UHF Vs CB

[j-top paj]

still wont work well if your moving.
i only have a 4.5dbi elevated feed antenna (they claim 6.5) and i am always the one in the group that can be heard and hear most of the group.
a 9db antenna would be the absolute limit i would get. definately not 12

i find a 6 is more practical for more situations

[gravel]

Awesome replies guys - cheers and keep em coming as i'm learning more and more each post.

As has been suggested the places we generally go are fairly flat areas but extremely remote.... Yalata is just short of the Nullabor on the Great Australian Bight... the beach is 2 hours off the Eyre Highway via a very rough track so its a pretty harsh place with rarely anyone else around.

I had a look at the GME range of UHF radios today - ive heard a few people mention GME so take it they have a decent product?

I'll have to look further into the Satphones aswell.

Thanks again.

[j-top paj]

how much are you prepared to spend?

[gravel]

Mate i was looking at spending 'around' $500 in total on both a UHF and the antenna.

I was checking out the GME TX3220 that runs for $275 on the Prestige website... still yet to look into antenna prices though.

I can borrow a sat phone from work as i dare say theyre quite a bit more expensive... and i really want the car to car benefits of the UHF... not only for emergencies but convoys on trips etc... just a matter of what one to choose... i only need a fairly basic yet very reliable set up.

Tough decisions these ones..

[RockyF75]

Tough decisions these ones..

My word

I've been deciding for the last 3 years. But their yet to bring out one that is cheap as chips and has all the features I want

[-Scott-]

What's marine traffic like in these fishing spots? In an emergency, would you be better off trying boaties? Get the TX3220 with 6dB antenna for convoy/land work, and a marine (VHF?) to hit up the boaties in an emergency?

[GQ Bear]

What's marine traffic like in these fishing spots? In an emergency, would you be better off trying boaties? Get the TX3220 with 6dB antenna for convoy/land work, and a marine (VHF?) to hit up the boaties in an emergency?

Might end up getting rescued by the Navy and thrown in a detention centre

[jaztaz]

If you go satphone, what scott said is true. I have globalstar in truck & it is shyt. Iridium is the go according to our exploration drilling crews.

[j-top paj]

id be looking at an icom 400 pro in that price range.
they are only $400 now.

BUT make sure they program it for 25W

[uninformed]

id be looking at an icom 400 pro in that price range.
they are only $400 now.

BUT make sure they program it for 25W

ok so why? and do i jsut say "program it to 25W please"

or do i need to be more specific?

cheers, Serg

[Jeeps]

id be looking at an icom 400 pro in that price range.
they are only $400 now.

BUT make sure they program it for 25W

pfft, yeah sure they will

Icom 400pro is $379 delivered + $69 for the programming cable so you can do whatever you want to it.

i still reckon the GME is probably the go as the icom is less user friendly to operate, particularly if you're new to radio gear.

cheers

[j-top paj]

id be looking at an icom 400 pro in that price range.
they are only $400 now.

BUT make sure they program it for 25W

pfft, yeah sure they will

Icom 400pro is $379 delivered + $69 for the programming cable so you can do whatever you want to it.

i still reckon the GME is probably the go as the icom is less user friendly to operate, particularly if you're new to radio gear.

cheers

just gotta go to the right place to get it done

but for $450 its still worth it.
icom programing software is so easy to use also
i wish kenwoods were easier to program

[j-top paj]

i still reckon the GME is probably the go as the icom is less user friendly to operate, particularly if you're new to radio gear.

how do you mean?

[Jeeps]

The menu driven operation of the Icom's can be confusing due to all the extra features packed in. Many 400pro owners say they keep the manual in the car with them in case they need to change something, even simple things like CTCSS, Selcall, Squelch level etc. Even myself who owns half a dozen icom radios find that because i use the pc for most of my programming i forget how to do things via the keypad if i don't to it that way for a length of time. I'm about to get one of those gme 3440's for the jeep and pull the 400pro out and set it up as another base radio. I'll put it back into the jeep for trips when we're using private channels (a mate owns several commercial repeaters in seq).

It's pretty normal for icom gear, my 41s's are easy to use but more complicated than say a gme6200 and my icom scanner is a biatch to work out if i don't have the manual because i usually plug it into the pc to program it's 1500 channels and change it's settings, just try and program 1500 channels with only 4 buttons on the whole thing! I was playing around with it last week on the couch listening to amateur trying to grab their tone codes and accidently flicked the factory reset... doh! Oh well, plug it back into the pc and upload the file...

It's not a bad thing the icom being so customisable but it could possibly confuse a newbie who just wants a simple cb radio. But if they're willing to read the manual, icom is one of the best choices out there.

[j-top paj]

It's pretty normal for icom gear, my 41s's are easy to use but more complicated than say a gme6200 and my icom scanner is a biatch to work out if i don't have the manual because i usually plug it into the pc to program it's 1500 channels and change it's settings, just try and program 1500 channels with only 4 buttons on the whole thing

i tried programing my ic-208 with just the keypad on the mic...
i lasted about 20mins before i was online downloading the PC program for it



i have never actually owned a 400 as most of my gear for that band is kenwood and tait. so im unfamiliar with the features of it.. i have used them occasionaly in mates cars etc... but

[gravel]

What's marine traffic like in these fishing spots? In an emergency, would you be better off trying boaties? Get the TX3220 with 6dB antenna for convoy/land work, and a marine (VHF?) to hit up the boaties in an emergency?

Mate there's not much boat traffic in the Yalata area - we were there for a week back in Feb, fished the beaches as far west as we could go - right out near the cliffs of the Great Aussie Bight - we didn't see 1 boat the whole time.

As far as the GME TX3220 goes: if i just want a simple UHF that will be good for convoys and will get me out of trouble (if in range of someone to hear me) do you think the 3220 would be a good reliable option or is there a better option in the GME range.

The Icom's sound a tad confusing - especially as i'm new to UHF's.

[j-top paj]

main reason i say the icom is because it is 25W rather than 4 or 5W

[Jeeps]

i tried programing my ic-208 with just the keypad on the mic...
i lasted about 20mins before i was online downloading the PC program for it

Mate i hear ya!

gravel, if you can program a TV or VCR then you'll have no probs with an Icom, in fact it's probably more time consuming to do a Tv...

j-top paj, you're right about the 25w it provides much better signals especially in thick bush and hilly locations... apparently

[Patroler]

HF (i.e. Codan/Barrett/"RFDS style" radios) can use higher power and get incredible range, but is highly dependent on weather conditions - and generally requires a knowledgeable user. (Note that AM CBs also operate in the HF band, and SSB operation can also achieve incredible range when weather conditions are correct.)

Yea thats pretty true, but an AM ssb unit is far more dependent on weather conditions than a hf due to the fact that its 40 channels are very close together in frequency all in the 27mhz range whereas a hf can transmit between 1.5-30mhz, this can make the most of the ionospheric skip at various times of the day (might not get through on a high freq but low may work or on a higher freq or vise versa (also HF is usaully 100w and AM cb is 5w or upto 12 on ssb)

Pretty much for dependable comms in a convoy, no more than 20k apart you could use a UHF or AM (27mhz) as previously stated UHF has better sound quality and more dickheads but that makes no difference if there aren't any idiots within 50k!

For over the horizon comms a HF can be relible upto 3000ks but will cost about 1500 (barrett 550 with autotune) and upto 3200 (codan ngt or barrett 2050 and autotune antenna) and about 100 a year to transmit on vks737 which is a aus wide 4wd radio network

Sat phone is the other option, and can be hired, problem is if you get hopelessly bogged who do you call? a hf may raise someone around the corner...

for more info on long range stuff have a search on www.exploroz.com or google vks 737

fwiw i have 25w UHF and soon to fit HF with 27mhz and vks rfds, but i don't plan on travelling with other people heaps - maybe one other car half the time!

[-Scott-]

For over the horizon comms a HF can be relible upto 3000ks

Codan factory (in Adelaide) spoke to India - the long way.

But they were using a little more than 100W, and you wouldn't bolt the antenna to your 4by...

[Patroler]

nice! if you google 'barrett hf antarctic' it comes up with a couple of 1kw tramsmitters, were the primary means of comms until recently, similar in PNG, i'd say codan would have a similar setup....

[deejay181]

when i was in the RAN, we still used HF to communicate to our ships all over the world......gotta love working on a 40kw HF transmitter hehehehe or even better was the 250KW LF transmitter

[j-top paj]

HF (i.e. Codan/Barrett/"RFDS style" radios) can use higher power and get incredible range, but is highly dependent on weather conditions - and generally requires a knowledgeable user. (Note that AM CBs also operate in the HF band, and SSB operation can also achieve incredible range when weather conditions are correct.)

Yea thats pretty true, but an AM ssb unit is far more dependent on weather conditions than a hf due to the fact that its 40 channels are very close together in frequency all in the 27mhz range whereas a hf can transmit between 1.5-30mhz, this can make the most of the ionospheric skip at various times of the day (might not get through on a high freq but low may work or on a higher freq or vise versa (also HF is usaully 100w and AM cb is 5w or upto 12 on ssb)

go the "good ol AM set mate"

how do you get a AM SSB unit?

[j-top paj]

For over the horizon comms a HF can be relible upto 3000ks

Codan factory (in Adelaide) spoke to India - the long way.

But they were using a little more than 100W, and you wouldn't bolt the antenna to your 4by...

100W pffft

i used to have a 2KW linear for 27dregs back in the day....
but my neighbours didnt like it when they wanted to watch TV

i had to wait till after midnight to flick the switch but by that time there was no need

[j-top paj]

when i was in the RAN, we still used HF to communicate to our ships all over the world......gotta love working on a 40kw HF transmitter hehehehe or even better was the 250KW LF transmitter

ok you win

i wouldnt want to stand in front of the antenna and fry my balls

[macca81]

back when i was a younger scout, we used to have a HF radio at JOTA camps, the antenna was ground thru a 4wd and we used to talk to other scouts in USA, Germany, Japan etc. had one kid lean on the 4wd once... he bounced... ended up about 15ft away

[j-top paj]

i used to get many of my fellow scouts with that trick

hey samuel, can you go and change the antenna for me.... ZAP

[RN]

I have a UHF and an AM...the sound of the AM and the fiddling around with the dials to bring in the signal is a bit of a PITA, but it is mostly dickhead free...

ie channel 03 UHF down Franga way is bogan city.

[Micky-Lux]

For all the experts-

Adding to Rocky's post,

AM - Aplitude Modulation
SSB - Single Side Band
LSB - Lower Side Band
USB - Upper Side Band
FM - Frequency Modulation
HF - High Frequency
VHF - Very High Frequency
UHF - Ultra High Frequency
CB - Citizens Band
CW - Carrier Wave

might as well add
SHF, ULF, RTTY, FSK etc etc etc..... the list can go on and on

Can't forget these ones:

PSK - Phase Shift Keying
QAM - Quadrature Amplitude Modulation
PCM - Pulse Code Modulation
PWM - Pulse Width Modulation
PAM - Pulse Amplitude Modulation
DSB - Double Sideband
DSB-SC - Double Sideband Supressed Carrier
DSB-RC - Double Sideband Reduced Carrier
TDM - Time Division Multiplexing
FDM - Frequency Division Multiplexing
DTMF - Dual Tone Multi Frequency

The list could go on...