CBs- in western Canada CBs are becoming obsolete If you have one use it but
I talked to 5 trucker buddies some long haul and some in the oilpatch they don't have them or haven't turned on in 5 years. They have switched to company VHF or cell phones. I even stopped at two different communication companies they don't even sell CBs any more. They suggest The Source {Radio Shack}.
True. CB's still see occasional use on the highway, and I've gotten good info from them on occasion in the past, but those times are rare. The other downside to CB's is that most of the people that install CB's in their Jeeps can't be bothered to tune the antennas, find a good ground, or buy anything other than the very cheapest antenna. This means that the CB's in many people's rigs don't even work as well as FRS would, and are really just expensive noisemakers.
So for jeep to jeep I could get a few good cobra walkie-talkies. You are never more than a 1-2 km apart for basic communication stop I am stuck ,get going I am eating your dust or left or right an a intersection.
You'd be surprised how far apart the various members of one group can get while wheeling. CB's with good antennas that are mounted properly and tuned can easily handle those distances (and can often cover 5 to 10 miles of intervening terrain), but as I mentioned before many people simply can't be bothered to install the antenna properly.
My biggest concern is coming around a corner on a unrestricted haul road
and have a 7' wide 6' high chrome moose catcher in front of 100,000 lb. loaded 10' wide 50'+long loaded logging truck making time on his way to the mill.
Bear in mind that having access to the frequencies on the haul road is not an absolute necessity. If you are patient, you can just wait at the "zero" marker and follow an "empty" in.
For Me a good 2m Ham would be the way to go. The frequency is posted at the start of each road. I don't have talk to them just know where they are as they call in there mile markers. I even call a lumber mill to find out the protical on logging roads. You can listen but not talk on their frequency but in a emergency they would pass on a message for you. I don't mind getting a licence and being a responsible user, and should be able to get a call out in most of the of areas I would be in.
Are you aware that it is illegal for a HAM radio operator to transmit on the VHF frequencies that logging and oilfield companies use? And that you would have to illegally modify your HAM transciever to allow it to transmit on those frequencies? Yes, you can listen in, but as soon as you key up you're breaking the law (unless it's an actual emergency). I have a HAM license so I'm crystal clear on this point of the law.
Also, it's good to be aware that not every haul road has the same method of doing things. Some call both "empty" and "loaded", some only call "loaded" and an empty only calls if you're getting close to meeting, and on at least one or two that I know of you never call "empty" - you just listen for loaded and pull onto one of the "pull-outs" that are located once every 1/4 mile and wait for the loaded to pass because the road is only 10 feet wide. The unfortunate truth is that when you call the sawmill to ask what the protocol is for using the road, their response is going to be "the protocol is to stay off the road unless you're working for us". Speaking from experience (a decade of running those roads all over Alberta and BC to make a living) they don't want anyone else on those roads.
You are 100% correct about one thing though - with the network of repeaters throughout Southern Alberta there are very few places where you can't get a call out if you have a 50 watt mobile, a good antenna, and you installed it properly. I can easily hit the Mockingbird repeater in Waiparous from Highway 8 on the West side of Calgary (that's a 90km drive). I can also normally get into VA6CTV (located near COP) from anywhere between Strathmore and Okotoks. On occasion I've also gotten into the Mockinbird repeater from the South side of Antler Hill near Red Deer (my google-fu isn't up to the task of measuring just how far that is)....and all of those are without ever touching on the abilities offered by repeater links. A small amount of effort in learning how to use systems like FARRS, SARA, or CARA. Once you learn how to use those systems, you can be located 15 KM west of Coleman, and chat with someone on the East side of Lethbridge - or the North side of Airdrie.
I'll also say that with those 50W mobiles a couple members of your group can communicate directly with each other using simplex over ranges that might surprise you. Just be aware that many of the folks in the 4X4 community haven't taken the time to get a HAM license yet, so you can't legally talk to them with a HAM radio - you'll need a CB, and FRS, or whatever else they may be using. You may be able to listen in to them if you bought the right HAM, but you won't be able to legally transmit on their frequency.
The other option is newer tech Spot and Inreach , a satalite - text system
a little pricy ,I hate yet another monthly charge for something.
yes very nice in case of emergency,
But I am prepared for most basic problems one can only carry so much in a TJ.
If one isn't ready to spend the night in or under your jeep or a days walk out to a highway don't leave the pavement.
When I drive along a road, see a trailhead going up. I take it and after many switch backs I am now 4,000' above the valley floor, above the treeline I look out and sea of 8'000 to 10,000' peeks in any direction it make up for any problems I had. 
Feeling good about the view ain't going to make someone feel better about having a punctured lung and a broken ankle if they need to ride all the way home in someone's TJ. That list of injuries is not just hypothetical...I ended up helping someone that was in that situation while out wheeling. That trip is what made me decide to invest the time and get a HAM license so that I could effectively communicate in an emergency situation.
Topic: two way radios for jeeps (Read 4522 times)