Communications in Overlanding, Camping, and Travel | Proven - Gear & Tactics by X Overland

[@chrisreeves6541]

I just wanted to through in a few good words for CBs. I am a licensed HAM and have been off-roading for over 30 years. For groups that do not really get more than 7ish miles apart, a CB has always been effective for me. if you want to do a little better, get a full wave whip antenna and have the CB legally tuned. Are CBs the best? No. Are CBs the cheapest? Probably. CBs are worth more than a cardboard box and will do just fine for most people. The first question you should always ask yourself is, what do the other people you travel with use? Let that direct your communications purchasing.

[@rudedogii]

Yes sir I agree! I run a modified Galaxy DX959 SSB. If I really wanted to get crazy I would get a high dollar multi-band ham radio but never had the need for one. CB works just fine.

[@TroutWest]

AMEN DUDE. You nailed it

[@TroutWest]

@@rudedogii What up rude!!

[@dantheman20127667]

lmao, now I'm picturing a 36 foot antenna on a jeep

[@chrisreeves6541]

@@dantheman20127667 LOL just run a wire around the outside of you Jeep! I didn't think that part through very well. Take out full wave whip and insert 102" whip.

[@StreetDancr]

Clay, I love the discussion! I agree 2 meter / 70 cm is the way to go as the best all around - and it's easy to get your license! I also agree that InReach and Sat Phones have a place as well although they are often so expensive. Growing up in MT CB's were in every vehicle but short range (I think we primarily used them for keggar locations). I have been a ham for over 25 years and swear by it. Having ham along with local repeaters programmed in my truck while wheeling in NW Montana saved my bacon! I developed an issue that rendered the vehicle undriveable - it would have been a long hike out without any communications. I now mostly wheel in southern KY and everybody is on CB including those who are just sitting on their porches consuming alcohol. Because of it's popularity I run dual coms (CB / HAM) while wheeling. Group / Trail comms is sporadic and you're often walked over by others mentioned above. I've tried convincing our group to make the upgrade - your video will help drive it home. I currently run multi-tier coms. Cell phone - often no coverage, Ham mobile 2M / 70cm in truck along with a couple of HT's. GMRS and FRS are also available for "in camp" communications of when you just need to go find a fallen tree. I need to make the upgrade to digital and / or APRS.

[@wbball15]

Thanks, Clay. I'm glad that you've shared your comms tech info.

[@JKTrail]

A couple of years ago I was considering a GMRS mobile for the Jeep trouble is users, other than the cheep walkie-talkies are few and far between. Too bad the off-road and overland communities haven't really embraced GMRS. In defense of CB, if you're attending an organized event like East Jeep Safari or Jeep Jamboree, you need a CB. Even at Northwest Overland Rally, they used CB, as well as 2-meter on the trail rides. CB can also be valuable when running forest/logging roads since the logging trucks use it (nice to know where they are). That being said I prefer the Icom ID-4100 in the Jeep and the ID-5100 in the truck!

[@akinsman85]

Jeep Jamboree just switched from CB to GMRS.

[@JKTrail]

Andrew Kinsman I got the email re the change 😀

[@ur12cujo]

You should look into cross band - set your handhelds to 70cm and your Mobil’s to 2m, so your handhelds are transmitting at Mobil’s power.

[@Adamgvc]

I feel like this comm video is way and above what 99% of us will need. Cheap GMRS or CB will work in almost all circumstances. How many of us have air and ground comms? Ham is a very intimidating and complex step.

[@ExpeditionOverland]

Thanks for watching! We hope this helps with all of your questions about radios and communications. Enjoy!

[@ScottyPerkins]

Still a little surprised that you guys pivoted over to the Icom vs. the Yaesu Fusion radios, especially given the "where is the other station" features that you (correctly) talked about with the Rino. Was there another reason beyond ease-of-use that you switched off of the Yaesu? I love my Fusion radios, including the FTM-400 that you guys used to use.

[@tylerdean980]

For the newcomers looking for information, yes, amateur radio is much better than any radio service, but do not discount the CB radio. Most of the issues that people have are the result of poor antenna systems. The antenna is everything when it comes to radio performance. If you want to get the most out of your radio, you need a 1/4 wave antenna. Ideally, a full quarter wave exposed, with no coils. This is why people complain about the performance of CB radio, because almost none of them are using a 102" steel whip. But with the higher frequencies, like VHF/UHF ham, and GMRS, you can have a physically smaller antenna for the same efficiency, and that is why most people see better performance with those radios, because they tend to be using smaller antennas. That said, the power difference will always be there, unless you run an illegal amplifier, like many truckers. But, one advantage that CB has over these other types of radios, is that you can get ones that do Single Side Band, which raises the legal power to 12 watts, and, with the proper antenna system, can be used to talk around the world when conditions are right. Ham also has SSB, but it is more common to see this feature on HF radios than on VHF/UHF, unless you're getting a radio that can do all ham frequencies, but then you're looking at around a 700$ investment.

[@kennrymdeko6489]

Good gear review. It would be nice to see more detail on antennae and install (location of mount, punching through the cab, etc) Keep doing great stuff!

[@w0nt0nj0n]

The end of this video was my favorite scene in the South America series, I laughed so hard

[@andrewneumann547]

I appreciate you sharing your knowledge and experience. Thank you.

[@TBGaels32]

The one thing about Ham radio is that with the Icom radios is that they use a different system than APR-S otherwise known as DPR-S. its a completely different system, but if you're looking to for a radio that's a 2m/70cm that does APR-S I believe Kenwood has a few radios that work well and will automatically transmit your position.

[@MudducksTouringAustralia]

Love hearing guys praising and using ham radio. 73 Cheers Steve VK2UD

[@lexmedic157]

Not that you're trying to be shady, but using digital (DStar, P25 or otherwise) does give you an added layer of security. Not every scanner can decode your transmission. That's huge when you're in a place that strategy is needed. Kudos for putting this information out there, I too, for years, have tried to push the others I travel with to use ham radio. Most view it as not worth the expense or time needed to get licensed. Clearly some of these people have not been in a situation where they had no help coming because of their limitation to CB/cell phone. I believe they all have their place, but having a good rugged amateur radio, by far, wins in capability and usefulness in remote locations.

[@JKsouthwest]

Very good, simple explanations of the various communications. We have switched to 2M ham radio as well, we even did a video about it. It is just more effective than CB or FRS/GMRS.

[@bassnbucks3238]

Yes man love these gear reviews!

[@Thecarcissist12]

This is one of the better videos ive seen on the subject. Im a complete newbie and trying to figure out even where to start is kinda rough. If you know any other guys who can kinda talk the HAM stuff dumbed down for the layman, I would love to learn more on the subject. Ive signed up with a local group to take the test but not sure where to start as far as systems and such. also, just being a layperson, im intending to run both GMRS and HAM, because Im also gonna be doing some search and rescue stuff and i figure most people who im gonna help on the trail will have GMRS/FRS if anything at all.

[@Donkarnage223]

Great video and I totally agree with you! The issue is now a days is there is continuity between different clubs and offroad groups. Some use CB(alot still use), some GMRS only, some HAM only. So it is a good idea to go with CB setup and a HAM set up with the MARS/CAP mod so you can TX/RX on HAM and GMRS. Although TX on GMRS with a HAM is technically illegal.

[@UpintheAir.stream]

Excellent Video, this is my next capability task. HAM Radio.

[@totebags6829]

Trian, go for Technician license. License is not difficult to get, easy terminology, nothing complicated. It will open an entire new world of communications for you. Unit to unit, unit to repeater, satellite, digital, tracking. Mucho capability. I've been a ham for over 50 years, started very young, it's been fun and fascinating.

[@danielhurst8863]

The funny thing about that cheap Baofeng radio. We moved and it got lost in a box for over 2 years. I finally found it and expected it would be destroyed from battery leakage. Turned it on, and not only did it still work, the battery was showing 75% charge. For something considered cheap and replaceable, the battery performance was unexpected.

[@gacastillo21]

Great video! Thanks for the good information!

[@andrewevanoff1192]

Get a mobile HF rig. You don't know what you are missing. With HF, you get worldwide communications without any repeaters, internet or any man-made infrastructure. If you do decide to go with HF, I highly recommend Tarheel antennas. They are nearly bullet proof (properly installed). No antenna tuners needed. Also, a Yaesu FT-891 is a great, 100W mobile radio. Check them out. BTW, the Icom radios in your video have a country-wide repeater database loaded into memory. You can select a group of nearest repeaters based on it's internal GPS position coordinates. It's very handy if you travel a lot.

[@kevinbishop1323]

lovin this new Series

[@VanillaGorilla502]

Question, I’ve got a Midland MTX275 GMRS coming for my 4Runner. Should I direct wire it to my SPOD/Voswitch or use the included 12v plug?

[@explor360]

Will you be doing a video on a HAM install in the Gladiator?

[@Trail_Kings_Offroad]

Ok I’m hoping I can get a reply I love your guys videos and philosophy. I’ve been running the ICOM ID5100 for about a year now in my 3rd gen Tacoma and love it but could definitely use a little bit of dialing in. Could you please give some insight on how you mounted your head unit to the ceiling of your guys Tacoma? Also what antenna system do you guys run?

[@SPEEDOFDOG]

i like cb. if you know how to tune an antenna you will talk for miles. with a 108" whip and a decent radio like a galaxy you will out perform those radios. on sideband with the right conditions i have made cross country contacts, something those radios cant do. been using cb since the late 70s.

[@marcusalancate1782]

4 watt to 4 watt (or 12 watts for SSB) on a trail, pipeline or powerline is sufficient unless you abandon your buddies and don't keep them within line of sight. Now if you have a line of trucks stretched out several miles up and down a mountain side then i could see using 40 watt mobile gmrs rigs. Those walkie talkie toys won't make the trip out of clear line of sight use.

[@gabriel67roman]

There's also the iCOM IC-1000 SAT, which are satellite based comms. They work on the Iridium constellation.

[@Thecarcissist12]

Do you still need HAM for this setup? is there a fee to use the iridium system?

[@rugpimpfilmz]

@@Thecarcissist12 Yes & Yes

[@OverlandTrax]

Good video, thanks for sharing!

[@kmk7429]

For programming amateur radio have you looked into RT systems ? It is a very good software. I have gotten to where if I get a new radio I buy there software right away and I have never had a problem

[@rustyb78]

You took the test and “walked out” with a call sign? Dang bro, that’s fast.

[@HugDeeznueces]

lol

[@jeepinbanditrider]

Also look into APRS if you want functionality similar to the Rhino but in a much more capable format. You can even send and recieve texts and emails via the APRS satellites if you aren't in range of a digipeater.

[@jethro9341]

You show yourself using the radio with it held 'sideways' with the antenna horizontal. Keeping it as vertical as you can will greatly improve the quality and distance of your radio.

[@blackwell32]

great info. thanks for the video

[@Eubeenhadd]

Thoughts on MURS as a replacement for FRS/GMRS?

[@areti6380]

Are you guys announcing your gmrs callsign when talking simplex to each other? Looking to get my gmrs license and have vaugley understood its required to announce at the end of transmission and every 15 mins. I'm possibly far off base though

[@dennishenderson6988]

If you happen to be running FRS radios on the channel then identifying is not required. Who would know which type of radio you have?

[@DavidLedbetter12]

Can ham radios communicate with the other radios? Its all just frequency right?

[@mykalbee]

Is the new season going to be available on Amazon Prime on Nov. 7th?

[@nealcrum6404]

Great video! Studying for my ham test now and I'm looking forward to getting my truck set up. My question is do you have a licensed technician in every truck or is everyone able to use the radios under your license?

[@tsmithf33]

Clay, how about a national or world wide XOverland net on D-Star one night ! Hope y’all are doing well - Tyler KK4WTF

[@fdeering]

When you were in Ecuador. Did you have to get a different license, to use the radios in that country.

[@burgesstaylorgeneralstore1991]

I’m curious as to why you chose dstar over moto turbo or fusion?

[@rustyb78]

Burgess & Taylor General Store probably because dstar has been around a little longer than fusion and it’s easy digital out of the box. Trbo and dmr takes a little more time to get setup and programmed. Audio is better on dmr but the barrier to entry is easier with dstar. I like them all.

[@jacktaylor2842]

@@rustyb78 Makes sense.

[@rugpimpfilmz]

@@rustyb78 I believe they went with Icom could be due to sponsorship. Yaesu Fusion has a 10x better codec (C4FM) than AMBE (D-Star) the clarity is 2nd to none & they do the same exact functions & more than Icom D-Star...However, they may be scaling their comms to eventually include Icom's new SAT HAM radio....I'm curious to know....I've been using APCO25 since 1997, DMR since 2009 & Fusion for 2 years thus far & P25 is the most robust & clearest digital protocol out there followed by Yaesu Fusion...DMR (Moto TRBO) & Dstar aren't as clear but they do have some features that seem attractive to Overlanders….Your questions is a very good question.

[@rustyb78]

Joe Kay I’m a huge P25 fan and have been for many years as well but we have little use in my area with respect to ham radio. I use p25 daily at work though. It’s solid. DMR is the next best imho. I just wish that the main stream ham radios would adapt to p25 and dmr.

[@choppedandscrewedcustoms]

I run the ID51 and bought the mobile power set up but would love to have a 5100 but I discovered the TYT 7600 it's a simple radio but can get up to 100 watts on 70cm KD8ZLR standing by

[@mikehancho2517]

What if power grid goes down major power outrage will they will work?

[@OdySlim]

Nice review. I believe Technician's also have privileges on 6 meters. That band is another good choice. Especially if you want a little more range. I believe one can get 1-50 miles with a decent antenna and it gets through mountains and curvature better than 144, or 440 mhz. Of course you have already established yourselves on 2 meters but if your Icom mobile has the capability of 6 meters that would be a different story. You made a really good choice to go with amateur radio. CB radio is a terrible choice. In an emergency situation you would never get any help with the channels full of people intentionally interfering with you. Looking forward to your next outing. regards from W3CV

[@aaronakiyama]

6 and 10 but FM only

[@jlr3636]

Is there a ham radio 2m frequency which is best to monitor if you are solo , I realize the repeater is the best choice but was thinking you might be able to find closer help if there was a common frequency programmed in. I have a ICOM 2730a dual band , if I’m in the desert photographing and gat bit by a rattlesnake, I could broadcast from my handheld to my truck base which could then broadcast to a repeater. Sounds complicated however it really isn’t. Damn rattlesnakes

[@dennishenderson6988]

146.520 is the national calling frequency. People often monitor this frequency. If you call out then announce what frequency you are using as many use a scanner function to listen to many frequencies and they won’t know what frequency they heard you on. I have had good luck calling from higher places for a quick contact with my HT.

[@jeepinbanditrider]

Do a proper antenna install and tune it properly and a CB is serviceable. The only reason I push for GMRS and HAM radio to off road folks is for capability and compactness of gear and antenna. A mobile GMRS radio takes up very little space and a resonant antenna for GMRS is 6 inches long for a 1/4 wave 12 or so for a 1/2 wave. Ham radio dual band antennas are a bit longer but not by a whole lot. And the clarity of FM vs AM radios. Also rugged radios is a huge rip off.

[@ki6uoc]

I wouldn't quite be quite as down on CB, particularly in mobile context. CB is on a lower frequency band than the other alternatives, which does give it potentially better propagation, particularly in hilly terrain. And the CB power output isn't that bad in sideband mode (12W is the legal limit). But, because the frequency is lower, the wavelength is longer and thus a proper antenna must be longer (and thus more difficult to mount or carry). Beyond that, they're usually quite cheap for a mobile radio and quite common in the 4x4 community. Sadly, I can't seem to find a CB rig that has a detachable head unit, making mounting one a bit of a pain for me. If you're doing something that's not permitted on Ham radio, or don't want to get the license, there's another option besides CB and GMRS: The Multi-Use Radio Service or MURS: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-Use_Radio_Service. It's a bit less capable than GMRS in some ways: There's no high-powered MURS mobile radios, repeaters are not permitted and it's not as commonly used. But it's another option for those who think they need one. If you're going the Amateur/Ham route, take a look at what repeaters are in your area and in the areas you intend to travel in. Many of these might be on 70cm (the 440Mhz-ish band) instead of 2m (the 144Mhz-ish band). It might be worth your while to get a duel band mobile radio and maybe dual band handhelds. And if you're willing to splurge just a little bit, try to get a mobile radio that can do 'cross band repeat'. This allows the mobile radio to act as its own repeater, with an input on 70cm and an output on 2m or vice versa. It's handy for situations where you're outside of the vehicle, but still want to talk on a repeater the your mobile can hit but your handheld can't. I might also add a mention of High Frequency (as in "Lower than Very High Frequency or Ultra High Frequency") Amateur radio, which this video doesn't really consider. There's several Amateur bands that have much longer wavelengths and lower frequencies than 2m or even the 11m CB band. The longer wavelengths cause High Frequency radio waves to bounce off the ionosphere, allowing for long range contacts. Long range as in "you might be able to talk to Japan from Moab" range, depending on the band, time of day, the sunspot cycle, the antenna and a few other variables. The downside here involves getting even bigger antennas, greater difficulty in mounting and tuning the antennas, more expensive gear and a greater overall know-how (and realistically, a general or extra class license) required.

[@ivanmendoza2704]

Why do people hate the little Baofeng UV-5R. I have been using UV-5Rs for years with no problems while camping the AT with my daughters.

[@billmurry24]

I drive semi for a living and your are very mistaken about cb radios with the right antenna you can reach out 10 to 15 miles easily and if you peak and tune a cb you can reach up to 50 miles I’m running a stryker 955 10 meter peaked to 90 watts and running the Stryker antenna and I can reach 30 miles easily

[@veredaleware145]

Cb is a lot more effective than you know I'm am also a gen class ham but will never be without a cb and my vhf/uhf radio with mars/cap also for expeditions APRS would be great to add to your gps/comm Ecom equip

[@SmokeytheJeep]

Very surprised to hear Clay criticize CB like that. That attitude, in my experience, typically implies someone who doesn't know the technology or how to correctly install and tune his/her radio and antenna system. (The antenna and coax are easily the most important part of ANY radio system, regardless of the band!) The barefoot Uniden mobile in my Jeep will easily reach out five or six miles on any given day, and much farther when conditions are good. (My longest DX has been close to 1,000 miles away -- all on a stock radio and using three- or four-foot antennas.) I will readily accept that GMRS/FRS and HAM have their advantages, particularly when it comes to clarity and power. (One reason I'll be augmenting my CB with a GMRS mobile unit in the next year or two.) But, let's be realistic: Every one of these systems has its place in the off-road and overlanding world.

[@Yettee0201]

GMRS is all you need. Go online pay for the license get a radio and you’re done.

[@kylegrozelle7737]

What about two vienna sausage tins and a string ?

[@ExpeditionOverland]

I think Kurt would love that!

[@welpro21]

String? Get the wireless tins, its the 21st century.

[@KurtWilliams-CruiserKurt]

@@ExpeditionOverland He would...

[@dantheman20127667]

Man, if you rank FRS as being more effective than CB, you must be doing something wrong

[@4evryoung426]

I don't understand why you believe CB'S are not good depends on the way it's set up I have a galaxy 33 with a connex board a full wave whip antenna and a palomar 250 watt booster fully tuned and I can get out 10 miles I've had this set up for 15 years now in my semi

[@gojoe36]

Get ya some Military stuff :>)

[@hatchetjackphillips]

CB gets a bad rap in the off raiding community because most people are using $50.00 Uniden and cobra cb’s from Walmart that won’t transmit from one end the street to the other. Not tuning the antenna is the other issue. I run cb and GMRS in my truck. Gmrs is definitely better, but cb still serves a purpose.

[@ThisTall]

I bought one of those baofeng radios and they’re trash. I spent 2 hrs Bush walking within 3 miles of a friend and we couldn’t pick each other up until we were 400 yards apart. Complete garbage.

[@minitruckerf1]

CB radios can talk very far....they are cheap and easy to find

[@jplacido9999]

STOP mencioning Ham Radio in a utilitarian way. Ham Radio is for technical and scientic purposes. NOT for overlanding !!!! Don't tell people that they take a simple test and get into the wonderfull world of Rádio Amateurs !!!! Why would you think people would have a hard time work and money spending implementing repeaters ?!! For overlanders ?!!!! For that, ham radio wouldn't even be authorized by the Admnistrations. You would have to get a PMR licence In Portugal the repeater"s frequencies were even blocked for newcomers, because truckers were using it as a long range CB (same philosofy: "let's use that hard to implement and maintain repeater network as our private joy talk network"). DON'T DO THAT !!!! Ham radio is for tech/scientific/emergency guys, NOT for overlanding !!!!! In fact, excluding repeaters, you get the same performance from a GMRS mobile radio as from the ham radio unit. And you wouldn't be stepping over the feelings of those dedicated guys that keep ham radio alive by hard work and emergency response prepping. (That DOESN'T exclude one or more ham radio operators to be present inside the overlander's group to use their ham radios for asking for external help !!!!👍👍👍)

[@TroutWest]

Meh.. Lots of fake news on this one. CB Radios are super compact now. You can get a Cobra Handheld C75 that has everything in the mic and with a Wilson 1000 Magnetic mount gets out over 15-20 miles in good conditions, 5+ in bad. Plus, you can get into added power and go 50 miles no problem. That's a WHOLE lot better than FRS or GMRS. As for HAM, the FEDs, and many states are now shutting down HAM repeaters everywhere. CA has already begun that. Your HAM radios will be good for nothing once that starts.

[@KurtWilliams-CruiserKurt]

A. The Cobra 75WXST is a great CB due to its compactness. But your range is optimistic at best and NOT a usual result. 5 miles is even a stretch with the average CB. Operating WITH an amplifier is illegal but under the same range logic, one can amplify a 2M HAM as well, often legally. B. While California is considering charging for repeater space/power, you can't consider every political move in California a trend ;) Repeaters around the US are on private installations. Even outside of repeater use, simplex comms (most common use for XO by about 10000x) is not going anywhere and is independent of a repeater. Good for nothing? Other than communicating hundreds (thousands with HF) of miles without a repeater ;)

[@ScottyPerkins]

The problem is the whole "you can get into added power" thing. It's illegal. Hard stop, 4W is the maximum legal power you can run for CB, and that's if you can even install your antenna such that you don't drop half or more of your power into your truck frame, which unless you're really good at grounding and bonding is just going to happen. GMRS at UHF just works, and has 12x the power right out of the box. I've got an 80W 2m ham radio...that's 20x the power of any legal CB. Also, to speak of fake news, that attention-seeking KZbinr that said that California was shutting down ham repeaters was completely debunked. There are more than 2700 repeaters in California, and they're not going anywhere unless the clubs that run them want them to. In Idaho we're adding repeaters at a regular clip, including interlinked repeaters all across the Western US. Plus, you don't need a repeater to use ham radios; simplex works just fine, especially at 50-100W. Digital modes, telemetry, and with a $15 license, perfectly legal and easy to install. Plus, you've always got HF. I regularly talk to Europe, Japan, and Oceania with my 100W HF radio in my rig.

[@rugpimpfilmz]

The story about CA shutting down HAM repeaters started on a survivalist website & it is legitimately a fake news story....it propagated like wildfire & many people contacted the ARRL as well as the FCC & it was debunked... As far as using a CB, I've used sideband in the mobile & have legitimately talked 15-20 miles swinging about 60 watts any day, on good days, (with good propagation) my antenna works like an NVIS antenna & I can talk for 150 miles....I personally would have both in my truck If I was off roading OR use a mobile HF rig like a Yaesu FT-857 or an Icom 706 with a screwdriver antenna.....diversifying your comms is always a good...however I know interior & exterior real-estate is a priority...So, there are pro's & con's to it...

[@patpatterson9018]

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