Crystal 80 ch uhf radio

Michael, never heard of the brand, it maybe very good, or it could be a very poor performer!! Others on here may have used the brand and will be better able to report on performance and reliability. I would stick with one of the well known brands, GME, Uniden or Icom. As for aerial, GME or ZCG etc, you will pay more for the well known brands, but performance and reliability are what you pay the extra money for. As for fitting, use a mob that are fitting them all the time and know what they are doing and that use the better antenna cable and correct power setup.

I fully agree with John except for the Uniden, GME is a really good performer for you and the listener. I say that about the listener because if the incoming signal is poor makes you think your radio is not receiving very good where in fact it is the transmitters radio that is crap. Icom is also good but a technical for some users.

Unless you can get a first hand recommendation on the Crystal, might pay to spend more and get recognised quality and reliability (could be cheaper in the long run too :-). In my view, GME, Uniden and Icom are all very safe bets (I have all 3 makes). As mentioned the Icom's are pro class and quite complex in their configs....others are much easier for 'learners' to start off with. As for antennas.....they are just as important as the radio itself.....a 'less than ideal' antenna will drag down even the best radio.....best to take pro advice on which antenna suits your chosen radio best (and for your intended use too).

I have a cyrstal 5w handheld that i bought from prestigecom.com.au for $150.

Havent had any problems with it. It is a bit more fiddly then a main stream one though. Also came with an extrnal aerial connector.

Cheers
Wizzer