Another alternative to Amateur (Ham) radio and CB is General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS). GMRS is in the UHF range (462MHz) and is not as flexible as Ham radio is, however it is simpler and is pretty much a "plug-and-play" system.
The market is flooded with small hand-held units you have no doubt seen in sporting goods stores, but Midland also manufactures a line of small mobile units marketed towards the Off-Road crowd.
https://midlandusa.com/micromobile/
Here is a model that is similar in concept to the popular Cobra 75.
https://midlandusa.com/product/mxt275-micromobile-two-way-radio/
Advantages are:
1. Most of the kits (with the exception of their top of the line model) includes a 1/4 wave magnetic antenna.
2. Only requires 6 inches of ground plane instead of 8.5 feet for CB.
3. A full 1/4 wave antenna is only 6 inches tall, much more manageable to deal with.
4. Uses FM instead of AM, less susceptible to interference, noise and better audio quality. (Think AM radio when driving past power lines vs FM radio.)
5. UHF has a lower noise floor than the frequencies that CB runs at. This means weaker signals can get through better.
6. Higher power. The FCC allows greater power than they do for CB. The Midland line has units that run 5 watts, 15 watts and 40 watts whereas CB is limited to 4.
7. Unlike Ham radio, no exam is required. However, a 10-year license will cost $70.00 compared to Ham's 10-year license cost of $10-$15 and CB cost of $0.
Please note that the Ham license is for an individual whereas the GMRS license is good for the entire family, including his or her spouse, children, grandchildren, stepchildren, parents, grandparents, stepparents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and in-laws.
The market is flooded with small hand-held units you have no doubt seen in sporting goods stores, but Midland also manufactures a line of small mobile units marketed towards the Off-Road crowd.
https://midlandusa.com/micromobile/
Here is a model that is similar in concept to the popular Cobra 75.
https://midlandusa.com/product/mxt275-micromobile-two-way-radio/
Advantages are:
1. Most of the kits (with the exception of their top of the line model) includes a 1/4 wave magnetic antenna.
2. Only requires 6 inches of ground plane instead of 8.5 feet for CB.
3. A full 1/4 wave antenna is only 6 inches tall, much more manageable to deal with.
4. Uses FM instead of AM, less susceptible to interference, noise and better audio quality. (Think AM radio when driving past power lines vs FM radio.)
5. UHF has a lower noise floor than the frequencies that CB runs at. This means weaker signals can get through better.
6. Higher power. The FCC allows greater power than they do for CB. The Midland line has units that run 5 watts, 15 watts and 40 watts whereas CB is limited to 4.
7. Unlike Ham radio, no exam is required. However, a 10-year license will cost $70.00 compared to Ham's 10-year license cost of $10-$15 and CB cost of $0.
Please note that the Ham license is for an individual whereas the GMRS license is good for the entire family, including his or her spouse, children, grandchildren, stepchildren, parents, grandparents, stepparents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and in-laws.
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