outback communications
Submitted: Thursday, Oct 28, 2004 at 09:50
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Gossy
Just recently returned from
Birdsville, Camerson Corner etc etc. I have recently purchased a handheld Motorold CB from a communications store in
Adelaide. I did not have any joy at all talking to other 4wd,s, homesteads etc. I talked to about two truckies on ch40 for the whole 2 weeks away.
Most days I had the radio on scan in desperation. Two weeks of silence!
I have been told in this
forum that no-one uses CB's now and I should get a
UHF radio. I know that CB is also UHF but just uses a different frequency range. Should I admit defeat on my CB and get a vehicle mounted UHF? I don't want to spend another $400 and not get comms with anyone. I'm no millionaire and can't afford to keep buying radios which no-one is using!!
thanks,
Reply By: Shaker - Thursday, Oct 28, 2004 at 10:11
Thursday, Oct 28, 2004 at 10:11
I think you are expecting a bit too much from your handheld, they are OK for car to car, although some frown on this as being dangerous, personally I can see no difference from groping for a microphone. They are also OK for around the campsites if you wander off.
For your use you need a minimum of an inbuilt unit, make sure it is a good brand, ie: GME or if Icom ....... BUT, don't neglect to research your antenna selection, what may be excellent in the high country, may
well be very ordinary in flat, open terrain.
If you want guaranteed communication in the outback, you need
HF radio or Satphone.
I also have just returned from 8,000km trip in the same areas with a GME inbuilt unit with 9db antenna ...... & also heard very little 'chatter'
AnswerID:
82051
Reply By: Rob! - Thursday, Oct 28, 2004 at 10:18
Thursday, Oct 28, 2004 at 10:18
Is the handheld you have now a 27MHz? ie. AM.
If so, I don't think there is too many people using these.
R.
AnswerID:
82052
Reply By: Member - Graham P (QLD) - Thursday, Oct 28, 2004 at 10:18
Thursday, Oct 28, 2004 at 10:18
If you were on ch40 you have the right radio. But I suspect that your problem is that a handheld has a range of 2K at the most. Ch 40 is used by truckies but most propertys probably don't use this system as the range with inbuilt vehicle systems is onty about 25k. I use a GME TX3200 which I installed in the lux. also a GME tx3400 in the cruiser. On a recent trip to cape my brother bought a hand held and if we could not see oneother it was useless. For listening and talking to trucks, caravans and intervehicle communications the tx3200 is good. If you want it for safety reasons in the outback it is useless - you have to go to Barret, Coden etc - many dollars.
hope this helps
Graham
AnswerID:
82053
Reply By: Truckster (Vic) - Thursday, Oct 28, 2004 at 10:51
Thursday, Oct 28, 2004 at 10:51
As others say, throw your 27meg.. not worth the effort - you have the proof yourself.
Go with a good quality GME unit, prestige communications or olbis are the cheapest round, with prestige having the best reputation that I've heard.
AnswerID:
82057
Reply By: Member - Chris O (WA) - Thursday, Oct 28, 2004 at 12:16
Thursday, Oct 28, 2004 at 12:16
I got a Uniden UH090 which has UHF and AM. I use mostly the UHF but also find the am handy wiith a couple of mates which have a cb (SSB) As mentioned, youe antenna is everything. I got
mine from Prestige and it's great.
AnswerID:
82066
Reply By: Banjo (SA) - Thursday, Oct 28, 2004 at 13:57
Thursday, Oct 28, 2004 at 13:57
Just checking prior to responding - is your problem unit actually a 27 meg hand held am radio ? - NOT a UHF ?
AnswerID:
82081
Reply By: MrBitchi - Thursday, Oct 28, 2004 at 14:04
Thursday, Oct 28, 2004 at 14:04
A 27MHZ radio is technically HF, not UHF. Virtually no-one uses them anymore.
UHF CB frequencies range from 476.425 to 477.400MHZ
If you have channel 40 (I talked to about two truckies on ch40 for the whole 2 weeks away) then you have a
UHF radio. Channel 40 is 477.400MHZ.
Handhelds are generally not much good for more than a kilometre or two and a good vehicle mounted unit with a good external aerial is the go.
AnswerID:
82085
Reply By: Gossy - Tuesday, Nov 02, 2004 at 10:25
Tuesday, Nov 02, 2004 at 10:25
Sorry to leave it so late to get back to everyone. I have had problems with my pc and waiting for a warranty job.
I have the Motorola CB Pro which is in the 476.425 to 477.400MHZ range. I have spoken to the place where I bought it from and they are calling me back with one of the technicians who does a fair bit of 4wd'ing. May just need to put it down to it being a quiet time of the year? It has a power output of 4 Watts so this should have not been an issue. The external antenna they sold me works fine they say as they have sold this one to many buyers of this radio. As I have the correct freq range I may just have to live with it and hopefully have more luck in more built up areas like
Robe beach run etc etc.
thanks to everyone for their reply's.
AnswerID:
82706
Follow Up By: Member - Mungo Explorer (NSW) - Tuesday, Nov 02, 2004 at 23:58
Tuesday, Nov 02, 2004 at 23:58
I bought a GME 6200 handheld, which has 5w output, with a longer screw-on antenna, and never had much communication in the bush when used from within the car. I then got a proper external antenna which I fixed in the middle of the roof on a roofrack, with the lead simply coming through the door seals and attached to the radio which sits in a frontseat cupholder - the difference in range is amazing. See if you can do something similar if you want to keep your handheld, it's a simple matter to unscrew the antenna lead and put on the original antenna when you want to go walkabout.
I prefer this arrangement to a properly built-in radio because of the versatility (the cupholder is ideally placed). When I return from a trip, I just take the whole antenna assembly off the roofrack, takes twenty seconds.
FollowupID:
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Reply By: Gossy - Wednesday, Nov 03, 2004 at 09:02
Wednesday, Nov 03, 2004 at 09:02
yep, sounds like a good idea. I mentioned to the wife on the trip and where it is currently (magnetic base on the bull bar in front of the light) is not ideal as the car is acting as a reflector for any signals behind us. At least I know I have the right frequencies now, I can work on the antenna placement. I do have a roof rack which I can take advantage of.
AnswerID:
82854
Follow Up By: Member - Mungo Explorer (NSW) - Friday, Nov 05, 2004 at 00:16
Friday, Nov 05, 2004 at 00:16
Everybody's putting the antenna on the bull bar because that's what you see in all the pictures in the comics, and it looks sooo macho. But as a matter of fact, the bullbar is about the worst place to put an antenna (other than the glove box) unless you have a really tall one. Remember,
UHF radio is line-of-sight, and the higher the better!
FollowupID:
342113
Reply By: Gossy - Friday, Nov 05, 2004 at 12:30
Friday, Nov 05, 2004 at 12:30
Yep agree totally. We only got the roof rack a few days before we left and the cage has the black plastic coating on it so the magnetic base won't stick to it. Really wanted to get it up there but just didn't have the time to manipulate my setup. This will be my next project !
Cheers,
AnswerID:
83117