The EOTB, like many other off-road clubs uses CB radios as the primary means of communication between vehicles on the trail.

Most CB radios are very similar. They usually support 40 channels, transmit at up to 4 Watts which is all you really need. We also highly recommend a dual-mode (AM/FM) radio (more on this later). You can get some extras like built-in SWR meters, weather radio, channel memories among others. As long as you stick with a reputable brand, you should be fine. It’s generally advisable to stick to one of the major brands, Cobra, Uniden,  or President. There are other budget brands such as TYT and Retevis, but we just don’t have any experience with them.

Industry Canada, who regulate the use of the CB band, have changed the regulations allowing the use of FM (frequency modulation) on the CB band in Canada, prior to which only AM or sideband were permitted. While we still use AM on the trail, FM does offer a cleaner sound, and isn’t subject to interference from common sources like LED lighting alternators. Less interference means a lower noise floor, allowing squelch levels to be kept lower and overall range to increase. As more members transition to radios capable of FM, we should be looking to transition our usage within the club.

You will see some shops advertise radios by Galaxy, Stryker, or Ranger with higher power outputs (10 Watts, 45 Watts and even 100 Watts). These are not CB radios, they are HAM (amateur) radios, often referred to as 11m radios, that can or have been modified to operate in the CB band. These are legal to use as HAM radios if you have a license but are not legal to use in the CB band, even if you do have a license.

Common Features

40 channels	Most CB radios support 40 channels, which represents the complete band for citizen band radio
4 watt transmitter	This is the maximum transmission power allowed in the citizen band. It is rare to find a radio that isn’t capable of transmitting 4 watts.
Dual Mode	Many newer CBs are offering both AM and FM modulation. This feature is highly recommended.
Noise cancelling microphone	Face it, most off-road vehicles are not quiet. A noise cancelling microphone will help reduce the background noise allowing you to be heard more clearly
SWR meter	An SWR meter is used to tune the antenna. Usually an external SWR meter is used, but some radios have them built-in.
Weather Radio	Weather radio, as the name suggests allows you to listen to regional weather forecasts. Some radios will also give you automatic weather alerts when a special signal is received.
Memory Channels	Allows you to mark a number of channels as your favorites so that you can quickly jump to commonly used channels.
Scan	Scans all of the channels to search for activity. When a signal is heard on channel, the radio pauses on that channel to let you hear the transmission
Dual watch	This is similar to scan, but monitors two channels instead of scanning through all of them.
RF Gain	RF gain allows you to control how much an incoming signal is amplified. If your gain is set to high, you can pick up too much background noise, causing spurious signals to break squelch. If it is set to low, you might not be able to hear a station farther away.
Microphone Gain	Controls the volume of your voice when transmitting. Since CB is AM radio, this also impacts your signal strength. Too high, and your voice will sound distorted. Too low, and nobody will hear you.
Speaker Output	Allows you to attach an external speaker. Some mounting locations may make the internal speaker difficult to hear. Adding an external speaker can help especially in high noise situations

Recommendations

Here are a few radios to consider. These recommendations are based on the assumption that you’re only using the CB for the trail and are just looking for a good sounding reliable radio. They are listed in no particular order

Cobra 75

For applications with limited space, such as the JK, this is a great little unit. All of the controls are integrated into the microphone and the transmitter is a small box that can be mounted under the dash or under a seat. This CB unit is waterproof and can be mounted basically anywhere. The microphone is wireless, and can be plugged into a lighter or USB port.

• Dual-Mode AM/FM
• Bluetooth Connectivity
• Digital Noise Cancellation
• Weather Radio
• Fits in the palm of your hand

The Cobra 75 can benefit from an external speaker (its main unit has a jack for this purpose). One of our members picked one up for ~$20 and mounted it to the speaker bar above and behind their head: They find it is loud and clear even on the highway with the doors off.

President Jerry

This is a handheld CB that features a car adapter for charging and external antenna, allowing it to be used both in and out of the vehicle.

• Dual Mode AM/FM
• Dual Use, portable and in vehicle
• Lithium Ion battery for portable use

The President Randy is a very similar radio with a few more features and accessories.

Uniden Bearcat 880FM

This unit includes most of the features you would need. It offers a more modern interface than most CB on the market, but it is physically quite large compared with the other recommendations.

• Dual Mode AM/FM
• Modern looking interface
• Noise cancelling microphone
• Built-in SWR and Antenna diagnostics
• Channel Memories (you can store channels in memory and scan those channels)
• Weather Radio

President Bill III

This is a compact radio requiring very little space. It packs a lot of features into a small package with modern noise reduction  capabilities.

• Dual Mode AM/FM
• Compact
• Weather Radio

Cobra 19 Mini

This unit is small. It can be installed with very little space. It’s a full 4 Watt unit. Even with its small size, it has quite a few features, but if you’re just looking for a basic, robust CB, this will do the job.

• Dual Mode AM/FM
• Auto Squelch
• PA function