Increasing output wattage on a uhf

[Kimbo63]

Is there any way to go increase the transmission wattage from the standard 1/2 watt to say 5-10 watt and have so you can switch back to legal tried the search thing with no luck I know there is a few radio gurus on here
Cheers Kimbo

[threedogs]

Have to ask "why" 5 watts not enough, then you have the VHF to play with

[TPC]

Are you talking about a handheld or a in car unit? The in car ones should already be 5w. What is the model number?

[the evil twin]

If the handheld you have is 1/2 watt then, in a practical sense, the answer is no.
The equipment to do it would cost waaay more than buying a new radio on fleabay.

If you buy or mod an existing transmitter then that is illegal even if you use it at 5 watts anyway so you may as well buy an "illegal" set in the first place.

Aaaannd... remember RF is log not linear IE double the power doesn't give you double the distance.

[Kimbo63]

My bad I thought the legal limit was 1/2 watt it was in Denmark Europe it an in car unit GME TX3400

[AGman]

Are you talking about a handheld or a in car unit? The in car ones should already be 5w. What is the model number?

This.......

[NissanGQ4.2]

This.......

??????

You spamming or just trying 2 get your post count up?

[AGman]

If i was trying to get my post count up I would of done it about 30seconds after I signed up.
What would be the point of spamming this? I was a radio tech in a past life, if he posts up what sort of radio he has I might be able to help him...isn't that what we are here for?

Cool...another post to my count...

[NissanGQ4.2]

If i was trying to get my post count up I would of done it about 30seconds after I signed up.
What would be the point of spamming this? I was a radio tech in a past life, if he posts up what sort of radio he has I might be able to help him...isn't that what we are here for?

Cool...another post to my count...

Was just asking as "THIS" did not making sense 2 the Quote you quoted in your post..... he has posted what radio he has its a GME TX3400

And no we are not here 2 help each other, just here to dribble sh!t and get our post counts up, just ask clunk and TD

Congrats on your extra post count

[AGman]

Did you see the time stamps on the post between me and him? He posted while I was typing up my response, 120 seconds.

Bit touchy aren't we? Do you think I'm after your manuals? They are all over the net...If I needed them, which I don't.

[Clunk]

Was just asking as "THIS" did not making sense 2 the Quote you quoted in your post..... he has posted what radio he has its a GME TX3400

And no we are not here 2 help each other, just here to dribble sh!t and get our post counts up, just ask clunk and TD

Congrats on your extra post count
No wank today Todd?

[the evil twin]

No wank today Todd?

ROFL... 650 to go to hit 25,000 Clunkster?

Thats posts not wannnn... ummm... nah, better not go there...

[Touses]

Was just asking as "THIS" did not making sense 2 the Quote you quoted in your post..... he has posted what radio he has its a GME TX3400

And no we are not here 2 help each other, just here to dribble sh!t and get our post counts up, just ask clunk and TD

Congrats on your extra post count

May not be my place to butt in BUT I reckon he's ok. Just anew member finding his way around. Cut a little slack?

[Clunk]

ROFL... 650 to go to hit 25,000 Clunkster?

Thats posts not wannnn... ummm... nah, better not go there...
Might just have to go and welcome 3 months worth of newcomers

[the evil twin]

Might just have to go and welcome 3 months worth of newcomers

Please don't... one per forum is enough... hehehe

Kimbo,

When you said 1/2 watt originally i thought you wanted to "up" a dinky handheld you had or somesuch.

Your GME is a 5 watt set already so if you have it connected to a decent antenna and a good SWR (no shitty coax or dodgy connectors) trying for 10 watts. won't get you much more useable range anyway.
'Useable' meaning where both you and another mobile can communicate.
Mobile to repeater or mobile to a good base (homestead or whatever) would be a different scenario

[AGman]

When you said 1/2 watt originally i thought you wanted to "up" a dinky handheld you had or somesuch.

Your GME is a 5 watt set already so if you have it connected to a decent antenna and a good SWR (no shitty coax or dodgy connectors) trying for 10 watts. won't get you much more useable range anyway.
'Useable' meaning where both you and another mobile can communicate.
Mobile to repeater or mobile to a good base (homestead or whatever) would be a different scenario

This....:smile:

Seriously tho...there were a few "tweaks" you could do to get a few more berries out of the TX4xxx series, but they are all old units now, and the real world power gains aren't that great. I haven't seen inside the newer stuff...I wonder if they are similar?

You could program a commercial radio for 25W but that's illegal. :(

You could get a Ham license.

[Kimbo63]

Thanks ET and Agman you answered my question just remembered my young days back in do playing with radios they were detuned by a resistors soldered in on the back of the circuit board easy fix unsolder and bam you had a 5watt unit mind you the radio was a full din sizes this one I have now is the sizes of a pack of cigarettes
Cheers Kimbo

[Makka]

Kimbo just buy a Icom awsome radio and robust

[threedogs]

What is the benefit of having a higher wattage unit for in car 4x4 coms,
in a UHF radio???

[Makka]

non really unless the person you are talking to has a tuned up radio it more comes down to choice of antenna 6.5 db ant is a good allrounder will work for car to car and repeater the elevated feed in GME or simulare but there are some rubbish elevated feeds aswell the big thick white sticks >>>>>my opinion only<<<<<<< are not that good best result i have had is with elevated feed and a 6.5 db twin coil antenna ..... in radios you get what you pay for more or less my personal prefferance for UHF is ICOM or old TAIT and some other brands but they are commercial radios that are modified to work on CB Frequencies...... many years ago i was a naughty boy and ran kenwood 501 and yasue 101 on CB in the heyday of 27dregz

[the evil twin]

What is the benefit of having a higher wattage unit for in car 4x4 coms,
in a UHF radio???

As others have said, bugger all in 99% of useage.

Whilst illegal the two situations from personal experience that may benefit are...
On some of the large Cattle/Sheep stations where the base antennas are up a hill or a tower and can hit you but not the reverse.
When operating as a relay for outback travel or long track 4WD racing checkpoints etc.

It is better to go 5/25 watt licenced VHF but using tweaked commercial UHF or dual band UHF/VHF sets is way cheaper.

[LostBenji]

4 options:


Stay with the legal 5W and use a good radio and antenna, be happy that it will work and not drag unwanted attention. Anymore than the 5W is useless most of the time anyway and only serves to stroke ones ego.
Get a license for a UHF, VHF-high or VHF-low band and then run a radio and antenna to suit. Other persons need matching radios to communicate. This form is known as 2-way.
Get you ticket for HF (VKS) and then a radio/antenna and then talk to anyone on HF in the country while mobile.
Get your Amateur ticket and the world of radio opens up for all things free of the CB bullshit that is really all you hear on the Cock-Band.

[Snafu]

Icom 400 pro can be reprogrammed for 25w output and different frequencies technically need a license. A bit of searching and you will find out how.
Or a linear amp they come in various wattage outputs with your current unit but don't blame me if caught.

[LostBenji]

Icom 400 pro can be reprogrammed for 25w output and different frequencies technically need a license. A bit of searching and you will find out how.
Or a linear amp they come in various wattage outputs with your current unit but don't blame me if caught.
You are exactly the sort of idiots who make CB worse.

[nissannewby]

You are exactly the sort of idiots who make CB worse.

I think you need to ease up on the insults dude. Better to be thought a fool then open your mouth and remove all doubt.

[Snafu]

You are exactly the sort of idiots who make CB worse.

First thing LB how is it making it CB worse.

[threedogs]

Thanks ET seems the only benefit would be on a commercial level.
I miss my Dick Smith Hornet 2 {its in the shed] . I have plenty of radios
including hand helds. even a spare basic 80 ch no idea where Ill use that

This is not the place for name calling either, so lighten up eh

[Makka]

You are exactly the sort of idiots who make CB worse.

no not really there LB some just up there power to get over the idiots buddy. cool your jets fella ......

i know i have run illegal radio's at times. and as for a RI looking at your gear it is only people like nick harris in sydney throat punch in bris i think he is and drop kicks like that ,that will have there gear confiscated and a fine....
if your not hasseling anyone they will leave you well alone

[Makka]

Btw LB Been playing with CB since the late 70's first radios were 18 and 23 ch crystal radios then onto 02a radios with 20 kc slides extra channels and so on cybernet chassis were the go like the twin board GE radios ...
then onto yasue and kenwood radios chassing skip ...... ahhhh the dark ages of radio was so much fun

[Bush Ranger]

I remember a few things from the old CB days, where you needed a licence to operate a AM/SSB and knew of a mic called an Echo Mic and another called a Power Mic I think it was called, which took a 9 Volt battery in the back of the hand held mic. I heard there was a think called skip too. Days of old hey. I`ll be up for a new UHF soon and was thinking of the Icom.

[MB]

I remember a few things from the old CB days, where you needed a licence to operate a AM/SSB and knew of a mic called an Echo Mic and another called a Power Mic I think it was called, which took a 9 Volt battery in the back of the hand held mic. I heard there was a think called skip too. Days of old hey. I`ll be up for a new UHF soon and was thinking of the Icom.
G'day Bush Ranger, good ol Dad (electronics engineer) used to talk to us about this being the origin of L government 'Stamp Duty' along with TV introduction etc.. Inspectors used to turn up to check peoples 'Stamp Book' for paid registration. Is this correct or just another tall tail from RB to shitstir AB & MB :-) !!!

[the evil twin]

When I was a young 'un last century you had to have a licence to possess a Radio and/or a TV.
The 'guvmunt man' would patrol the streets with vans fitted with frequency sniffers looking for RF leakage from the reciever oscillators (sama sama as how Radar detector detectors work).
If he zoned in on your house you got a knock at the door and had to produce your licence thingy.

Almost everyone also had maintenance insurance policies for their TV's so the repairs were 'x' dollars a call.
It was a smart move as they were so unreliable

The requirement to hold Licences to listen/view broadcast radio and TV ceased in 74 with Gough and I remember Fraser tried to reintroduce them in the election in '75 but the stink was unbelievable

[Bush Ranger]

MB. I know that you had to have your paper licence on you whilst operating the AM/SSB CBs, just in case some one turned up to check and I always did when using the CB, but never had any one checking on me. I think the value for a licence was $14 at the time for 12 months and that was back in the late 1980s when I first started using a CB, so I would see a bit of truth in what your dad was saying.
Evil Twin. Had to have a licence for a push bike once too, many moons ago.

[the evil twin]

snip...
Evil Twin. Had to have a licence for a push bike once too, many moons ago.

At risk of starting a humungous 'jack... they should bloody bring that back in ASAP...

[Makka]

i got my icom second hand cost 260 gotta send it to a mate for some updates :D