Driving, as incredible as it sounds can be most of the time, dull. You’re probably just bored of sitting at the same place without moving a muscle, Well except for your hands and legs at least.
Truck drivers face such an issue while transporting varieties of freight and are on a road trip to a destination five hundred miles away.
So here we are, to tell you about the “Best VHF radio for truckers.”
A handy radio is always by their side to help control their stress and provide some entertainment, which everyone requires. Besides, receiving essential traffic updates and getting the ‘heads up’ from a fellow trucker about a roadblock along a highway is invaluable information.
Getting closer to the point, there are a whole lot of radios available out there in the market depending on your requirements.
The radios generally used in automobile or trucks are called two-way radios, these are widely used across the world which is why they are trendy. They work on the principle of transmitting and receiving signals, which gives it its name.
There are many types of two-way radios namely Airband, BRS (Broadband Radio Service) which is used for Businesses, FRS which stands for family radio service, Marine and MURS which stands for Multi-Use Radio Service.
All of these two-way radios are based on two types of bands. They are the VHF and UHF which stands for Very High Frequency and Ultra High Frequency respectively.
Very High Frequencies have a range of about 30 MHz to 300 MHz and are an ITU designation. They are not only used for radio broadcasting but also for television broadcasting. That is pretty cool.
Ultra High Frequencies range from 300 MHz to 3GHz which is a lot when compared to Very High Frequency.
They are most commonly used for Global Positioning System which is also known as GPS. It can be used for a lot of other things due to its vast amount of frequency.
However, Ultra High Frequency is not that suitable for truckers. As we all know, the frequency is inversely proportional to the wavelength, higher the frequency less the wavelength propagated.
Airband VHF
First and foremost, we would like to discuss the airband radio.
It works on Very High Frequency which is preferred a lot. There are several types of airband radios by the company ICOM called as the IC-A6E portable VHF and IC-A24E portable and the airband panel mount are very pocket-friendly and are available at a very affordable price range. It is a handheld radio and thus available as a compact model as well.
Generally used for walkie-talkies and aircraft communications.
It has a range of 35-200 miles depending on the model and price.
Amateur VHF
Next up on the list is an Amateur radio which is also known as HAM radio. It has nothing to do with ham but has some unique functions that some receivers do not provide you.
It can work on both Ultra High Frequency as well as Very High Frequency.
The initial model of amateur radio is called a technician class.
They have individual licenses for each of their model. The technician licensed radio gives range up to 10 meters and with a frequency of 30 MHz.
Then comes General class and amateur extra class which are too similar to each other but would require the licenses as well. They would provide frequency and range better than that of an airband radio.
BRS VHF
Business (BRS) would be the next one on the list. This type of radios is used for business.
Purposes. They are brought by companies in bulk some of the models include RSS-199, SRSP-517, etc. They work on both Ultra High Frequency and Very High Frequency. Working its best on individual channels, it is because it’s pre-programmed. It is really light and easily portable.
Its range goes up to 2 miles when in extreme power. But this cannot be used by individuals or truckers like us, as it would be costly than the regular VHF radios.
FRS VHF
FRS or Family Radio service would be the next one to be discussed
Family Radio Service is an improved walkie-talkie service that has been
integrated into a device that is the size of a cell phone from the 90’s. They work on UHF which cannot be used by truckers; it is assigned channels
beforehand.
This may not be the one for you, as it lacks range and frequencies at a high price point. It stands at 1 miles at maximum power and has a rate of 49 MHz.
The following are going to be the radios that work on VHF (Very High Frequency) only. They are sleek, cost-effective, packed with features and most importantly efficient and reliable.
Marine and MURS or Multi-Use Radio Service VHF
They hold an extraordinary place in this article. Of course, marine radios are costly, but it’s worth the money in all terms.
The VHF model costs more, but it is straightforward to use, it also has dual monitors to monitor the channels that are transmitting through the radio. Sometimes they are handheld and portable, but other times they are fixed mount.
These tend to show the unusually high frequency and range when excess power is applied. It doesn’t require any license as well.
At minimum power, marine radios have a range of about a massive 3 miles. At maximum power, the scale goes all the way up to a whopping 25 miles which is exceptionally well engineered.
It is an unlicensed version of the Citizen’s band (Cb) which works with HF/AM. It usually has about a power limit of 2 watts which is pretty good for truckers like you. It does not need anything extra. In simpler words, it’s plug and play. It proves to be useful at a very very cheap price point.
It has a unique feature to implement authorized modes which are namely A1B, A2B, A2D, A3E, A4F, etc. to switch between amplitude modulation for different frequencies.
This one is highly recommended and ideal for truckers.
So those were the best VHF radios for a trucker. Please make a wise decision and go for the best option and select the MURS VHF.
