UHF experts.....Look here

[Aido]

If Australia ( yeah the wide brown land ) has a regulation that states a maximum output of 5w for a radio that gives little more than a basic COOOOEEEE then why cant I purchase one from the States for less coin and 10x the output......?

Below is an example on fleabay.
ICOM IC F221 UHF F-221 221 Two Way Radio NEW - eBay (item 380284965420 end time Apr-01-11 09:44:44 PDT)

Explain why my thinking is flawed.....

 

[raywise]

Bloody good question! It would pick up all the same channels wouldn't it, and who would know your UHF is rated at 10 x the "legal" working range.

Nice price too.

 

[Aido]

Yeah but why isn't everyone else doing it?
hmmmm

 

[Jason]

Don't get me wrong, I think the higher the better, especially for the outback.

If customs find it and they know their regs they may confiscate. Just playing devil's advocate.

http://www.acma.gov.au/webwr/aca_home/legislation/radcomm/class_licences/cbrs.rtf

 

[Krankin]

In Australia you need a licence to operate in the VHF band and a licence to use more than the 5W in the UHF band.

Also that radio will need to have the freq's you want to use programmed in.

There may be a little more to it , but thats about the gist.








.

 

[Aido]

Ok so the Aus channels are readily available after a 0.18 sec google search
UHF CB Australia - 40 Channel UHF CB Radio Information & Allocations

How hard is it to obtain the information to reprogram and physically do the job?


What is the likelihood of being caught out using a high powered radio without a license?
I have seen 5w units first hand and how bad 3 and 4 hundred dollar jobs perform at less than 1 km apart and see them as next to useless.
POWAH!!!!

 

[Jason]

I used to work at a company that had the ability to do this, I am sure that a few of the CB's you buy in Aus have the ability to be reprogramed to up the power and the number of frequencies. Pretty sure the Icoms were one of them.

 

[Krankin]

How hard is it to obtain the information to reprogram and physically do the job?


What is the likelihood of being caught out using a high powered radio without a license?

1/ you need to obtain the program from Icom, an interface cable and a pc with the suitable os.

2/ depends how and where you use the radio...the more power you push out, the liklyhood of rf interferance to others...hence compliants, then investigation.







.

 

[d22dave]

Aido my icom 400 pro about $400 ish is 5 watt, Simple buy a cable of ebay $50 i think get program of net free, plug radio in reprogram job done, Your icom is now 25 watt

 

[vornar]

I bought the cable yesterday for 15 off fleabay... Downloaded the 400pro software and one of our esteemed members sent me a 25watt config...

hells yeah.

 

[d22dave]

Might do it then , my figures were based on my old decrepit memory, I bought my radio 5 or 6 years ago

 

[Leprechaun]

Does anyone know if a IC-440 can be hot rodded too?

 

[Al]

No, the 440 is only a 5 watt radio. Nothing can be done to up that with software.

 

[Leprechaun]

No, the 440 is only a 5 watt radio. Nothing can be done to up that with software.

Bugger

 

[Ridgie]

Aido - if you blokes didn't drive off so fast in the bush we would have all still maintained communication with our 5 watt jobs!!!

Seriously - I think a lot of the issues have to do with the type of aerial being used. I sometimes find my 2 watt hand held gets better reception that my 5 watt in-car GME - and I believe it has to do with the type of aerial I run.

 

[terryc]

Seriously - I think a lot of the issues have to do with the type of aerial being used. I sometimes find my 2 watt hand held gets better reception that my 5 watt in-car GME - and I believe it has to do with the type of aerial I run.

Very common. Throw in location and you can get nothing or everything.

 

[Tiburn]

Seriously - I think a lot of the issues have to do with the type of aerial being used. I sometimes find my 2 watt hand held gets better reception that my 5 watt in-car GME - and I believe it has to do with the type of aerial I run.

I agree. With my UHF I have got 30km on the flat point to point out of it.

 

[KraftyPg]

Chan4 repeater in Vic will go from the just east of Lakes Entrance to the Drouin Pub which by road is nearly 250ks and by the path the signal travels still about 120ks and you only need 5 watts to do that. Conditions have as much of a baring on signal as anything else.

 

[Jason]

Yep, repeaters are much better at the moment than they were a few years ago, apparently they have started to maintain them again?

 

[Aido]

Chan4 repeater in Vic will go from the just east of Lakes Entrance to the Drouin Pub which by road is nearly 250ks and by the path the signal travels still about 120ks and you only need 5 watts to do that. Conditions have as much of a baring on signal as anything else.

Ok so what about 5kms over mountainous terrain with the correct antenna?
My little 1w handhelds do alright and certainly recieve very well but what about 50w through a properly mounted 4.5 db antenna? Would be pretty good I imagine for conveying messages back down the field wouldn't it?