OCBR CBs or radios?

[walker_creek]

I'm going to finally be able to make OCBR again after 14 years of not going down. Last time I was there everyone was using CBs on the trail. Should I leave the CB in the Bronco or has everyone switched to a marine or other style of radio?

 

[Yeller]

More radios than CB anymore. Most are GRMS type radios. I’m sure someone will be along with what they are using.

 

[Okie69]

Christine posted this radio in the FB group the other day.




I’m not a radio hobbyist but I believe it’s a ham radio so there may be some licensing concerns. Maybe someone that knows more will chime in @Boss Hugg seems to be knowledgeable.

I’ve been looking at the GMRS radios and think I’ll be going with one of those. They are license required as well but no test.

 

[Boss Hugg]

I’m turning my head to what anyone uses for OCBR because I did it for a few years before getting my HAM and, later, GMRS licenses. I actually won one of these radios a couple years ago. It’s just like a Baofeng, I t’s programmed for specific frequencies that most of us have used for several years at Offroad events and you can’t change the programming without Chirp on a computer. The thing is, the programming is outside ham and GMRS bands so I’m not sure who might be operating on those freqs LEGALLY while we’re using them at events. We haven’t heard any problems, so..???

I do recommend everyone look up how to get a GMRS license and do it. $35 gets everyone in the family one call sign to share. Then you can research repeaters and such near you and if you have a compatible radio, you can possibly reach way there into the radio hobby around you. Our local ham club is making moves to get GMRS repeaters running around Texarkana as a prompt toward folks learning and get their ham licenses.

If anyone has a radio they need programmed, I can do it at OCBR.

 

[Boss Hugg]

And I’ll add this just to brag because I don’t do that very often. It’s pretty cool to be driving in your truck in New Boston, TX, grab the radio mic and talk to someone in Croatia halfway around the world. #hamradio

 

[walker_creek]

So any GMRS radio works?

 

[Boss Hugg]

Depends on who you’re running with. Like I said, the rugged radios come programmed with a set of frequencies that teams use in events like the Baja 1000 or King of the Hammers. We’ll use those frequencies typically. So if you buy a GMRS radio, it won’t have the standard Offroad freqs already programmed. And I’m not too familiar with GMRS radios. As a ham, I mod my radios to do the frequencies I want to program. If you want to be safe, buy a cheap baofeng UV5R or similar off Amazon, and look up some YouTube on using Chirp to program it. These radios have a steep learning curve. The Baofengs easily program for all the freqs I use including GMRS. But they’re cheap and the audio output quality varies.

 

[Boss Hugg]

They’re running pretty cheap today. Baofeng UV-5R Two Way Radio Dual Band 144-148/420-450Mhz Walkie Talkie 1800mAh Li-ion Battery(Black) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074XPB313/?tag=classicbroncos-20

 

[walker_creek]

Been a busy week...just getting back to the radio search.

Is a license required for the Baofeng?

 

[Boss Hugg]

technically, yes. But if you know how to program it for FRS, no license required. The problem there is FRS limits some if not all to 1/2 watt of power output. The Baofeng can only go as low as 1 full watt. So when you buy a Baofeng, you really need to have done your research to know what you're getting into. Which is why we're here, I suppose.

 

[Boss Hugg]

I was in a meeting Thursday night and I was asked to talk for two minutes about GMRS with the goal of peaking some folks' curiosity about it and that they would study into it for the purpose of communications when you can't reach someone on a phone (I firmly believe that day is coming). I was quickly shut down because I was getting too technical. There is no way to talk about radio without getting technical. Even in CBs you at LEAST have to talk about how to tune an antenna--and on a CB, you have channels. FRS radios have a built in antenna and built-in channels to use, and maybe some privacy codes (which only prevent you from hearing other people--scanners hear it all!) GMRS can be the same as FRS, but with more power to transmit, and therefore the need for the $35 license. GMRS can talk even further (and maybe clearer) through a repeater, but repeaters typically use "tones" that activate the repeater. Those tones and frequencies have to be programmed into your radio. So, while it may seem simple to the folks that know radios, or someone that's used CBs forever, it can get very different very quickly--even to an old school CB'er.

 

[ssray]

technically, yes. But if you know how to program it for FRS, no license required. The problem there is FRS limits some if not all to 1/2 watt of power output. The Baofeng can only go as low as 1 full watt. So when you buy a Baofeng, you really need to have done your research to know what you're getting into. Which is why we're here, I suppose.

I wonder how picky the FCC would be. It would be hard to do on the handhelds but if you used an inline attenuator you could bring the effective radiated power down to an equivalent of FRS. I have a B-tech mobile (used on a business band channel where power isn’t an issue). It gives the info needed to program for that but states elsewhere that GMRS use is illegal with it. I’m not sure why but it would be over power at 5 watts in low power mode other than doing an attenuator if permissible. Might be they want the radio to automatically limit power on the freqs that need it. It’s pretty easy on my B-tech to switch between low and high power and could happen with the wrong button. On a mobile the gain of the antenna would also be a factor in ERP.

 

[walker_creek]

So what would be functional to buy for OCBR? Less than 2 weeks away now! I wouldn't mind buying something with quality and more functionality even if I don't learn to use all the features until next year.

 

[Tricky Dick]

From what I've been seeing is GMRS that will go to at least 18-20 and do subchannels will cover the most bases. It was more or less the standard at the Safari this year. Some guys without preset channels had to look up the frequencies.

I have some cheap Baofengs that have pretty good range and mostly have worked for me, but they don't do sub channels so sometimes it's hard to find a channel without a lot of chatter. I'm going to get something more like Okie posted and relegate the cheap ones to intra family communication.

 

[walker_creek]

Would this be a good option?

https://www.ruggedradios.com/collec.../2-pack-gmr2-gmrs-frs-two-way-handheld-radios

 

[roundhouse]

It would be a problem if you start talking on ham frequencies , the FCC Probabaly won’t notice or care , the FCC certainly doesn’t care that some CBers blast out 10,000 watts when the FCC rule says 7 watts ,

but the other hams would go bonkers ,

I know several people with GMRS , but I don’t know anyone that got the license .
I used them daily when I was a property manager to communicate with the office and other maintenance workers, but we certainly didn’t get a license .
A lot of restaurants use them and they don’t have licenses .

 

[Boss Hugg]

I wonder how picky the FCC would be.

I've been using the word "technically" a lot. It seems to take a pretty good bit of breaking the rules before the FCC comes after a person. BUT. If a person were to get lucky and transmit on a law enforcement frequency...???

but states elsewhere that GMRS use is illegal with it.

FCC has "type acceptance" rules. GMRS is one type number, and HAM is another type number. I tend to ignore type numbers while staying within other rules so as not to draw attention to myself. I mod my HAM radios to transmit on GMRS an other frequencies as necessary.

I’m not sure why but it would be over power at 5 watts in low power mode

GMRS allows 50w on a mobile radio and up to 15w on a stationary station like a "base" station--unless it's repeater transmitting.

Might be they want the radio to automatically limit power on the freqs that need it.

Exactly. They want it to be simple for the user... make it easy to use so the user doesn't have control.... I could easily digress here.

So what would be functional to buy for OCBR? Less than 2 weeks away now! I wouldn't mind buying something with quality and more functionality even if I don't learn to use all the features until next year.

Just get a baofeng and I can try to program it Thursday when I get a chance. I'll be staying in the right side of the duplex across from the office.

From what I've been seeing is GMRS that will go to at least 18-20

If you're standing on one hill top and can see 20 miles to another hill top with your friend standing there, it's likely you will be able to talk. I have friends on the hill at Mena AR today that are talking to repeaters 120 miles away on these cheap baofengs.

I have some cheap Baofengs that have pretty good range and mostly have worked for me, but they don't do sub channels so sometimes it's hard to find a channel without a lot of chatter. I'm going to get something more like Okie posted and relegate the cheap ones to intra family communication.

Just get the baofeng. When I reprogrammed my rugged radio, it is nearly identical. And the baofeng can be as low as one third the price of the rugged.



The PROBLEM with Baofeng radios is they don't have "filters" (another technical term) that prevent it from transmitting on frequencies you don't intend to. What that means is that while you're transmitting on 155.xxx, it might also be putting a signal out on a "harmonic" of that frequency, such as 2x the frequency, 310.yyy. So we're already working outside any band we're licensed for, but now we're transmitting in TWO bands without a license. That's why the Baofengs have a bad wrap and also a lot of why they're so cheap. The FCC doesn't like them and has tried to implement stricter requirements (type acceptance) but they continue to get ignored.

 

[Boss Hugg]

It would be a problem if you start talking on ham frequencies , the FCC Probabaly won’t notice or care , the FCC certainly doesn’t care that some CBers blast out 10,000 watts when the FCC rule says 7 watts ,

but the other hams would go bonkers ,

I know several people with GMRS , but I don’t know anyone that got the license .
I used them daily when I was a property manager to communicate with the office and other maintenance workers, but we certainly didn’t get a license .
A lot of restaurants use them and they don’t have licenses .

You're right. HAMs are going to go crazy. So BE SURE not to transmit on 144-148 MHz or 430-450MHz. GMRS is 462MHz. I have wondered if the folks like you're talking about are using full-on GMRS or just FRS radios. FRS requires no license and is open to anyone.

 

[walker_creek]

Thanks! I'll order the Baofeng you suggested. I'm looking forward to learning more when we all get down there.

 

[Tricky Dick]

If you're standing on one hill top and can see 20 miles to another hill top with your friend standing there, it's likely you will be able to talk. I have friends on the hill at Mena AR today that are talking to repeaters 120 miles away on these cheap baofengs.

I meant channels not miles.