member(as defined by the FCC).
2:51 "the antennas are very short so as you can see they're not going to be putting out a ton of power which means your not going to get a very far range"
The antenna length has nothing to do with power. It also has nothing to do with range on UHF frequencies. Range is determined by line of sight until you get into HF frequencies. For VHF/UHF, all the power in the world won't make the earth flat. I can hit my local GMRS repeater(full quieting) from 20 miles away with a handheld putting out 2w because the repeater antenna is at a high elevation.
4:29 "FRS radios are mandated to put out no more than 0.5w"
Only on channels 8-14. FRS radios are allowed 2W ERP on channels 1-7 & 15-22. GMRS handhelds are also limited to 0.5w on channels 8-14 while base stations or mobiles aren't even allowed to transmit on 8-14.
8:12 "if you're using a handheld ham radio you can get a lot better range out of that as well"
Kinda a broad statement, don't ya think? The 70cm ham band frequencies are right next to GMRS and the HT's for either generally have the same power. Even 2m & 6m amateur frequencies are limited to line of sight giving them zero range advantage over GMRS other than the potential of more repeaters being available.
The only advantages of GMRS radios for off-roaders is that they can hand unlicensed individuals an FRS radio to spot for them, and the use of repeaters if available. The only reason they became popular with off-roaders to begin with was from Midland sponsoring the Jeep jamboree. CB radio, because of the longer wavelength, actually works better in dense woodlands than GMRS. Current FM CB radios are also just as clear as GMRS or any FM ham radio and good ones have CTCSS/DCS to filter out unwanted transmissions.
You must love bootlicking the FCC. You really think they are gonna hunt you down for a 15$ toy walkie talkie off amazon?
@@TeamGenerationFTW
No. I live in a rural area and am tired of unlicensed idiots on quads keying up on our community repeater frequency every weekend because they don't know the difference between a simplex channel and a repeater input.
This is a guy I don't want to party with but definitely want to keep close for if SHTF. He'll be fuckin connected and set :D
Been debating on CB vs GMRS but the jeep lords say you must run GMRS or die im looking for a communication tool for offloading in the event something happens and likewise if the SHTF situation being able to communicate with anyone.
@@stephencarbajal5657
The fact is, despite the claim from companies like Midland, 27mhz CB works just fine at off-roading distances. In some cases, like hilly terrain, it can work much better than GMRS. Handhelds that you can give to a spotter are more expensive though. The real problem right now is solar activity causing even low powered CB signals to skip all over the place increasing static and congesting channels.
As far as GMRS goes, I've had my license for over 2 decades and it's actually getting as bad as CB in some regards. Off-roaders for some reason insist on using channel 16(4x4=16) and running the full 50w. The regs say to use the lowest power needed to complete a communication and they're out there ̶s̶t̶e̶p̶p̶i̶n̶g̶ STOMPING on transmissions from their buddy's spotter who may be trying to warn them of something with a 5w handheld. Aussie's have been doing just fine with 5w UHF CB for decades, which is essentially no different than GMRS except lower power limits and more channels, but Midland told us Mo Powa Mo Betta.
Lastly, on the subject of SHTF, let me put some things into perspective. There are roughly 750K licensed hams in the US out of about 360 million people. Half of them are only techs with no HF phone privileges besides SSB on a tiny sliver of 10m and nobody is going to be packing an "emergency" HF rig. That leaves VHF & UHF which are line of sight. What are the odds you'll ever reach a ham in an emergency? There are only 340K GMRS licensees. Again, also line of sight, what are the odds there? For real world emergency comms, such as being injured/lost outdoors, a satellite beacon or messenger blows everything else out of the water.
People have far too unrealistic expectations of what 2 way radio is actually capable of thanks to TV and movies. Since the recent cell outage, the GMRS subreddit is currently awash with questions like "What radio will let me reach family 200 miles away".
Why not have all 3, CB now that we have FM and if its set up right is hard to beat, specifically while on the road. I do have GMRS in the Jeep for the trails(Still a lot of CB in MOAB.)
You don't need to take the test again after 10 years, you can simply renew. Only time you need to test is if you're upgrading your license.
No body cares about license anymore
@@dexkleeman for Ham radio? You're severely mistaken.
@@kylelint9032nobody is gonna hunt you down for not having a license bozo 😂
@@TeamGenerationFTW you look 12, let the adults talk. I've been doing this for around 30 years, I know a little more than you.
Nobody is going to enforce the use of your cute little toy radios. FCC bootlicker@@kylelint9032
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Great content! Had no idea there were different types and that some need FCC license. Thank you Drivingline!
I have your hole setup three H T and a 45 watt mobile used as my base
Your video was actually pretty well done. BUT, if you are EVER cruising logging roads in the PNW, you better have a CB, you best be paying attention to the channel markers (often on trees) and you better know how to use it. The results of not having a CB in these places can be catastrophic! GMRS?!? Man up and point everyone to the Baofeng UV-5R and a youtube link on how to use it. $60 for two of them! FM and weather band built in?!?!? Yes, it needs an "unlock" to work on GMRS, but it's easy to do and by far the most effective.
Sure baofeng are decent but they’re limited by 5w and the receiver can get overloaded quick. Mobile unit has way more power and better antenna as well as a steady power supply and not a rechargeable battery. Keep baofeng with you for the trip when you’re outside the vehicle. Otherwise they are junk. As for Cb not to many people use cb any more get a ham license or gmrs and have at it. Ham radio and gmrs are way better then Cb all day cb is mostly dead now with limited people talking on it. Oh and with the right ham radio you can tune into and transmit on Cb band if need be but no Cb is dead or there abouts truckers don’t really even use it anymore they switched to gmrs most anyways. By no means am I saying Cb is gone not usable. It’s limited to the select few who use it as well the disadvantages are the range and power and interference you get my the terrain unlike ham u can use repeaters and go lot farther same with gmrs. Have a nice day and have fun with your CB talking to yourself
@@hisway86 You obviously have no idea what you are talking about. Carefully re-read my first comment. IF you are in timber country, where logging is going on, NOT having a CB can easily get you killed. Further, it's generally mandatory in the land lease that you have one and use it, when you lease land for hunting, cutting firewood, etc. In my neck of the woods even some ORV parks and the "wheeling" groups that use them *require* a cb.
GMRS? Why not run that too, so you can still talk to yourself? lol
What kind of radio would you have just for emergencies? thinking in a hand held.
Personally a ham radio of some sort. Some of the cheaper chinese ones you can find can be programmed to FRS and GMRS channels, and while it may not be legal to transmit there normally in an emergency the laws go out the window, and during normal day to day etc you can atleast listen to FRS and GMRS, which is a nice benefit
GMRS can be used on FRS channels but with limited output power as per FCC.
IDK about the FCC but CB is OK, but people need to update to GMRS ASAP. HAM is too much $$$ and time.
@@vnitto ham is cheaper…..and being able to text and email home from the trail is worth the 15 mins to take the test.
No body cares about fcc and license anymore just buy a radio and use it
f r s and g m r s do not cross over f r s requires no license gmrs doe's
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✔You have a great video there, but some of what you're saying, isn't exactly correct. GMRS has been around since the 1950s. but it was primarily used for small businesses, such Joe's plumbing or Adam's Towing. As far as Rugged Radios, the Radios maybe design for the Off Roading Community. However, there no such frequency allocation for the Off Roading Community. Those Frequencies
that programmed in Rugged Radio are in the FCC Part 90 commercial and business pool, requires FCC Business or Commercial License
You could apply for Special Temporary Permit to for an Off Roading Event, but it better just to use CB radios or GMRS radios.
100% true, but compiling all of that info into a digestible video made for off-roaders wasn’t feasible. GMRS has not been widely used in off-road until recently, but I’ve been using it for 2 decades.
@@desertchief5769 I understand DID Dumb It Down or KIS Keep It Short. I apologize for realizing you were Keeping It Short and to the Point
Nxdn digital encryption is the way to go
Over the past almost fifty years I have used a CB. Back in the day you requested a CB call sign from the FCC, send them your information and a check or money order and they mailed your call sign. Then the FCC stopped requiring them, meaning only us ole-farts have them. There was a time I wanted a HAM license, however, other than ego I could not justify any true need for me having one. GMRS makes considerably more sense for me, yes I do have my GMRS license. Their ten year license duration at my age is a laugh, I will not live that long.
Mod'd ham style on SCORE channels or nothing.
That’s what I’m running
ham radio operators use g m r s as a back up so thay two license g m r s requires no test
Your GMRS portable radio is not capable of 50 watts like your mobile radio.
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The off-road community needs to get hip with the sham rugged radio is.
Blah blah blah