Calgary Jeep Association
4x4 Related Groups => General Talk => Topic started by: SilverTJ on February 23, 2010, 01:48:26 PM
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So I have a little extra cash burning a hole in my pocket. What would you suggest I buy first?
Onboard air system, GPS, or CB.
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Scratch tickets, then buy all of those.
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but the cb so that you can come on more runs! ;)
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What would you use more? What would make your life more easy? Do you need OBA or would a smaller portable viar pump or something like it work? What kind of GPS do you want? One to carry around if you go hiking? One strictly for vehicle? Do you want a cheap CB or go all out trucker style? Depending on what you choose you could probably buy a couple items.
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CB is first. Then if you have lots of cash get a winch.
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I didn't see hookers and blow on the list,.. ???
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I didn't see hookers and blow on the list,.. ???
haha...nice.
I'd say CB and then OBA. Who really need a GPS anyways.... :P
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Scratch tickets ;D
Hookers and Blow...will these things help on the trail :o I haven't seen any tech articles on this
I was thinking of the Viair compressor (like the one in JP mag this month) not really a full on under the hood set-up. I would be using the GPS strictly in the jeep and a larger screen would be great since the eyes aren't so good. Has anyone been to either of the GPS shops here in Calgary? And I don't know anything about CB's other than it seems to be helpful during a large group trail ride. Since I want to be out all the time maybe the CB is the way to go. Again this would only be used on the trail in the jeep. Any suggestions?
The winch should be here next week. Anyone want to get stuck? ;)
Thanks for the help
Darrin
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CB.... hands down. that way you will know when someone is sliding back at you... and you can possibly get out of the way.
seriously... a CB.
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And you won't miss anyone makeing fun of Immortal if you have a cb :P
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And you won't miss anyone makeing fun of Immortal if you have a cb :P
It is worth getting a CB just so that you can listen to (and participate in) this particular part of the CJA.
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if your hunting for a gps, try stapels i know it sounds weird but they wer $50 cheaper than the best deal i found and bestbuy or other electronic shops.
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Crappy tire has good deals on Gps's.
Who really need a GPS anyways.... :P
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And do you really want to know where your going :D
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if your hunting for a gps, try stapels i know it sounds weird but they wer $50 cheaper than the best deal i found and bestbuy or other electronic shops.
as does costco..
Maptown downtown sometimes has decent deals on GPS's, but ebay probably blows everyone away as far as price.
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Sounds like the CB wins. ;D
No for a little research
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Extra cash like what $1000?
CB and Winch
Lift and Retread Tires
High Output Alternator and onboard air
Onboard welder
Rebuild 4.0 engine to a stroker but this would mean I need a running get-parts and tools vehicle
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CB would be my last choice by far. Those things are such a waste of time.
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id spend money first on recovery items and skid plates, then maby maintenance items. ....im so boring.
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CB would be my last choice by far. Those things are such a waste of time.
lol, how is the ability to communicate out on the trail a waste of time...? I've been in many situations on the trail when our CB's helped us out alot, whether it was to stick together on a night gone bad or to talk about obstacles/hills.
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I'd go with a GPS and download the trail maps of Mclean and Waiparous
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They are a waste because they are a loud 200 dollar frs.
-kve spent countless hours and well over 2000 bucks trying to keep cb's alive in 2 rigs.
Get out of tune and they burn out.
Water on the floor rots the cables.
Garage, trees, and obsticles, tear off antennaes.
A sniff of water from getting caught topless 1 day will fry one.
All that in place of a 10 frs, so some dudes can play "army" on the trail.
Waste of time
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I was at Future Shop last night in Beacon Hill and they are selling off all of their car audio stuff and GPS Systems. They had a Garmin for $50.00
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They are a waste because they are a loud 200 dollar frs.
I bought mine off of ebay... $58 to my door.... but yes, they are finicky, and very prone to water damage.
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maybe you should save it for when you break stuff so you can upgrade.................. ;)
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As a HAM guy, yeah....CB's suck. But they are what everyone uses. Having an FRS on a trail run is kinda like showing up with a Mac when everyone else has a PC. Sure, it's cool and all...but it doesn't offer the same utility. Not because it's not as good....but because it simply won't talk to what everyone else runs.
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FTR my opinion of ham is totally different, as they actually serve a purpose.
You are right Todd, but that will never change the fact that cb's, and this clubs love of them will always be a pet peeve of mine.
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no one loves the CB. but they are cheap and anyone can use them. when set up correctly they work very well for our purposes.
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FTR my opinion of ham is totally different, as they actually serve a purpose.
You are right Todd, but that will never change the fact that cb's, and this clubs love of them will always be a pet peeve of mine.
LOL!!! True, but until most of us "serious" wheelers get the $$ for the licence and the equipment.... a CB will have to suffice.
As for the new-to-wheelin folks... cheap way to be aware of what is going on with trail situations. I would love to have a HAM, but right now it isn't in the financial cards.
Billy, you don't like the CB because nobody can hear you over the 300+ HP engine that you are sitting behind.... LOL!!! ;)
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Maybe I should stick with the GPS.
At least I can do a point to point and find my way home even if I have no one to talk to. :)
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if you purchase a garmin rino 110, 120, (or whatever model) you get a built in FRS/GMRS radio with your GPS...just dont expect earth shattering performance out of that radio.
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Maybe I should stick with the GPS.
At least I can do a point to point and find my way home even if I have no one to talk to. :)
Go back the same way you came ;D
I'm assuming you don't have some big bad Jeep that is going to take you into uncharted teritory. Probably go to Waiparous, run the 2 trails, map them on your GPS. Then realize, hey, I don't need a computer gizmo to tell me I'm on trail 1 or 2, return it at Walmart for a full refund ;D
Seriously, some people get so involved in the GPS they have no clue where they are, which way is which and get lost going to take a pee cause they don't have the GPS with them...
Get a map, compass & basic skills. Take note of where the sun is and where it is going. Which direction the water is flowing in the creeks, landmarks like mountains in the distance, bridges, funky trees, intersections, etc... That theory knowledge will help you more then the "signal lost" errors as you look at your GPS screen for an hour instead of getting out of the Jeep and looking at where your tire treads are coming from.
CB's are handy sometimes, it's too bad many internet social networking addicts have access to them and use them like they're at a party and can't stop talking :(
I bought a handheld CB at a pawn shop for $40, it's volume it usually turned right down, unless really needed.
You seem undecided, why not put the money away for now and go enjoy life, jeepin' , 4x4'ing, maybe read some magazines, talk to some people, etc... come back in a couple weeks or months and then you'll have your own clue where you might want to spend your own $.
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You seem undecided, why not put the money away for now and go enjoy life, jeepin' , 4x4'ing, maybe read some magazines, talk to some people, etc... come back in a couple weeks or months and then you'll have your own clue where you might want to spend your own $.
That is some excellent advice Serge. Well said. I personally wouldn't get too wrapped up in CB's and GPS's. Too many people on here get too excited about offroad widgets. Just get out there and wheel.
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Get a map, compass & basic skills. Take note of where the sun is and where it is going. Which direction the water is flowing in the creeks, landmarks like mountains in the distance, bridges, funky trees, intersections, etc... That theory knowledge will help you more then the "signal lost" errors as you look at your GPS screen for an hour instead of getting out of the Jeep and looking at where your tire treads are coming from.
Spoken as a guy that has invested a reasonable amount of time, effort, and money into getting the right GPS installed in my rig for wheeling....Frenchy is 100% right.
One of the free SRD paper maps and a compass is all that you'll ever need to navigate in Waiparous. The GPS is a neat toy. It will never be any better than the data you put into it, or your skill in operating it. It's not a replacement for a real map, a real compass, and the skill and confidence to use them properly. Even if you don't have a compass or a map (you went wheeling alone and you Jeep caught fire?), the skills that Serge talks about - noticing landmarks, being aware of your route in, paying attention to the topography, watching which way the streams flow...all of that will let you walk out of the bush comfortably instead of wandering in circles.
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Serge, Thanks for that great advice. It really makes a lot of sense. I think I am getting caught up in the 'new toy' fever. Your right I think it's time to have fun and learn more about the jeep and the areas I'm in and stop getting caught up in the getting the next new thing.
Thanks for everyones advice. See you on the trails.
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GPS is a waste unless you love exploring new areas.
i have gps tracks of Indian Graves, Dutch Creek, Livingstone, Waiporous and Moab. But that GPS is toast, so i only have memories and surprisingly, i do remember trails.
GPS is a necessity if you want to try and get new/old trails on the SRD map. Take the Novacc course and the GPS is necessary to map out trails.
CB's. i have them, never turn them on and listen to tunes instead. Over the years both CJA and FWS would come up to me on a trail to see if my CB was working ;D
But as a club with newbies to offroading, i think the cb is a good tool that should be mandatory. Communication among newbies to 4x4ing is essential.
As i tried tuffer and tuffer trails, i found myself with other guys that had no cb's. So cb's were never used. Experience trumped cb's.
Although, if you are on a FWS run, HiLo Silver provides fantastic narratives along a trail regarding the history,etc. 8)
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CB.
Bill is right about them, they can be a pain in the butt. But the best way is for everyone to be on the same type of radio, This comes up all the time, my opinion
cb is better than FRS, Amateur radio is best, 2M, the absolute best way. But in reality most club members are not going to get their licence and a newbie for sure won't.
GPS are nice at night, the trail you went in on can look a lot different when the sun goes down when you are tired and trying to go home.
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With all these CB recommendations you guys keep throwing out prices like say $60, but do you still need to buy a seperate antenna cut to a fraction of the length of the signal? or is that "old technology" now? I guess I'm asking if you still need to add a whip to your vehicle? cause that could add another cost.
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You need an antenna, mount and spring.
i have used the 20ft non tunable whip antenna before. It worked well enough when needed.
Next was a magnetic mount. Not very good, prone to falling off and reception was not very good.
i than went to a Firestik tunable antenna. It worked well.
My next move was to a cheap portable CB that plugs into the lighter. It worked well, if i was out of the jeep. The range was about 2 jeeps ahead of me. :-[ It basically sucked.
i bought an adapter to the prior firestick antenna i already had. i mounted the antenna, plugged into the portable cb and it worked as good as the whip set-up.
i re read what i wrote. i would like to add to it. CB's or a common form of communication is always good to have on hand. You may never need it but when you do...
Lots of guys on different wheeling trips like to yap it up on an adventure. i have definitely enjoyed the many conversations that take place at times. But, as the jeep grew and my skills got better, i found myself listening to music and not the CB. i always knew who was in front of me and behind me. If i trusted their abilty behind the wheel, i continued to listen to music. However, if it was someone that had not been on the trail before and was unaware of 'attack' lines on certain obstacles, ruts or hills, i would be listening and offering any tips to the guy behind me.
If the guy in front of me was new to the trail or wheelin in general, i also paid attention to the CB. i have been lucky enough to shout stop a few times over the years because of my cb.
For $100, i am sure you can be set up well. :)