I've been looking at different options for radios in my Jeep and have a couple of questions. A couple of years ago I ordered some of the Retevis H-777 radios from Amazon and have been using them for our Jeep trips. After reading the reviews I find out that its actually illegal for me to be using these without a license. I've never had any trouble, but I don't want any either. So I'm considering taking my HAM test and getting all that stuff out of the way. But in the mean time I need to be able to have a CB on board to communicate with those that don't have HAM..

I've been reading the reviews on this unit and someone mentioned that you could have a switch soldered in on the board that would switch the unit from 11 Meter (CB) to 10 Meter (ham)...

Seems like that would be a really handy little radio..

https://www.amazon.com/AnyTone-APOLL...words=CB+radio

Can someone who understands this stuff better explain to me how this works? Would I use the same antenna for both? I really don't have the room to run a hand-held two way, a CB and Antenna and a HAM with an antenna..

 

If you plan on using HAM I would just buy a handheld CB for 40.00 and call it a day. No need to run wires or tune it especially if you plan on using HAM most of the time. My CB hardly even comes on anymore, more people are using HAM.

 

There seems to be quite a bit of confusion here. I will try and clear some of it up, but I'm at work, so there will be some holes.

First, you only need to be a licensed ham to operate on ham radio frequencies. Additionally, if you are operating on GMRS frequencies, you need a GMRS license. No license is required to operate on any CB frequency.

Each license and frequency comes with restrictions. You are restricted on what frequencies you can operate on, as well as maximum power output.

The antenna you use with a radio must be made for the frequency (band) on which it is to be operated. You cannot use a UHF antenna on a CB radio and not expect to have problems.

It is VERY important that your antenna be tuned for the operating band it is being used to transmit. A perfectly tuned antenna will emit 100% of the power coming from the transmitter. Of course, this is theoretical. The best we can do is get very close. Failure to tune an antenna will result in power from the transmitter being reflected back to the radio and damaging the final amplifier and your radio will be useless. Don't assume the Firestik you have is tuned. An antenna that is tuned will operate well on a range of frequencies in a given band. A 10m antenna will work OK on CB and vice versa, but I wouldn't expect stallar results, and it's advisable to operate at reduced power when on the "other" band.

The walkies you mentioned above will transmit on the ham radio frequencies, and without a license, is illegal. They will also transmit on GMRS frequencies, which, again, without a license is illegal.

A ham radio license is a little harder to get, only because it requires taking a test, and likely, some studying for the test. All of the test questions and answers are published. The license is for an individual, everyone in your group would need to get one. But they are cheap at only $15 per test session.

A GMRS license only requires an application and a filing fee. I think they are either $60 or $90 and covers you and your entire family and possibly your group.

I opted to go the GMRS route. I hate CBs (I will still have one, but I hate them), but encourage others to switch to FRS (no license required - lower power restrictions) or better yet, GMRS and get a mobile mounted radio and permanent antenna.

Modifying a radio that is only FCC type accepted to operate on HAM bands, so that it will operate on non-ham frequencies, is also illegal. I will also note that some Chinese manufacturers have been caught putting phony FCC stickers on these imports.

On a side note, all of the illegal activities I mentioned here are very difficult to enforce, and unless the actor is malicious, abusive or interfering with others with malice, you're not likely to get "caught". My advice to you is to be careful about frequency selection. If not a licensed HAM, stay off those frequencies. Hams are very protective of these and have some rather sophisticated equipment and can track you down. I've done it myself and have assisted in having malicious operators prosecuted. These were people who were purposely interfering and intentionally trying causing problems.

Stick to GMRS frequencies, even if you choose not to get a GMRS license, but get the license anyway. And be careful, some police, fire and rescue departments still use frequencies that some of these radios are capable of using. Same for modding a 10 meter to use 11 meter. Stick to the CB frequencies after modding the radio.

Bottom line, be careful and don't attract any unnecessary attention.

 

Not really a whole lot more to add to what shutterbug has already said (which was very well put)...

But just to add my 2 cents in - in my experience, for ham, most jeepers typically use 2m/70cm (VHF/UHF) bands for trail communications; and most repeaters for local day to day/work commute chat, or reaching out through in an emergency, will be in 2m or 70cm as well. There are repeaters setup all over; and I have repeaters programmed into my radio memory channels for all the areas we wheel at, as well as places we travel to often. (*note that we don't transmit over these for trail talk, we pick our own channel that is not in use, along with a PL code - but if there was an emergency situation, the repeater would greatly increase your odds of reaching out to someone).

On the GMRS side, which is where our group is heading, there are some solid options out there - aside from handhelds, there is a midland 5 watt mobile radio kit that connects to an external antenna (comes with a small magnet mount one, but can be used with other permanent mount ones); or other dedicated GMRS mobile radios that can use up to 50 watts on the high power channels (**some channels are restricted based on location, for example where I am there are two channels we cannot use due to proximity to Canada). There are also some GMRS repeaters out there as well, just not nearly as many as there are in 2m/70cm.


(I also still have a CB... and I also hate CB)

 

Thank you for your responses! Great information for sure... So how do I tell if the radios I currently have are FRS or GMRS or neither?

Also, is the Midland unit you were referring to this model "Midland MXT100 GMRS MicroMobile 2-Way Radio"

 

Most of the bubble pack FRS radios cover the low power shared GMRS channels as well; it varies though, you're best bet would be to google search the make/model of them to get the specs and details.

And yep, that is the one I was talking about, the midland mxt100; it doesn't work on the FRS only channels, but it will work on the 7 shared GMRS channels that most bubblepack radios also use (and of course the GMRS only channels).

Channel Type Frequency
1 FRS / GMRS 462.5625
2 FRS / GMRS 462.5875
3 FRS / GMRS 462.6125
4 FRS / GMRS 462.6375
5 FRS / GMRS 462.6625
6 FRS / GMRS 462.6875
7 FRS / GMRS 462.7125
8 FRS 467.5625
9 FRS 467.5875
10 FRS 467.6125
11 FRS 467.6375
12 FRS 467.6625
13 FRS 467.6875
14 FRS 467.7125
15 GMRS 462.5500
16 GMRS 462.5750
17 GMRS 462.6000
18 GMRS 462.6250
19 GMRS 462.6500
20 GMRS 462.6750
21 GMRS 462.7000
22 GMRS 462.7250

 

So the Retevis H-777 says its programmed with frequencies from 400-470. Would the motorola system mentioned above talk to the Retevis without any extra programming?

 

This radio has pre-programmed frequencies in it that are not HAM or FRS or GMRS for USA use.

It looks like you can program it yourself and it looks like it uses the same programming cable as a Baofeng radio. This is a UHF radio only, when you get your HAM license reprogram it to UHF simplex frequencies (446.xxx) for USA use. It looks like the frequencies in it are crossing over in two different band plans, you could be stepping on businesses if your talking close to cities.

IMO reprogram it ASAP to USA UHF simplex frequencies.

 

I haven't listen to the whole podcast, but the timing is pretty good!

Northwest Jeepcast: Rapping with your buddies

The discussion starts at around 29:15 into the show.

And a minor correction to my original post. GMRS licenses are $65 and are good for 5 years, but allow for high power operation on the GMRS frequencies. The license is issued only to individuals and extends to the licensees immediate family.

 

Great Info! THank you!