GMRS or HAM radio.

[Big Bubba]

New Jeeper interested in getting a small starter handheld for the Jeep. A buddy of mine is into HAM radios but he was saying for Overlanding GMRS is the way to go. I dont want to spend top dollar just yet but want to know what people use more and which is better in a bind i.e. stuck in the woods, emergency situation, zombie apocalypse?

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[mx5red]

You’ll get many opinions in this.. I’m betting you could hit either other radios, or at least repeaters, with a Gmrs in Virginia.
Ham seems great if you want to do all that work and really get into it. When I go wheeling people can’t remember how to work their radios, so unless you do it regularly you may not need something so complicated.
For my purposes out west, I’ve gravitated towards low cost Gmrs handhelds which are convenient when spotting in a group, and plan on using a satellite comms such as inreach or zoleo or bivy stick for absolute emergencies.

 

[Sweetums]

He's right. I got a Ham license and no one out there is using it anymore, you have no need to work repeaters in an emergency in the days of satellite beacons.

For trail communication GMRS is cheaper, but more importantly, there are more people using it.

GMRS is a tool for your hobby, ham IS the hobby.

 

[KevinM60]

As has been stated, GMRS is more popular and all it takes is a radio and a $30 license with no testing.
if you get into it heavy you can always add a ham to your arsenal. Handhelds are priced fairly decent for starting out.

 

[kb5zcr]

I'm a ham, but when out camping and on the trail, I use gmrs and frs radios.
I usually go with my sister who really doesn't know abt radios and such, so I just give her a frs handheld so we can communicate out on the trail from her jeep to mine. It works fine.

 

[jav_eee]

I'd choose whatever radio service is more popular and in-use in your area. If most of the other jeepers/trail riders are using one and you choose the other then you basically chose none.

I got into ham a long time ago and tried to convince my jeep friends to get into it too because our area is pretty well covered with repeaters. None of them did. Fast forward 10 years and most jeep clubs around here use "channel 2.1", in other words FRS/GMRS.

 

[Mojave Nunzio]

And if you go GMRS go cheap on a hand held I use this radio doesn't empty the pockets and it already comes programed, You can use your smartphone to add repeater channels.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08TWS499H?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

 

[bd100]

FRS for others nearby in your group. Half mile in suburbia or maybe dense forest. Might not work at all if a cliff or ridge is in the way. Or it might bounce off something and make it anyhow.

GMRS may reach a bit further due to more power and better antennas, and there MIGHT be a repeater in the area to use, but even if so you may not be able to get to the repeater if forest or hills are in the way. Once using GMRS with a vehicle antenna I was able to talk to camp even though there was a mountain ridge between us. I think it was transmitting down the valley, bouncing off a mountain at the end, then going down the neighboring valley to the camp, where my wife had a handheld with a 1/2 wave antenna. Some day I may put a base antenna on the trailer on a pole.

The original poster here mentioned for emergency use. Satellite is the way to go for safety. If in a forest or a slot canyon you may have to go to a clearing, but otherwise in much of the offroad world it's your only hope. And you can use it for checking in even if not an emergency. Just be sure to remind whomever that it is for short messages only. But it's great to let them know you made it down the trail and are returning now, for example.

If you use satellite often you probably want to get something which makes typing easier, or which links to your smart phone or GPS unit, or such. Trying to type a message on the very stiff waterproof buttons on a little Inreach Mini is kind of painful.

 

[Radio Guy]

As has been stated, GMRS is more popular and all it takes is a radio and a $30 license with no testing.
if you get into it heavy you can always add a ham to your arsenal. Handhelds are priced fairly decent for starting out.

More popular with off roaders or more popular in general? An FCC search shows there are more than twice as many amateur licenses than GMRS licenses.

 

[NHyde]

Find out what your locals use and go with that. IL/WI over landers all use GMRS so that's what I purchased.

 

[KevinM60]

More popular with off roaders or more popular in general? An FCC search shows there are more than twice as many amateur licenses than GMRS licenses.

From what I’ve read more off-road groups are using gmrs. I could be wrong.

 

[NOTJeepBeerSleep]

More popular with off roaders or more popular in general? An FCC search shows there are more than twice as many amateur licenses than GMRS licenses.

GMRS licenses and GMRS users are 2 completely different numbers. id bet HAM users and HAM licenses are closer in parity.

 

[fourfa]

GMRS is a tool for your hobby, ham IS the hobby.

quoted for truth. I’ve made 100 mile simplex contacts on 2m, and I’m adding a portable HF capability that should have international reach - but all that is basically just for fun. $30 baofeng (does uncertified GMRS + 2/70) plus a iPhone 14 or 15 (emergency sat comm) covers all the bases if you want to keep it simple.

An FCC search shows there are more than twice as many amateur licenses than GMRS licenses.

I’d be shocked if even 1% of the people routinely using GMRS even bothered to get the license.

 

[OldSarge]

The radio aspects have been well covered above (I also use GMRS). For emergency purposes, I have a Zoleo satellite communicator that has a SOS function but also lets me send texts from darn near anywhere from a bluetooth connected phone. Its awesome. And, when I'm not wheeling, I suspend the service to just $4 a month. Before trips, I just reactivate it with a few clicks on their site. Absolutely love it.

 

[PsyRN]

$30 baofeng (does uncertified GMRS + 2/70) plus a iPhone 14 or 15 (emergency sat comm) covers all the bases if you want to keep it simple.

^^^^This.

Started with this, a buddy with CHIRP programmed my baofeng to also have access to local emergency response signals like scanner to hear what might be going on. Installed a stronger radio on my truck, and had it CHIRP'd. Now use the handheld for spotting or share with someone who doesn't have a radio. so now I have both GMRS and HAM on the same radio. I know, breaking the rules. I also drove over the speed limit yesterday, and probably will again today. I'm a rebel like that. lol

I also have an inReach mini with the app on my phone. You can send emergency texts, or just a note home saying you made it safely to your camp.

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