Radio advice

[paulvdw]

Hi all

Looking to put a radio UHF in my Patrol.
Any advice on type and antenna?

Cheers
Paul

[threedogs]

Icom 440 with all controlls on hand piece
Mount hand piece anywhere you want

[paulvdw]

What aerial / antenna do you use?

[TPC]

I agree with Threedogs, Icom 440.
I have the body of the radio under passenger seat.
I have used a RFI CD90 antenna on an adjustable gutter bracket, can fold down the antenna when required and can change the whip on the antenna between a short one and a long high gain whip when required.

[BearGUST]

I've got a GME TX4500. It's a full DIN size so fits under an aftermarket stereo, being DIN size it has a decent size forward facing speaker.
I also have a GME 6db aerial, the combo works fantastic. The last trip I was on everyone commented on how clear my radio came through.

[paulvdw]

I can get a GME TX 3800 for $ 100. Are these good units?
I have also seen the oricom units at repco for $ 259 with remote head unit and 2 handhelds.

What is the better deal?

[paulvdw]

Any advice would be good thanks guys?

[NissanGQ4.2]

Hi mate, have moved your thread out of the help section and under: Nissan Patrol General Chat - The Great Outdoors - Navigation and Communication

The help section you posted in is for forum related help.......need help changing avatar, need help I keep getting asked to log back.......etc

In regards to your radio they are both good deals, depends on how much you want to spend really.
I would probably get the one with the two walkies as its is easier to communicate with a spotter or when doing recoveries etc

Cheers

Todd

[NissanGQ4.2]

Just read the specs on the GME 3800, 25watts!!!! yeh baby I would grab that for 100 bucks for sure.... + its Australian mate :)

Where are you getting that from, can u get more than 1 @ that price?

[paulvdw]

Thanks for that Todd. I am on my mobile so must have selected something I shouldn't have. :)

The radio is from my cousin. A work mate bought a new vehicle and it already had a radio fitted. Thus him wanting to get rid of the spare he had. Just need a good antenna.

[NissanGQ4.2]

Thanks for that Todd. I am on my mobile so must have selected something I shouldn't have. :)

The radio is from my cousin. A work mate bought a new vehicle and it already had a radio fitted. Thus him wanting to get rid of the spare he had. Just need a good antenna.

Everyone will have there own personal choice, I have never had a problem with my GME so when the time comes I would probable go GME again

Here is a link to the GME3800 on GME's website: http://www.gme.net.au/products/radio-communications/commercial-mobile-radios/TX3800

Not a bad unit at all

[Bloodyaussie]

GME , GME, GME!!!!!!!

I prefer Gme if you could not tell..

[Maxhead]

If you do get a remote head unit try and install the base unit under the dash instead of under the seat. Heard of too many stories of radios, amps, etc drowning if you happen to get stuck in deep sh.1t...lol

I have a remote head GME and love it but most of the top 3 brands will do the job just fine.

.........on the move

[Drewboyaus]

Yeah, I have an older GME T3220 I got it cheap and it works a treat (for what I need anyway).
I'd go the GME at a hundred bucks you can't go wrong. Then go to Aldi and pick up a set of their cheap handhelds for 30 bucks.......
Laughing like a fat spider.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[GQ TANK]

Did you sort out the antenna issue?

[paulvdw]

I managed to get a GME 3800 for $100 brand new. Still need some advise on antenna as i will need to purchase one.

[the evil twin]

I managed to get a GME 3800 for $100 brand new. Still need some advise on antenna as i will need to purchase one.

Nice score on the radio... did it come with the CB channels and power programmed already?

Seeing as I don't know where you drive your 4X, where you will mount the antenna (I assume bullbar) and how much off/on road etc I would recommend the following...
http://www.prestigecom.net.au/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=372&products_id=56

IMHO the best brands of antenna are ZCG (Scalar) and RFI.
GME are up there as well but if it came down to similar specs between GME and the other two choices I would take the ZCG or RFI every time.
The antenna above is an RFI elevated feed with an interchangeable radiating element. IE there is a dinky little rubber whip for the low gain (around town and close in hilly stuff) and a nice steel whip for the higher gain (open highway).
The mount is a spring base so will handle the odd knock it may get out in the scrub
The whips take a few seconds at most to swap and the antenna and mount are quite slim and unobtrusive.

The Explorist package is easily the best value and most versatile under $100with great performance from a high end antenna manuf.

The antennae you see that come in the fibreglass radome might be an option depending on what you do. For example I run a small ZCG rubber whip around town and swap between 4, 6 and 9 dB (approx) fibreglass jobbies depending where I am touring but that is expensive and indeed I am considering selling off my hi-gains

Unless you have a specific use for them I would not recommend the high gain co-linears (the big broomstick look alikes). Brilliant at what they do but have a fairly specific application and total PIA around town or in the mountains/hills/heavier bush. I use them but only out on the vast tracts of flat country of central W.A. and outback SA, QLD, or NSW

[paulvdw]

That's great advice "evil twin" Much appreciated.

Cheers
Paul

[commsman]

I bought the GME interchangable antennas for my last car and they were great whilst standing still, but as soon as you got up to around 60 KM's an hour the spring in it wasn't substantial enough to hold the antenna upright and it used to come back towards the windscreen. It's also wise to consider the additional drag load on a big thick antenna compared to a thin one. It won't make a heck of a lot of difference, but any sort of additional drag will make some small amount of difference.

Personally I'd stick to an RFI elevated feed with a spring under it. Good hard springs, with a light load interchangable antenna on top of them. You can use a unity gain antenna (the small one) for around town and in hilly areas where the signal can bounce around and over hills a bit, and a 4.5 dB antenna (the one with the coil) for flat terrain where the gain compresses the radio wave a little and pushes it out further.

Personally I'd always go for a metal antenna over a rigid fiberglass mould antenna as well as it tends to have more give in it it it strikes a branch along the way. Practicality needs to outweigh performance sometimes. After all who (or how far) are you really trying to get with your CB?

[NP99]

Plus GME is Aus made from memory.

[Winnie]

I've got a Uniden one in mine, dunno the part number but it has a remote mic on it which is awesome. Does need an external speaker though I reckon as it's not loud enough.... is it possible to play the sound through your car speakers?

[commsman]

Plus GME is Aus made from memory.

Correct. Manufactured in Sydney; so as well as supporting the Australian economy Service and Support is never far away.

[GQ TANK]

We have used gme a few times to fix faulty GME radiov - cost was resonable.

I use a RFI MOPLE Groud indepandant antenna mounted on my bull bar. see http://www.rfiwireless.com.au/mobile-antennas/uhf-mobile/uhf-ground-independant/uhf-ground-independent-mopoletm-cd50-68-50.html#.UVGPNRdTDTo

They have a gain of 4 db, and due to being flexable can handle a branch or bird strike.

[Watchdog]

ive always used gme radios in my car and uniden hand helds, am thinking about moving over to ICOM as ive heard good things

[commsman]

Icom's are a great radio. They are commercial and Mil Spec radios. Extremely hard wearing and really difficult to break. The GME's are a great radio, but they are made to consumer specifications. The circuit boards in them are probably just as good, but they don't have the heat sinks on the back to help them cool (not that a CB should generate too much heat at 5 Watts anyway) or the heavy duty cases or faces. GME's are just thin steel cases with leightweight plastic heads. As I said, nothing wrong with them and they work great in most equipment (even plant equipment), but the cases aren't made to the same standards as Icom.

Regards,

Brian.

[GQ TANK]

We prefer the Icoms at work - but also have GME's

Note I suspect the ealier Icom440 cannot be upgraded to 80ch's

The gme that was rated at 25 watts, would have its poer set at 5 watts for the UHF band