If you’re into Jeeping, overland travel, off-roading etc., you may wonder if there’s an “official Jeep or 4×4 GMRS channel” that most people use. GMRS channel 16 is probably used most often by the Jeep and overland communities when traveling off-road, yet adoption of this frequency is far from universal. Channel 16 may not always be the best channel for off-road use in every situation, but somewhere along the lines, many Jeep and 4×4 users informally chose it.
Why Is Channel 16 The Unofficial GMRS Off-Road Channel?
The “unofficial Jeep GMRS channel” is 16 (462.575 MHZ), because 4×4 equals that number, or at least that’s one explanation. Use of channel 16 for off-road vehicles isn’t a new idea, but actually dates back to when many Jeepers used old-school Citizens Band radios, which also had a channel 16. Unaware they were “trespassing” there, many in the off-road community tuned their CB’s to channel 16 – which was often much less crowded than others – owing to the fact that it was informally set aside for SSB radio use only. A likely explanation as to how channel 16 became the “off road channel” for both CB and GMRS, is that it was simply less crowded and noisy in the old CB’ing days.
When GMRS radios came along and became adopted by the off-road community, channel 16 (which just so happens to be a high-power, 50 watt channel), seemed like the natural choice.
No Person or Group “Owns” Any GMRS Channel
It needs to be stated that no one person or group can own or claim any GMRS channel or designate them for some specific use. The act of concentrating any group of users on one channel can actually lead to more radio congestion (think CB channel 19) and less efficient use of allocated frequencies.
When You Shouldn’t Use Channel 16 Off-Road
Note: We left off GMRS/FRS channels 8-14, as these aren’t found on most fixed-mount mobile radios.
- When traveling less than a couple miles apart from other Jeeps or off-road vehicles, GMRS channels 1-7 (shown on the chart below) may be a much better choice. Why? Because by transmitting less power (only up to 5 watts with a license) your transmissions are less likely to interfere with others across a wide area.
- On GMRS channels 1-7 you shouldn’t experience interference from powerful 50 watt radios or repeater stations that may be located far from you, but still may be able to talk up to 10 miles or more between mobiles.
“Low Power GMRS Channels” Found On Most Fixed-Mount Mobiles
A Brief Explanation of GMRS Privacy Codes
You may learn a great deal about road conditions, etc., by listening to other Jeepers and off-road vehicles on your GMRS radio, yet they may not always be able to hear you if you were to call them. That’s because some GMRS users have set up CTCSS or DCS “privacy codes” on their sets, which keep their squelch muted, except for calls from other radios which have programmed in that same code.
In areas where there’s not a lot of radio traffic, it’s a good idea not to use these privacy codes, since you’re limiting your options on who you might talk to. Some radios, such as the Btech GMRS-50X1 offer the ability to “scan” for these privacy codes, yet this procedure sometimes takes time to perform.
Below: A List Of “High Power” GMRS Channels
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- GMRS: The GMRS channels used by the 50-Watt Micromobile walkie-talkie are...
- PRIVACY CODES: The 142 CTCSS/DCS privacy codes of the Micromobile walkie talkie...
- NOAA WEATHER SCAN + ALERT: NOAA Weather Scan will automatically scan through 10...
- MIDLAND MICROMOBILE: Take your radio range to the next level with the most...
We Still Monitor Channel 16 When Off-Roading
Our Btech GMRS-50X1 GMRS radio’s Quad Watch allows us to monitor up to 4 channels, simultaneously, We always have channel 16 selected as one of those, besides whatever National Forest Service frequency may be used in the area. See our article “How To Monitor National Forest Radio Channels“ for more info, since listening to them can be very useful – especially in areas where there are frequent forest fires.
For some installation ideas see How to Install GMRS in a Jeep or Other Vehicles
Be sure to get a GMRS license before using your radio and learn how to use your call sign. For more info, see our article How to Get a GMRS License, and Why It’s Necessary
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