Could FM CB supplant FRS?

[WQAI363]

Offroaderx is absolutely right, FRS may sound as a better option than CB Radio but sounding good does not mean that it is so. One needs to comprehend the characteristics of each radio service and way the radio waves move through the atmosphere. FRS or GMRS simplex may be fine farms or indoor applications where VHF HI or VHF Low fails. I seriously doubt the FRS would be a replacement for CB radio. I guess if you in group in close proximity convoy it would ideal. But nothing like making call out for anyone who may know why I-95 is backed up 5 miles. You're not going random strangers to give you a heads up on FRS as it was on CB back in the day.

[GrouserPad]

On 6/13/2025 at 7:22 AM, WRCR724 said:

How did you come about with this determination? Do you have a FM CB radio and monitor it for others operating in the FM mode? If so, then you would be someone using FM CB. Or did you conduct a survey and have the results published somewhere? I genuinely would like to know how you came to your conclusion because I know of three people who have a Cobra 25ltd in their dump trucks. 

FM CB. FM. He said no one used FM CB. and he would be correct. 

[marcspaz]

I may have mentioned this earlier in the thread... but I think the FCC is 40 years too late in approving FM on CB. I'm glad a manufacturer stepped up and got the change made, but it's just too late.

[WRTC928]

10 hours ago, marcspaz said:

I may have mentioned this earlier in the thread... but I think the FCC is 40 years too late in approving FM on CB. I'm glad a manufacturer stepped up and got the change made, but it's just too late.

I have read that manufacturers wanted it approved so they could sell the same units in the US and Europe. I have no idea if that's true, but it makes sense. If it's true, the manufacturers wouldn't care if the FM feature goes unused and US users would have no incentive to use it.

[WRCR724]

22 hours ago, GrouserPad said:

FM CB. FM. He said no one used FM CB. and he would be correct. 

And that's what I was talking about as well. Did you not see me mention FM in my post? Go back and read it again in case you missed it. 

And I also said that I know of three people who are using it in their dump trucks. So, someone (3 people actually) is using it. 

[WRTC928]

12 hours ago, WRCR724 said:

And that's what I was talking about as well. Did you not see me mention FM in my post? Go back and read it again in case you missed it. 

And I also said that I know of three people who are using it in their dump trucks. So, someone (3 people actually) is using it. 

As far as I can determine, exactly 3 people in the US use FM CB.

Is that better?

[Lscott]

On 6/14/2025 at 11:49 PM, marcspaz said:

I may have mentioned this earlier in the thread... but I think the FCC is 40 years too late in approving FM on CB. I'm glad a manufacturer stepped up and got the change made, but it's just too late.

At least on the official side. My buddy has his "export" mobile radio for 12/11/10 meters. He's run FM on 11M with a few people, and that's before the FCC allowed it.

The question will it replace FRS. I think the answer is no. Why. The usage cases are different. People using FRS have short range communications requirements. The small size, radio plus antenna, fit in a shirt pocket or on a belt very easily. Anyone that's looked at some of the older "HT" style CB radio, well they're about the size of the old WWII walkies-talkies. The antennas for any reasonable radiation efficiency are ridiculously huge. These radios are not convenient to use.

The retired cop in my radio coffee group tells us stories how the older Motorola radios were not liked that well. They were large, bulky and the officers complained about the antennas poking them in the armpits all the time with the radio on their utility belt.

[WRCR724]

1 hour ago, WRTC928 said:

As far as I can determine, exactly 3 people in the US use FM CB.

Is that better?

Yes, thank you. 

[WRTC928]

8 hours ago, Lscott said:

The retired cop in my radio coffee group tells us stories how the older Motorola radios were not liked that well. They were large, bulky and the officers complained about the antennas poking them in the armpits all the time with the radio on their utility belt.

I was a police officer in the early 1980s and that's pretty much how we all felt, but we accepted it because there weren't any other options.

[WSHH887]

In the early 70's the USAF fire department used Motorolas, MX330's (?).  They were bulky and heavy but we had stubby antennas.  One thing we found is they didn't like heat and water was death to them. 

[TrikeRadio]

On 6/16/2025 at 4:52 PM, WSHH887 said:

In the early 70's the USAF fire department used Motorolas, MX330's (?).  They were bulky and heavy but we had stubby antennas.  One thing we found is they didn't like heat and water was death to them. 

That sounds like a bit of a problem... since fire departments tend to be surrounded by a lot of heat and water.  

[jwilkers]

FM-CB/GMRS combo radio....

There is no such thing


Sent from my SM-S911U1 using Tapatalk

[PACNWComms]

Using many Cobra 29 LTD Classic CB radios for a fleet of vehicles, FM CB may not even give AM CB a run for its money (Cobra 29 LTD Classic with FM are now sold as a matter of course, not higher priced with FM mode). But running both AM only and AM/FM Cobra 29 LTD classic CB's.....the build quality is just not there. 

I recommend going with President radios and Astatic mics.....better quality, then seeing if FM makes a difference. 

In my use case, FM CB is not impressive.....and add in another element that can be a problem if the end users do not understand radio. My use case is that "taxi" drivers take tours around the area, and vehicles have a Motorola FDMA trunked radio, and CB as a backup. Older CB's are AM only (no sideband either), and newer ones are AM/FM, using the channel knob (pressing the knob) to toggle between AM/FM modes.

Then we get the complaints from end users, they are talking between modes AM and FM and the audio does not sound right......or they are not holding the microphone close enough. AM CB it was always squelch and gain settings that were an issue, now add in AM and FM modes. 

I recommend everyone watch the movie "Convoy" and then learn how their particular radio functions. 

So, with Cobra low end CB radios, I see no threat from FM CB......but others might have better luck (and I bet better hardware works more effectively.still sporting my Cobra 75, until it dies on me). 

[LeoG]

Plus with AM you can have two people talk and be heard.  FM is usually stronger signal only.

[TNFrank]

On 6/12/2025 at 7:28 AM, LeoG said:

FM-CB/GMRS combo radio....

The majority of Radtel radios will TX/RX on the FM-CB bands. Not sure how many fars you'd get but they'll do it and you can also do 10M, 6M, 2M, 1.25M and 70cm for HAM use and MURS, FRS/GMRS as well. They don't advertise that they'll do all those frequencies but they do.

[Bogieboy01]

10 hours ago, TNFrank said:

The majority of Radtel radios will TX/RX on the FM-CB bands. Not sure how many fars you'd get but they'll do it and you can also do 10M, 6M, 2M, 1.25M and 70cm for HAM use and MURS, FRS/GMRS as well. They don't advertise that they'll do all those frequencies but they do.

The bintolk and btonera versions also have "super mode" that unlocks all of those as well.... have not had a chance to really play around with listening on them on my btonera yet....but plan to once i get my home base radios set up in my man cave shed at our new place...

[Radioactive]

I say no because of the antennas. Hamdheld cb antennas are atrocious compared to handheld frs, and no one wants a giant antenna on their vehicles to run a mobile. I ran cbs all my life until a few years ago, got an new to me truck 2016 f150 and its aluminum. I do have a vhf/uhf antenna on it by putting magnets under the roof accessing the third brake light but no room for a cb antenna. I keep one of the old early 80s "emergency cb's" contained in its little plastic box in the rear door pocket for a just in case scenario, but no longer run or monitor cb. No one was on them the last few years I had one in my other truck, not even truckers anymore. So no way cb subplants frs. The frs radios are just to convenient and work "well enough" with no fuss or muss. Amazing how much activity is on them. I scan those channels on my mobile and daily hear warehouses, construction, schools and just genreral chit chat on them. Tons more busy than cb was last I listened to it. 

[WRTC928]

4 hours ago, Radioactive said:

I say no because of the antennas. Hamdheld cb antennas are atrocious compared to handheld frs, and no one wants a giant antenna on their vehicles to run a mobile. 

Yeah, when I originally posed the question, I hadn't thought of the antenna. That's pretty much a deal-breaker for most people.

[WRUE951]

Why waste an AM radio for 'line of site' communications..    The fun with AM is getting out and touching the world. 

[beerftw]

I almost never see or hear of anyone in the conus using fm cb, it is more common in europe. Yes 11m on fm can still do skip and have good ranges, but still nowhere as good as am and ssb. Since am is the united states is so widely used for cb, the extreme majority just use it as well and ignore fm cb, since the userbase is sticking with what is commonly available, heck how many tens of millions of cb rigs were sold in previous decades, people go where the numbers are and here am cb is where it is at for cb, and gmrs is where it is at for wanting fm coms as well as uhf/vhf ham.

[WSLH454]

Just stumbled across this old post. Well I've still got a Regency 23 channel CB in the garage. Purchased in 1975 it works fine. Toyed with the idea of making an antenna for it, and getting a cheap mobile. Probably 12-15 mile range easy at 4-5 watts. GMRS HT radio's give me 2-3 miles. CB frequencies in most areas are dead for local traffic. GMRS isn't exactly booming with traffic either