cb's etc - no knowledge in this area

The only usefull one you list is an HF radio for an emergency, I presume you are talking about travelling the outback ! If you have/get one of these and use the VKS 737 channel and service, you probably won't get into an emergency situation... An HF Transceiver is not cheap to purchase but that is where the costs stop ! the other costs (licence etc) are minimal .. Amateurs usually are the people who get in the 'soup' in the bush and rarely take advice !! If you go with out an HF get an EPIRB as a last resort !! This will be a last resort unit!
steve

I am not sure how many people will agree with me but these are my findings with radios. Yes i agree, the HF radio is far the superior for calling long distance with an emergency but the cost of the units is extreme. The cheap ones are even close to $2000 once you have setup with aerials, but having said that you can also hire them from various places. I have a UHF and also a CB (27mhz). If you cant contact by UHF there is always the CB on side band as a second last resort. Of course the epirb is the last resort. I bought my CB through the trading post for $70 + $30 for a good aerial.

Before you decide what to buy, then you need to know what each type can and can't do.

UHFs are the most common CB and come in various types. The car mounted 5 watt units have an maximum range of 50 km (when there are no repeaters around), but more likely you would only get 10-20 km range in most situations. To get maxmum range you would need to be on a hill with a clear view to whoever you are calling. A resonable unit will cost you $350 + antenna and installation. GME are the most reliable UHF's and they are Australian made.

The handheld units that can connect to a car mounted antenna are nearly as good for range as they can usually transmit at 5 watts, but these units are $300-$500. The best brands are Icom or GME.

The cheap UHF handhelds can't be connected to an external antenna and have an average range of less than 1 km and max range of 3 km. They usually transmit half a watt.

AM CB (27 MHz) is fairly useless unless you are travelling with others that use it. SSB CB is better, but still not reliable. SSB CB is mainly used by hobbyists rather than travellers.

HF refers to SSB (Single Side Band) radios that can transmit on frequencies from 2 MHz to 27MHz and this range of available frequencies makes it the only reliable method of radio communication. You can usually talk to people from 100km to 2000km away by chosing an appropriate frequency. This system is used by the Flying Doctors and by organisations such as VKS737.

HF radios aren't really a handheld item and can cost $1000 for an older model, with new ones costing $3000-$4000.

You can also use HF radios to make Radphone (telephone) calls if you subscribe to a radphone service. But if you require private or noise free phone calls then a satphone would be better suited.

Do you require something for emergency communications in the outback or are you just after something to get you out of a spot of bother when on some local tracks?

Bought GME TX 6000 handheld UHF 3 years ago
Works OK in convoy situation as handheld with its "normal" antenna
Have fitted external gutter mount antenna - cable screws on to set with no problem
Advantage is that you can take it with you when you are away from the vehicle in the bush

Thank you all for your advice, it is greatly appreciated...I would like to purchase an HF radio but will have to wait until the budget allows for it...thankyou once again

Nigel, Mobile telephones are radios that transmit in the UHF band of the electromagnetic spectrum (300MHz to 3 GHz) between UHF TV and GPS navigation. True, they are more secure than other radios but never think that others cant listen to your mobile phone calls if they really want to. Mal Try.