Commo Advice - FRS? GMRS? etc.?

[Shuey]

Have them use google maps on their phone with GPS tracking turned on, and they could follow the blue line home........

This is a great suggestion . . . not dumb at all. Thanks! Solves the second half of the problem.
Shuey

 

[STRider]

Good choice.

use FRS low power car to car. It is all you need and will save the batteries.

If you are worried about being too far apart then use an external ( 6 db) antenna mounted high as you can (roof rack).
A good antenna mounted high is way better than more power in a poor antenna (rubber duck).

So, not an FCC approved device then. FRS capable radios must have fixed antennas.

Ignore the Baofeng UV-5RX in the background...

 

[ST Gui]

If an external antenna is needed, then they're not following fast enough. I like the idea of the CB walkie-talkies but that's kind of pricey for who knows how much use they'll get. Not that it matters as Shuey made his choice – but I wonder how crowded CB is these days.

Way back when (eons before The Duck and the convoy) CB in my area at the time was a morass of linear amps and very crowded freqs. Those were the days of steam powered 23-channel rigs. My dad got his first Ham ticket then and I started copying code. That was big fun.

 

[spiderman302]

I learned a long time ago, at field days and vhf radio contests, that a better antenna properly located is more effective than a linear amp.
I used CB's with my 4x4 group and FRS radios with my kids. Now I use the Sena.
Cell phones have really diminished activity on the local radio repeaters, but they all (Ham, CB, FRS) are very good fall back com units.