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19th April 2020, 02:02 PM
#21
Travelling Podologist
Originally Posted by
timbo2410
Right i get it ... so its basically a choice between a heavy duty build quality .. the icom .. and something a with a few more features like to gme .. i dont think i would use the gme features but the extra speaker would be good .. hmmm decisions
More features on the GME! The Icom has way more features than I'll ever use!
Another thought fwiw. Not a plug for any particular brand - but a 'style'. As I said before when my Uniden died prematurely it was the LCD screen which karked it. If you get a CB with the display in the handset & the screen fails or is damaged a replacement handset would save the day for a lot less than a new cb, & with no refitting required.
The speaker in mine is in the handset but I also have an extension speaker up near my right ear, which I'd fitted with the Uniden , but works just as well with the Icom.
2006 4.2TDi ex-Telstra Remote area Camper. 425w roof mounted solar, 360Ah Aux batts, BCDC1240, Onboard hot & cold pressurised & filtered water, (25 litre hot water calorifier), ARB fridge, ARB freezer, Built in kitchen, heaps of easy access storage, 240v, 3” Genie exhaust + dynotune, 2” lift, 3900kg GVM upgrade, second glovebox, ROH Blaktrak steel wheels, Bridgestone D697's (now Toyo RT's), Redarc gauges/pillarpod, Hema HX-1, Icom 450 CB, dual rear view cameras, Onboard 30amp Victron mains charger, second glovebox, dual seat conversion, TPMS, Boss PX7 onboard air with 9 litre tank, 350w inverter, Steel bullbar, Harrop Eaton diff lock (front), Warn winch, Snorkel, Dual spares , 160 litre water tank, 180 litre fuel in two tanks (approx 1200km range) 2010 Tvan Tanami. (incl another 70 litre water tank) with matching wheels/tyres (& 3rd spare)
A Nomadic Life (Blog)
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19th April 2020 02:02 PM
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19th April 2020, 02:10 PM
#22
Patrol Guru
Originally Posted by
timbo2410
Right i get it ... so its basically a choice between a heavy duty build quality .. the icom .. and something a with a few more features like to gme .. i dont think i would use the gme features but the extra speaker would be good .. hmmm decisions
Excuse the sideways picture but I've got a 80 channel Gme tx3500. The only issue I've noticed is that the rubber plug in the bottom of the mic has broken some time over the years but is still working and is plug and play if I need a new one. Like others, the only features I use are the channel and volume select knobs.. Oh and scan from time to time. I'll never gid rid of it unless it dies.
I've got a 6.5db antenna that came with the smaller 3db? Twin pack. I've purchased a similar kit a few times but in all the years I've ran them the 3db has remained in the glovebox until my last clean out when I threw it in the bin. No idea on the brand of it. What I have done is replace the whole ant unit once or twice as they seem to degrade over the years.
Lastly, the extra speaker is a relatively new addition for me but I don't know how I got along without it. Mounted it up high above my right ear. Best thing I ever did. Don't need to have the thing blaring and/or have to turn the music off to have a convo. I'd call it essential rather than "nice" but just my opinion.
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2003 GU TD42 with a few extra ponies
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19th April 2020, 02:55 PM
#23
I should clarify "more features" .. I was referring to the oled screen, the speaker in the base unit, bluetooth connectivity .. sharing data blah blah blah .... I wasnt saying the icom didnt have any .. and there would certainly be features on both that I would never use. The Icom on the other hand has (from what I gather) a heavier build quality, longevity and the ability to receive an extra 30 channels .. although I dont know what benefit that would be to me in SW W.A. ... again explanations and comments welcome
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19th April 2020, 03:32 PM
#24
Patrol Guru
Afaik the extra channels are primarily for extra free air space. More choice. Again I normally use 21 in a group or monitor 40 when I'm on the highway.
I wasnt picking on having extra features, I just meant to make the point that I don't think you need to get too caught up with them. Unless you're going to get into amature radio as a hobby, 99% of the time you'll just get in, flick it on and chat to your mates. Oled screen would look nice though, and I guess Bluetooth might have its uses..
2003 GU TD42 with a few extra ponies
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19th April 2020, 05:10 PM
#25
yeah no problemo .. didnt think that at all :-) was just trying to explain my thought process (which isnt the best) .. it basically boils down to choosing between the Icom 450 and the GME XRS 370 ... the antenna is sorted .. the mounting point sorted ... There is a $100 price difference roughly between the 2
The extra channels listed for the Icom state they are receive only .. so I assume it would be fire, ambulance etc .... the GME seems to have something similar in the bluetooth options as in the videos it lists fire stations and ambulance (with the warning "if they are still using UHF frequencies)
I wonder if we can have comments from people that are currently using that?
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19th April 2020, 05:36 PM
#26
Patrol Guru
I know police and ambulance use an encrypted network in SA. I assume fireies use the same. No idea on other states though.
2003 GU TD42 with a few extra ponies
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19th April 2020, 05:53 PM
#27
Neither give a breakdown of what they are exactly or IF it's actually possible to receive them at any given point ...
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19th April 2020, 06:03 PM
#28
Vicpol, and MFB run on encrypted digital services. The regional units run on VHF, including the CFA.
I have had Philips 620 40 ch, Uniden, GME ICOM and Vertex. The ICOM and VERTEX are both commercial/military build quality and give excellent reception, however they need to be matched to a good quality antenna that is correctly installed. I run ZCG and RFI antennas on my units with great effect. I found the GME unit of high quality as well. I have the ICOM IC400 PRO - few version old but bulletproof in all regards. I run the Vertex as a back up rig
Last edited by PeeBee; 19th April 2020 at 06:54 PM.
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19th April 2020, 10:34 PM
#29
Another question ... I will be fitting a flush mount passthrough .. are the handsets a standard ethernet plug? Or do different brands have different plugs/sockets?
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22nd April 2020, 05:36 PM
#30
Expert
Or for something totally different....I have used one of these for a couple of years with great results.. BUT.. they are not quite legal due to 25 watt output and also if you transmit off channel you may be noticed.... I programmed mine ( via the handset ) to the standard 80 channel frequencies. So the channel up/ down buttons read 1 to 80 on the display, just like a normal one. 80C1A0FA-C504-454D-B6A4-D183EB95416C.jpeg
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