Best Radio for use on the Big Lap?

flatwall31 · Newbie

Best Radio for use on the Big Lap?

Dougwe · Chief one feather

Welcome to the gang flatwall31, enjoy here and out in the playground.

I have a GMC 80 chanel UHF radio fitted to the tug with antenna on bull bar and find that plenty, just turn it down or off when in a city or big town unless you really need it on cos lots of garbage/morons in those places and no licence is reuired.

If you need a realy big set up with greater cover a HF radio will be needed and many $$$$ as is a licence.

dING · Senior Member

Or you could study a bit

And get a Ham radio license

And then you could chat

All round the world

Red Dog · Senior Member

Welcome my friend any UHF will do the job best to go with 80 channel as the old 40 will end in 2017 good luck

hako · Guru

Not sure what you mean by radio - for us it means a wireless and not a 2 way. We don't see the need to have a 2 way but want to be able to tune into local ABC or Radio National when on the road or camped.
If you mean a wireless that will pick up distant stations when 500km from the transmitter then you'll need one that has good AM reception - we have a Sangean Digitor PR-3DL which Dick Smith sell as an "outback" wireless and seems to be the best we've come across. The digital ones they try to sell you nowdays are designed for city use from what we've seen.
Good Luck.

mongrel · Guru

Welcome to the forum flatwall31.As you can see the folk on here are very quick to answer. GNs are the best source of info when you are looking to travel this great country.
Good luck from us as well.

flatwall31 · Newbie

Thanks for the quick response, very helpful as we would be buying both UHF and wireless to listen to AM radio and Internet streaming.

03_troopy · Guru

It's funny, back in the days when they were commonly called a "wireless", they were full of wires. Now that most people call them a "radio" they have hardly any wires in them... Just an observation. ;)

Legendts · Senior Member

I use a GME, Aussie made and a good company to boot although one or two of their handheld are made in China to their specs.

Plendo · Guru

Everyone has focused on two way radio, as in UHF.

BUT I suspect the OP was about an entertainment radio as in something to listen too. While I have a "normal" AM/FM radio in the van, and the tug, I suspect maybe there may not be many stations available with such a device in many parts of Australia.

Maybe a multi band radio (often refered to as a "world radio") would be more appropriate, like the link below.

http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=AR1945

I know I would be interested to hear what the more experienced travelers use.

Apologies if I have misinterpreted the initial post.

hako · Guru

Plendo wrote:
Everyone has focused on two way radio, as in UHF.
SNIP

Not all Plendo as I raised this in my post smile

Re the Jaycar radio you mention, my BIL has a similar one to that and he finds that when it's impossible to pickup anything on AM, he can then switch to shortwave and listen to the ABC on Radio Australia, so they are handy for that.

Regards

Plendo · Guru

Apologies Dennis, don't know how I missed it.