Radio communications between RVs

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On our trip to Baja Mexico with Escapees Mexican Connection, it was a must to have a working CB. Cell phones are not reliable there, not having a CB for maybe 40 years, I was unsure but to my delight in our convoys of 8 rigs they worked great. Sure most of the time in the states cell phones work but when your are traveling with one or more there are times they don't and it is usually when you need to communicate. So we are sold on having a CB in our rig and ask traveling partners to have one too (some laugh). Don't think they are a big help in an emergency, are all 2 miles line of sight isn't much.
 
Bearpaw said:
maritime net 14.230
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Actually, 14,230 is typically for slow scan TV. Maritime (and Intercon, too) is on 14,300, USB.
"Ham radio 142.565??" What's wrong with 146.52/446.0 initially, just like for other hams? It's not as if these freqs were jam packed with thousands of people interfering with each other. And there ARE several RV nets on 20m and 40m -- have been for years.

Bearpaw said:
Frs channel 5
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My experience is that the FRS is short range enough that chance encounters are gonna be very rare, and it works better if those folks who want to get together in a convoy will choose the FRS channel and code for their needs and potential interference.

Bearpaw said:
Cb channel 21 for rvs
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Some folks I know use CH34, when needed, but as little CB use as there is these days I'd think 19 might be OK, since people monitor that for truckers anyhow.

Still, if you get enough people to agree with your choices (or to negotiate choices with and set up an agreement), you might get something done.
 
JayArr said:
This must be different on different radios. We repair Motorola, mostly UHF but some VHF as well. If you program the radio for a different 'Code' then other radios that aren't set to that Code don't hear you and you can't hear them.
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There are many types of radios. Most FRS/GMRS and CB radios are straight FM. Now you can program in depending on the radio one of many "Codes" (CTSS tones or Sel-Call Tones) but if I'm monitoring the channel with a receiver that is not code-squelched I hear everything just fine.
You talk of fixing Motorola UHF.. So I'm assuming those are DMR digital radios.. Now those if you don't have the right "Code Plug" you do not hear. You can have two conservations ON THE SAME FREQUENCY and neither hears the other.. You can share a channel or group of channels under automatic control with dozens of other users and not hear a peep out of the others I have used, Professionally, Such a system.
But the government can still hear you..
Also you need a license to use that kind of radio.
Professionally The "Company" (in my case a governmental agency) had the license, and still does
I also have a Ham Radio license that allows me to use DMR radios if I choose (I do not at this time due to some of the features of DMR I wont' go into there)

I do use D-star in fact I'm listening to a D-Star (Multi-mode actually) net as I type.

Radios for RV-RV use
FRS very short range 14 channels
GMRS somehat longer range same 14 as FRS plus some more GMRS and higher power
There are also some other features of GMRS that are interesting
These are all FM and though you an use tone squelch so you do not hear others. they can still hear you .(Just press the Monitor button before you transmit please if using tone squelch)
CB. even more power and range.. 40 channels and you can use AM or SSB (SSB gives even more range)
I had all 3 of those in my RV.. Plus VHF/UHF ham radio.. originally FM but for the last few years both FM and D-Star.. I now have those radios here in the apartment.
D-Star (And other Digital modes including DMR) have the ability to transmit over IP as weii (VoIP) so of the radios I have here.
One is a "Terminal mode" the radio parts are off. a cable connect it to a $10.00 (when I got it cost way more now) Raspberry Pi Zero W Then wi-fi to my house router and on to the world.. I'm in Davison MI (just east of Flint MI) Net Control is in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada I don't see any overseas calls in the net tonight but I've talked to Hong Kong (Half way around the world) you also talk to the international space station on both VHF/UHF FM and D-star (The Sky is no longer the limit)

You can also talk radio to radio (And I have)
YOu do need a license.. To get a license you first study (books can be obtained from the store atr arrl.org) then Register with the FCC's universal licensing system.. Then find club that is offering testing (Or better yet find a club that teaches a class) and take the test. This can cost up to $15.00.. You will be told if you pass.
If you did you will get an E-mail. once you have that send the FCC $35.00 via the ULS system and you are good to go. DMR radios can sometimes be found for $50.00 or less.. D-Star tend to be $500 or more... My first D-Star was $0.00 (Won a drawing) 2nd one (Hand held) was about 400. 3rd about 200 used (that's the one in the car) To give you an idea of cost.
Straight UHF/VHF FM handhelds start at about 10 bucks (That's a 5 watt Baofeng on Wish.Com)
 
John From Detroit said:
You can have two conservations ON THE SAME FREQUENCY and neither hears the other.. You can share a channel or group of channels under automatic control with dozens of other users and not hear a peep out of the others
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They still interfere with each other as much as they always did, if on the same RF frequency. It's just that you don't hear it. You hear nothing unless the low freq audio code matches or if you're in carrier only squelch. You can have your radio not use the code and hear everything on the RF frequency. Doesn't take the government to do that, anybody can do it. Just use the "monitor" button.

-Don- Auburn, CA
 
If you are in cell phone range which most major highways are zello works as good as a cb and no interference from others trying to use the radio at same time you are using it.
Plus you are not range limited you can even talk to grandma back home if you want to.
 
DonTom said:
True in the past only.

Changed recently. These days, FM is also allowed on CB.

See here.

-Don- Auburn, CA
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OK, a rule change I missed. Still, few radios are so equipped, at least at present, just as with SSB. AAnd, as of last October:
While FM has been approved there are no FCC approved CB radios with FM so until companies begin producing those it’s just as illegal to transmit on FM as it has been for the last 50 years.
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meaning, of course, that with the existing radios it's still not legal (or possible without an illegal mod). But your link did show an FM or two, so there must be a little production now, but still rare. And I suspect range is reduced a little, when it matters, but ignition and many other noise types will at least have reduced interference, if not "none."

But all that said, I still stand by my post #44 that CBs are not "straight FM."
 
Hi folks, Rick here.

In case anyone is interested, the following link is to the actual regulations pertaining to Personal Radio Services. Subchapter B covers FRS (Family Radio Service). Sub D covers CB (Citizen's Band, or chicken band as we used to call it back in it's hey-day). ;-) Sub E covers GMRS (General Mobile Radio Service).


There are several quite knowledgeable folks on this post, who are probably much more current than I. I'm an old FCC licensed commercial radio tech., but have been retired for some time, so somewhat out of date. In fact I didn't know FM transmission was now allowable on CB channels. Thanks for the update.

BTW, y'all sound like a great group to learn from about the wide world of RVing. I look forward to that education.

Thanks,
Rick
 
FCC ban sell of 23 channel when the 40 channels. We still use 19 while on the rd never can tell what lane you need to been in if, a wreck is up front more so if you have a toad behind you.
 
Larry N. said:
Provided you have the phone number, maybe. But how do you do that without some sort of pre-arrangement with strangers?
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I replied to the OP.

"I was wondering what people use when they are in a group and traveling?"

I assume there are no strangers involved and I do not have any friends that do not have a cell phone.
 
Larry N. said:
Provided you have the phone number, maybe. But how do you do that without some sort of pre-arrangement with strangers?
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Ah, yes. Therein lies what has always been, IMO, the biggest advantage of CB type radios over any cell phone based system.
 
I once went on a road trip in which my wife, sister-in-law, and her friend constantly yakked on CBs. It was so bad I removed the CB as soon as I could.

Texting is now the preferred method. They can yak all day every day and not disturb anybody.
 
I recently drove from my apartment to a north Detroit suburb (Ferndale) and I had one of my radios, in terminal mode. Linked to the internet and other radios via my cell-phone's data plan. .I had several "the module is not linked" events (Lost the internet connection) Now my other radio.. Not internet linked. No problems there. but the point of this is you can not count on cell service full time. it tends to have "Gaps"
 
It seems at least to me, the only real utility in any 2 way RV communication is going to be in a caravan or group setting where that communication is coordinated. I have had HF/VHF/UHF ham radios, CB, MURS on tap in my vehicles for decades, and more recently GMRS/FRS. Even with all that, it's very rare to engage in communication with others travelling down the road. The idea you'll just be driving along and having random encounters with other RVer's via any communication medium while underway is somewhere between very unlikely to nil. One could argue the utility of CB when the freeway backs up and I've had a handful of times that's happened, but that averages out to about once a decade. But because you don't know which radio service is going to be handy you're kind of bound to have at least a CB and an FRS radio on board for those odd times you need tactical or casual communications. Ham, MURS and GMRS I would consider "advanced" in terms of licensing, and acquiring, understanding, and using the equipment. It would seem a fairly small subset of RVer's would be using those frequencies/channels anyway, so CB and FRS covers most of what you'd ever need to have. Fortunately the acquisition cost is low so no reason not to have both. Whether you ever turn them on is another story but I've used my FRS radios more than I expected while in the RV so it's all about having the tool in the toolbox when you need it.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM
 
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