CB vs. GMRS Radio – Which is Better For Off-Road?

We use our two-way radios to keep in touch off-road and switched from CB to GMRS a while back, with MURS radio as an interim step. Here’s why, at least for us, there’s not much to argue about when it comes to CB vs. GMRS.

Please pardon yet another radio related post, but we just wanted to share some of the reasons that you should choose GMRS over CB when looking for a radio for your Jeep or other off-road vehicle.

Don’t get us wrong, we’ve been long time fans of CB for years and still love it, but for our own needs when traveling off-road, hiking and camping, GMRS is simply more reliable and practical.

If you can afford both and don’t mind having two antennas, it’s great to have CB, but if you can only do one, we recommend GMRS. Here’s some of the reasons why, and why we’re sort of done with CB.

11 Meter Citizens Band – Affected By The Solar Cycle

Peaking around every 11 years or so, the solar cycle – basically the “weather” on the sun’s surface – highly affects CB radios. All that energy coming from the sun basically turns the earth’s upper atmosphere into highly reflective “tin foil” like surface to radio waves, and CB radio waves are easily bounced around the earth. CB’ers can sometimes talk to each other as far as worldwide*. Fun? Yes, but, when this happens, it can also be so noisy that you can’t even use your CB to talk to another one only a mile away!

Cons of CB

Low power – only 4 watts
Requires longer antennas.
Affected by solar cycle.
AM modulation means more static and higher noise level – especially during peak of solar cycle.
Lawless attitude of some users – you’re more likely to hear profanity, etc.
Stations with illegal boosters may easily overpower those trying to use legal CB radios.

Pros of CB

Cheap – Costing $40 and up.
Still widely used by truckers.
Can offer good local coummunications range during times of low solar activity.
AM CB range up to 15 miles under ideal circumstances. (Highly variable during solar/atmospheric activity.)

GMRS – Better For Local Communications

If you want a radio for talking to other vehicles or handhelds in the outdoors, and want the best range and most features, GMRS is the best choice, by far. While VHF radio waves – including CB – typically travel farther in rural settings, GMRS’s power advantage overcomes UHF’s slight range disadvantages to give longer range in most scenarios. GMRS may work better in wooded areas, since UHF radio waves can easily travel through small spaces.

The General Mobile Radio Service consists of 22 channels – (8 channels where you can use 50 watts of power).

Above – The upgrade of a 5/8 wave antenna can greatly boost the range of handheld two-way radios. This one, the Nagoya NA-771G, on our Baofeng GMRS handheld is just 15.3″. (The same antenna on a CB handheld would have to be about seven times longer to be as effective.)

GMRS Uses Shorter Antennas

The size of an optimal mobile CB antennas is around 108″, while you can get GMRS antennas with similar gain as short as 35″. GMRS antennas short as 20″ can still “talk” for many miles in open country, something a short CB antenna can’t do. By “stacking two 5/8 wave antennas, GMRS aerials like the Midland 6dB model can more than double a 50 watt GMRS radio’s ERP, or effective radiated power. Source: QSL.net

Below: This 20″ GMRS antenna offers more gain than a CB antenna several times it’s size.

Privacy Codes and Repeaters – Another great feature that GMRS radios have that most CB’s don’t, is the ability to use “privacy codes” to mute the radios squelch so that you only hear those in your group. While not really offering privacy, these tones and codes keep you from hearing chatter in busy areas where FRS walkie-talkies -(which share the same channels) – are used.

In many areas there are repeater stations, which you may be able to use with radios such as the Midland Micromobile series, to talk across a wide area.

Pros Of GMRS

Higher power allowed (channels 15-22) – 50 watts vs. CB’s 4 watts
Able to use privacy tones or codes to mute squelch.
Wide-band FM modulation means clearer audio and less static.
Better range than CB under most circumstances – Up to 30 miles.
Able to use repeaters for even more coverage.
Shorter, more powerful antenna than what CBs use.
Channels are typically less crowded.
Not affected by solar cycle.
Compatible with affordable handheld GMRS and FRS radios – (these work much better than large CB handhelds)
Can communicate with license-free FRS radios, which are widely available.
GMRS becoming widely adopted in the off-road recreational community. (Jeep Jamboree just ditched CB for GMRS/FRS).

Cons of GMRS

Requires a $35 FCC License – (License is good for 10 years and covers the whole family.) See How to Get A GMRS License

The Btech GMRS-50X1 — The versatile Btech GMRS-50X1

Let’s Talk GMRS Range

Since we switched over to GMRS radio, we don’t miss the foul language of CB, the drone of “skip” interference, nor the large fiberglass antenna protruding from our vehicle. Most people we go camping with already have a pair of FRS or GMRS handhelds, so we can easily communicate with them.

With our short little NMO mount antenna on the roof, we can talk farther and more reliably when we need to communicate with other vehicles or hand-held units off-road.

Mobile Setup – With the 2.5 dB antenna seen in the photo above and a 50 watt mobile unit, we can reach GMRS repeaters up to 50 miles away in some places, and reliably talk mobile-mobile up to 15 miles or more in level country. We’ve also got a Tram 36″ NMO mount antenna with 5.5 dB gain, which we sometimes swap out with the 20″ one, to get even more range in difficult areas.

Home Base – At our home we have a Comet GP-3 base station antenna, placed outside at 30′, and using a Midland Micromobile 40 watt base unit, we can reliably communicate with the set in our truck for up 20 miles away. (This is using channel 17 and 50 watts power in fairly level terrain.)

gmrs range example mobile to base — Example of real-world GMRS range, level terrain. **Note:** Assumes 50 watt base and mobile, 5 watt handheld, base antenna at 50′.

Please note that range is a highly subjective thing, and each person’s real-world GMRS range is going to be different from another. Our article GMRS Radio Range explores the subject in a bit more depth.

For times when we want “extreme GMRS range”, such as getting into a repeater up to 100 miles away, we even set up a compact GMRS yagi antenna on a retractable painter’s pole. This directional GMRS antenna has 11 dB gain. (Below)

Overland GMRS setup — We’ve used this setup when traveling. Since this photo was taken, we switched to a 20″ Tram antenna, mounted center of cab. It offers better range than the 6dB gain Anli antenna that was mounted behind the cab – which blocked much of the signal. For mobile antennas, center of roof is usually best.

BTECH Mobile GMRS-50X1 50 Watt GMRS Two-Way Radio, GMRS...

[ 50W GMRS 2-WAY RADIO & SCANNING RECEIVER]: The GMRS-50X1 is a 50 Watt GMRS...
[LONG RANGE]: Requires an external antenna (the Nagoya NMO-200C is recommended:...
[PRIVACY TONES]: The GMRS-50X1 is compatible with all CTCSS (PL Tone) and DCS...
[OTHER FEATURES]: Wideband or Narrowband Switchable, FM Radio, Large LCD Display...
[WHATS INCLUDED?]: BTECH GMRS-50X1, Speaker Mic, DC Cable, Radio & Mic Brackets,...