27Mhz CB Question

Submitted: Saturday, Jan 01, 2005 at 20:10
ThreadID: 18995 Views:6690 Replies:8 FollowUps:6
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Hi All

Just a quick question.....I have been given a GME TX830 CB (dont know if its a good old CB or not) and wondered if it would still be worth setting up in my car??
I know most people have gone to UHF but at the moment funds are very tight and cant afford one.
Im guessing cables and aerials would be very cheap to buy for a CB these days and wondered what sort of aerials one would buy for a 27Mhz CB.
Thanks in advance for your help.

Chris
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Reply By: Member - Gecko (WA) - Saturday, Jan 01, 2005 at 20:13

Saturday, Jan 01, 2005 at 20:13
Hi Chris

GME is a good unit, its always worth setting up 27mhz anyway due to the distance and skip in the afternoon, and while its very quiet these days its certinally not dead.
Arials are getting harder to find though with most shops having a limited supply but depending on where you are then you will probable find a specialist
Cheers
Chris
AnswerID: 90957

Reply By: AussieChris - Saturday, Jan 01, 2005 at 20:22

Saturday, Jan 01, 2005 at 20:22
Hey Chris

Thanks for the quick reply. I have a few places here DSE for example.....do i just go in and ask for a 27Mhz CB aerial and some coax cable?....been about 10 years since i owned one so cant remember even how to set it up anymore either.
Have been told that i have to be very careful when setting up the aerial and to get a SWR meter and tune it in right or things could go very wrong with the CB internals?
AnswerID: 90962

Follow Up By: Footloose - Saturday, Jan 01, 2005 at 21:14

Saturday, Jan 01, 2005 at 21:14
Yep, just flash some cash. Then you'll have to mount the aerial and adjust the swr. But unless for entertainment or talking to a mate I'm not sure that 27meg is worthwhile these days. Please don't use it for emergencies, your life is worth more than that.
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Follow Up By: Bonz (Vic) - Saturday, Jan 01, 2005 at 21:25

Saturday, Jan 01, 2005 at 21:25
A lot of the 27 meg aerials these days come "pre-tuned" but it always pays to check. I have had identical stainless GME whips SWR at 1.2 and over 3, great shame, mine was the one over 3, I had to cut 50mm off it almost to get it below 2
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Reply By: Member - Gecko (WA) - Saturday, Jan 01, 2005 at 21:05

Saturday, Jan 01, 2005 at 21:05
yeah coax and arial your choice but I recommend the bush ranger series and yes you do need to adjust the SWR before transmitting whilst people get away with it most of the time its not worth the chance.
Cheers
AnswerID: 90966

Reply By: ozzyark - Saturday, Jan 01, 2005 at 23:16

Saturday, Jan 01, 2005 at 23:16
Hi,
Just nip into your local DS store and pick up a helical and base and 3m coax, they sell it in a complete kit for $34.95, which is a 1.5m helical etc.
Depending on where you intend to mount it will depend on how good or bad the SWR is. The best place is in the centre of the roof but alas this isnt always possible.
They usually end up on a bullbar. But it would pay to check the swr just incase it needs a little snipping.

Cheers
AnswerID: 90977

Reply By: ozzyark - Saturday, Jan 01, 2005 at 23:29

Saturday, Jan 01, 2005 at 23:29
Hi Again,
Just remembered a great CB website, thought you might want to check out there prices. They are about the cheapest I have found. You can get the new Uniden UH090 (Includes 6db UHF + 27 Mhz Antenna ) which is a AM/UHF combined in the one rig complete with 2 antenaes and cables and free delivery for $355.00 (not a bad price) They seem to deal mainly in UHF but they do have some antenae mounts etc .

http://www.prestigecom.net.au/default.asp

Cheers Again
AnswerID: 90978

Reply By: Banjo (SA) - Sunday, Jan 02, 2005 at 09:30

Sunday, Jan 02, 2005 at 09:30
Just had a quick look at the GME site - looks like this HF CB is now superceded (not an issue) BUT seems your unit is AM only - no single side band function (SSB) built in - is this the case ? That factor makes the unit of little practical use in my view, unless you have a fellow traveller with 27meg. As you say, most travellers and pro drivers choose UHF so you are left with a very small group to relate to. I have a SSB Uniden 27meg in the dash, only because its in perfect order, of little value on the market AND because its got SSB, it can reach out thousands of k's, under favourable HF conditions (AM mode CB's run at about 5watts max - if you have SSB, you get up around 12 watts !). I leave my Uniden there as a back-up to my long distance Barrett HF, in case the big'n goes phut.
AnswerID: 90984

Follow Up By: AussieChris - Sunday, Jan 02, 2005 at 11:43

Sunday, Jan 02, 2005 at 11:43
Hi Banjo

Here is a link to the manual for the CB i was given....

http://www.gme.net.au/support/Customer/manuals/tx830.pdf

i think your right no SSB on this unit .....my old one 10 or so years ago had USB/LSB so was a great little unit guess this one my not be so good after all...lol
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Follow Up By: ozzyark - Monday, Jan 03, 2005 at 00:05

Monday, Jan 03, 2005 at 00:05
Afraid I would have to disagree about the fact that AM is of no use, there are still lots of people using AM, compared to SSB a lot easier to use when mobile as you do not have to sit there playing with the clarifier to make out what people are saying. Still a lot of caravaners and campervan drivers using them also, so at least you can give them yell when you get stuck behind one on one of our wonderful roads with no where to pass.
Cheers
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Follow Up By: AussieChris - Monday, Jan 03, 2005 at 11:09

Monday, Jan 03, 2005 at 11:09
Hi ozzyark

Think i will pop down to the local communications places today and see if i can find a suitable aerial etc for the AM and set it up.
I will post in the forums how it all went and let you all know if i catch any chatter on air....wish me luck;)

Cheers

Chris
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FollowupID: 349660

Reply By: rolande- Sunday, Jan 02, 2005 at 10:52

Sunday, Jan 02, 2005 at 10:52
Chris,
Put a GME AM in the Patrol, as much to see how it looked as anything else. Went for a drive along the Princes Hwy and to my surprise still a number of Truckies talking on AM. Good for a bit of entertainment on those long trips, just leave it on Channel 8
Rolande
AnswerID: 90988

Reply By: AussieChris - Sunday, Jan 02, 2005 at 11:25

Sunday, Jan 02, 2005 at 11:25
Hey All

Thankyou very much for all your replies. I guess its 50/50 with some saying its OK to use but i should get a UHF and some saying that people (not many) still use AM.
Well i think i might spend the $30 odd dollars and just use it for entertainment as rolande said and see if i hear anything (I live in rural WA) so might get something.... then when i head out bush hopefully i can afford to buy a UHF....might even look on ebay for a second hand one. Noticed an older GME TX472S UHF in one of our secondhand dealers here and they want $95 for it.....not sure if thats a good price or not considering a new UHF is about $300+
Anyway thankyou all again

Happy Travels

Chris
AnswerID: 90995

Follow Up By: Bob Y. - Qld - Sunday, Jan 02, 2005 at 14:37

Sunday, Jan 02, 2005 at 14:37
Chris,
Price for that old Tx472 probably isn't too bad, as they seem to hold their value. From experience, we've found that the GME rarely break down, so they are a reliable unit.

Think of it this way, $95 is only 3 cartoons of "tubes", ready to cool in the Engel/Wacko.

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