Radio and Communications Guide

This page contains a plain language guide to radios and communications devices for 4×4 and offroad enthusiasts.  After being frustrated with what we found online (either extremely technically detailed or completely misinformed and wrong opinions) we decided to put together some information for people looking to add a radio or two to their 4x4s and overlanding rigs.  The information here is *just enough* to send you down the correct communications path for your truck, SUV, side-by-side, quad, motorcycle, or other off-pavement vehicle.

Our first CB radio mounted in our old 4runner. If you shave around the empty spot in your dash console, you can squeeze a full-size CB radio in under the stereo head unit.

This is Too Complicated!  Tell Me What to Buy!

If you are in a rush and don’t want to read through everything here, these are our recommendations:

If You Don’t Want to Get an Amateur Radio License:

  1. Buy several Motorola MT350R FRS radios.  Keep one in your rig and give one to each of your trail buddies.

With that, you can be talking right away with your friends who you 4×4 with or explore single track with on your motorcycles.  If you are riding a motorcycle with one of these, there are head sets available although they work only so-so.  We’ve had the best luck on our bikes with the Motorola 1518 Surveillance Headset with PTT Mic although you will probably need to stop and turn your bike off before you can be heard over your engine.

If You Want to Get (or Already Have) an Amateur Radio License:

  1. Buy a BaoFeng UV-5R dual band (2M and 440MHz) radio.
  2. Buy a Nagoya NA-24J antenna.

With that, you can get on the air ASAP.  Remember that you need an amateur radio license before you can transmit.  Local clubs in your area have regular “HAM Cram” sessions to teach you what you need to know about the test and then administer the test.

If You Want a Radio Hard-Mounted in Your Truck:

Hard mounting a radio is more expensive than other options.  There are benefits though such as (often times) longer range transmitting and receiving and we can’t forget the cool factor!  You also need to decide if you are getting an amateur radio license or not.

I Just Want a Radio Anyone Can Use but it Needs to be Hard Mounted:

  1. Buy a Uniden PC78LTX 40-Channel CB Radio.
  2. Buy a speaker.
  3. Buy a coaxial cable of the right length and rating, and with the right ends such as a RG-58A/U Coaxial Cable with Molded PL-259 Connectors (18 feet).
  4. Buy an antenna mount that is compatible with your antenna and cable such as a Wilson 305-700 Aluminum CB Antenna Mount with Gum Drop Stud (which is good for roof racks!).
  5. Buy an antenna spring such as a Hustler / New-Tronics Antenna Corp. No. SSM-3 Stainless Steel CB Antenna Spring with Coupling Stud (and be sure it’s genuine!!!!).
  6. Buy an antenna such as a FireStik FS4-B antenna for a four foot antenna (legal at all Toyota Land Cruiser Association meets) or a FireStik FS5-B antenna for a five foot antenna (NOT legal at TLCA events!).
  7. Buy an SWR meter to tune your antenna that is designed for CB radios (11M) such as a Workman SWR2T SWR meter.

With the above combo, you can get on the air with a CB radio (found in many older 4×4 rigs) as soon as you’ve installed the hardware in your truck and calibrated the SWR.  No license needed!  Just make sure to follow CB radio etiquette and you’ll be fine.  Note that this is a different radio frequency than the hand-held units we recommended for people without an amateur radio license above.  Read on below if you want more details on the difference.

I have an Amateur Radio License and Want a Hard Mounted Radio in My Rig:

  1. Buy a Yaesu FT-2980R radio.
  2. Buy a speaker.
  3. Buy a coaxial cable of the right length and rating, and with the right ends such as a Browning WSPBR1015 Enclosed Nmo 3/4 Hole Mount cable.
  4. Buy an antenna mount that is compatible with your antenna and cable such as a L-Bracket NMO Mount.
  5. Buy an antenna such as a Browning BR-180 antenna.
  6. Buy an SWR meter to tune your antenna that is designed for VHF (2M) radios such as a Workman Model 104 SWR meter.

The venerable FT-2900R recently went out of production but the FT-2980R is just as good as its fore-bearer and comes with a little extra max power to boot.  You will want a good speaker to overcome wind noise in the cab of your SUV or mall crawler (no hate!  We love the mall crawler crowd!).  An appropriate coaxial cable is extremely important.  You can’t have it be too long or too short and you can’t join several together without problems.  An antenna mount with good grounding to the vehicle is very important.  A good antenna that can handle the power you’ll be putting out and that is tuned to the right wavelength is extremely important.

Remember, it is very important to ensure that you have both good “normal” grounding between your antenna mount and the rest of the vehicle, and good RF ground between your antenna mount and the vehicle.  This means bare metal contact between the antenna mount and the rest of the vehicle.

Our CB radio and 2M amateur radio mounted in a box that now serves as the center console in our truck.

Start Here — Complete Radio Beginners

So you have been out with your buddies in the woods a few times and are finding you want to talk with them from the cab of your Jeep to the cab of their Toyota.  Maybe you paid a guy down at the local truck stop to install a CB radio in your Nissan but aren’t happy with the setup and keep hearing about this “ham radio” thing.  This is where you should start.

Step 1: Let’s Talk About What You Want to Achieve

Before we can recommend a radio setup for you, let’s talk about what you want to achieve.  In our opinion, the most basic desire of most 4x4ers is to talk with other trucks on the trail.  For decades, CB radio was the most popular method of talking to your buddy in front of you or the people coming up behind you.  Today there are many more options than just a CB radio.

Ask yourself these questions (and write down your answers!):

  1. Who do I want to talk with?
  2. What communication systems are the people I want to talk with using?
  3. What is my budget?
  4. Do I want a communications device permanently mounted to my vehicle or hand-held?
  5. Do I want an antenna on the outside of my vehicle?
  6. If I have an antenna on the outside of my vehicle, do I want it permanently mounted?
  7. Do I want to take a test to get my amateur radio license?
  8. Am I going to install myself or have someone else do it for me?
  9. How confident am I in my ability to program a radio from a cryptic set of instructions?

Step 2: Starter System vs Top of the Line System

Another key decision point is if you want a starter system that can give you many years of use with minimal inconveniences at a low price or you want to drop potentially thousands of dollars on the absolute best system.  There is no right answer to this question and everyone we talk to has a different opinion.  We generally see overlanders start with the lower cost starter systems and over time some will move to more and more expensive, elaborate setups.  Some of our friends who roll around in 200 Series Toyota Land Cruisers have a half dozen antennas growing in a forest from their front bumpers, roofs, and swing-out tire carriers.  Some women we wheel with have never bothered going beyond hand signals and a cell phone, and might occasionally borrow a FRS radio.

Ask yourself this question (and write down the answer!):

  1. Do I want a starter radio system or shoot for the moon?

Step 3: Review Your Answers

Now that you have answered the questions in Steps 1 and 2, we can review your answers and discuss options.

1) Who do I want to talk with?

The most common answer we hear is “everyone on the trail and my friends back home!”  Unless you are willing to have multiple radio systems plus a satellite communications system, that just isn’t going to happen.  However, there are a few radio systems you can buy to talk to most people on the trail.

As of today, the majority of people on 4×4 trails between the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Ocean are using CB radios.  There are some issues with CBs that limit their range and the quality of the sound but you will find most Jeeps, many Toyotas, a lot of Suzukis, a pile of Land Rovers, and oodles of Isuzus running CB radios.  The vast majority of people are running CBs that are permanently mounted in their trucks although hand-held units are also available.

Amateur radio, and especially the 2 meter (2M) band is becoming very popular especially with folks in Colorado, California, and the Pacific Northwest.  Inexpensive handsets put out good sound and can get range that is comparable to CB radios.  Many people are now using amateur radios for more advanced modes of operation such as APRS, repeater networks, and digital modes of operation.  Permanently mounted amateur radios are also very popular.  With a permanent mounted amateur radio, you can have more transmission power, have better reception of faint signals, and are able to do a few other tricks as well.

FRS radios are useful when you and your buddies want to talk on the trail, want to do it inexpensively, and you aren’t too worried about talking to every single other person out there.  They can reach a mile or two through the timber and five or more miles out in open fields.  One thing that we have found very useful with FRS radios is that they work great for spotting your buddies through a hard trail obstacle.  You can give a radio to your buddy and take one with you to talk them through an obstacle while you watch them traverse the obstacle from outside your vehicle or off your quad.

GMRS radios are similar to FRS radios although they require an inexpensive FCC license (no test required!) to operate.  GMRS radios overlap on the same frequencies that FRS radios use.  This means that if you pick the right frequencies on both devices, you can talk between GMRS radios and FRS radios.  However, you aren’t technically supposed to do this.  A benefit to GMRS radios over FRS radios is that you can have a radio with a higher transmission power (max of 2 watts on certain channels on FRS versus max of 50 watts on certain channels on GMRS).  However, if you’re going to the trouble of getting a GMRS radio and license, it wouldn’t be that much more work to get your amateur radio license and an amateur radio operating on the 2M band.

MURS radios are not that common out on the trail or in overlander rigs but they are a frequency on the radio spectrum to keep an eye on as more people start to adopt it.  MURS radios operate at around 150 MHz.  This is in the same general part of the radio frequency spectrum as 2M amateur radios.  However, power output is capped at 2 watts which in this part of the radio spectrum will only get you a mile or two through the forest.

Satellite transponders are an interesting class of products that communicate with constellations of satellites.  While in the old days, the communication was primarily one-way (from the ground to the satellite) or very expensive (satellite phones), today there are relatively inexpensive options that allow for full two-way text messaging.  Most products in this category also come with good SOS functions where you push a few buttons to summon help.  We know of several people who were saved from things such as heart attacks, broken legs, and other medical emergencies because of their satellite transponders and the SOS feature.

2) What communication systems are the people I want to talk with using?

The best way to figure this out is to talk to your buddies to see what they’re using.  Another good thing to do is to check out the local and regional Facebook groups to see what other people who you might meet on the trail are using.  For instance, in Colorado CB radios are still very popular but 2M amateur radio is starting to take over.  In Oregon, the old guard crowd all run CB radio while many of the newcomers to the overlanding scene are choosing amateur radio.

3) What is my budget?

The absolutely cheapest way you can get up and talking on the trail will cost you about $50.  The sky is the limit after that.  Decide on a budget and stick to it!

4) Do I want a communications device permanently mounted to my vehicle or hand-held?

There are benefits and drawbacks to each option.  We personally carry both hand-held (walkie talkie-style) and permanently mounted radios in our truck.  If you’re just starting out and on a budget, hand-held is probably the way to go.  If you want to communicate over long distances, then a permanently mounted setup is probably better.

5) Do I want an antenna on the outside of my vehicle?

If you don’t want an antenna on your roof, your bumper, the side of your hood, your roof rack, your rear hatch, or your bed rails, you are going to want to stick with hand-held radios.  However, if you’re okay with antennas on the outside and like the look, then a permanently mounted radio might be the way to go.

It’s important to note that many hand-held radios can attach to antennas that are on the outside of vehicles.  We ran for several decades with CB radios that had a magnetically mounted (mag mount) antenna on the roof of our old pickup.  They work just fine although they can damage paint.

6) If I have an antenna on the outside of my vehicle, do I want it permanently mounted?

While permanently mounted antennas are often the best to transmit the farthest distances and receive the most weak signals, sometimes people want to move a radio and an antenna between vehicles or remove an antenna entirely when not on the trail.  In this situation, a mag mount (magnetically mounted) antenna might be the way to go.  We have used mag mount antennas for decades with CB radios and many of our friends use them with 2M amateur radios.  Often times, the mag mount antenna will also include the cable already (and permanently) attached.

Permanently mounted antennas are great for rigs that are dedicated to overlanding, the trail, or mall crawling.  Our truck is currently setup with multiple permanently mounted antennas that have served us for several years with only occasional grounding issues.  Permanently mounting an antenna is especially good when you want to transmit as far as possible and hear the most faint, remote signals coming into your radio.

7) Do I want to take a test to get my amateur radio license?

For any of the cool stuff going on outside of CB, FRS, GMRS, and MURS (oh yeah, and satellite transponders), you’re going to need to take a test to get a license from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).  Remember that GMRS does also require a license although no test is involved there.

Amateur radio licenses are divided into several classes.  Most 4×4 enthusiasts will only ever want or need the “technician class” amateur radio license.  Luckily for us, this is the easiest license to get!  There are several ways to study for and take the amateur radio license test.  Many local amateur radio (also called “ham radio”) clubs and 4×4 groups regularly put on “ham cram” sessions where a participant will sit through about eight hours of study sessions and lectures to learn everything one needs to know to pass the technician class license test and then will immediately give you the test to take.  This method is usually about 90-95% effective at getting people to pass the test on their first attempt.

Otherwise, there are many good study guides available both for free and for a little money.  Here are a couple resources that we’ve heard good things about:

  1. Ham Radio Study Guide Book
  2. Ham Radio Flash Cards
  3. Ham Radio Practice Tests

We personally strongly advocate for every overlander, offroader, 4x4er, motorcyclist, mall crawler (we love you guys!), side-by-side driver, quad rider, and any other one-to-multi-wheeled-vehicle enthusiast who goes out on the trails to get their technician class amateur radio license.  A little hand-held 2M amateur radio works really well in 95% of the cases that you are probably to encounter on the trail or at the mall.

8) Am I going to install myself or have someone else do it for me?

While we are huge nerds (and Douglas is an engineer), we realize that not everyone is as gung-ho as us in installing radio equipment into a vehicle or onto a bike.  It takes Douglas about half a day to install a new radio into our truck and he’s done it many times.  There are many ways to screw up an install and cost yourself a lot of money in replacement parts for the radio equipment or for your vehicle.

That being said, we have many friends who have no technical background (and who can barely change their own oil) who have successfully installed fairly complicated radio setups.  However, if you’re in doubt, find someone in your local area who is willing to help and has successfully installed a radio (not just a car stereo!) in their vehicle.  Or find a professional installer (most major metro areas have professional installers available).


Don’t be too freaked out by this photo. We were doing a few other things at the same time as we installed the radios in our current 4runner. Wiring can be pretty involved though.

9) How confident am I in my ability to program a radio from a cryptic set of instructions?

Almost every radio can be programmed in some way.  While simple point-to-point (or truck-to-truck) voice communications don’t require any special programming aside from selecting the proper frequency and transmitting power, getting into amateur radio repeaters, APRS, digital modes, and many other more exotic operating modes both on amateur radio radio frequencies and frequencies that don’t require a license often require decoding cryptic manuals.  While a BaoFeng UV-5R has become standard among many in the 4×4 and overlanding community, the poorly translated instruction manual is very difficult to understand.  Luckily there are good tutorials for the  BaoFeng UV-5R available all over the internet.

This question can be thought of as the “I just want it to work!” vs “I’m a tech geek and LOVE figuring things out!” divide between those who would enjoy programming a VCR in the 1990s and those who would not.

10) Do I want a starter radio system or shoot for the moon?

If you have the cash to drop, you can spend thousands of dollars to have the most amazing radio system.  Multi-band, all of the add-ons like APRS, talk to astronauts on the space station, communicate with people on the other side of the world — all of it is within reach if you want spend the money.

However, if you’re on a budget and aren’t very sure that a big fancy radio system is in your immediate future, then it might be a good idea to go with a starter radio system.  If you do go with a starter radio system, there are many upgrade paths.  Your beginner radio can find new life with your mall crawler or battle Subaru even after you’ve upgraded to something different.

Step 4: Selecting the Right System for You!

Now that you’ve really taken a minute to think about your answers and are comfortable in what you’ve decided, let’s review your options.  Below we have recommendations for each type of system you could build and install in your Toyota HiAce van or your Land Rover Defender.  If you want some additional help selecting the perfect system for you, please get in touch and we’ll help you to down-select to the perfect communications system.

Beginner Budget Hand-Held Amateur Radio

We have many friends who run this setup (we still use ours all the time!) and can attest to how well it works.  Once you have your amateur radio license, this is a great choice that gets you on the air for cheap and will keep you busy with some of the additional features (repeaters, limited APRS abilities with add-on hardware, etc.).

  1. Buy a BaoFeng UV-5R dual band (2M and 440MHz) radio.
  2. Buy a Nagoya NA-24J antenna.
  3. Optional: You can buy a converter such as this RF coaxial coax adapter SMA female to UHF female SO-239 that allows you to hook a BaoFeng radio to a permanent or mag-mount 2M antenna.  We have used that very converter to make this work.  Then pick out an antenna and mounting system plus cable.  There are some nice mag-mounts listed below that do all of that in one inexpensive package.

Beginner Budget Hand-Held Radios – No License Required

We have personally used this FRS radio setup many times while out on the trail with people who normally would not use radios.  These radios really are easy enough for our mothers to use.

  1. Buy several Motorola MT350R FRS radios.  Keep one in your rig and give one to each of your trail buddies.
  2. Optional: buy the Motorola 1518 Surveillance Headset with PTT Mic in case you want an ear piece.

If you’re interested in GSRM, this radio is a good bet:

  1. Buy a pair of Midland GXT1000VP4 radios.

If you want to try out MURS, this radio is promising:

  1. Buy a Dakota Alert MURS M538-HT radio.

If you want a hand-held CB radio, this radio is pretty good although don’t expect miracles:

  1. Buy a Midland 75-822 CB radio.
  2. Optional: buy a mag-mount Midland 18-2442 Mobile CB antenna to extend your range.

Beginner Budget Mounted Amateur Radio

There are a couple different options that we can recommend.  We’ve tried to break it down below in the different options you can choose from to get on the air.  Remember that you need an amateur radio license before you can start broadcasting.  This is a good option if you want higher power transmission and being able to hear faint signals from far away.

  • The Yaesu FT-2980R radio is an excellent 2M radio to get you on the air.  The slightly older (and no longer sold) FT-2900R is the workhorse in our truck.
  • The Icom 2300H radio is a good 2M radio that can get you up and running quickly.  Lots of overlanders use this radio.
  • The Kenwood TM-281A radio has found use as a robust 2M radio with the desert racer crowd.
  • The BTECH MINI UV-25X4 radio is a decent but somewhat low-power tri-band (including 2M) Chinese radio that is getting good reviews and is the right price.

Whatever you get, be sure to get a speaker to boost the volume on your radio.  Especially for people who have open cabs or older rigs that make a lot of noise, it is very important to have a good external speaker.

  • This speaker is a good choice.  We use it in our truck on both our 2M radio and our CB radio.

Next you will need to get a cable, an antenna, and an antenna mount.  As we have discussed above, you can either go with a mag mount (magnetic mount that is removable) antenna and cable setup or a permanently mounted antenna and cable.  Here is some guidance on the choices here:

Mag Mount Antennas:

Permanent Mount Antennas:

Be sure to pay attention to what mount style you are getting (NMO vs SO-239/PL-259).  It is important for the antenna mount options and cables below!

  • This Browning BR-180 antenna is a dual band (2M and 70cm) setup that should see many years of good service.  We used this on our truck for a few years until a tree ate the antenna.  It is a NMO mount.
  • This Tram 1180 antenna is another good dual band (2M and 70cm) antenna that will last for years.  This is the antenna that is currently on our truck.  It is a NMO mount.
  • This Firestik 2m-4 Bk antenna is a 2M antenna that comes with Firestik’s near-legendary reputation from the 4×4 community’s experience with their CB antennas.  It uses a SO-239/PL-259 connector.
  • This Nagoya TB-320A antenna is a good 2M antenna that can either work with SO-239/PL-259 (its native setup) or NMO via an included converter.  Be prepared to adjust the antenna length with your SWR meter with this antenna.

We attached our NMO 2M antenna mount to the roof rack on our 4runner using a home-brew spring setup. We made sure that we have good ground strapping going to the rest of the vehicle so the ground path doesn’t have to rely on the springs. The spring setup helps the antenna fold over when we hit tree branches.

Permanent Antenna Mounts:

Be sure to pay attention to what mount style (NMO vs SO-239/PL-259) you selected with your antenna above.  The mount must be matched to the antenna!

  • NMO Mounts:
    • You can build your own mount using a piece of steel and a 3/4″ or 1″ drill bit.  We have several friends who have done this.  Try this trick first before deciding to spend money on a mount.
    • This Tram 1219 N female 1″ thick plate NMO mount converts from NMO to SO-239/PL-259.  You’ll still need to mount using a steel plate with a hole in it but this could be useful for some people.
    • This Browning Black 1246-B Trunk Antenna Mount can work well on a more sedan-style vehicle.  You could also use this setup to mount an antenna to your hood.  Note that it comes with the cable already attached.
    • This L-Bracket 1255-B 3/4 Hole Stainless Steel Black mount is what we use on our truck.  It is already painted although this can cause some grounding issues.  You need a cable to go with this one.
    • This L-Bracket 1255 3/4 Hole Stainless Steel raw metal mount is the same as what we use on our truck but it isn’t painted.  This would be a good choice to make sure you have a good ground without having to scrape away paint.  You need a cable to go with this mount.
    • This TRAM NMO Mirror Mount Kit comes with the cable already attached.  It’s good if you’re mounting to something like an old school truck mirror or a round or small square tube member that is part of your roof rack.
    • This Diamond K400S-NMO Lip mount comes with the cable and has two axis adjustment which means that it might work well for your rear lift gate on an SUV or battle wagon.
    • This Browning BR-1024-UHF Adjustable NMO Trunk Mount could work well on sedans that are used for #thatoverlandlife or on hoods.  It comes with a cable attached.
  • SO-239/PL-259 Mounts:
    • See below in the CB Radio section for this style of mount.  The same mounts can be used for any SO-239/PL-259 connection.

2M Cables:

If your mount purchase didn’t already come with a cable, here are a few choices:

After those purchases, you will need to get a SWR meter for 2 meters.  We suggest this Workman Model 104 SWR meter.

When choosing components from the list above, be sure the antenna mount matches what the antenna will accept and the cable matches the mount.  All of the cables that you will be using attach to the back of the permanently mounted radios using the SO-239/PL-259 standard connector.


In our old 4runner, we crammed in a 2M amateur radio, the AM/FM radio, and a CB radio all in the center console. It wasn’t pretty but it worked!

Beginner Budget Mounted Radios – No License Required

There are a lot of good mounted radios that don’t require a license (or at least no test) that can get you on the air and talking between 4×4 trucks on the trail.  Side-by-sides also can mount these radios with a little work.

Beginner Budget Mounted CB Radios

While fancy CB radios such as the Uniden PC78LTX 40-Channel CB Radio provide some extended functionality, you can

Mag Mount Antennas:

We used mag mount antennas for several decades on our old farm truck and our cars.  They are a good option for people with CB radios who want to be able to stow the antenna when not in use and don’t want to permanently mount the coaxial cable in their vehicles.  However, if you’re already permanently mounting the radio, you might as well move up to a permanently mounted antenna, too.  That being said, here are a couple of good mag mount antenna choices.

  • The Midland 18-2442 Mobile CB Antenna is an inexpensive mag mount option that comes with the antenna, the mount, a spring, and the coax cable all ready to go.
  • The Hustler Mag Mount Antenna is another good option for those looking to do a mag mount setup.  This one also comes with the cable, the mag mount, the spring, and the antenna.

Permanent Antenna Mounts:

After many years of using a mag mount antenna on our old pickup, we switched a few years ago to permanently mounting our CB antennas on our vehicles.  There are many different options for mounting CB antennas on your vehicle.  Popular places include on roof racks, on the roof itself, on a front bumper (like they do in Australia), on the hood lip, on a rear bumper tire swing-out, and on a rear lift-gate hatch lip.  If you have a few hand tools and a little sheet metal, you can mount a CB antenna nearly anywhere.  The main things that you need to be aware of are: 1) don’t have metal (or minimize how much metal) above the base of the CB antenna, 2) have good ground (both “regular” ground and RF ground) paths to the vehicle body and frame.

Here are a few antenna mounts that we have used or our friends have used:

Antenna Springs:

Except in a few situations, you WILL need an antenna spring with a permanently mounted antenna.  We have tried several and been disappointed.  We only recommend one spring:

CB Radio Antennas:

There are oodles of CB radio antennas on the market.  We are partial to the Firestik brand of CB antennas.  We don’t recommend the huge whip antennas because many official club or organization-sanctioned 4×4 events explicitly ban the whip style of antennas as being unsafe.

CB Radio Coaxial Cables:

If you do a little googling, you will find a LOT of very pointed opinions on proper cable length to match the CB radio’s wavelength.  There isn’t a true one-size-fits-all cable length although it is generally safe to get an 18 foot long coaxial cable sold as a CB radio cable.  If you need a shorter or longer cable, you’ll be looking at tuning your antenna length (the Firestik antennas are setup to do this pretty easily) to be able to transmit well.  In general, try to stick with the 18 foot cables.  Most people who might be near you who might help you with a radio install or troubleshooting your setup will be used to 18 foot cables.  Note that we do NOT recommend splicing cables together.  While it is technically possible, it is one more point where you might have trouble now or in the future.

Other CB Accessories:

There are a few other CB radio accessories that you will find useful.

  • It’s a good idea to get an external speaker to make your CB radio louder.  This is especially important if the cab of your vehicle is noisy.  Make sure the CB radio you selected as a speaker output (almost all do).
  • Get an SWR meter, especially if you are using a non-standard length coaxial cable.  Some CB radios do come with SWR meters pre-installed but they aren’t always accurate.  Unless you’re running a mag mount antenna setup, you’ll need to tune your antenna with an SWR meter to make sure you don’t damage your radio when you transmit.
  • Some people like having a quick disconnect on their CB antennas.  This FireStik quick disconnect is a good choice for most people.

Our CB radio antenna is mounted using a heavy-duty stud attached to some thick sheet metal that is then bolted onto the roof rack of our 4runner. The sheet metal works a little bit like a spring but the heavy-duty spring REALLY works like a spring and allows the antenna to fold flat against the roof when we hit big tree branches.

Beginner Budget Mounted FRS Radios

We haven’t seen any FRS-only mobile mounted radios on the market that we can recommend but GMRS radios do cross over on certain frequencies and channels.

Beginner Budget Mounted GMRS Radios

For those who want a permanently mounted GMRS radio, there are some good options that come with everything you need.

Beginner Budget Mounted MURS Radios

There aren’t really any decent MURS mobile mounted radios available that we can recommend.  However, we expect that some of the big radio companies will put out some products here in the near future.  We’ll update as they become available.

Satellite Communications

Because of the unique nature of the satellite communications options available today, we figured that it deserves its own special section.  Satellite communications devices are generally very easy to use.  Our parents (in their 60s and 70s, and not the most technological people) have satellite communications devices that they successfully use all the time.


We use a Garmin (formerly DeLorme) In-Reach Explorer and have found it to be a very robust, reliable unit for two-way satellite communications.

The lower cost route for satellite communications is a SPOT 3 Satellite GPS Messenger.  However, we have heard from friends that it doesn’t always work very well with the SOS function (just look at some of the Amazon reviews!), one friend had her unit fail halfway through the Pacific Crest Trail which caused her family lots of angst until she came out at her next resupply point, and you are limited to pre-written messages on the SPOT unit.  But the price is right.

We personally use a Garmin In-Reach Explorer.  We’re currently using the older model that is still labeled as a DeLorme unit.  Garmin bought DeLorme a few years ago.  Even with the buy-out, the Garmin In-Reach Explorer is still a great true two-way satellite messenger device.  You can use it just like a cell phone to send messages back and forth.  The SOS function is very robust and allows you to send additional details to the emergency response unit that Garmin maintains to handle SOS calls.  You also get access to the entire DeLorme mapset with some of the Garmin units which is a big benefit.  We highly recommend that anyone who travels outside of cell service and sometimes goes alone carries one of these devices.  Our parents have several friends who are alive today because they had a satellite messenger and it summoned help when they needed it (heart attack, broken leg, etc.).

One important benefit of the Garmin In-Reach Explorer is that you can send messages between devices.  We have done this before to rendezvous with friends who are outside of radio range.  As far as we have seen, the SPOT can’t do that.  Also satellite messages are secure (from normal people but not the NSA!) so you can safely send messages to friends and not have them end up on the internet for anyone to read.  This is a big benefit compared to APRS where everyone can read what you send.

You can read our full review of the Garmin InReach Explorer on our blog.


This is an example of a Garmin InReach Explorer map from a couple of recent outings in Mount Hood National Forest. We have 10 minute tracking intervals setup for our public map page (it has a password so not anyone can see it) and 1 minute tracking interval on the device itself for later analysis.

If you want true two-way voice communications anywhere in the world, a satellite phone is the way to go.  We have a few friends with Inmarsat IsatPhone 2 phones who like them.  The Iridium 9555 Satellite Phone is another good choice for a satellite phone.

Advanced Communications

You’ve been operating on the 2M amateur radio band for a while, have a CB radio installed in your trail rig, and have been using some FRS hand held radios for when you’re out with buddies who don’t have radios yet.  Now it’s time to think about other frequencies and other modes of operation.

Repeaters

An easy and important advanced extension of 2M amateur radio operations is the vast repeater network maintained by dedicated groups (and individuals) of amateur radio enthusiasts across the world.  Repeaters are found on almost every band available to ham radio enthusiasts but most 4x4ers will probably start out with the 2M repeaters or 70cm (440MHz) repeaters.  Using a repeater requires programming your radio to do several things.  Not all repeaters work the same way but generally this is how they work:

  1. You push the “talk” button on your radio
  2. The radio opens the channel (usually offset either above or below the “listening” channel that you hear the repeater on by a specific MHz)
  3. The radio sends a (generally) inaudible tone or code to the repeater to tell the repeater to listen and repeat what is coming
  4. You talk into your microphone (usually wait 1-3 seconds before you start talking so the repeater “opens” and starts “listening” to you)
  5. The repeater rebroadcasts what you are saying on the “listening” channel where everyone else can hear it
  6. You let up on the “talk” button on your radio (sometimes the radio will send a second inaudible tone to tell the repeater to close but usually the repeater closes when it no longer detects you transmitting or after a set amount of time which is generally 2-4 minutes)

You have to program in the “talk” channel (often you program the channel offset), the “listen channel,” and the inaudible tone into your radio.  Each radio is different on how to do this.  The BaoFeng radios have very bad manuals but if you do a little googling, you’ll find some really good references for how to do this.  There are also programming cables and software available for most radios that allow you to setup the repeaters on your computer and then push them onto the radio.

A good resource for finding repeaters in your area is https://www.repeaterbook.com/ where you will find just about every publicly accessible repeater in the world.

This whole repeater business can be pretty confusing and overwhelming at first but once you get the hang of it, using repeaters is easy.  People who use repeaters are usually very friendly and will happily help you and teach you repeater etiquette if you identify when you transmit that you’re learning how to use repeaters and would appreciate some pointers.

APRS (Automatic Packet Reporting System)

APRS is the new hot thing in the 4×4 world because of these useful features:

  1. You can automatically send your truck’s position to the internet where it ends up on several websites such as APRS.FI.  Your family can follow along to see where you are located.  Also if you equip your truck with an automated system, you might be able to locate your truck if it gets stolen.
  2. You can send two-way messages with certain APRS setups to message friends who are also out on the trail or to send messages back to your friends and family (or vice versa).  This is useful if you’re trying to converge on a specific campsite and need to send GPS coordinates beyond point-to-point radio range.
  3. You can send messages to your truck from your home computer to make it do things automatically such as turn off the engine and sound the horn if the truck is stolen.

The ARPS network of transceivers and repeaters covers most of the continental USA and large swaths of the rest of the world.  Most people operate using the 2M APRS frequency (144.390 MHz in North America, varies elsewhere in the world).  There are also 70cm, 6M, 10M, and 30M frequencies although these may not be very useful to most off road amateur radio operators unless you’re operating deep in the Australian outback or in remote Siberia.

One thing to be aware of is that, unless you do a lot of setup work at home on your computer (including some computer programming!), you won’t know for sure if your messages are reaching the internet.  Your radio will queue your messages until it can hear a repeater repeat the messages back (there are some nuances here in how this can be setup) but you won’t know for sure until you can look on the internet to see if your messages are getting out.

Another thing to be aware of is that there is no privacy on amateur radio bands.  Your messages will be stored forever somewhere online.  Anyone can read them.  You aren’t allowed to use encryption on amateur bands (except in a few limited circumstances of which this is not one).  If you aren’t comfortable with anyone being able to see where you are at any given time (remember that your amateur radio license is publicly available online in the USA and includes your real name and physical address) then APRS might not be what you want.  At that point, you might consider a satellite transponder.

Here are a few options for getting on APRS.  Note that there are many different ways to make APRS work.  We’ve suggested a few here but if you have your own preferred way, please let us know so we can include them.  NOTE that a BaoFeng radio can be forced to transmit APRS packets (poorly) but is almost useless with receiving packets (we get about a 10% success rate) when paired with a proper radio modem such as the TinkyTrak line.

  • If you just want to get on APRS right away, this Kenwood TM-D710G will give you APRS transmission and a few other modes plus both 70cm and 2M in a permanently mounted package.
  • The Yaesu VX-8DR is a really good hand-held radio that comes with APRS and 70cm/2M.  We have hands-on experience with this radio and can vouch for it working well.
  • If you want to do more advanced operations, a TinyTrak 4 will give you advanced functionality (tx/rx, remote control possibilities, etc) although you need to plug it into a radio and possibly a computer depending on what you are doing.
  • If all you want is an APRS transmitter, the MicroTrak RTG is probably what you want.
  • For a transceiver (transmit AND receive) that can do a lot of different things, you might want to look at the MicroTrak MTT4B.  It only transmits at 8 watts so it won’t be a powerful repeater (it can do that!) but it is more than enough to work as a tracker and to receive messages.
  • This Mobilinkd works pretty well with Bluetooth setups such as if you are connecting to an android tablet.
  • There are several apps that you can use to hook your Android phone or tablet to some of the products listed above.  Check out APRSDroid for one particularly good implementation.

440 MHz (70cm) Operations

440 MHz (70cm) is a popular frequency in some areas of the USA.  Especially in the Pacific Northwest, there are many 440 MHz repeaters that are popular with commuters and are also starting to be used by the 4×4 and offroad community.  Several of the radios we recommended above are already setup for dual band operation.  Just about all of the antennas and coaxial cables recommended for 2M radios will also work on 70cm (although check your SWR meters!).  Many people add 440 MHz when they’re ready to start adding radios.

Here are a few recommended radios that will do 440 MHz:

6M Operations

6M will get you farther and allow you to start hopping your signal off the ionosphere during the right conditions.  This would be useful if you’re trying to talk to someone far away like if you were to need help to be dispatched or if you just like talking to folks far away.

  • This sexy Yaesu Ft-8900R quad band radio will get you on 70cm, 2M, 6M, and 10M which is just about everything you could ever want while overlanding.  However, the output power is not as high as what you can get on radios that are dedicated to a specific frequency and your antenna setup will have to be pretty advanced.  A screwdriver antenna such as this Yaesu ATAS-120A “screwdriver” style antenna (it has a motor inside of it) is tunable to operate between 40M and 70cm and will be necessary with a setup like this radio.  Also note that the 10M band that this radio can do is not compliant with what technicians can use.  You need a general class license for that and with this radio.
  • The Yaesu FT-857D Amateur Radio Transceiver that we already mentioned above will get you 70cm, 2M, 6M, and allow you to monitor (although not talk) on a few other bands.

10M Operations

10M is great for if you need to reach between 1,300 and 1,500 miles away or further in increments of 1,300 to 1,500 miles.  One of our grandfathers used to exclusively operate on 10M because he liked talking to people all around the planet.  This might be a good choice for those who want to be “disaster ready” so you can talk to someone outside the disaster zone.  We have an ancient Kenwood base station that we use for 10M operations.  However, there are a few decent new on the market today that might interest people.  Note that special antennas are needed to operate at 10M although some CB antennas can be forced to work.

  • That sexy Yaesu Ft-8900R quad band radio we mentioned above will get you 10M plus 70cm, 2M, and 6M as a bonus.  However you’ll need a screwdriver antenna such as this Yaesu ATAS-120A “screwdriver” style antenna to make it work across all of those bands and with only one antenna.  Also note that the 10M band that this radio can do is not compliant with what technicians can use.  You need a general class license for that and with this radio.
  • This AnyTone AT-5555N will do 10M and most of the operating modes someone with a General Class ameateur radio license could want.  However, you can get into trouble with a radio like this pretty easily.  Some people modify this and similar radios to work on 11M (CB Radio) at much higher power output which is illegal in the USA.  Sometimes you will hear these people operating on CB Channel 6 late at night.  They’re very annoying.  Don’t be “that guy” with a high powered CB radio operating illegally.
  • Another radio that might be of interest is this Stryker SR-955hpc which does 10M.  Of course, some jerks modify this for CB radio operations, too.  Keep it on 10M and you’ll be fine.

Digital Operating Modes

There are a wide variety of digital operating modes for amateur radio.  We suggest that overlanders and mall crawlers don’t normally operate with digital modes because most others on the trail won’t be.  If you have a tight group that all decides to go digital, then it might be worth it.  Otherwise, this is probably not worth your time unless your region has a strong network of digital repeaters.  Good discussions of the different digital modes available are all over the amateur radio forums and websites.  This site has a pretty decent explanation.  Many manufacturers also have their own semi-proprietary digital modesEisco Labs Contact Key

Morse Code

Morse code is no longer required for the higher classes of amateur radio licenses but it is still not a bad idea to know how to talk with a “click key.”  It is a dying art but one worthy of preservation.  There are many Morse code keys on the market.  You can even make your own with some directions found online.  A good starting point to learn Morse code is the Morse Code Operating for Amateur Radio put out by the ARRL.

Serious Nerd Territory

If you’ve made it this far and still want more, we suggest checking out some of the more obscure ways to use amateur radios such as:

  1. Talk with satellites or the ISS
  2. Transmit pictures or videos
  3. Setup an email system
  4. Try very low power operations
  5. Join your local ARRL chapter or emergency response chapter or a dedicated 4×4 emergency response chapter
  6. Teach others in the 4×4 community how to use amateur radios

The sky is the limit with amateur radio.  It is difficult to get bored if you’re willing to explore and try out new ways of using the amateur bands.

If there is a specific topic you want us to cover that we haven’t, please contact us and let us know!

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