hand held UHF

Submitted: Saturday, Jan 08, 2005 at 23:30
ThreadID: 19193 Views:2063 Replies:5 FollowUps:12
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hand helds are typically 1/2 W. I can unnderstand that this has an impact on "getting out" but is there any real impact on receiving? (obviously hand helds don't have a good antenna but apart from this is there any impact on signal in?)
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Reply By: Mad Dog (Victoria) - Saturday, Jan 08, 2005 at 23:32

Saturday, Jan 08, 2005 at 23:32
No
AnswerID: 91985

Follow Up By: Member - Davoe (WA) - Monday, Jan 10, 2005 at 10:15

Monday, Jan 10, 2005 at 10:15
I am gonna disagree with you. I work p/t at the local swimming pool and we used to use 5w jobbies which had no problem picking up and recieving from all round kal. Management got sick of replacing $600 jobbies dropped in pools and got the 1/2 watt ones which are total crap and have problems sending or recieving even a few hundred meteres from inside (indoor pool)
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Reply By: Casnat - Sunday, Jan 09, 2005 at 00:32

Sunday, Jan 09, 2005 at 00:32
So, in the ctiy at least, if I essentially "listen in" rather than actively contrbute then having a 5W on board unit will not be any different to a 0.5W hand held from a receiving point of view? (antenna issues apart)
AnswerID: 91992

Follow Up By: Mad Dog (Victoria) - Sunday, Jan 09, 2005 at 09:13

Sunday, Jan 09, 2005 at 09:13
Given two identical radios apart from the transmitter stages the receive sensitivity should be the same. Howevera 5w watt radio may well be marketed as an up market model and have better circuitry to receive better and reject cross channel interference but not necessarily so.
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Follow Up By: Bonz (Vic) - Sunday, Jan 09, 2005 at 09:46

Sunday, Jan 09, 2005 at 09:46
It depends on the squelch sensitivity that is set on the units, for the majority of the 0.5w units it would be about the same, but some larger units you can set the sensitivity. That way if you increase the sensitivity you can hear some of the "fringe" calls.

Also, there are antenna's and antenna's.

If you just want to hear and talk to like 2 km max a half watt units fine.

Just got a 5w GME on ebay cant wait for it to arrive.
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Follow Up By: Mad Dog (Victoria) - Sunday, Jan 09, 2005 at 10:31

Sunday, Jan 09, 2005 at 10:31
That's right too Geoff, those cheap units don't have an adjustable squelch do they, the two cheapos I have here don't. 99% of the time I have the squelch cranked up quite high to avoid the distant weak chatter.
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Reply By: Mike Harding - Sunday, Jan 09, 2005 at 07:17

Sunday, Jan 09, 2005 at 07:17
Yes.
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Follow Up By: Bonz (Vic) - Sunday, Jan 09, 2005 at 09:47

Sunday, Jan 09, 2005 at 09:47
umm Care to elucidate?
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Follow Up By: Leroy - Sunday, Jan 09, 2005 at 09:53

Sunday, Jan 09, 2005 at 09:53
The sensitivity of the handhelds is less. I have found they are relitively 'deaf' when it comes to weaker signals. They seem to have a transmit range of a km if youre very lucky but also will only recieve over a similar transmitted distance. I only found this out when I had my handheld outside the vehicle and I could hear the other person coming in on my in car unit.

Leroy
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Follow Up By: Mad Dog (Victoria) - Sunday, Jan 09, 2005 at 10:34

Sunday, Jan 09, 2005 at 10:34
But didn't the car unit have a far better antenna connected to it.
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Follow Up By: Leroy - Sunday, Jan 09, 2005 at 11:46

Sunday, Jan 09, 2005 at 11:46
Well you cant use it w/o an external antenna! Even a cheap staniless 1/4 wave whip connected to an in car unit will outperform a handheld.

Leroy
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Follow Up By: Mad Dog (Victoria) - Sunday, Jan 09, 2005 at 13:09

Sunday, Jan 09, 2005 at 13:09
Of course Leroy but he did state "antenna issues apart" above, maybe his held held can be connected to an external antenna. Typically handhelds are designed with extreme sensitivity to overcome some of the antenna issues but when connected to an external antenna in the city the radio will have severe cross mod and overload.
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Follow Up By: Leroy - Monday, Jan 10, 2005 at 08:42

Monday, Jan 10, 2005 at 08:42
Tell casnet don't tell me. I'm passing on what I know and have experienced. No point being pedantic; never known a 1/2w radio to have an external connection. My example was to highlight the defness of a handheld. The selectivity of a handheld is not going to be the same as a better quality more expensive unit.

Leroy
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Reply By: Member - Brian (Gold Coast) - Sunday, Jan 09, 2005 at 08:42

Sunday, Jan 09, 2005 at 08:42
Technically.... no
My own experience with them is otherwise!
We have two... one is the popular Uniden and it workds a treat. For quite some time it was our only radio, no in-dash unit. Last Easter we "convoyed" to Rover Park with about 10 trucks... we were spread out over a couple of K's and we were second from the leader. He was having a conversation with the tail-end and we could not hear the tails conversation, only the leader! We decided then to put an in-dash unit in the truck and have been in similar situations since but can participate in the chatter!
We still have both the hand helds... they are great for spotting on rough tracks, or when we are camping and the kids go off for an explore, they take one... at least up to a point they are contactable!
AnswerID: 92006

Reply By: phil - Sunday, Jan 09, 2005 at 17:44

Sunday, Jan 09, 2005 at 17:44
Does any hand held allow an external antenna to be connected?
All the ones I have seen have an integral antenna only.

Phil I
AnswerID: 92072

Follow Up By: Mad Dog (Victoria) - Sunday, Jan 09, 2005 at 18:18

Sunday, Jan 09, 2005 at 18:18
the Icom ic40s has a TNC connected antenna, I think the GME TX6200 does as well.
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Follow Up By: Member - Mungo Explorer (NSW) - Sunday, Jan 09, 2005 at 20:06

Sunday, Jan 09, 2005 at 20:06
Yes the GME TX6200 does - I have one and connect it to a roofrack-mounted antenna when travelling.
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