Hey guys,
Just a general "technical" question, which brand model would you recommend in terms of a UHF. It's for my hilux mainly doing beach work..
Where is the best place to go to get a good deal?
Thanks guys for the help, the 33's went on perfect thanks to ryan down at fourbys.
Cheers Andrew
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UHF Radios
Moderators: toaddog, TWISTY, V8Patrol, Moderators
Re: UHF Radios
GME or ICOM. They leave the rest behind.
GME 3400 is about the best.
go to general chat and look up prestige communications for best prices
GME 3400 is about the best.
go to general chat and look up prestige communications for best prices
Do you need all the goodies that they both come with?+dj_hansen+ wrote:Im stuck between the TX4400 and Icom Prom 400.
Both are same price, but the ICOM seems to include more propaganda relating to "built to military specifications" etc.
Anyone got their opinions... and yes have searched.
Can you program extra channels into either? Which is easier to get cable and s/ware for that??
Both are good, heaps of people use the Icom's inc government departments (fireys ambos etc)
i have several i use for work and as a homebase! icom 400pro and unidens at home, several unidens mobile in all my work vehicles.
100% icom pro is unreal but only if you know the people to do the mic mods and program it with higher power for you because the microphones are the biggest peice of crap ever without a doubt (i.e they break easy, they sound shite etc etc) for a mobile situation id stick with a cheaper 5watt radio with a front mount speaker so its easier to find a nice high flush spot to mount it in yah trauck where its easy to get to while in the scrub or over dunes and you can hear it clearly aswell! i use unidens uh088 in my vehicles wich i got cheap and almost new from pawnshops and theyve proven to be more than great! goodluck
100% icom pro is unreal but only if you know the people to do the mic mods and program it with higher power for you because the microphones are the biggest peice of crap ever without a doubt (i.e they break easy, they sound shite etc etc) for a mobile situation id stick with a cheaper 5watt radio with a front mount speaker so its easier to find a nice high flush spot to mount it in yah trauck where its easy to get to while in the scrub or over dunes and you can hear it clearly aswell! i use unidens uh088 in my vehicles wich i got cheap and almost new from pawnshops and theyve proven to be more than great! goodluck
A speed camera would have prevented that!
Have a Uniden GPS 105 UHF. Not a bad radio and I purchased it on ebay for $370.00 with a 6db stainless steel aerial thrown in. GPS is basic but it has speed alert warning, Speed Camera location, red light and black spot warnings.
It is being repaired at the moment under warranty because the LCD display played up. Jury is out on its long term quality but the repairer states that he has only had two back for repairs.
It is being repaired at the moment under warranty because the LCD display played up. Jury is out on its long term quality but the repairer states that he has only had two back for repairs.
I would go for the Icom IC-400Pro.
The radio's were built as a commercial radio, which means the radios are designed to do 25watts of power, when the radio is used as a CB it is set to 5 watts which means when you are using it as a CB it is not driven anywhere near as hard as a GME or Uniden radio. Which are only made as a 5 watts radio and are only designed to handle 5 watts so they do get very hot when used for long periods of time.
The icom uses a cast alloy chassis.
I install them at work and find the programming of them is really easy. it supports selcall, CTCSS tones, scan, extra channels between 450 and 512 mhz (specs only state 500Mhz but can do out of band programming), easy opperation via the front push buttons, up to 128 channels (40 CB plus 88 extra), good audio quality via the rather small front mounted speaker, easy to read orange display and the microphones are made alot stronger than the GME's and Unidens (in my own opinion) cos after all it is made as a commercial radio.
Hope this has help you make your decision..
Cheers
Simon..
The radio's were built as a commercial radio, which means the radios are designed to do 25watts of power, when the radio is used as a CB it is set to 5 watts which means when you are using it as a CB it is not driven anywhere near as hard as a GME or Uniden radio. Which are only made as a 5 watts radio and are only designed to handle 5 watts so they do get very hot when used for long periods of time.
The icom uses a cast alloy chassis.
I install them at work and find the programming of them is really easy. it supports selcall, CTCSS tones, scan, extra channels between 450 and 512 mhz (specs only state 500Mhz but can do out of band programming), easy opperation via the front push buttons, up to 128 channels (40 CB plus 88 extra), good audio quality via the rather small front mounted speaker, easy to read orange display and the microphones are made alot stronger than the GME's and Unidens (in my own opinion) cos after all it is made as a commercial radio.
Hope this has help you make your decision..
Cheers
Simon..
Hookers are like bowling balls, You pick them up, put your fingers in them, then throw them in the gutter and they come back for more.
Check here.
Essentially, the sideband radios were using AM at 27MHz. The current UHF radios operate at 477MHz using FM.
Diatribe follows. Feel free to ignore.
The higher frequency of UHF is better for line of site transimission, while the lower frequency 27 MHz radios are better around cities etc. FM transmissions are more immune to noise than AM tranmissions, up to a certain point, where AM becomes better again. At this point sound quality is usually so bad that most recreational users have got the sh!ts and given up. This is also why most commercial music stations use FM rather than AM.
Sideband is a tricky way to boost signal strength with AM transmissions, and doesn't work with FM transmissions. A normal AM signal has a carrier signal, but all the "information" is carried in two "sidebands" either side of the carrier (in the frequency spectrum.) Most of the transmission power goes to the carrier, so the bits you actually want, the voice information, is only a small fraction of what's transmitted and effective range is pretty poor.
A Single Sideband (SSB) transmission strips away the carrier and one of the sidebands, transmitting just enough information to reproduce the signal at the other end. All power is then used to transmit the voice information and range is greatly enhanced. Demodulating the signal in the receiver is trickier without the carrier signal to track, so voice quality could suffer, and the units could be a little trickier to use.
Emough cr@p.
Scott
Essentially, the sideband radios were using AM at 27MHz. The current UHF radios operate at 477MHz using FM.
Diatribe follows. Feel free to ignore.
The higher frequency of UHF is better for line of site transimission, while the lower frequency 27 MHz radios are better around cities etc. FM transmissions are more immune to noise than AM tranmissions, up to a certain point, where AM becomes better again. At this point sound quality is usually so bad that most recreational users have got the sh!ts and given up. This is also why most commercial music stations use FM rather than AM.
Sideband is a tricky way to boost signal strength with AM transmissions, and doesn't work with FM transmissions. A normal AM signal has a carrier signal, but all the "information" is carried in two "sidebands" either side of the carrier (in the frequency spectrum.) Most of the transmission power goes to the carrier, so the bits you actually want, the voice information, is only a small fraction of what's transmitted and effective range is pretty poor.
A Single Sideband (SSB) transmission strips away the carrier and one of the sidebands, transmitting just enough information to reproduce the signal at the other end. All power is then used to transmit the voice information and range is greatly enhanced. Demodulating the signal in the receiver is trickier without the carrier signal to track, so voice quality could suffer, and the units could be a little trickier to use.
Emough cr@p.
Scott
I've had Unidens and GME and now i have a few Icom 400 pros.
My unidens were ok. I sold my Uh-013 because it was a bit deaf.
I've had 2 GME 3400's and both needed to be repaired because they failed to TX. In the GME software there's allocation for re-alignment of the radio. The GME stuff is good but it needs regular tune-ups to keep performing. fter 2 years or so GME stuff should have a service.
My Icom's are only a few months old and i'm running 25watts and they work well. I have one as a base setup and one in the jeep and one in the mrs car and some in the work cars.
I recently reached 22klm simplex on the beach at double island point between 2 icoms with crappy aerials so i'm happy with that.
I don't agree with the arguement that GME mics are more solid than Icom's. When you have them side by side theres no comparison - the icom's is tougher.
If you can afford the space to fit the 400 pro don't think about anything else. If you must have a remote head teh gme will work well too. Just remember that the icom should last no less than 50 years.
cheers
My unidens were ok. I sold my Uh-013 because it was a bit deaf.
I've had 2 GME 3400's and both needed to be repaired because they failed to TX. In the GME software there's allocation for re-alignment of the radio. The GME stuff is good but it needs regular tune-ups to keep performing. fter 2 years or so GME stuff should have a service.
My Icom's are only a few months old and i'm running 25watts and they work well. I have one as a base setup and one in the jeep and one in the mrs car and some in the work cars.
I recently reached 22klm simplex on the beach at double island point between 2 icoms with crappy aerials so i'm happy with that.
I don't agree with the arguement that GME mics are more solid than Icom's. When you have them side by side theres no comparison - the icom's is tougher.
If you can afford the space to fit the 400 pro don't think about anything else. If you must have a remote head teh gme will work well too. Just remember that the icom should last no less than 50 years.
cheers
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Joined: Thu Nov 11, 2004 12:20 pm
Location: Mackay - Outerlimits; more extreme than your mum!
I will echo that.
ICOM or GME.
I've got ICOM - and would reccomend that due to overall quality.
TAIT, a fairly commercial unit is used by all QLD Emergency Services and seams good and user friendly - but expensive.
ICOM or GME.
I've got ICOM - and would reccomend that due to overall quality.
TAIT, a fairly commercial unit is used by all QLD Emergency Services and seams good and user friendly - but expensive.
moorey wrote:All that aside, I am yet to be convinced that RUFF is anything other than a maniacal arse hat.
Don't forget Motorola, they make good commercial units which can be used as a UHF CB but they've recently released a UHF CB as seen here
I'd love a Motorola Spectra but it draws 30amps so i'd need some heavy duty wiring in the jeep... plus i might melt myself and the passengers with 110 watts...
I'd love a Motorola Spectra but it draws 30amps so i'd need some heavy duty wiring in the jeep... plus i might melt myself and the passengers with 110 watts...
hate to throw a spanner into the works here
BUT with these extra scan channels most of the time peaple want to listen to the cops and with the cops going to digital this whould make these extra features usless
so a cheaper model might be the go
BTW i have a gme and have had no problems with it (yet)
BUT with these extra scan channels most of the time peaple want to listen to the cops and with the cops going to digital this whould make these extra features usless
so a cheaper model might be the go
BTW i have a gme and have had no problems with it (yet)
[quote="RN"]So do you support your local vendor...not if it is going to cost me almost double. [quote]
This looks pretty coolJeeps wrote:Don't forget Motorola, they make good commercial units which can be used as a UHF CB but they've recently released a UHF CB as seen here
I'd love a Motorola Spectra but it draws 30amps so i'd need some heavy duty wiring in the jeep... plus i might melt myself and the passengers with 110 watts...
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Motorola-GM950-P ... dZViewItem
There are no stupid questions, but there are a LOT of inquisitive idiots
All the radio techhies i know wont touch anything Motorola. Too hard to program they say. I run phillips Prm 8030's , A bit tricky to set up, But they are remote head , And i found in the field the have better receive than a Icom. The icom is super easy to program with a PC, IF you can get the sodtware for them.
For user friendlyness i think the gme 4400 is they way to go. I had this before i changed to Phillips. The misses hates the prms, But she hardly uses them anyway ( could be how i set them up. )
Good luck
For user friendlyness i think the gme 4400 is they way to go. I had this before i changed to Phillips. The misses hates the prms, But she hardly uses them anyway ( could be how i set them up. )
Good luck
I programme motorola at work and find they are not that hard if you are only programming them for conventional mode.
In my car i use to run a Prm8030 as my UHF but have since upgraded to a Tait 2020 remote head, I also run a Motorola MCX780 for my trunking radio which is on the State Wide Radio Network (VHF) and the Multi Point Trunking Network (Team Talk) and as the good old 27Mhz (yes i still run it) i use a Uniden AX144.
Just a bit of info but i would have to say the i think Motorola gear is the best that money can buy if you can afford it and are prepaired to pay for the over priced gear, go for it you will not regret your buy.
If you are looking for a radio at the lower price range but want to use commercial gear you could go for the Kenwook TK8160 which have all the features of the icom and a few more and is about the same size. Or go the new Tait 8100 series.
If you would like any info.
Ask away.
Cheers
In my car i use to run a Prm8030 as my UHF but have since upgraded to a Tait 2020 remote head, I also run a Motorola MCX780 for my trunking radio which is on the State Wide Radio Network (VHF) and the Multi Point Trunking Network (Team Talk) and as the good old 27Mhz (yes i still run it) i use a Uniden AX144.
Just a bit of info but i would have to say the i think Motorola gear is the best that money can buy if you can afford it and are prepaired to pay for the over priced gear, go for it you will not regret your buy.
If you are looking for a radio at the lower price range but want to use commercial gear you could go for the Kenwook TK8160 which have all the features of the icom and a few more and is about the same size. Or go the new Tait 8100 series.
If you would like any info.
Ask away.
Cheers
Hookers are like bowling balls, You pick them up, put your fingers in them, then throw them in the gutter and they come back for more.
Yeah but on the other hand, all the radio techies i know say that motorola are the bees knees and 8030's are getting a bit old and they're pretty deaf anyway. For the average user the 99 level RF meter is pretty cool on them. As far as they go, you can only program them a few hundred times before the board dies. SO DON'T GET IT PROGRAMMED TOO OFTEN!!!pongo wrote:All the radio techhies i know wont touch anything Motorola. Too hard to program they say. I run phillips Prm 8030's , A bit tricky to set up, But they are remote head , And i found in the field the have better receive than a Icom. The icom is super easy to program with a PC, IF you can get the sodtware for them.
For user friendlyness i think the gme 4400 is they way to go. I had this before i changed to Phillips. The misses hates the prms, But she hardly uses them anyway ( could be how i set them up. )
Good luck
Don't forget that the icom 400pro comes factory with a 120 squelch setting but the threshold is actually about 35-40. I've got mine set to 60 and i find it no more deaf than anything else. Those who complain that the icom is deaf just havn't reduced the squelch level enough.
Philips PRM80 series. Remote head models can be had on ebay for around $300. Easily programmable with up to 160 channels (RX and TX) and transmit on 25 watts. Able to scan several hundred police etc channels. Were probably the most popular commercial radio in the late 80's/early 90's. The grey color matches a GQ interior perfectly as well.
More info:
http://www28.brinkster.com/txrx/dstf.htm
hers a non remote head one -still a 5/25 watt fully programmable radio
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll ... %3AIT&rd=1
More info:
http://www28.brinkster.com/txrx/dstf.htm
hers a non remote head one -still a 5/25 watt fully programmable radio
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll ... %3AIT&rd=1
If you can get a phillips/simoco as cheap as the one listed above on ebay go for it!Mark2 wrote:Philips PRM80 series. Remote head models can be had on ebay for around $300. Easily programmable with up to 160 channels (RX and TX) and transmit on 25 watts. Able to scan several hundred police etc channels. Were probably the most popular commercial radio in the late 80's/early 90's. The grey color matches a GQ interior perfectly as well.
More info:
http://www28.brinkster.com/txrx/dstf.htm
hers a non remote head one -still a 5/25 watt fully programmable radio
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll ... %3AIT&rd=1
yea i can agree that the prm 8030 is a good unit, use one myself, built robust, got all the features i need and sounds great too, only paid 100, from a mate though... just make sure its set up for uhf, some were used for vhf, you can can change boards though.
There are no stupid questions, but there are a LOT of inquisitive idiots
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