COMMS Part 2
Get Engaged With Others
You’re ready to join a ride with Idaho 4×4 Off-road Club. Now, you want to be engaged while riding. So, you need to be connected.
Our official runs use two communication methods. We have HAM radios and GMRS radios. A majority of the riders have commercially available GMRS radios.
GMRS
GMRS use requires a license. There is no test to obtain this license. You may find a nice step by step instruction guide on the Midland radio site. FRS can be used without a license.
At the meeting point before the run begins, the trail leader will survey the group to understand whether to choose an FRS/GMRS compatible station or a GMRS only station. For owners of older FRS radios, they will not be able to transmit on GMRS only stations.
| Channel Selection | Frequency |
|---|---|
| GMRS CH17 – Preferred | 462.600 Mhz |
| GMRS CH15 – Secondary | 462.550 Mhz |
| FRS/GMRS CH4 – Preferred if licenses are an issue | 462.6375 Mhz |
| FRS/GMRS CH7 – Secondary if licenses are an issue | 462.7125 Mhz |
HAM – Amateur Radio
HAM use requires a license. There is a test required to obtain this license. There are three levels of licensing. There is a wealth of information on the interwebbie thing, but you might start at the ARRL site. The entry level exam is Technician. You can find LOTS of sample test sites and classes to help you prepare. Many of the Club members are licensed HAM operators, and usually lead and tail gunners use mobile HAM radios with higher power limits.
At the meeting point before the run begins, the trail leader will advise the group if there will be communications on HAM frequencies and remind everyone of the license requirements to transmit on these frequencies.
| Band | Frequency |
|---|---|
| 2m – Preferred | 146.460 Mhz |
| 2m – Secondary | 146.560 Mhz |
| 70cm – Preferred | 445.950 Mhz |
| 70cm – Secondary | 446.050 Mhz |
How Do You Make This Work
You’ve probably seen many people with those BaoFeng handhelds. They are generally low price, and they can be dialed into any of the frequencies above and plenty more. You can check out this blog to program these frequencies for simplicity on the trail.
Take the few minutes to get the GMRS license so you can use the full power of the GMRS radios. You can browse a mobile GMRS on Google
