Radios for birthday

[AdventuresWithAudrey]

Does anyone recommend any good radios that could be mounted on the dashboard? My birthday is coming up and my grandparents are wondering.

[ANDYD]

Hi,

Not too many people use CB radios anymore, you would be better off getting a VHF radio.
Kenwood or Icom seem to be the best quality and the favourite choices.
To be politically correct you would also need a VHF radio license.

Cheers
Andy

[Greg_M]

I don't have a recommendation for a CB radio (though I do enjoy listening to mine!) but an alternative way to spend about $50 is to buy the basic qualification study guide and enroll in the (free!) online course and get licensed. There's likely an amateur radio club near you if you'd rather not take an online course. The course is eye opening. You'll learn a bit about electronics and even what causes the northern lights.
If you're near Courtenay you can borrow my copy of the book. Here's a link to the course which is offered Spring and Fall:
https://www.rac.ca/rac-basic-qualificat ... ring-2024/

[AdventuresWithAudrey]

Thanks guys. Would using a marine radio make any difference? Radios aren't exactly my cup of tea so I'll be trying to research a bit more over the next couple days

[Greg_M]

Would using a marine radio make any difference? Radios aren't exactly my cup of tea so I'll be trying to research a bit more over the next couple days

There are marine radios in the HF bands, VHF bands, etc. A marine VHF (or any other VHF radio) will do you no good if your trail buddies are using GMRS (which is UHF and seems popular near me).

[red90]

Using a marine radio is illegal.

Legal options.
- CB (mobile or handheld)
- Handheld GMRS/FRS. Mobiles are legal in the US, but not Canada.
- Amateur radio, with license on amateur radio channels.
- Commercial VHF. This requires an approved radio and license. License is $40 per year per radio and is tied to the radio and not the person. There are bunch of open channels that you can get programmed and use. These are also what is used on forestry roads.

Obviously the other people need to be using the same system, so that, more than anything sets which path to take.

[Rob]

I echo what the others have said in regard to seeking out your local HAM radio group as they offer classes to prep you for the radio operator’s exam. Good training and a handy license to have in many ways. They would also likely be a good source of info for you regarding their experiences with various brands of amateur radios available for the Canadian market. Icom and Yaesu have a reputation for being quite good but are also generally expensive. There are a variety of less expensive radios available but they have mixed reviews for performance and longevity. Handhelds (walkie talkies) are a good option to get started in the hobby and are inexpensive but still provide the frequency coverage though they have significantly less power and potential range than a mounted mobile radio.

[cbalme]

Once you get your license I definitely recommend Icom they make a good radio with really good range for a typical Roverlander trip. I bought the newer Icom V-3500 but if you can find a used 2300H or 2200 they would work just as good. I can hear the entire convoy wherever I am and we can even chat for a bit while we wait at the ferry with the others.

Boafeng makes a good little handheld radio for cheap that works good within a few kilometres.

Get signed up for a course, they may have some radios available at the end and will know a lot more than me about all the antennas that would work best for you.