Off Roading

[WRZD727]

We usually run ch 16 or 14. We have a lot of unimproved county roads you can off-road on in SE OH. Also like to go to Black Mountain off road area in Harlan, KY, a couple times a year. 

[WRZD727]

I was replying topic, and it won’t let me delete it

[marcspaz]

2 hours ago, WRZD727 said:

We usually run ch 16 or 14. We have a lot of unimproved county roads you can off-road on in SE OH. Also like to go to Black Mountain off road area in Harlan, KY, a couple times a year. 

 

2 hours ago, WRZD727 said:

I was replying topic, and it won’t let me delete it

 

We have fallen a long way when someone feels like this...  I'm sorry.

 

I love offroading  and GMRS is a big part of my offroad entertainment and safety.  

[nokones]

15 hours ago, WRZD727 said:

We usually run ch 16 or 14. We have a lot of unimproved county roads you can off-road on in SE OH. Also like to go to Black Mountain off road area in Harlan, KY, a couple times a year. 

I'm assuming those two channels are CB channels. If your channel 14 is a FRS/GMRS channel are you aware that ch. 14 is a 467 MHz Interstitial channel and only puts out .5 watt (500 milliwatts) at best?

I used to hear some CB traffic on the trails. It has been over a year since I heard CB traffic while on the trail. I'm hearing more and more VHF traffic on the trail mostly around Quartzsite and near the Colorado River area. I believe the VHF traffic is mostly trail comm from Side X Sides.

[amaff]

26 minutes ago, nokones said:

I'm assuming those two channels are CB channels. If your channel 14 is a FRS/GMRS channel are you aware that ch. 14 is a 467 MHz Interstitial channel and only puts out .5 watt (500 milliwatts) at best?

Wish more people thought like this. The local ski-patrols use FRS/GMRS Ch. 9 for active rescue comms. Up in the mountains, with trees and valleys and what not, I'd be trying to get every bit of output I could. But alas. Like, I get what they're trying to do, but "for the meme" isn't really the best way to plan this sort of thing...

[WRUE951]

26 minutes ago, nokones said:

I'm assuming those two channels are CB channels. If your channel 14 is a FRS/GMRS channel are you aware that ch. 14 is a 467 MHz Interstitial channel and only puts out .5 watt (500 milliwatts) at best?

I used to hear some CB traffic on the trails. It has been over a year since I heard CB traffic while on the trail. I'm hearing more and more VHF traffic on the trail mostly around Quartzsite and near the Colorado River area. I believe the VHF traffic is mostly trail comm from Side X Sides.

The AMA and local 4 wheel drive clubs have done the shift to VHF as well. Crews and spotters were using GMRS a lot but in recent years they are going to a VHF service where they rent the radios at the events.  I don't know who the company is but apparently they licensed dozens and dozens of business radio frequencies in multiple states and they rent radios set up to specific frequencies in the radios a group needs.  They even offer encrypted radios..  Just this last weekend there was a large AMA event, over 5000 people, in my town.. Radio traffic on GMRS was almost zero, traffic on MURS and Businesss radio was pretty busy..  

[dosw]

33 minutes ago, amaff said:

Wish more people thought like this. The local ski-patrols use FRS/GMRS Ch. 9 for active rescue comms. Up in the mountains, with trees and valleys and what not, I'd be trying to get every bit of output I could. But alas. Like, I get what they're trying to do, but "for the meme" isn't really the best way to plan this sort of thing...

Thanks for providing that chart. Where did you find it? It looks like AF is pretty unfortunate. The rest, at least, are in the 5w max category.

 

<edit> I found it: https://utahavalanchecenter.org/education/group-group-radio-channel-initiative

[nokones]

9 hours ago, WRUE951 said:

The AMA and local 4 wheel drive clubs have done the shift to VHF as well. Crews and spotters were using GMRS a lot but in recent years they are going to a VHF service where they rent the radios at the events.  I don't know who the company is but apparently they licensed dozens and dozens of business radio frequencies in multiple states and they rent radios set up to specific frequencies in the radios a group needs.  They even offer encrypted radios..  Just this last weekend there was a large AMA event, over 5000 people, in my town.. Radio traffic on GMRS was almost zero, traffic on MURS and Businesss radio was pretty busy..  

It may be Rugged Radios. They have a Gazillion VHF and UHF freqs licensed in several areas of various States throughout the country. That had to cost them a lot of money in frequency coordination fees because they are not itinerant freqs.

[H8SPVMT]

The Midland MXT-400 ran fine the whole trip and off road this past weekend on the Cumberland's Jeep Jamboree in Kentucky.  

Knocked the magnetic mount off once tho going too fast to the brush! Rained the night before we left and the dang Jeep filled with water!  My fault, I left the drivers door partially open.

Red Bird trail took out only one Jeeper this year on Saturday by breaking a control arm.  Indian Creek is getting washed out on the way to the meadow and we all had fun the whole weekend.

[Over2U]

On 10/7/2025 at 6:28 AM, amaff said:

Wish more people thought like this. The local ski-patrols use FRS/GMRS Ch. 9 for active rescue comms. Up in the mountains, with trees and valleys and what not, I'd be trying to get every bit of output I could. But alas. Like, I get what they're trying to do, but "for the meme" isn't really the best way to plan this sort of thing...

RE use of Channel 9 for active Search and Rescue, I would note that Colorado and Wyoming have recently published plans to use Channel 3 for such purposes…

[gortex2]

On 10/21/2025 at 3:45 PM, H8SPVMT said:

Red Bird trail took out only one Jeeper this year on Saturday by breaking a control arm.  Indian Creek is getting washed out on the way to the meadow and we all had fun the whole weekend.

Another control arm mount on a TJ ! Friday we had a front mount rip from the frame on Red Bird as well. Saturday we had an other TJ rear control arm mount rip of just at the top of Indian Creek before the meadow for lunch. Luckily he was able to follow the trail out during lunch and came back in to ride with another. How did you like the dozer tail gunner on Red Bird. Still amazed at how he jammed that 12v inside those fenders.

I know in the end at least 3 TJ's broke mounts. 2 I know were fromn Ohio not sure the third. Rolled on Jeep as well on another trail. All in all awesome time as usual there. Just picked our 5 for next year. 4 on east coast and one on west coast. 

Oh and picked up a new JLU on the Friday before cumberlands...Now 3 jeep family. JK, JT, JL

 

[gortex2]

On 10/21/2025 at 8:01 PM, Over2U said:

RE use of Channel 9 for active Search and Rescue, I would note that Colorado and Wyoming have recently published plans to use Channel 3 for such purposes…

In my years of SAR we have had more finds from hunters or hikers on channel 1 than any other channel. For that reason the channel is in all our command posts as well as hand helds for rx. 

[gortex2]

SFWDA will have Trail Fest (April 17-19) at Leatherwood (https://leatherwoodoffroad.com/) in the spring and Dixie Run (Sept 18-20) in the Fall will be back at Golden Mountain (https://goldenmountainparkevents.com/)

It will be the 40th anniversay of the Dixie Run and I believe it was started at Golden originally. 

[H8SPVMT]

On 10/23/2025 at 3:40 PM, gortex2 said:

Another control arm mount on a TJ ! Friday we had a front mount rip from the frame on Red Bird as well. Saturday we had an other TJ rear control arm mount rip of just at the top of Indian Creek before the meadow for lunch. Luckily he was able to follow the trail out during lunch and came back in to ride with another. How did you like the dozer tail gunner on Red Bird. Still amazed at how he jammed that 12v inside those fenders.

I know in the end at least 3 TJ's broke mounts. 2 I know were fromn Ohio not sure the third. Rolled on Jeep as well on another trail. All in all awesome time as usual there. Just picked our 5 for next year. 4 on east coast and one on west coast. 

Oh and picked up a new JLU on the Friday before cumberlands...Now 3 jeep family. JK, JT, JL

 

Seems we rode the same trails but on different days!  JP the tail gunner on Redbird fired that thing up as I walked by surprised the crap out of me! I didn't remember it being so loud last year...  He had to perform some last minute work on the starter system Thursday and ended up replacing the started and battery too.  Never ending maintenance cycle......  

 

[gortex2]

At least he shed the Pink Hat this year ! 

 

[gortex2]

Looked over list last night and have 4 on our list so far for 2026 - Tennesse Mountians, Big Bear Lake CA, Uhwarrie, Cumberlands. Most likely do a 5th but looking to fit it in between SFWDA events and other JJUSA training events my wife will be at. 

[H8SPVMT]

8 hours ago, gortex2 said:

At least he shed the Pink Hat this year ! 

 

It was funny seeing Kirby's big head under that hat!  But last I saw of him he was wearing it and proud!

[Over2U]

On 10/23/2025 at 12:42 PM, gortex2 said:

In my years of SAR we have had more finds from hunters or hikers on channel 1 than any other channel. For that reason the channel is in all our command posts as well as hand helds for rx. 

So true that many people never change the radio from the channel (#1) that it came ‘out of the box’ with.

[WRZD727]

On 10/7/2025 at 8:58 AM, nokones said:

I'm assuming those two channels are CB channels. If your channel 14 is a FRS/GMRS channel are you aware that ch. 14 is a 467 MHz Interstitial channel and only puts out .5 watt (500 milliwatts) at best?

I used to hear some CB traffic on the trails. It has been over a year since I heard CB traffic while on the trail. I'm hearing more and more VHF traffic on the trail mostly around Quartzsite and near the Colorado River area. I believe the VHF traffic is mostly trail comm from Side X Sides.

Some groups around here still run cb radio for off roading. I run gmrs too. 

[gortex2]

Booked all our trips for next year. 5 Jamborrees as well as monthly trianing for the wife. Looking forward to next year. Also decided drag racing wasn't going well so traded the Drag Pak for a 25 Willys JLU. Plan to take that to CA for that Jamboree as well as our family trip. Piling parts up next too it. Pick up my new 4 post lift next Friday. 

 

[nokones]

Jeep Beach is only 4 months away.

[gortex2]

Winch and Skid Plate instaleld over holiday break on the new JLU. OTher garage addition over break is my new Wildfire lift. Should have done this 30 years ago. Lots more to go on the JL before my cross country trip for JJUSA in Big Bear. 

 

 

[amaff]

49 minutes ago, gortex2 said:

Winch and Skid Plate instaleld over holiday break on the new JLU. OTher garage addition over break is my new Wildfire lift. Should have done this 30 years ago. Lots more to go on the JL before my cross country trip for JJUSA in Big Bear. 

 

 

Dude, a lift is a game changer. And will absolutely spoil you hahah
Congrats!

Next up, tire machines  

[gortex2]

Id love a tire machine. I have 10 tires to M&B and will spend almost as much as getting a used one. Some day.

[amaff]

34 minutes ago, gortex2 said:

Id love a tire machine. I have 10 tires to M&B and will spend almost as much as getting a used one. Some day.

The cheap mounters and balancers (Mayflower, XK, etc) are surprisingly good for the home-gamer. They've gone up since I bought mine in '21 (but so has everything else...) but they're still pretty reasonable. From doing my own work vs farming it out, and doing tires for racing friends, it literally paid for itself inside of 18 months.