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Posted: 8/11/2026 4:46:26 PM EDT
[Last Edit: eshell][Edited]
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I'm taking a 4,600 mile road trip out through the mid-west in a rental vehicle and will be taking a radio for weather and road conditions. I have one mag mount NMO base with both 2m and CB NMO antennas. I have a 2 meter mobile and a CB mobile, both radios have the NWS weather channels. I really don't want to carry both radios or get a second mag mount, so I'm trying to make a logical choice between the two. I've heard that more and more truckers are using 2 meters, but I'm leaning toward CB due to what I perceive as a greater number of users, both on the road and out in the sticks. I mainly want to avoid severe weather and traffic tickets... Suggestions? Thank you!! ETA: I added a poll, but welcome discussion/ideas. ************************** ETA2: Took the trip. Took both radios, cell phones (WAZE) and a new-ish Garmin. As several here predicted, both radios were equally useless. Had two major traffic tie-ups due to wrecks in 4,700 miles and both times there was no radio activity at all. Note that both radios tested successfully before leaving. WAZE was moderately helpful, in that at least we knew what was wrong at one of the wrecks in time to divert. The other wreck remained a mystery until we got past it. We used a Garmin to work our way around the worst backup, which turned out to be our most helpful device. Next trip, I won't be bothering to pack radios. As an aside: Had a fine trip overall but got within 80 miles of home and hit a deer at highway speed. We weren't hurt but the rental van was trashed and probably totalled. Had to tow the van and call someone to come get us. Luckily, we took it in the grill and it didn't come over the hood.  |
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Keep the one mag mount but bring both radios/antennas? Store the unmounted pair in your vehicle and use the other - if you find yourself wanting the alternative, should be just a couple of minutes to swap antennas onto the mag mount and your cable from the back of one radio to the other. If you set up your power cables with anderson power-poles, that should be a 5 second swap as well. |
***** HELLBENT *****
"No one loves a warrior until the enemy is at the gate"
"No one loves a warrior until the enemy is at the gate"
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Last summer I traveled from Maryland to Waco TX and back with CB, 2m and GMRS. I heard nothing on 2m, not a single truck or base. I heard a little on GMRS when passing thru some towns. I remember a couple of guys talking about taking their boat to a lake to go fishing. There was traffic on CB when there were backups, esp accidents. At home in MD I occasionally hear a trucker on 2m who is stopped for the night asking about places to eat and places to go, so yes, some truckers have 2m, but they are not using it on the road. |
| CB is mostly dead. I've spent the last several years driving truck all over the western US and could go days and days without hearing anything on Channel 19. You might hear the occasional skip chaser and as far as weather and traffic goes you might hear something after you're already stuck in it. |
USN Retired: APR 1988 - MAY 2008
"My center is giving way, my right is falling back, situation excellent, I attack." —Ferdinand Foch
"My center is giving way, my right is falling back, situation excellent, I attack." —Ferdinand Foch
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Weather and road conditions are available on your cellphone. CB ch 19 is completely dead. Drivers have Satellite radio, wi-fi on their lap top, Waze, cell phones, and GPS driving directions. Their CB radios don't get turned on until traffic is stopped dead. The 11 meter skip sunspot cycle is only a year off the recent highest levels, so sun up to sun down the CB is usually nothing at all, or nothing but noise. |
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At this point CB is really for talking to people you already know. Your best bet is a cell phone with Waze installed, and a starlink mini if you're going places with no cell. But not the question you asked. Of the two, specifically for road conditions, CB will probably be better than 2M. 2M would be a better choice if you wanted to talk to someone, but they're not going to know anything about the road 5 miles ahead. Prepare to be disappointed, you're comparing two poor options. |
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On my last road trip, I counted antennas on cars and OTR trucks. Not all big trucks had external antennas and of passenger vehicles, only a few raggedy pickups had antennas. Probably no radios inside them. I've been a ham for 45 years and have worked only a half dozen people on 2M simplex making long trips. For traffic information, I'd get the cellphone app. The days of travelers talking to each other over radios is over. All the truckers talk about is how sorry their employers are. It's why I took my last CB out of my daily driver. |
I have a bunch of repeaters programmed into my 2m mobile, and when I travel, I put it on scan, that includes simplex. I was surprised at how many repeaters I heard, and I talked to a few different people when they were interesting. They would get excited when they heard my call sign thinking long range contact, but nope just on their repeater. 
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World ain't what it seems, is it Gunny?
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@HellBent: Thank you. I'm almost giving up on trying to streamline things but I am more and more inclined to drop the 2m. My traveling buddy has a mag mount CB antenna and we're going to test it. If it works OK, we'll probably take it. I DO have PowerPoles on all of my equipment. @Mark75H: Thank you. I have a GMRS license, radio and mag mount antenna, but I'm not going to bother with it due to the relatively short range and limited travel traffic. I've monitored 2 meter near highways (I-64 west of Richmond, I-95 south of Baltimore) and only occasionally have I had traffic on 146.520. Crossing through about 16 states, there is no way I'm wanting to set up to listen for repeaters along the way. If highway traffic isn't using 2 meter, it may not be worth carrying, other than to try to get help if we have trouble on the road. I used my SDR and HF vertical to look at CB traffic around here last night. A surprising amount of activity, typically 10-12 signals across the band, but most of it was just the grandstanders talking to themselves and nothing I heard was useful. @SeaBee_Mech: Thank you. I was kinda afraid of what you're talking about. @M4BlackRifle: Thank you. It looks like you're right about the CB being dead. IMO, the cell phone's utility is overrated unless one is in/near a population center. Living here in MD, one of the most densely populated states, there are still plenty of spots where I cannot get cell service (Verizon), places like western Md and the lower eastern shore.. When I think about the vast expanses between population centers out in the west/mid-west, I can't help but think there are plenty dead spots there too. "...Satellite radio, wi-fi on their lap top, cell phones, and GPS..." I don't have satellite radio, nor will that help me on the road. My laptop, like the phone, will require cell service (hotspot) on the road and I won't need emergency comms in the motel. I do have GPS but beyond mapping, that doesn't help me either. @seek2: Thank you. We do have Waze for areas where there is good cell service. I've been considering Starlink, not only for travel but also for a main ISP, but I won't have it for this trip. "...comparing two poor options..." I guess the CB is going to be the better of those two. I'm not really interested in talking to anyone on the road, just staying apprised of road conditions. My experience with CB dates back into the 70s, when you got regular reports on things 20+ miles ahead, but I am seeing that things have really changed. @radioshooter: Thank you. Yes, I don't see many antennas around here either, but I'm in a more 'civilized' area and very few people are into radio of any type. @lorazepam: Thank you. LOL at 'excited'. Were I to take the 2m radio, it would probably just sit on .520 or wherever highway traffic would have been, but from what everyone here is telling me, it's probably not going to be worth packing. Thanks again to everyone who has tried to help!! Much appreciated. At this point, I'm inclined to take the just CB and anticipate using it mainly to check on the weather channels. I should probably compare reception and see if the 2m radio/antenna weather function presents better signal strength than the CB radio/antenna weather channels. |
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I have run both 2M and CB on road trips in the past 10 years. Both suck. I have heard more truckers on 2M than CB. But, CB will more likely provide more information about traffic issues than 2M, should you run into an accident or similar. Waze is required for any road trip as far as I'm concerned. I would look for 2M networks that cover most of a state. For example, there are (radio, not internet) linked repeaters in east TN that cover almost half the state - with 4 repeaters, you can stay connected for several hours, depending on where you are going. Also, there are the rare 2M repeaters that can cover 100+ miles. If you are headed down I-81 into TN, there is a repeater on Mt. Mitchell in NC that can probably cover several hours of your trip, and it gets a fair amount of traffic. |
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I'd pick 2M. I say this as someone who goes on long road trips and brings all the radios. My car looks like a porcupine. The trick to getting people to talk to you on 2M is to sound like you're in a hurry and will get off the radio soon. Otherwise everyone is terrified you are going to rag chew them to death. |
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All of my motorcycles have both CB and ham radio capabilities. Two are set up with FTM-10SR dual band transceivers and either a JMCB-2003 or OEM CB rig. Another has an OEM CB and a bar mount holder which accommodates a VX-7R dual band HT, an FRS/GMRS radio or a MURS radio. The last has either an IC-703+ or a BCD-996XT plus an FTM-10R aboard. The Icom and Uniden can both receive CB frequencies so I can keep abreast of what's happening. The units are usually set to scan and I always seem to come across something regardless of where I go. An IC-7000 and s 2/220/400/1.2GHz stack is due to go in the truck at some point. I prefer to have and not need than to need and not have. |
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I've driven across the country several times with Amateur VHF/UHF, GMRS, and at least receive-ability with CB 19. ... everything is quiet. Very occasionally you'll run across a net on 2m or 70cm. Interestingly - I find those to be more popular in the low density areas of the country - where, as you point out, cellular service can be thin or non existent. Colorado has a volunteer run statewide emergency net, including scheduled nets and monitoring NC operators. But the Venn for radio and "off-road club trips" is GMRS, so you'll usually find far far more to listen to by scanning GMRS than Amateur. 146.52, the national 2m calling frequency, is also usually quiet. In thousands and thousands of miles I've heard people calling CQ maybe twice. Almost always hear someone on GMRS when you're traversing a decent sized metropolitan area. Occasionally even a repeater, which I don't typically join as I don't know my GMRS license off-hand. To maximize the opportunity to run across a conversation, I've arranged my channel memories with every "standard" repeater pair combination on Amateur VHF and UHF, and GMRS channels. Once you hear something, click the mic to halt scanning, then use your radio's tone scan function to attempt to find the tone. If that fails then use repeaterbook. The thing with CB is, it's worthless right up until it's not. And that is usually when some drama is going on. Forest Fires. Weather related traffic problems, such as the pileups that happen during a blizzard, etc. From a "I need to make sure I can maintain some sort of communications regardless of where I am" perspective, a starlink mini is far far far more useful than any other solution, short of a QRF on the other end of a sat phone. |
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@TVille : Thank you. We will have WAZE. I'm not concerned about talking to people just to make contacts at this time. Mainly interested in hearing about road conditions out ahead and trying to maintain the possibility of summoning help if we are in an isolated area with bad cell service. @Mike327: Thank you. I appreciate the "hurry" trick too! As I mentioned to TVille, I'm not trying to make contacts, just being prepared. @AnalogKid: Thank you. Sounds like you're very well equipped! I have a few VX-7r and I think they're great radios.. @PhuzzyGnu: Thank you. "Useless..." Yes, it does seem that was around here (Baltimore/Annapolis). When I was using my SDR to look at local CB traffic, I saw a lot of signals but didn't hear anything I wanted to listen to. Hopefully it will have more utility on the road. @TinLeg: Thank you. I have GMRS but judging by the traffic around here, it doesn't seem very busy or especially useful so I'm not going to bother rigging it up in the rental vehicle, and if I'm in an area populated enough to hear much GMRS traffic, we'll have the cell phones. When I lived in central VA, not far from I-64, I would occasionally hear someone on .520, but it wasn't much busier than you describe. Been so long since I used a CB, I'm not sure if I'm a chicken choker or mud duck. StarLink is indeed on my short list, but not available for this run. Thanks again to everyone who responded and helped!! Leaving tomorrow night and have decided to take the 2m/70cm and the CB. I have rigged and tested mag mounts for both radios on the rental vehicle and everything is running fine, so I'm GTG. I'll report back as to how we did with commo. |
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Attached File CB Channel 19 seems to be largely inactive now. Many of the truck drivers I encounter appear to be non-English speakers, which may be one reason there is so little traffic on the channel. The only radio activity I’ve heard while traveling recently was on the 2m and 70cm bands during my trip to the Dayton Hamvention this year. |
“Every man has two deaths, when he is buried in the ground and the last time someone says his name. In some ways, men can be immortal. “ - Ernest Hemingway
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Originally Posted By eshell: ... Leaving tomorrow night and have decided to take the 2m/70cm and the CB. I have rigged and tested mag mounts for both radios on the rental vehicle and everything is running fine, so I'm GTG. I'll report back as to how we did with commo. hahahaha YES this is how it starts there are always more radios to add, and there's always more space for one more antenna. |
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Issue with CB in 2026 is, the FCC opened up the FM band for CB traffic. So a lot of people dumped their old AM CB radios and went with FM. Unless you get a dual band Am / FM radio, they don’t talk with each other. So something to help bring sound quality into 21 century, helped make it more fractured and less accessible |
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Originally Posted By TinLeg: A MARS modded HT with one of those window clip antennas and a cigarette lighter charger are easy and convenient and will do almost everything of actual interest. Sure... you're still unlikely to get much use. But the level of effort is also far far less. When I first got licensed, I used a VX-7r with a speaker/mic, cig lighter adapter and a mag mount antenna. Worked very well, but got hot quickly during TX. |
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As far as routing around backups, I've found a paper map / road atlas to be vastly easier and faster than solely using an electronic device. GPS tells you where you are, then look at the map, figure out where to backtrack to and an alternative bypass route, then enter in a couple waypoints and get moving. The last couple times I dealt with this there were contacts available on 146.520, locals at home. They went to a local repeater to hopefully provide some warning for other traffic. 2 meters can reach further than you might think in flat terrain. |
This is...a clue - Pat_Rogers
I'm not adequately aluminumized for this thread. - gonzo_beyondo
CO, MI, OR - Please lobby your legislators to end discrimination against non-resident CCW permit holders
I'm not adequately aluminumized for this thread. - gonzo_beyondo
CO, MI, OR - Please lobby your legislators to end discrimination against non-resident CCW permit holders
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Originally Posted By Gamma762: As far as routing around backups, I've found a paper map / road atlas to be vastly easier and faster than solely using an electronic device. GPS tells you where you are, then look at the map, figure out where to backtrack to and an alternative bypass route, then enter in a couple waypoints and get moving. The last couple times I dealt with this there were contacts available on 146.520, locals at home. They went to a local repeater to hopefully provide some warning for other traffic. 2 meters can reach further than you might think in flat terrain. Delorme makes some great maps of many states. Used to be standard equipment for motorcyclists. |
World ain't what it seems, is it Gunny?
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RE: Paper maps: I've always loved paper maps, but my collection of state maps is way out of date (dating back into the '70s). We studied our proposed route on Google maps and then passed through 16 states - I didn't know how else to prep for that beyond tossing the Garmin up on the dash... Originally Posted By trails-end: Which Garmin? Belongs to my buddy, so I don't know the model. It is new enough to show traffic (sometimes) and interface with his phone. I'll ask. |
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Originally Posted By Dopple: The deer must have been from Maine, and got pissed when it saw the tag. Yeah, maybe so, we did get some looks out west. Seems like every time we rent a vehicle (2-3x yearly) to go do a job in FL or someplace, we end up with MA or NY tags... |
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I have a 146.52 sticker on the back window of my pickup. Our last trip from GA to PA... I had someone call out to me once going North and another on the way home (South). I found it pretty cool. I also keep an FT891 in my truck but rarely hear anything on the CB channels. Definitely not like it was in the 1970's & 80's. |
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Originally Posted By bowmanch: Issue with CB in 2026 is, the FCC opened up the FM band for CB traffic. So a lot of people dumped their old AM CB radios and went with FM. Unless you get a dual band Am / FM radio, they don’t talk with each other. So something to help bring sound quality into 21 century, helped make it more fractured and less accessible I can count the number of 11M FM QSOs I've heard in my 50+ year involvement with the service on one hand. People have had access to the mode since the first export model sets started showing up on our shores (early 80s) or they got their hands on FM-capable amateur rigs (roughly the same time frame, give or take). FWIW, I'm probably the only local out of many who still uses a vintage type accepted Class D transceiver on the service. Everyone...I do mean everyone else has a Galaxy, Ranger or similar set that offers FM TRX. They simply don't use the mode in my AO. I live near a split of two major highways so I monitor Ch19 frequently. Never heard anyone using FM - either local or skip. |
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Originally Posted By trails-end: Which Garmin? @trails-end : Model 66. Does navigation, phone interface, current traffic. https://www.garmin.com/en-US/p/721098/ |