Uhf radio advise please

[andrew0]

Have no clue abouts what's good, bad and ugly. I understand that you pay for what you get but what's the sort or price range i should be looking around.

I read I bit on 4x4 earth and they are all saying gme or get a hand held. I don't want a hand held.

 

[benchrisfennell]

I have had only gme's in my 4x4's and my truck. I rate them highly i have a little 3200 gme under the dash in my d40 top radio around 300 dollar mark. Also get a good areial. That is the biggest factor in communication.

 

[andrew0]

http://www.ryda.com.au/mobile/Product.aspx?ProductCode=TX3100

Thoughts?

 

[andrew0]

Or
http://www.ryda.com.au/mobile/Product.aspx?ProductCode=TX3120S

 

[ozstickman]

They are both ok for a simple radio.
Make sure all antenna cabling is good quality and connections are done well.

I have GMEs for CB UHF and Icoms and Yaseu for amateur radio and commercial.

 

[terryc]

Exactly what do you want it for?
My 2c is that if you're going to be doing very regular convoy activity, or need it for work(cough), then may be a built in, otherwise handheld because there is SFA use for it in a lot of places.

We made a quick purchase of the the GME 5watt handheld and installed a couple of external aerials 6/9 & 1Db. That was April 2011 and either aerial was fine for the 15 vehicles group we joined for a week. Since then, it has no use or ever been of any assistance, unless "reality" radio rocks your boat. You don't road info in the metro areas anymore or anywhere else for that matter.

About the only thing that we could use it for is as one of apair for assistance in hitching up the CT. OTOH, that device with two tennis balls on extension sticks givber far better directions, if the back tub isn't loaded. A pair weould also be good for a spotter directing your tyres on tricky lines.

A failure of the GME is that car power is via the same socket for 240V charge up and there just isb't a good flat spot in a D22 for it to sit. Something that takes a 12V feed would be better.

A search will find a number of threads on similar matters.

 

[andrew0]

I tryed searching but tapatalk is useless at it.

Ended up grabbing this

http://m.ebay.com.au/itm/like/17150...2&ops=true&viphx=1&hlpht=true&lpid=107&chn=ps

Paid 300 from rays outdoors. Couldn't be bothered waiting and I like the fact that if it shits it within the year I can take it straight back to them.

Really couldn't go past the combo so now I have the hand held for outside Comms if I need to guide someone.

Need to buy any aerial this arvo. Thinking a cheap one from supercheap or repco for now and get a good one once I have my bull bar.

447k 6.6dB is what I'm after yeah?

 

[ozstickman]

I tryed searching but tapatalk is useless at it.

Ended up grabbing this

http://m.ebay.com.au/itm/like/17150...2&ops=true&viphx=1&hlpht=true&lpid=107&chn=ps

Paid 300 from rays outdoors. Couldn't be bothered waiting and I like the fact that if it shits it within the year I can take it straight back to them.

Really couldn't go past the combo so now I have the hand held for outside Comms if I need to guide someone.

Need to buy any aerial this arvo. Thinking a cheap one from supercheap or repco for now and get a good one once I have my bull bar.

447k 6.6dB is what I'm after yeah?

477MHz UHF antenna will be good. Get a ground independent antenna if you are mounting in the bullbar.
Supercheap have them for about $100 or there abouts.
They have ones there that have the 1/4 5/8 6dB antenna aswell as a 1/4 wave little short antenna for when you are around town. Might help with height depending on when you park your Nav.

 

[mitch92]

Yea, icom for best, then GME then uniden

 

[ozstickman]

Yea, icom for best, then GME then uniden

I love my Icoms. But at the end of the day if you antenna and cabling is crap the radio will not perform.

 

[Navmania]

Icom is good but in my opinion the Yaesu vertex standard is better. 100 ch fully programable and 25 watt. Looks the same as the Icom but a bit more commercial. Don't get me wrong I would have either but if you are on a bit more of a budget the GME's are a very good radio.

The great thing with the vertex was when I purchased it all UHF's were only 40ch then when the 80ch was introduced I didn't have to but a new radio. I just plugged my laptop into it and reprogrammed it to the new 80ch band. I then just programmed the other 20 to fire and air frequencies.

 

[ozstickman]

ICOM 400s are 128 channel!

I have leads and software for a bucket load of Icoms, yaesu, GME and other radios. Makes programming a breeze.
The icom are a commercial radio that is capable of up to 35 - 40w if vented right. Off the bat they are good for 25 easy.

But the Vertex are still a good radio. It's just te commercial side of Yaesu.

 

[mitch92]

Icom is good but in my opinion the Yaesu vertex standard is better. 100 ch fully programable and 25 watt. Looks the same as the Icom but a bit more commercial. Don't get me wrong I would have either but if you are on a bit more of a budget the GME's are a very good radio.

The great thing with the vertex was when I purchased it all UHF's were only 40ch then when the 80ch was introduced I didn't have to but a new radio. I just plugged my laptop into it and reprogrammed it to the new 80ch band. I then just programmed the other 20 to fire and air frequencies.


View attachment 18857

As stickman said icom is 128, easily programmable, also capable (though illegal) of 25w, and also just plug in to update from 40 to 80ch

 

[Navmania]

^^ nice info. Didn't know the Icom was 128ch. My vertex is a few years old now and I don't know if they have done any updates or released a newer model.

 

[andrew0]

I don't really see the need for something huge. Just for convoys really. I'll probably look into something bigger and better later on when I start using it more.

What's the price range for one of the big bad boys?

Ended up getting a oricom antenna, 4.5db. It was on sale and the 6.5 db was 1.5 meters and I have it mounted on my bonnet so it would be way to high. Don't really trust the mount that I bought. Looks to flimsy.

 

[ozstickman]

As stickman said icom is 128, easily programmable, also capable (though illegal) of 25w, and also just plug in to update from 40 to 80ch

Illegal on citizen band uhf channels but not for commercial if the license allows for it.

 

[mitch92]

Illegal on citizen band uhf channels but not for commercial if the license allows for it.

Correct, but couldn't be bothered typing it like that haha

 

[abouttogobush]

always remember uhf height is might ive spoken 120 kms in tha right spot

 

[ozstickman]

always remember uhf height is might ive spoken 120 kms in tha right spot

Like HF and the old 27MHz CBs you get skip, in the right conditions you can get it with UHF. It's called Tropospheric propagation. When weather conditions are right you will receive and sometimes interact further than expected. Normally when you have higher pressure systems around.
Here is a link for how it works.
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropospheric_propagation

 

[abouttogobush]

hey thanks stiko the old ax144 on ssb ive spoken around the world from my car with a 6ft aerial it was punching out 25wts I still got it cost me 250bucks in 88 ive had uhf since the old boy bought 4 in 82 back then we could speak when the first repeaters setup a fair way from Toowoomba to brissy are you a trucky too mate