CB Radio

Terro · Guru

CB Radio

Popeye · Senior Member

I would have a look at the Icom IC-440 if i was you.

jimricho · Guru

Hi Terry, GME still manufacture their UHF CB radios in Australia and in my experience they produce a reliable product. You can check out their range at http://www.gme.net.au/. I purchased a GME GX3220 nearly 12 years and have reinstalled it in my current vehicle. It has not given any problems since I purchased it.

The GX 3220 is still available and is a compact unit that is straight forward to operate. More up-market units will offer you frills that you will never use. If your vehicle's dash board precludes the installation of a complete unit you may have to consider one with a separate control "head", as these are more expensive and offer features that you will never use I would advise against this choice unless you have no option.

No doubt other "forumsters" out there in "Greynomadsland" will have had a similar experience with other brands which they can recommend.

Make sure your installation is done by professional 2-way installers as most auto electricians whilst experts in their own field have little clue on 2-way radio installation. Do not attempt the installation yourself unless you have a some knowledge in radio transmission.

The installer will probably be able to recommend a suitable antenna and the final choice will probably depend as much on its physical robustness as its technical features. You will see installations where a quite flimsy antenna is mounted on a light weight bracket near the engine bonnet. In my view (and I'm drawing on personal experience here) this arrangement is quite unsatisfactory if you intend to venture off the blacktop at all. If your vehicle has a bull bar this would be the ideal place mount it.

Remember that UHF has limited range and this is it's strength as well as its weakness. It is ideal for convoy communications and for contact with with the truckies. It is not suitable as a rescue aid where long range communication is needed.

PS: Whilst composing the above epistle I noticed Popeye mentioned Icom. I think Icom are also Aussie made and and I understand they are a major supplier of commercial 2-way systems so this would also be well worth following up at http://www.icom-australia.com/

Jim

-- Edited by jimricho on Sunday 25th of October 2009 07:47:54 PM

-- Edited by jimricho on Sunday 25th of October 2009 07:50:40 PM

-- Edited by jimricho on Sunday 25th of October 2009 07:53:01 PM

justcruisin01 · Guru

Terro,Been running a uniden for many years over thousands of kls of corrogated dirt roads with no problem.

it's been proven that the antanner is the important part ,the bullbar makes a sturdy mount . To get the maximin coverage you need a very good quility ant with two plus meters in length . If you are towing a van you need the hight to have coverage to the rear. [ fuel tankers run one on each side of the cab for this purpose ].

We were travelling with friends in WA last year ,with a f250 +a bushtracker,
it was fitted with a small ant & not working verywell .
We fitted a two + mtr good quility ant ,it worked wonders plus volume control knob went from a 9 to a 3 & a very clear sound.

I run about a 750mm around home [ it fits in the shed ] but i run a 2mtr when on trips with the same results as i just quoted .

jimricho · Guru

James (justcruisin01) makes a valid point about the importance of the antenna. As a former radio station chief techo I can certainly vouch for this. Most likely the better performance of the higher two metre antenna is a result of being able to get above the boat and van (as shown in justcruisino1's avatar) rather than more antenna gain per se. (the longer antenna does not necessarily equate to more gain) The obvious trade off here is convenience which James has overcome by using a shorter antenna around home. I simply remove my antenna completely as I don't use my 2way around town at all.

Another important consideration is the "match" between the radio and the antenna (VSWR in techo speak). This should not be an issue in a properly carried out installation (professional or DIY) as all the radios and antennas on the market are designed to match each other although some antennas do better than others in this regard. However if the performance is suspect this should be checked. A professional installer will always check this before signing off on the job.

Technically the best place to mount an antenna is in the middle of the roof but this option is nearly always out of the question for other obvious reasons.

The UHF CB band is unique to Australia so all UHF CBs on the market have to be made especially to Australian specifications whether manufactured here or overseas and I feel that any of the three brands mentioned so far would be a safe choice.

-- Edited by jimricho on Monday 26th of October 2009 06:36:34 AM

Terro · Guru

I have had a look at the GME TX 3220 on their website and at the moment they have a package including an antenna rated at 4.5 db or whatever. They don't give a price and don't even have a list of dealers on there. Will give their Victorian depot a ring later to see what they have to say. Keep you posted.

Terro.

-- Edited by Terro on Monday 26th of October 2009 07:58:39 AM

Smokeydk · Guru

Hi........I ordered a GME TX3440 from Prestige WA on a monday afternoon....the courier arrived with it tuesday 8:30am.....good price and Free Delivery anywhere in Aust.

http://www.prestigecom.net.au/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=27&zenid=2218a1de97ace078e6fdd70f951de7d6

Dave

dave06 · Guru

Terro, when it comes to uhf Hieght is might but even then out on the backblocks a 5 mtr sand dune will always kill a 3 mtr aerial, uhf doesnt go that far anyway and it is almost line of sight communication, unless atmospheric anomylies are taken into account

we have used a gme 3220 for a donkey years now, all our vehicles on the farm have the 3220 including the quad, still the same unit as the electrophone/gme except they just dropped the electrophone bit off the external casing sticker when gme bought the company out

as far as antennys go it seems 6 db is the standard, mounted on a medium spring base, the greater the decibal the greater the range but also the less power, better to stay "in the middle" with a 6db, I was told this by our local coast guard radio moniter (grumpy sod)

I know of a lot of folks who head north every year with a little rubber 4db (peter of "peter and margaret wright") are great kimberley travellers and that is all they use mounted simply on the gutter of their little truck because they dont get snapped off under trees or shed,

there is no need to "match" the aerials anymore, that went out with the little vhf, just ask your distributer for a 6db gme "type" aerial about 700mm long, this will give sufficient height to clear the cab, to have it higher than the van would be an absolute pain

installation is a simple affair, all that is involved is the power wire (off accesories) earth wire (straight to body or chassis) and the coax

mount it on the bullbar to the left of view with the mount turned inwards, it is ilegal to have the mount with it's open mouth facing forward

as far as position inside the vehicle goes think about the ashtray, are you a smoker, if not pull the ash tray out and stick it in there, if thats no go make up a little "box" and mount it on the dash

the hardest bit of installation is the "through the firewall bit" I find if it is done in reverse (from engine to inside the cab) with a thick peice of insulated wire, and use that to pull the power wire back out again, then it is easier

a lot of good specials all over the joint, watch for the one that gives a little "handheld one" as well I find it usefull for when I am reversing in to a tight spot, the dragon doesnt have to come and belt me for not winding the window down quite so often

redtails · Veteran Member

to add a helpful bit also.... the last couple of patrols i have had i had the same problem of where to fit the cb as there is really very few places it will go easily. i brought a uniden with a removeable face and put the face into the slot by the gearstick..... it fits really nicely and you can see and use it easily, and the body under the drivers seat. I always buy a larger speaker for easier listening which i put on the other side of the gearstick.... i used black windscreen silastic to hold the face plate in position which held well and matched the console colour when i changed to a new patrol it removed and swapped over too. you have to take the cord out of the bottom of the console but i drilled a hole in it ok.... fitting these things are a bit fiddly but hardly hi tech.... as others have said the main thing about the aerial is that for the best reception it just needs to clear the height of the vehicle. hope this is useful

Terro · Guru

Thanks for that info Dave. the TX 3220 is advertised on their web site coming with a 4.5 db gain ground antenna with base and lead. I could also buy a longer? antenna as well. Just phoned them to find my local retailer which is Autobarn, they are getting them in this week but can't give me a price as yet. They have another pack with a free hand held for $349 but then I would have to buy the antenna and equipment. I consider having the shorter antenna would be good for around town with a longer one for trips as mentioned by Just Cruisin'. How does that sound?

Terro

dave06 · Guru

I'm not that sure that you would use it around town, it's mostly dribble from the drongoes when in the burbs, we keep our uhf in the "off" mode when in town so if I was to only buy one arial then it would be the 6db medium whip, thats what I have on little blue

if you were to apply pressure at the time of purchase I am sure that an arial would be thrown in or greatly discounted, from memory they are range in price from $30 - $200

the package with the handheld is the way I would go then purchase a 6db whip and you are away, nothing else is needed

have you tried ebay, a lot of secondhand units come up that are in as new condition for half the price, a lot of arials can be found cheap on their as well

as redtails has said the external speaker (which just plugs in the back of the unit) is a very good thing as well, I have that in our camper and it is good for very weak long range signals

I just had a very quick "poke around" while the boss isnt looking and found this, I think it represents very good value and is pretty much what you are looking for.............

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/GME-TX3220-UHF-6db-Hi-gain-AT470-Antenna-NEW_W0QQitemZ370279931340QQcmdZViewItemQQptZAU_Electronics_Radio_Equipment?hash=item5636675dcc...

just cut and paste this in your browser

-- Edited by dave06 on Monday 26th of October 2009 10:44:37 AM

Terro · Guru

Couldn't get that link to work Dave but never mind I'm not a user of Ebay. I have been directed to an online shop link below. Had a look at the Prestige site and they are very interesting. They have a TX 3220 & 6db antenna bundle for $295. They are telling me that is a saving of 30%. On the page it asks me to choose an antenna, the choices are:- Uniden AT 470 900m antenna for free or DB6 6db 900mm GI antenna for $15. There must be a difference. Is the more expensive one better? Any opinions?

www.prestigecom.net.au

Terro

dave06 · Guru

well assuming they want to charge for the GI then it surely must be better,

all I did was to go and see "grumpy" our local coast guard radio moniter (who is a GME distributer and ham radio operator as well as a uhf enthusiast) I told him what I do and what I had and where I wanted to mount it and he told me the type of arial I needed, it has never let me down anywhere within it's limitations of course

I am standing on the platform looking at the antenny on our header and lo and behold it is the same as mine at home

that price sounds pretty good to me

as far as that link was concerned it was just to a certain radio/antenny sale, to have a general look at ebay just go to ebay australia and poke in gme uhf and it will bring up all sorts of deals, I seen one on there for fifty dollars "used once" no antenny though

I'm not an expert on uhf but having spent my life around heavy machinery and farmers and off roaders and truckies (all running gme uhf) then I am sort of biased, they wouldnt use it if it didnt work, good enough for me!

mitch59 · Member

If you mount your aerial on the bull bar sometimes there is not enough metal around the base and you will have reception difficulties, so when mounting on the bull bar it is a good idea to use a ground independent base under your aerial.

Cruising Granny · Guru

I have a little Uniden and use one of those little rubber flexible aerials mounted on the top of the Smart Bar. (plastic bull bar)
I can speak to other travellers all around, front and back, with and without van attached.
On the Yorke Peninsula I can chat across the Gulf to Adelaide.
I don't use it in the cities either. Too many w..kers taking up valuable air space, especially after school and during school holidays.
Overall I have about 5Km range everywhere - up hill and down dale.
HF radios are much more particular, and require more specific equipment, but they do have a much bigger range. Happy chatting.

dave06 · Guru

it all depends on the terrain, at wilpena I cant get out at all (the pound surrounds all), the simpson I can often get folks in darwin (flat area) I was speaking to a chinese bloke one night, aparently it was a freak weather phenomenom (cloud inversion or something, I dont know)

anything will stop the signal and some things will boost the signal but then there are booster or repeater stations dotted all around the joint, as I said I am no expert on this and I dont necesarily push one brand over another, I only talk about what I know and have used (in this case gme 3220) I think they all work reasonably well

the trick is to find the ones that are "turned on"

I often see "harold and Joan uhf channel 18, say gday" written on the back of that sharabang up ahead but when hailed stony silence is all I recieve in return

Wombat 280 · Guru

Have an ICom 440 and it's great, has many features that I will not fire up but has the rep for off road work and used by the ADF so that's a recommendation on it's own.

With the 440 all the controls are in the hand set so the unit can be mounted anywhere you like , mine is under the seat ,no holes in the dash all out of the way but easy to get at .

As others have said the aerial is the biggest asset to good performance. read up on aerials before you jump in. You can make the most basic radio work well with the right choice of aerial, and it doesn't need to cost the earth.

jimricho · Guru

If one thing is obvious from the posts on this thread it is the importance of selecting a good quality antenna and if this is done there is no need to worry about VSWR as the antenna design will take care of this. I have come across one "cheapo" antenna that gave what I would consider unacceptable VSWR (>1.3:1) and there are probably more out there. The reason professional installers will (or should) check the VSWR is that this provides a quick but positive check that the whole system, including the power output from the transmitter, is performing satisfactorily before handing over to the customer. (CYA)

Unless mounting the antenna on the roof (unlikely I would think) a ground plane independent antenna is essential. All the antennas intended for bull-bar mounting are ground plane independent. Whilst to many this would seem like stating the obvious I have seen gp dependent antennas mounted on bull-bars. Also "gutter-grips" need to gp independent. (I would not regard a gutter-grip a good choice anyway)

The co-ax from the antenna to the set should be no longer than necessary as long antenna runs definitely compromise the performance of the system at UHF frequencies. If cutting the co-ax to reduce the length and/or to feed through the firewall it is important that the cable be reconnected correctly. If not sure what this involves get someone who's au fait with this to do this for you.

Many professional installers hot-wire the DC input directly to the battery (through a fuse located close to the battery terminal) and this is ok. No need to turn it off every time you stop as the current drawn in receive mode is quite low.

-- Edited by jimricho on Monday 26th of October 2009 06:11:20 PM

justcruisin01 · Guru

As jimricho stated ,connecting the radio direct to the battery [through fuse ] is a very good idear. I have travelled with people who have it connected to the accessories side of the ignition who just decide to pull up unanounced & turn off the key. no more contact untill they are mobile again,very inconveinent confuse

.

I have the UHF,,am/sideband & radio/stero on one toggle switch on the dash, independant of the ignition switch .turn it on in the morning & off @ the end of travell.
It still leaves each units on/off switch fully operational,one switch dose it all. smile

As for the ant. length, i use the small for local & general HWY use & the big one for the back blocks .

jimricho · Guru

Further to Justcruisin's post several years ago I was traveling through the Kimberley in a tag-along convoy when our "tail-end-charlie" "dropped off the radar". After calling and telling us he was stopping to investigate a problem (a blown tyre as it turned out) we could not contact him to find out any more details because his radio had switched off when he turn off his engine.

Hot wiring to the battery tends to reduce the level of interference from the engine, probably not an issue with UHF unless the squelch is a bit sensitive. It also means there is no need to cut into the vehicles wiring.

Justcruin's suggestion of a master switch is a good one if more than one radio is installed.

The use of a smaller antenna for normal use is a good one. No need for maximum range to talk to the GN in front of you or the truck behind. If doing a desert crossing however the taller the better, also doubles up as a flagpole.

As for the duplex channels around town....that's idiotsville, stay away from them unless you want to have your intelligence severly insulted.

Terro · Guru

Thank you all for all the advice given on this subject. a shame i didn't understand any of it. No, I lie I did! I have ordered a GME 3440 bundle which comes with antenna etc. Spoke to a radio fitter today and no problems having it wired in how I like. So waiting for it to arrive from Prestigecom then we can talk on the airwaves!!!!!!

Terro.

dave06 · Guru

good choice! just watch the buttons on the handpeice and train your thumb to keep away from them as you pull it off the mount!