Quote:
Originally Posted by redpoint5
With cell phones, GPS, and internet, CB becomes less useful for most people.
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I suppose. But there are a lot of highways around here that go through dead zones still. I've tried satellite phones but those seemed very finicky. I've also seen the internet, cellphone and landline services all go out for several days.
But even if you have great cellphone coverage, on the road CB radios make a lot of sense. Having a PTT button (Push To Talk) is a lot easier than dialing or trying to talk to your phone to get it to dial for you. And unlike both cell service and FRS you can also put the antenna on the outside of the vehicle making it more effective. CB is also limited to 4W instead of only 3W with cell phones or 2W as with FRS.
GMRS will let you have up to 50W of transmitting power. You can also use repeaters with GMRS. CB isn't great for several dozens of miles, but with GMRS you can put a repeater in the middle and get perhaps 60 miles of range. The downside is that GMRS requires a license. The upside is the license only requires a $30 fee and it applies to your whole family.
Amateur radio lets you have up to 1,500W of transmitting power in the USA, as well as several bands including HF bands that let you bounce off the ionosphere and travel well beyond the horizon. You also get several modes of operation to choose from (AM, FM, Digital, Single-Side-Band, etc.) including video and picture modes. There are also Amateur radio satellites you can use and a whole lot more repeaters available for VHF and UHF use including networks of repeaters that cover the whole state (albeit a lot like or worse than Cellphones, they have their dead spots). The downside is you need to both have a license and take a test, or several tests, in order to get the license.
- Cellphones are like taxis. You rely on the service provided. When it goes out you can't do anything about it.
- CB and GMRS are like driving your own car.
- Amateur radio is like driving the does-all, goes-anywhere SUV as you can even use it to tie into phone lines or send text messages or emails and the like. If the all internet, power and phone lines go out, with Amateur radio I can still contact anyone that receives text messages or emails outside of the affected area via amateur radio.