Hi Amila,
So the first thing I would do is look at what those you are mostly traveling with are using. It does you no good if you use, for example, PMR and all the others in the group have CB. From my experience I would say that most 4x4 travelers in Europe still use CB. FM devices with CEPT approval (40 channels FM) have long been exempt from registration and fees in many European countries. There are numerous (minor) exceptions, such as restrictions in border zones, etc. You have to check locally, the Netherlands also have something like the Federal Network Agency. You will find the information there. So I think ou will either go CB or PMR or correct said PMR446.
The achievable range depends on many factors. These include the transmitting power, the antenna and also the surrounding buildings. Letßs quickly compare CB and PMR446.
With rgeard to PMR446, the devices are "ready to use" and must not be modifiable. Mostly handheld radios are used with PMR446. There are also a few built-in devices on the market. Devices with analog as well as digital transmission technology are available. Digital transmission has the advantage of clearer voice transmission. However, the different digital devices are often not compatible with each other (some also have an analog mode which helps then). PMR446 devices may only have a transmission power of 0.5 watts due to their design. In very good conditions you can achieve a range of up to 5 km. Often very much less, e.g. due to urban areas or forests. Even dense leafs can be a hindrance. In dense urban areas, the range can quickly drop to 300m or less. Especially in the city with convoy driving not exactly advantageous. But for example for the occasional trip to the offroad park, for example, the handy PMR446 handheld radios are a good communication option.
The power in CB radio is limited to a transmission power of four watts in the modulation modes AM and FM and 12 watts in the modulation mode SSB. With fixed installed mobile CB devices, a range of about 10 to 30 kilometers can be achieved, rarely even more. Handheld radios, which are used especially for communications in close range, for example, in terrain reconnaissance, have a fairly short range of about 1 to 5 km due to the short antenna and lower transmit power. Sometimes even less (especially when used in the rig of course).
If you absolutely want to take a CB handheld radio, I would advise you to take one for that you could get a car adapter. This way you have the possibility not only to charge it in the car, but also to connect an external antenna. This makes absolute sense in the car, since the range of a handheld device in the vehicle is of course severely limited. Popular devices are the well-known Midland Multi 42 or the Stabo XH9006e.Both are good devices and well-known manufacturers. For use as a pure handheld radio I would take the Stabo, because it is really compact and has a good battery life. But to my knowledge, the Stabo is no longer available for purchase. There is another CB handheld quite new on the european market. It is the TTI TCB-H-100. It is not so expensive, it´s also a multinorm CB handheld and it is much smaller in size then the other two mentioned above. I have it sincesome month in addition to my fixed installed Midland and I am very happy with it. It is solid, small in size as said and has a good quality speaker. A car adpter is also available for that one.
Also look at devices for units for fixed installation. You can also get many compact devices, e.g. from Midland or Albrecht. Often they are also cheaper than the CB handhelds. Also think about whether you need a hands-free function due to local regulations or for convenience. Maybe a combination of fixed installed and handheld radio is also an idea?
I hope this helps you. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.
HAM radio with all its possibilities and advantages is not a topic for you?
Cheers, Björn
