Florida Land Cruiser Association

A cry for help!!!

There’s been an injury, a vehicle over the cliff, a medical problem or maybe, with male ego aside, you’re lost. Who’s got a CB? Will that FRS handheld work? How about GMRS? Cell phone anyone? Anyone a Ham???

“Hey, I’ve got a CB, it’s right here between the seats, and it uses that little mag-mount antenna thingy on the bumper.” Heard that before? Just about all off roaders have a CB, but they are normally there because it’s recommended by their club for trail communications. The CB is sort of an afterthought for your rig, now that it’s ready for the trails. This also might be the rig that has a $5,000 sound system running 800 watts, pushing the speakers’ with120db and all the finest wires, cables, speakers and amplifiers. And there is also the one with polished billeted wheels, 34 inch shocks with quad reservoirs, and to the tenth of a pound nitrogen filled tires and powder coated custom bumpers front and rear. Comfort items, bragging items, show items. But, if that’s what you want, it’s your rig. Sure, you also have the standard safety items, hopefully something more than a can of bandages and two aspirin. But what have you done just in case you’re on the trail and have to summon help for an injured person in your group, or even to request repair assistance, or, and I know it’s hard to say; maybe you’re lost and could use direction?

So, what is needed to summon help when you’re 50 miles out in the boonies??? First what are our options? For regular trail use, and to communicate with others in your group or nearby groups, the CB is still the overall best choice. The Family Radio Service (FRS) is popular with groups while hiking, hunting and on trail rides and offers short distance clear communications. The Mutual Use Radio System (MURS) is also a short distant communications service for personal use. The General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) is similar to FRS but allows higher transmitter power. The Ham (amateur radio) has a multitude of options and can talk half way around the world. And lastly, as we all know, the ever-present cell phone.

All CB’s here in the US (legal ones that is) have a power output of 4 watts and are regulated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), CB uses both AM (amplitude modulation) and SSB (single side band), depending on the style radio you buy, and they operate in the 11 meter range (27 MHz). And of course there are those who “tweak” their CB’s for higher power and use amplifiers to again boost the output power to 100 – 500 plus watts. Their reasoning to illegally operating a CB being, “Hey, you speed on the roads, and speed kills.” So by that logic it must hold true that you can four wheel across closed forest land, because people speed on the roads.

The only real difference with CB radios that you can buy are the receive convinces such as noise filters, squelch and receiving the local NOAA weather stations and weather alerts available on various models. Today you do not need a license to operate CB. You will also hear a variety of “communication” skills on CB, from those who use it to keep track of their trail group and making sure everyone is accounted for, to those who just can’t keep from cussing and playing their music over the air when maybe someone is trying to check on a missing group member. Actually a CB when used with a “properly” tuned and well placed antenna can be a very good communication device and will cover a great distance. It has its limits like all radio services, depending on your location, like being in a valley or on top of a ridge and even whether it’s day or night. Too many people put a CB in their vehicle and screw on an antenna and think all is well. You must tune that antenna and use quality coax and connectors (like you did on your sound system), to get the maximum performance you may need. There are a great number of CB users across the country, and because of that, you can sometimes get people to relay your request to the final point. In some locations you may be able to contact a Law Enforcement officer direct as some jurisdictions have CB’s in the patrol cars.

The FRS uses handheld transceivers in the UHF (ultra high frequency) 460MHz range, and are FM (frequency modulation) and share some of the GMRS frequencies. Being FM, reception is normally noise free compared to AM/SSB, and these FRS radios do not require a license to use. They have a maximum power output of ½ watt. These are not designed for long range communications, but they will get about one half to one mile range and are great for clear communications on trail runs. But with FRS, you cannot use an external antenna to try to increase your range.

A similar system to FRS is MURS. It allows a 2 watt power output, and may get about a 4 mile range. There is no license required for using the MURS radio. It is in the VHF, 150 MHz range and uses FM. The radios are not as common place to find as the FRS, but they are out there.

On to GMRS, this is a licensed radio service and that license will allow all members of your immediate family to use the GMRS frequencies in the UHF, 460MHz range. The cost for the license today (2008) is $85 dollars. The most popular type of radios is handhelds, and they will vary from 2 watts to 5 watts depending on how much you want to spend. There are also repeaters available in the GMRS service, but most likely you will need to contact the repeater owner and get permission to use it and maybe even pay a fee. Remember that the repeater is private property and the owner has the right to control who uses it. Hopefully the repeater will be near the area you wheel in. Some of the FRS/GMRS handheld units sold today obviously have both systems within the one radio as they share some frequencies. Keep in mind that the GMRS channels require you to have a license to use them; the FRS channels do not need a license.

The ever popular cell phone, just about everyone has a cell phone now days. It works great in more metropolitan areas and even some remote areas of the county that have cell towers on mountain tops. And just as often they don’t work at all. The cell phone will not keep you in touch when you are out in the back country. Now if you can afford a satellite phone system, you may have the best of all communication needs.

Now the Ham radio system, thought by some to be the answer to all communications needs. Ham radio requires a license to use, and knowing Morse Code is no longer required to get that license. In the US, there are currently three levels of license available. The normal entry level license, the Technician Class, allows you to use VHF, UHF (ultra high frequencies), microwave and the higher frequency spectrum. The VHF portion is what most off-road folks are talking about. The most popular VHF Ham band in use is the 2 meter band, and there are thousands of hams using this band. A normal mobile Ham radio, operating on the VHF 2 meter band, will have a power output up to 50 watts. Of course this will vary with model of radio. Keep in mind that the Ham fraternity has certain protocol that will not put up with the common type of language and other things heard on CB. Hams are also bound by laws, both nationally and internationally. Hams are required by law to identify themselves with their call signs at certain intervals during transmissions, not always easy to comply with while on the trail. Hams cannot transmit music as many CB’er do, and profanity is not accepted. These frequencies are monitored by Ham operators and the FCC. And there are ways to locate those who desire not to obey the law.

Normally a ham would use “simplex”, radio to radio on a single frequency, while communicating on the trail with other off-roaders, but normally the 2 meter system mostly relies on repeaters. A repeater will take an input signal on a frequency and rebroadcast it out on another frequency. From a standpoint of communications while out in the wild, there is an even chance that VHF will not make that “help” contact when you need it. If you use a hand-held radio, with about 2 watts output, you are normally going to communicate about 5 – 7 miles. Don’t forget that VHF frequencies are considered “line of sight” communications. Now with 50 watts, you may be able to talk somewhat farther, perhaps up to 10 to 30 miles. Again it depends on your location when you need to use it, while in valleys, in a dense forest, behind high ridges or 50 miles out in no-mans land, this all will limit your contact ability, remember, this system mostly relies on the use of repeaters for long distant communication. There is a “National Simplex Calling Frequency” you could try, but someone within range has to be listening on it. Granted it has a better chance than FRS, MURS, even GMRS to summon help, but Ham VHF is not the Holy Grail of communications.

Enter the second class of amateur radio licenses, the General Class. This higher class license gives you all the VHF privileges of the Technician license and in addition you get the HF (high frequency) privileges allowing many more choices. But you don’t get this license without learning some laws and radio theory and taking an additional test. These HF bands can be used to talk just a mile away, or to talk around the world, and from any location you may be in. From valleys to mountains to the most remote place on the planet, you will talk with someone, maybe not in the next town, but you will make a contact. But it is not all that simple.

If you really need to contact someone, even as a Ham, you need more than one frequency or type of radio to choose from. It’s no different than you having a Supra as a daily driver and a FJ 60 for trail use. Each has its own use and best performance area. This is true with radio frequencies. With more than one radio in your vehicle, you either need different antennas for each radio band, or one of the “tune all” frequencies antennas. If you ride in areas near towns or areas that are between large metropolitan areas, then VHF, or CB, could be your answer. If you ride in remote areas away from the cities and well traveled highway/Interstates, then you would be better off with a well matched CB/antenna or Ham radio HF gear.

If you use CB, you MUST optimize your antenna system. You may have an 800 watt sound system in your vehicle that will rock everyone on the trail but that stereo is simply for entertainment and your bragging rights. Then why buy a CB and install a bargain antenna somewhere convenient in your rig, with the antenna tie wrapped to the roll bar, and trust your life or the life of someone you love to a system that is less than perfect? If you decide to get a Ham license, then shoot for the General Class license and get both a VHF and HF radio for your vehicle. Some radios include both segments, but they cost money. And you will still need a quality antenna system.

Higher power radio signals don’t’ necessarily get you more communication distance. A quality antenna and having it installed properly makes the difference, whether it’s CB, Ham or GMRS. Also keep in mind that you can have the best antenna system you can get installed, but if it’s your vehicle that’s upside down or under water, it’s not going to transmit any radio signal. CB does not need a license, a GMRS license can be gotten by filling out a form and paying an $85 filing fees. Almost everyone has a CB, why not make sure all those in your club or your trail friends have the best antenna system that can be made. That way it doesn’t matter who may be in trouble, others in the group can make that call for assistance. Check with a local Ham in your neighborhood, or your local Sheriff/Police and ask to talk with someone in Emergency Management. Ask them if they can get you in touch with the local Ham emergency communications group that almost all law enforcement jurisdictions associate with during times of local disasters. Someone in that Ham group should be happy to come to one of your meetings and tune antennas for you.

The location of any antenna CB, GMRS or Ham, on a vehicle will dictate how well you get a signal out to that distant contact. The best location would be on top of your metal roof, or on top of your roll bar. Not normally the first choice by vehicle owners, so in some cases you have to compromise its location. Why not put a second mount on top of the roll bar just in case you need that extra bit of signal strength for that one time call for help? It would only take a couple of minutes to swap the antenna onto it. You need to do this ahead of time to get things tuned up; you can’t just sit the mag mount on the roll bar and expect it to perform better than on the bumper.

You can set up an antenna, tune it correctly, and it most likely will have a stronger signal pattern in one particular direction off of your vehicle. This is especially true when the antenna is mounted on a corner of the vehicle. Correctly tuning an antenna requires some specialized equipment. Just having a low SWR (standing wave ratio) alone doesn’t mean your antenna is good. CB shops should have the tuning equipment and they may be able to tune your antenna for a small fee. Even after you complete the antenna installation and get it tuned, find someone with a “field strength meter” and made one more test. This meter, by its name, measures the strength of the RF (radio frequency) field coming off the antenna. These meters are very common and many times the SWR meter and field strength meter is one unit. Many CB’ers and Hams have them, or you can check local CB shops or Radio Shack type stores.

Take the vehicle to an open field, or beach that is away from ledges and large rocks, or large empty parking lot away from buildings. Park your vehicle in the middle of the lot. Make a circle around the vehicle about twenty feet away from the center of the vehicle. Now mark eight equal spots along the circle, much like a compass rose; front, rear, drivers side, passenger side, front driver side quarter panel, etc. Next make a drawing (See Fig. 1) on a piece of paper showing the vehicle and the eight spots around it.
[img][img]http://www.imageposter.com/storage/t91/32730FS_meter_fig_1.jpg[/img]
Now take the field strength meter and stand on one of the spots and have a friend key up and talk into the mic, maybe count one to five. (Remember, if this Ham or GMRS radio, you must identify your station while doing this test.) Read what indication you get on the meter, and record that value and the spot location on the piece of paper. Also, depending on the power of the radio, you may have to vary the initial diameter of this circle so you can get a meter reading. Now, walk to the next spot, but don’t change any settings on the field strength meter, repeat. Go to all eight spots around the vehicle. Now take a look at the values you wrote on the paper (See Fig 2),[img][img]http://www.imageposter.com/storage/t91/10034FS_meter_fig_2.jpg[/img] there will normally be one or two points that are higher in value than the others. This higher value indicates the direction of best signal strength from your antenna. Also many people use the field strength meter to make antenna adjustments instead of using a SWR meter. Tuning an antenna with a field strength meter lets you tune for maximum output of the antenna, not just looking at SWR. If you really need to get help, align your vehicle, if possible, so that this higher value point is toward the closes town or population area.

Getting prepared for the one time you need to summon help is not going to be easy. You just can’t get something that will provide you with piece of mind without working for it. If you are already a Ham, or have a good knowledge of antennas, set up a “tech day” for your club and get the CB antennas on their rigs tuned up and/or reinstall them in a better location for maximum performance. If they want to get a Ham license, check with local Ham clubs and see if they offer license classes.

If you live in Alaska, Texas or Montana, your communications needs will most likely be different than those who live and play in Southern California. Everyone and every place are different. Figure out what is needed to satisfy your off road communication needs. You probably spent hours just finding the right place to put your stereo speakers, hours on how to design and make your front bumper and hours in selection of your wheels; now take the time to install your radio equipment, especially the coax and antenna.

Yes, I teach both Technician Class and General Class ham radio license classes in my county in an effort to get more hams involved in emergency communications for the county’s Emergency Management radio needs. And I will also tune antennas. I don’t supply antennas or coax, and I will not “tweak” your CB.

Jerry Dixon
Amateur call WA6QFC
GMRS call WQHD542
FRS user

Wow Jerry, that's a lot of information. I have a few questions if you don't mind:

Are two seperate antennas needed for VHF and HF?

About how much do the HAM licenses cost?

Where do ten meter radios fit into all of this?

Thanks-

Are two separate antennas needed for VHF and HF?

Yes.
You can get one antenna that is good for both the VHF and the UHF bands available to the Technician Class lisence holder. Remember that a dual band antenna is a “compromise”, individual antennas will normally work better.

As for the HF antenna(s), you can get one multi band antenna that can be tuned, manually or remotely, for most all of the HF band frequencies, or again get individual single band antennas. Some of these multi band antennas are quite large and parts are “stiff”, meaning they can be broken easily if left on a vehicle while off-roading. I personally have four single band antennas for the HF bands in my 40, and install them as I need to communicate. Otherwise they are kept in a length of PVC pipe with end caps on it.
A couple of reasons for my choice, first – if I break one while out in the bushes, it will only cost $20 - $30 to replace compared to a multi band antenna that may cost a few hundred dollars to replace. Secondly -- here again I have found that a single band antenna gives me better performance than most multi band antennas.


About how much do the HAM licenses cost?

The cost is the least part of getting a ham license. You have to study and pass a 35 question test, one for the Technician Class license, which gives you primarily the VHF, UHF and up into the microwave frequencies; and one for the General Class license, which gives you the additional HF frequencies. Both test are 35 questions, cost for the test is $14. The license is good for ten years. Study books a available at ham stores or on line. Even some web sites have the study material so you can just open the web site and study. Other sites have practic test on them so you can see what areas you may need more study in. People from nine years old to ninety three years old have passed these tests, it just takes a bit of study and you actually will learn something.


Where do ten meter radios fit into all of this?
Ten meters is in the HF bands. It’s 28 – 29.7MHz. As a Technician Class you can use SSB and DATA on 28 – 28.3MHz, other HF bands are available to use, but only with Morse Code. If you get your General Class license, then you have 28 – 29.7MHz to use, the lower end is exclusively for code and data.
Ten meters can be a very good world wide band to work on. But it has its quirks about sun spot cycles which run over an eleven year period. Sometimes you can’t talk across the state, and other times you will be overloaded with hams from around the world.

Nice info!!