Member III
Convoy Comms and Mode Standardization for Overland travel?
- Thread starter pikeintheboat
- Start date
Agreed. I think one of the main points should be reliable comms, and all of the nitty-gritty tech can be learned afterwards.
Off-Road Ranger I
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I know he wrote a really good post and has some good working knowledge, and is a good reference for folks here.
Member III
Oh, here's a link to the poll about what people are using.
https://www.overlandbound.com/forums/threads/what-means-of-communication-do-you-have-available.6440/
https://www.overlandbound.com/forums/threads/what-means-of-communication-do-you-have-available.6440/
Off-Road Ranger II
Off-Road Ranger I
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In this case @TerryD, @Michael would host it and he would have some members on the "phone" (using something like Skype, facetime, etc.) and be the one asking the dumb questions that the panel of experts would address according to their area of expertise --> that being pre-negotiated in a phone conference with all guests prior to the recording of the podcast.I'm up for it! How does one podcast?
...but I'm just guessing.
Dan.
Off-Road Ranger I
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Fun topic and I'm interested in watching the podcast. Thanks for putting it together!
Member III
Yes as long as everyone is family as a single license will cover you and your immediate family.
I too think GMRS is a better option than CB. Even though it requires a license there is no test and the license is good for 10 years. There are small mobile radios available and up to 50 watts allowed. Not only that but the antenna is so much smaller than a CB antenna that it can be mounted almost anywhere and have enough ground plane to work decently and it is small enough to not get damaged by low hanging trees.
Also the FRS handhelds can communicate with GMRS radios so those that are not licensed for GMRS can still have some comms and hear what is being said to stay in the loop.
Member III
This is why I'm actually pushing for FRS. They are cheap and easy and require no license, but they are a great entry level step into radio with decent range, good efficiency and decent sound quality. When the need or want for more power comes up, you step up to GMRS with it's license and "mobile" radios vs just HTs as well as the base radios if you desire. I think these two and their interoperability make for the most reasonable group radio set-up.
That's not to say that I'll ever go away from Ham in my vehicle for everyday use. The abilities of Ham radio are far greater than any of the other services available to civilians and the added knowledge that comes with the licensing process makes you a more useful radio user in groups and emergencies. I also have many good friends in the radio hobby and get quite a bit of enjoyment from it's other aspects.
Some people get upset with "those snooty hams" and I can see where it can rub people the wrong way but you have to remember that there's a hundred year's worth of pride and protocol that has developed to make people effective communicators and radio operators rather than just radio users. I think some of that protocol is helpful in groups and I attempt to bring that with me when I can to group coms I'm a part of while trying to keep it from being stuffy. I like to pick at people and joke as much as any, but I refrain from profanity and try to encourage use of the radios for banter just to keep people familiar with the radios and paying attention to them.
I genuinely enjoy radios and using them and I want others to as well, regardless of what service.
I l
It's easy to get a cheap dual-band dual receive radio to monitor the Amateur UHF simplex frequency and a chosen GMRS/FRS channel simultaneously. It's a start. Another idea is having two radio groups within the convoy. This might seem like a bother to some but radio is a tool just like a shovel. It really counts to have a plan in large groups.
Me too!! I'm starting to come up with ideas for cross communications between Amateurs and GMRS/FRS users. CB's might get the boot from my plans just because I think using UHF is more productive in convoy comms. CB antennas are big, not efficient, and most people install them incorrectly which causes lots of noise. Not that I wouldn't have a CB as a backup, though.
It's easy to get a cheap dual-band dual receive radio to monitor the Amateur UHF simplex frequency and a chosen GMRS/FRS channel simultaneously. It's a start. Another idea is having two radio groups within the convoy. This might seem like a bother to some but radio is a tool just like a shovel. It really counts to have a plan in large groups.
Member III
By law that would be illegal as they would be effectively transmitting on Amatuer frequencies without a license. However, I understand what you're saying.
As for the two radio groups, that kinda how our last ride went. We had a guy in the front and middle with CB only and the rest of the group pretty much had FRS. I was at the back of the group with both CB and FRS and did the relay duty as well as just talking to myself on the wrong radio a few times....
It's finding a balance I guess but it is possible.
Wasn't implying cross-banding the two services together, just a control operator for two radios like you had mentioned.
Member III
Oh, ok. Read it wrong. I can testify that it takes some away from that guy's experience on the trail since he has to be constantly relaying. I think if you needed to do something like that, then the primary service should be had by all and then the secondary used just for coms between the guys marshalling the group along (head, middle, tail). Then there's not the constant need for relay.
I wouldn't completely discount CB if it's already in use by the majority of the group. I have one set up in my Xterra right now because of the ride in September and I just haven't gone back to my 6m setup yet. But I really think that FRS should be considered by groups just starting to build a coms strategy when there's no real interest in Ham.
I wouldn't completely discount CB if it's already in use by the majority of the group. I have one set up in my Xterra right now because of the ride in September and I just haven't gone back to my 6m setup yet. But I really think that FRS should be considered by groups just starting to build a coms strategy when there's no real interest in Ham.
I agree. Taking the relay out for multiple services is more efficient. And, as I am researching this, I just realized that Midland is selling micro-uhf radios just like the ones that the Aussie's/UK guys use for their UHF CB band. $100 for a UHF GMRS mobile. Yeah it's only 5watts that's plenty. Throw in a cheap $20 3db antenna, license fee, and you're on the air in under $200. And the people who don't want a Amateur radio license can still participate.
Member III
On my last event I hosted with 75+ Jeeps I did tune my HF radio to the CB channel most everybody else was using so I could at least hear if they needed something or at least once the message was relayed from the back of the pack since a lot of them couldn't transmit more than a mile. Myself, the mid and tail gunner used 2m simplex.
Member III
Notice their MXT400 looks remarkably like some chinese ham radios? I think it's over priced for what it is personally but for a legal mobile GMRS radio it's about all there is for plug and play. The MXT115 isn't bad either. Anytone sells a UHF (5/10/15 watt) programmable radio that is narrowband capable for $80 that might make a decent GMRS radio, though not legally.
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Pathfinder III
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I hope this happens, but in the mean time I'm just going to make sure I can talk on all platforms and keep pushing Ham licensing. Dan has said it best, when you need to communicate over a long distance such as the desert you need the Ham platform, and for us in the Sierra Foothills it is the only way to communicate with the outside world if you get stuck on the Rubicon or the surrounding trails. With the exception of a sat phone
Enthusiast III
I know this will be unpopular, but as someone who knows VERY little about radios and has no particular desire to get into all of the science-y side of it, what I want is just to be able to talk to others in a small group over relatively small spaces. I obviously see the benefit of having a ham radio in the group in case something goes FUBAR, but I don't want to have to study, take a test and go through all the necessary formalities just to ask my buddies if we should go right or left at the next fork in the road. It would seem to me that the group should agree on a CB or FRS set up and just make sure that we have at least one rig in the group with ham when going remote. Just my (admittedly uneducated) two cents.
Advocate II
Following. I am new to overlanding, but I do have my GMRS license and working on HAM.
Pathfinder III
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This is what we decided to do for radio standardization with the Sierra Foothills Overlanders OLB.
1st - Gold standard will be ham and on the trail use 146.46 when in El Dorado County use the High Sierra Repeater system. About 60% are licensed now and that is up from 20% when we started in April.
2nd - If not ham then GMRS due to the ability to have higher transit power than FRS. Most of the group has a GMRS lic.
3rd - FRS Easy to get and not bad on the trail.
4th - CB but there is no one in the group using CB anymore at this time. If someone is on a run with us and only has CB is to put them in the middle of the pack then communicate with the front or rear who have the ability to talk on CB.
Technology is driving the changes with radios and these changes do not fair well for the CB band
1st - Gold standard will be ham and on the trail use 146.46 when in El Dorado County use the High Sierra Repeater system. About 60% are licensed now and that is up from 20% when we started in April.
2nd - If not ham then GMRS due to the ability to have higher transit power than FRS. Most of the group has a GMRS lic.
3rd - FRS Easy to get and not bad on the trail.
4th - CB but there is no one in the group using CB anymore at this time. If someone is on a run with us and only has CB is to put them in the middle of the pack then communicate with the front or rear who have the ability to talk on CB.
Technology is driving the changes with radios and these changes do not fair well for the CB band
