Archive for the ‘Hand Held CB Radios’ Category
Christmas season is upon us once again…
I spend all year writing about marine radios
, CB Radios, and marine speakers but once a year I take a small break to wish you the very merriest of Christmas’s this year. This year has been a rough one for a lot of folks due to the economy, but hopefully the worst is behind us. My grandmother used to tell me that you’re rich if you have your health. Of course – I used to think she really didn’t understand the whole picture, but the older I get, the more I realize how wise a statement that was. If we have family, friends, AND our health – that’s an almost unbeatable combination. There are lots of things out there we can’t control so let’s take a time out to be thankful for what we DO have and pray for an opportunity to share that with someone else who maybe has less than you do. Bad turns in the economy tends to bring out the best in people in many ways. It also causes us to step back and re-evaluate just what is important. Let’s remember that as we go through this season and may I take this opportunity once again to wish you and your’s a very Merry Christmas. Happy Boater.
CB Radios don’t have to be a bulky box…
True – most CB Radios are attachable with the use of a bracket and are about the size of a car radio. You know the size – I’m sure you’ve seen as many of them as I have. What you may not know, is that there is a hand held CB Radio that is really no bigger than a hand held microphone. That’s right. It is capable of handling all 40 channels just like the full size units, but is all contained inside this microphone. You can hang it on the wall of your boat control house or on the dash board of your vehicle for easy access. Wherever you put it, you are sure to served very well with it. What a handy thing to have – and just think – Christmas is right around the corner! Start dropping hints and ….who knows??? …You may hit the jackpot for a great gift this year!! Happy Boater.
Those riding 4-wheelers need to talk too…
I’ve recently become aware of how many folks I know get together with their friends and take a ride on their 4-wheelers – and I really mean a RIDE! They don’t think anything of covering 75 to 100 miles in an afternoon just riding through trails in the woods. I have to admit, that sounds like fun. The only problem is that I don’t own one so I can’t join in on the fun. What I can’t imagine is that sometime during that trip, wouldn’t it be nice to have some kind of communication with the others in the group? What if one had trouble?? How would the “leader of the pack” know to stop? A small hand held CB Radio would be just the clear ticket item for solving this dilemma. We have the same kind of problem when out on a snowmobile trip. If you have a dozen or so sleds in your group, the amount of trail you get spread out on is immense! Granted, you DO stop occasionally and let everyone catch up and then we usually count and make sure that everyone is still with us. Several times, we’ve had to back track to find a missing sledder. How much easier would it have been if they had been able to radio the lead sled and advise of his/her situation. Always be safe, but have fun! Happy Boater.
Hunting season’s here – got your CB or VHF Radio yet?
We all hope we never have to call for help sometime – even if it’s not for ourselves, but for someone else. Fact is, every year during hunting season someone needs help and wouldn’t you feel bad if you came upon someone in need and you needed to contact someone fast in an area where there is no cell service and you couldn’t help? If even for your own peace of mind and comfort (that warm fuzzy feeling), every hunter should either have a hand held CB Radio or a hand held VHF marine radio in his pocket. That is really not far fetched – these little radios (the VHF radios) will send signal up to 5 nautical miles. Ideally, someone else in your hunting party should be carrying a radio so you could relay for help and assistance if needed. These little radios (the VHF radios) are even weather proof – that is, even if they were to drop into a river or lake, they will float and they will remain waterproof for up to a meter under the water for about a half hour. So, if you’re planning to be out in the woods hunting, don’t forget to cover the basic bases of safety before you leave. Happy Boater.
It seems like spring just got here and now fall and winter are closing in…
Boating season is just too short in the northland! Why, it seems like you just get your boat into the water and its time to pay storage fees to someone to store the boat for the winter! I guess we just have to “suck it in, take a deep breath” and get on with winter sports, hey? Does the change of seasons mean that your communication needs are all over until next summer? Not on your life! I guess I mean that literally, because hunting season is coming up as well as snowmobiling. Both sports have an element of “unknown” in them where it would be a great “comfort, warm fuzzy feeling” to be able to communicate with someone in your group to get assistance if you needed it. Hunters sometimes get “turned around” in the woods while hunting and can’t remember their way out – and it doesn’t always happen to “the other guy”. Slipping a little CB Radio or a hand held VHF marine radio into your pocket would surely be a great comfort if needed. Maybe you will just stumble upon another hunter who needs medical assistance. Wouldn’t you feel good if you were able to help him/her? Nothing wrong with being prepared. Happy Boater.
CB’s don’t do you any good if you forget them at home!
Just a couple of weeks ago, we enjoyed a great day of leaf watching as we traveled up the north shore of Lake Superior with some friends of ours. Naturally, we had too many people to actually fit into one car (also had a dog with), so we piled into 2 vehicles and I led the way – in search of that one perfect spot to view the leaves. Now, as it turned out, we were successful on that point, but it sure would have been nice if I had been able to point out some of the highlights along the way. Guess who left the hand held cb radios at home? Yep – it was me. Oh well, the day was a smashing success and all went well – even without them, but I really couldn’t believe that I actually left them home – all charged up and everything. Don’t be like me – when you have an outing with more than one vehicle, remember to pack your hand held cb radios (one for each vehicle) and add some extra fun to your day!! Happy Boater.
Traveling with another party? CB’s the way to go.
As I watch all the folks traveling up and down the shore of Lake Superior viewing the vibrant leaves, I have to wonder just how many of them are traveling together – even though they are in different vehicles. I’m quite sure there are a lot of them. I know I’ve done that – just because sometimes you just plain don’t all fit into one vehicle. Sure is nice to be able to communicate to the other vehicle of their needs – say, where they want to stop for lunch – and when. Maybe you want to take a short “bunny trail” to show them something special. How are you going to do that unless you stop the car and with all the traffic, it’s hard to get into the mix again. It’s better to start off being “road smart” and have your hand held cb radios all charged up and ready to go – then the rest of the day things will definitely go your way. Have a great trip and a pleasant leaf-watching experience. Happy Boater.
Sometimes a good old fashioned CB Radio is just the ticket!
We all know that when we’re out hunting, we don’t want a CB Radio calling us when we’re just about to get the hairs of the scope perfectly positioned on Ol’ Mossy and you trigger finger is just in motion. But, let’s suppose for a minute that you DID just bag the prize of your life and now you have to drag it out by yourself. Wouldn’t it be nice if someone were in calling distance to come and help?? …or better yet – maybe bring out an ATV to load it on and drive it out of the woods? I know that would be my preference! Why not make it easier on yourself and tuck a hand held CB Radio into your vest this year! Besides that, it’s sure a lot safer for everyone concerned. You always have a communication line to you buddies and that way, everyone stays safe and doesn’t get turned around in the woods. If you did, you could call someone and they could come to your assistance. …you’d not be so alone out there. Something to consider…. Happy Boater.
CB’s are far from forgotten…
You may think that CB’s are all but forgotten. You have another guess coming because there are many, many boats out there that choose to have CB’s mounted in the wheel house because often they are out in a party with other boats and this allows them to have conversations with the other boaters while still monitoring channel 16 with the VHF radio on board so they don’t miss any important information from the USCG. Just this past weekend I saw a base unit CB Radio as well as a remote CB Radio for sale at an estate sale. I was really tempted, but didn’t end up making the purchase. Some of the newer CB Radios also have digital capability so the sound quality is light years ahead of what we used to listen to in the 60′s and 70′s!! The good news is that they are really inexpensive for the amount of fun and communication you can have with them.
Hand held CB’s you see in use every day…
Along with the fall season comes the normal crazy rush of construction crews trying to squeeze in the final touches on their road projects before bad weather closes in on them. We’ve all seen them – and it usually happens when you’re in a rush to get somewhere – those wonderful signs that say “flagman ahead”. Sure enough – just a few hundred feet ahead you come across a young man or lady holding that dreaded stop sign. Isn’t it a wonder why it never says “slow” when you come up to it? You sit there – probably put your car in “park”, and wait. Then there’s that glimmer of hope! He/she picks up their CB Radio and presses that button on the side of it and begins talking to someone out of your sight. Then she turns the sign around to expose the “slow” side of the sign and all is well. You can get on your way. I’ve seen the use of hand held CB Radios a lot in just the couple of weeks. Everyone from construction folks to surveyors use them – and why not!! They’re an incredibly handy thing to have at your fingertips. …and they are very affordable… Happy Boater.