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Say we do lose cell phone comms (pick your disaster)?
Then, out on the road,what's your next means of communication?
Now, one might say, "Well, if a regional wildfire cooks the cell towers in an area, then I guess we are all up the creek!".
But given that massive wildfires are possible (don't know how the cell towers fared in the last ones), does one really want to be such a fatalist? Be out there like the rest of the herd with no communications?
Or, to put the last part another way, Fry's Electronics still sells CB radios. Fry's Electronics |
As a business, there must be a profitable reason why they do. So if it really came down to it, there would probably be someone out there who could hear you.
For all things CB, Copper Electronics has the best prices and best selection as well as some "questionable" goodies. Mobile | Copper Electronics
The range on a cb is very limited for general communication, Most units would be lucky to transmit and receive anything over 2 miles at best, being off the interstate your chances of hailing another cber are slim to none making it virtually useless as a means of emergency communication..
You can get them peaked and tweaked with SSB and you'll have a range of about 20 miles to Bases and 10 miles mobile to mobile.
On SSB, you've practically got the world because it's the active cycle in the 11-year sunspot cycle. That means most of the day time opens up the band and on SSB, you've got more power, range and clarity to contact them if need be.
If I were in a remote area and needed help I certainly would worry about who knew it.
Just out of curiosity how many times have you heard of someone having a bad experience by contacting another person for HELP over a CB Radio as opposed to being stranded and taking their chances on the next vehicle that just happens by?
At least with a CB, there's a chance that someone else heard your call as opposed to the perfect stranger that stopped to help on a lonely open road in the middle of no where with no witnesses.
To each their own, but it sort of reminds me of the situation in the movie "Marooned" when
Spoiler
the Soyuz showed up and Keith (Gregory Peck) was telling the Apollo crew that the intentions were unknown but if the Soviet (remember, this is late 60's Cold War) got there before the American Rescue, to go with him
.
That if one is in desperate situations, such as survival in remote areas, what are your options? Are you going to sit there and starve or die of exposure because you refuse to accept any contact except with those you know?
A and B.
A: Well, for the fear stated, that is one reason, I suppose in an interpretation, to why I travel with heavy firepower.
Or C: Become a Ham Radio Operator (General Class).
Now you can bring your portable HF Rig, and long wire antenna. Two bamboo support poles (collapsible) and have a pair of Anderson PowerPoles installed in your vehicle.
You break down ANYWHERE in the world or even on the MOON; you whip out the HF Rig, string your wire antenna between the two poles and plug it in to your PowerPoles, and you can instantly talk all over the planet 24/7 or even to the MOON/Space Station/etc., and call for help!
EVERYONE you talk to is licensed so you can find out who they are, and they also have to give their contact info to whatever authorities they contact to report the incident.
You can get them peaked and tweaked with SSB and you'll have a range of about 20 miles to Bases and 10 miles mobile to mobile.
On SSB, you've practically got the world because it's the active cycle in the 11-year sunspot cycle. That means most of the day time opens up the band and on SSB, you've got more power, range and clarity to contact them if need be.
More power and range is possible depending on how much you want to spend, problem is you have to have like minded individuals to communicate with and on my trips to Florida from Montreal i'm not hearing enough cb traffic to justify a major cb upgrade,
My suggestion to the op is a $35 cb is not worth the effort.
Funny every tv reality show about truckers they are still using the cb. Look at ice road truckers. My brother dove truck cross country and he always used a cb.
Funny every tv reality show about truckers they are still using the cb. Look at ice road truckers. My brother dove truck cross country and he always used a cb.
Because everything you see on reality TV is real. In the great white north there is. It cell coverage, of course you'll need something. And you need a cb to make for some good tv. Sure, most trucks have a cb. Howeever, ever look at how many are not hooked up or how many are turned off?
Poor examples, if you ask me.
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