http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technol...tion_lifecycle

"For many format-dependent technologies, people have a non-zero payoff for adopting the same technology as their closest friends or colleagues. If two users both adopt product A, they might get a payoff a > 0; if they adopt product B, they get b > 0. But if one adopts A and the other adopts B, they both get a payoff of 0."

In other words, since pretty much all offroaders have a CB, it pays for a new offroader to get a CB, too, because that's easier than convincing the entire community to throw out their existing purchases and switch to a new technology. The competing technology that is making inroads into offroading is ham radio. I went offroading this last weekend with a group of about ten vehicles, all of which had CB, and 8 of which had 2 meter ham.

 

So, consider this. What is the advantage of having a HAM set which is much more expensive and blah blah blah to have, in an environment wherein mostly it's tight groups that go out together and a range of 1,000 miles isn't needed? In other words, for the cost, why should I go out and put a HAM radio in my jeep instead of a CB? I'm not a HAM, though my wife constantly accuses me of it, and I don't know much about it. So I'm asking from that point of view.

 

For me HAM is mainly a hobby. I have a HAM radio installed in the Jeep but I rarely use it on Jeep runs. Conversely the CB is always On during a Jeep run. If you are in a group a CB is probably all you need. If you venture off the beaten path alone or with just one other person it can be beneficial to be able to reach out to someone for help.

 

I've been on some runs in UT and AZ where HAM was useful (I don't have it). But it was mostly used to communicate between groups on different trails or in a few extreme cases on the same trail if we entered parallel canyons.