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To CB or not to CB

unclejustin

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Newbie off-roader here headed to Colorado next week to tackle some trails. How important is it to have a CB? I imagine it’s kind of like insurance where you do really appreciate it until you need it and some of the group rides require them so I’m leaning towards getting one but I’d love to hear some opinions from some more experienced drivers. Thanks!
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BullMoose1776

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If you're going alone, you definitely need it for rescue / emergency purposes.

If you're going with friends in separate vehicles, you'll probably need it for comms between the rigs.

Therefore, you need a CB...or a HAM radio (if you're licensed). Or both if your extra cool...
 

Abend

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If you're looking to be able to keep in contact with other jeeps in your group on group rides, CB's are a decent option since there's no license required and a lot of folks already have them since they've been the de facto standard for years. If you want to be able to get help from a remote area where there's no one around for miles, go learn some basic electronics and get your amateur radio license, since that's really the only practical option for a radio that will reach someone many miles away. I must be extra cool because I have both in my jeep. :)
 

sourdough

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Some trail groups Jeep Sarfari require them but VHF hand helds are gaining popularity. MHJC just held their annual All-4-Fun week and ticket price included a Banofeng hand held for communication. Do both but VHF is the future IMO....
check this infomercial out....
 

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unclejustin

unclejustin

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Some trail groups Jeep Sarfari require them but VHF hand helds are gaining popularity. MHJC just held their annual All-4-Fun week and ticket price included a Banofeng hand held for communication. Do both but VHF is the future IMO....
check this infomercial out....
This looks interesting, any idea what VHF adoption looks like currently? No good just talking to myself.

If it's strictly a safety thing, welcome to the 21st century
Mostly safety yes, but would be nice to listen in to some chatter and maybe here about something interesting/important like "BEARS RUN FOR YOUR LIVES" or "It's raining cats and dogs at the steps, put your tops up" This Garmin is more expensive up front, and you need a satellite subscription. I think if I was going truly remote this would be a great idea though.
 

Chipe

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To be honest, if you are going alone, and in an area where no one is around, and is hard to find, I would suggest an EPIRB. ACR makes good ones as do other manufacturers.

It sends a satellite signal out and you WILL get help quickly.
 

fat_head

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Stormin’ Moorman

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Mostly safety yes, but would be nice to listen in to some chatter and maybe here about something interesting/important like "BEARS RUN FOR YOUR LIVES" or "It's raining cats and dogs at the steps, put your tops up" This Garmin is more expensive up front, and you need a satellite subscription. I think if I was going truly remote this would be a great idea though.
I bought this for my boat for when we fish offshore (30-60 miles). I was a little skeptical at first but it functions as a stand-alone GPS unit, so you can bluetooth it to a pad or phone and use it for navigation (or back up nav like I do). You can text anywhere in the world and it lets you create a URL that lets your loved ones track you. My wife really likes this, as all women would. And there's an SOS button that acts as an EPIRB, which @Chipe mentioned. I started carrying it in my Jeep as an afterthought, but i like the multi-function side of it.

For straight comms with other guys in your group, there's a rule. Find a group that you want to ride with and buy what they run. It doesn't help you to have the best HAM in the world if everyone in your group is running CBs.

Good luck and have fun
 

RubenZ

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I had a very good discussion here if you search my started post basically if a CB was worth it or not. The main consensus was they aren't worth beans. Just a GMRS radio. and like one user above said some GPS locator.
 

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If you're gonna do any group trail runs I'd definitely put one in, unless you know the groups in your area definitely don't use it
 

Slowpoke

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CB.
I bought the CoolTech kit for JL with a Cobra.
Easy install, looks good, works good.
SWR easy to set.
 
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unclejustin

unclejustin

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Thanks for the input everyone! I have decide "not to CB". Just ordered one of the BaoFeng handhelds which should be good enough for my purposes.
 

Lazygreek

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Thanks for the input everyone! I have decide "not to CB". Just ordered one of the BaoFeng handhelds which should be good enough for my purposes.
Don't forget to get the "good" USB programming cable. And JeepUniq makes a clip to mount the handheld on.
 
 



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