Contributor I
US East Northern VA / MD Monthly Meetups
- Thread starter MA_Trooper
- Start date
Member III
Member III
I think Flag Pole Knob is open. Local member went out last weekend I believe.
Contributor I
I went from Skidmore Lake to Flagpole Knob via Dunkie Hollow Road on Saturday afternoon. It was open, and doable in most stock rigs. I scraped my sliders a bit up near Flagpole, but that was probably more due to bad driving. I definitely recommend that area even though I won’t be able to make it on a trip this weekend.
Pathfinder I
Just FYI, where we ran Big Levels late last year it was the most and worst pinstripes I've gotten from any trail.
Contributor I
Contributor I
Just did a little map study, I'll check it out. Thanks for the top.
Need some coax cable and connections for cb and firestik. Anything local to Alexandria area? Recommendations appreciated.
Any truck stops near yea??
Most all have that stuff. Also, most cables they have are pre-made.
What kind of radios are you guys running? I’m thinking of picking up a dual band 2m/70cm mobile for my truck but I might pick up a CB first if that is what most other people are running. I have a few cheap Baofeng HT’s
Traveler III
@JRElaxED wonder if Harbor Freight would have any of that?
If not, there is a CB place in Manassas called Auto Outfitters. It's a dive, but the guy knows his stuff and has plenty of hardware and cable in stock.
If not, there is a CB place in Manassas called Auto Outfitters. It's a dive, but the guy knows his stuff and has plenty of hardware and cable in stock.
Seems like CB is the common denominator right now, but I’m wondering if it’d be good to set a standard for the area and recommend a comms setup that new folks should start with. I think GMRS would be a great way to go.
Also, I ordered my CB and GMRS gear on Amazon and had it here in two days or less.
I would be more inclined to get CB and Ham than CB and GMRS. Sure the HAM requires a license, but it only took me two-three hours of memorizing the questions to pass the test. And with the ham you can hit repeaters to broadcast longer range.
Traveler III
I haven't ventured into the Ham world myself, but have a Baofeng to handle GMRS, and Ham if I decide later, and a CB. Between the GMRS and CB, I personally like the GMRS radio. Maybe it's because it's not tied to my vehicle so taking it outside the vehicle is an option as well. I do like the additional features and tuneability of the GMRS to, plus they're inexpensive, and you don't need anything else equipment wise, at least for most runs with average size caravans. Those Baofengs are really hard to beat price wise, even the 8watt units. I did pay the $70 for the 10 year license.
Traveler III
@bubbles05 , are you still planning an outing this weekend?
Contributor I
Yep. Might go with a buddy from work. Thinking mid to late am. Weather looks skosh.
Contributor I
I looked into CB vs GMRS for a 5,000 road trip with 2 vic's last summer. GMRS redundancy with hand helds, and NWS Wx Advisories when out of data range, are attractive features. Price and simplicity are great. Ability to increase range with antennae/power is worth exploring.
HAM is great for its purpose. I only want short to medium haul comms for discrete comms with my crew.
CB is cheap and useful, but can be over used and not always great with kids based on conversation types.
Member III
Flagpole Knob, it's a good little trip out toward the WV border. You can access it from a few different directions, but the most popular route seems to be up Forest Road 85A. It's between Rawley Springs, VA and Sugar Grove, WV.
Sidenote, if you're bored, look up the history and government activity around Sugar Grove, WV. Really cool stuff.
