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CB Radio
Hello,

I was thinking of purchasing and installing a CB Radio and had a few questions. 1.0 Is it valuable enough to justify the effort. 2.0 Is it difficult to install. 3.0 What is a good CB to purchase assuming it is worth it.  Thanks for reading and as always appreciate the LD owners opinion(s) the most.

Thank you and Happy Trails,  Matt
2002 MB
Re: CB Radio
Reply #1 –
IMO, a CB radio is no longer worth installing.  Even 10 years ago, we would get traffic updates, rally communications, truck stop ads, and late night entertainment.  These days, other forms of communication have rendered the CB radio unused.

We only occasionally use ours for Weather (WX), but even that is rare.  I would not order one on a new rig and we seldom use the one we have. 

Rich
2003 MB
Re: CB Radio
Reply #2 –
The Lazy Daze Caravan Club communicates via channel 30, so all who attend their meets should have one. Other than that, they can be handy listening to the truckers when the traffic has backed up for some reason. About it...

Steve

p.s. the cobra all-in-mic model the factory installed is handy, as it takes up little space on the dash.
2004 FL
2013 Honda Fit
Re: CB Radio
Reply #3 –
I have a CB in my 2003; the only times I've ever used it in almost 20 years were to communicate with a caravanning companion on a couple of trips and to occasionally listen to the "morning announcements" at a Lazy Daze Caravan Club outing. As far as on road communication goes, a CB has limited range and is prone to cutting quickly into garbled, staticky, or "Can you hear me now?" stuff when there is too much distance between communicating vehicles or there are obstacles blocking transmission.

JMO, but you may want to consider more efficient and reliable communication alternatives to a CB.

YMMV, as always.
2003 TK has a new home
Re: CB Radio
Reply #4 –
What did you have in mind to use it for?  If you're thinking about communicating with family and or friends while camping or on the road, FRS radios would probably be a better bet.  Many have NOAA broadcast capabilities too.  If you are thinking about emergency use when no cell coverage, you're probably out of luck.  Once upon a time, folks monitored the emergency channel on CB, but not so much anymore.  If that is what you have in mind, better to get a HAM license, as we hams still operate reperaters in the boonies everywhere.  It's easy these days with no code requirements and easy theory questions.  Just a thought.

Rich - W7JVL - Birch Bay, WA
Former 2000 MB- Now Bullet Crossfire 1800RB trailer pulled by a Chevy 2500HD
Re: CB Radio
Reply #5 –
Back in the day [don't ask how far] I was a big fan of CB radio. I always had one in my '77 Intl Scout and had to have one when I bought my LD in '04. I actually got some use from the one in the Scout but like Joan I have rarely used the one that came with the LD.

I've monitored Chan. 30 at the Caravan outings, it was a waste of time, better read on a bulletin board. Not even the truckers use them to the extent they did back then, preferring the cell phone instead. No, even if I were to go traveling again I would not need a CB!   ::)   ;)
Steve S.
Lazy Bones & Cedar
2004 30'IB (Island Bed)
Yesterday is History, Tomorrow is a Mystery
Live for the day!
Re: CB Radio
Reply #6 –
Quote from: Lazy Bones  - 
Back in the day [don't ask how far] I was a big fan of CB radio. I always had one in my '77 Intl Scout and had to have one when I bought my LD in '04.
I've monitored Chan. 30 at the Caravan outings, it was a waste of time,
No, even if I were to go traveling again I would not need a CB!   ::)   ;)

CB was big...a few decades ago. LD Caravan's morning announcement is the only thing our CB is used for today.
Today FRS (Family Radio Service) handhelds are popular, along with their more powerful cousins, GMRS radios.
GMRS radios require an inexpensive license to use and can communicate with FRS. Our LD shares a GMRS radio with our Wrangler, it only takes a couple of minutes to transfer it between vehicles.
General Mobile Radio Service (GMRS) | Federal Communications Commission
We use a Midland GMRS.
Midland MXT275 MicroMobile Two-Way Radio | Midland Radio

Another, more expensive and complicated choice is a ham band radio with a 2 meter/ 440 band radio the most popular and useful for communication while traveling with others.
These radios have better range and can use repeaters to allow even longer-distance communication.
We used a Kenwood 2 meter/440 radio for years when off-roading with friends. It could be mounted in the LD as well as in our Cherokee.







Larry
Larry
2003 23.5' Front Lounge, since new.  Previously 1983 22' Front Lounge.
Tow vehicles  2020 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, 2001 Jeep Cherokee
Photo Collection: Lazy Daze
Re: CB Radio
Reply #8 –

For anyone interested in FRS radios, Amazon has a "Lightning Deal" on one that looks pretty good, Amazon.com: Seodon Walkie Talkies for Adults Long Range with One Extra...
4 units with 8 rechargeable batteries, 4 charger bases, etc for $56.  No NOAA, but has what look like 1/4 wave antennas which should be more efficient than those short ones, for longer range, but maybe less convenient.

As an Amazon Associate Lazy Daze Owners' Group earns from qualifying purchases.
Former 2000 MB- Now Bullet Crossfire 1800RB trailer pulled by a Chevy 2500HD
Re: CB Radio
Reply #9 –

Those are certainly affordable, but I wonder how difficult they will be to use, given they have no display. Per the product description: "16 pre-programmed channels. Channel frequency is programmable within the frequency range; you can program any of 50 groups CTCSS and 105 groups of DCS." But all you can do with the channel selector knob is choose a channel or choose "scan". According to the user manual, anything else, including squelch, QT/DQT, busy channel lockout, etc., has to be done by connecting the unit to a PC. 

But exactly how that works in not covered in the user manual. The closest they get is to say that some functions "can be program [sic] by software." How? They don't say. By reading user questions, I learned that you need a "Baofeng Programming Cable" and apparently some special software, but what the software is and where to get it are nowhere explained.

The one thing you can do is turn on vox (voice operation). Again this is not mentioned in the manual, but in a reply to an Amazon question, the manufacturer says:

"Turn on Vox: firstly you should turn on the radio, make sure the channel is in the channel 1, then turn off the radio, put the PTT button and MONI button together,(the two orange color button) then turn on the radio, the radio will say VOX is on. Turn off the radio, put the PTT BUTTON and MONI button together,turn on the radio, it will say, VOX turn off. all these make sure they are in the channel 1"

Got that? ;-)

These do get good reviews from people who just want to take them out of the box and use them, and apparently don't care whether they can make use of a bunch of built-in but inaccessible features. I wouldn't buy them, but they might be suitable for some folks... and they are cheap for their power. Personally, I'd spend a little extra for a pair of Motorola T460s, which have a clear readable display so you can see what you're doing... .plus niceties such as a built-in flashlight, NOAA weather radio, and more. It doesn't hurt that Motorola has been around for 93 years, and has pretty decent support. (Shenzhen Firward Technology Co.,Ltd, who make the Seodon walkie talkies, get poor marks for support from Amazon reviewers.)

As an Amazon Associate Lazy Daze Owners' Group earns from qualifying purchases.
Andy Baird
2021 Ford Ranger towing 2019 Airstream 19CB
Previously: 1985 LD Twin/King "Gertie"; 2003 LD Midbath "Skylark"
Re: CB Radio
Reply #10 –
After checking out the cheap FRS radios, I agree with Andy. The lack of a display and the need to buy a cable and download software, to program the radios, is something most would not be happy with.
We have a set of 15-year-old Motorola FRS radios that still working great and are easy to change channels and CTCSS privacy codes. Surprisingly, their rechargeable batteries still work.

Larry
Larry
2003 23.5' Front Lounge, since new.  Previously 1983 22' Front Lounge.
Tow vehicles  2020 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, 2001 Jeep Cherokee
Photo Collection: Lazy Daze
Re: CB Radio
Reply #11 –
Chirp seems to support some of the FRS/GMRS units as well as ham radios these days, and they're constantly updating it.

Home - CHIRP

Steve
2015 TK
 
Re: CB Radio
Reply #12 –
Good tip, Steve! That CHIRP utility could come in handy someday. Unfortunately, the Shenzhen Firward/Seodon radios aren't on the list.
Andy Baird
2021 Ford Ranger towing 2019 Airstream 19CB
Previously: 1985 LD Twin/King "Gertie"; 2003 LD Midbath "Skylark"