Since acquiring a new diesel pickup and 31' "patio hauler" camper/atv garage .. and a second ATV, we've decided we need to be able to talk.

Trying to back up a 31' trailer in the dark when you can never see your spotter or hear over the noise of the deisel engine is a real pain. Solution: radio

Second ATV & (novice) rider in the family .. need to communicate, over the hill or around the corner, etc.. Solution: radio


At first I was looking at the new FRS handheld radios, thinking this is the solution. But when I started searching the web for more info I hit shops that also sell CB's and begin to think maybe the answer is not so obvious.

FRS is FM
CB is AM

FRS is 1/2 watt and max rang is advertized as 2 miles, but more realistic expectations in the mountains or forest is robably more like 1/4 mile.

CB is 4 watts, max range is much greater; partly because of the higher power, and partly because it is AM.

A hand-held CB is compatible with *any* CB; and I already have a couple (not hand-held).
FRS is only compatible with FRS

FRS has 14 channels (cheap models only have 2 channels). "Privacy modes" do *not* provide extra channels; they only filter out unwanted traffic.

CB has 40 regular channels; 120 with optional upper & lower bands.

FRS and CB both have models with NOAA weather monitoring channels (and some have hazard alert channels).

You can get into FRS for as little as $49.95 / *pair* if you opt for the bottom-of-the-line 2-channel Audiovox (at Best Buy) or pay as much as $119 each for a top-of-the-line model (Motorola or Cobra) with 14 channels & weather & all the privacy modes.

You can probably find a used hand-held CB *real cheap* or pay same-as-FRS $119 for a downsized hand-held with all the options. The best deal I have found so far for a full-featured hand-held CB, and this has not been an exhaustive search, is $44.88 each or $88.88/pair for the <a href="http://www.garlic.com/bills2way/equip/mid75810.html">Midland 75-810</a> on the internet.

From what I've seen so far, I'm inclined to go for the CB (Midland 75-810), but I wonder ... am I missing something about FRS? To me, it looks like a new over-priced toy. Can any of you tell me a good reason to choose FRS over CB?

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Tim Bundrick
'98 Polaris Sportsman 500
'00 Yamaha Kodiak
<a href="mailto:tbundrick@cos.wantweb.net">tbundrick@ cos.wantweb.net </a>

 

No response so far; added this just to keep the thread active and near the top.

Come on, I would likke to hear other folk's opinion on this!

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Tim Bundrick
'98 Polaris Sportsman 500
'00 Yamaha Kodiak
<a href="mailto:tbundrick@cos.wantweb.net">tbundrick@ cos.wantweb.net </a>

 

Greetings,

While I can't comment on all the technical specifications, I'll give you my lessons-learned report on functional capabilities.

I bought a set of Motorola Talk-Abouts so that a rider could keep in touch with someone at home base (i.e. our cabin). What I didn't consider was how quickly an ATV eats up territory. With a range of two miles, I was out of touch in less than ten minutes. My CB has a range of five miles, so its out of touch in less than 15 minutes. Add to that a mountainous terrain, and your radio is about as effective as walking back for a conversation.

I'm not sure which option has the greatest range, but in retrospect, anything less than max seems like no option at all.

End of report.

Thanks,

Rod 98 450ES [...and its yellow]

 

I have been using 40 channel hand held CBs to hunt and also when im riding.When hunting,my partners and I synchronize our watches and check in with each other every 1/2 hr to save on battery life.My CBs also have an adapter so I can use an external antenna on top of my PU Truck for about 5-7 miles of good talking.With just the whip on the CBs,our range is 2-3 miles.Im not to much a fan of the FRS radios.I'd like to maybe purchase a good set of helmet radio's some day.BILL

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I'd like to see how they stack up against a motorola sp-50 5-watt UHF.
You can find them at www.ebay.com</>

[This message has been edited by trx430ex (edited 12-07-1999).]

 

I received a pair of Talk About radios as part of the Kawasaki promotion last year. I ordered the voice-activated mic and clip-on earphone, but the noise of the quad kept the mike keyed all the time, so that didn't work. They work ok for line of sight communication of less than 2 miles, but otherwise in the mountains they are nearly useless.

I also have a pair of hand-held 40-channel CBs from Radio Shack. They weigh about 5 times as much as the Talk Abouts, but have probably twice the range. I can hook one up to a magnet-mount antenna and boost the range quite a bit, but that doesn't help much if the person on the other end only has the stock antenna on his hand-held unit.

We have actually used our cell phones to hook up with one another, as long as there is a tower visible, or nearly so.

I guess the best bet is a flare gun or smoke signals.

 

Deskbound.I just recently purchased a pair of Nextel Digital Cell Phones with 2-way direct calling feature so it does not affect my billing.Im thinking they might work ok.I'll let everyone know as soon as I try them.=======BILL

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Hey Bill!
Nextel works great if you are in the system. It works ona a lot of the same principals as the Cellular/PCS systems. But as I said you have to be int he coverage area for it to work. It's not like the FRS or CB radios in the fact that you can talk simplex directly from one radio to another. You actually transmit back to a tower, down either a T-1 connection or a Microwave hop to a switch where your conversation is processed and sent bak out over the same means to where you are talking. Even if it's 10ft away. I worked on a system in the South East for Southern Company that is the same as the Nextel system and I know a little about it. Also I'll probably be expanding the coverage of the Nextel system nationwide in the year 2000.

"LOCK 'EM AND LEAVE 'EM!!!"
SwampMonster

 

Our club uses a combination of FRS and GMRS radios on our big rides. The lead person has a GMRS radio (range 5 miles), someone in the middle also has a GMRS and then the tail has a FRS radio. We also scatter FRS throughout the group. It makes communications easier but not the best.

What about 2 meter HAM radios? They have a pretty good range and can use repeaters (so can GMRS). Since they dropped the morse code requirement for HAMs I would expect more people to use them.

As for mics, we have found that ear-bud speakers and lapel mics with push-to-talk (PTT) work well for ATVs. We also use over-the-ear speakers with boom mics, but it has to have PTT. I've wanted to try the throat mics with voice-on-transmission (VOX) but I'm not sure if the motor noise would keep it keyed all the time.

There are very few cell towers where we ride so phones don't do well. HAM may be the best bet, but they are EXPENSIVE!

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Kevin Staton
Y2K Polaris Magnum 325 4x4
<a href="www.korrnet.org/watvclub">Windrock ATV Club</a>

 

Swampmonster,My wife called from work last night on the 2-way part of the Nextel.WOW,was it ever cristal clear and she is 40 miles from home.So far I really like the phone to.-----BILL

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