omdi hand-held uhf
Submitted: Sunday, Jul 30, 2006 at 14:25
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warthog
Has anyone used, or come across someone who has, an Omdi 5 watt hand-held uhf. We are heading down south in two cars soon and I thought one of these looked the go so I can talk to my wife in our other car. Thanks, Chris.
Reply By: Mike Harding - Sunday, Jul 30, 2006 at 16:31
Sunday, Jul 30, 2006 at 16:31
Haven't heard of the brand but it's probably out of the same factory in China as all the other cheap UHF CBs - so, if it's cheap enough, it's worth a punt.
The only caveat I would raise is that 5W is a considerable power output for a handheld radio - my, professional, Maxon 70cm handhelds will do it but they also come with a serious NiMh rechargeable battery. In any event you will not usually need 5W for car to car stuff so unless you can turn the power on them down to 0.5W or 1W, at most, you're going to be going through a lot of batteries.
Mike Harding
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Follow Up By: warthog - Sunday, Jul 30, 2006 at 21:08
Sunday, Jul 30, 2006 at 21:08
Comes with a car charger kit, so sounds like it could do the job. Thankyou.
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Reply By: Member - Mike DID - Sunday, Jul 30, 2006 at 16:59
Sunday, Jul 30, 2006 at 16:59
If you connect at least one of the handhelds to an external antenna mounted on the roof, you will most probably find that you get better range from a 1 watt unit than a 5 watt with internal antenna.
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Reply By: HJ60-2H - Sunday, Jul 30, 2006 at 21:16
Sunday, Jul 30, 2006 at 21:16
They probaly generate 5W somewhere but not out of the actual antenna. If it as a removeable antenna then an external one would make it work much better.
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186152
Reply By: Member - Roachie (SA) - Sunday, Jul 30, 2006 at 21:41
Sunday, Jul 30, 2006 at 21:41
I've just been looking at UHF's on ebay and there are a number of 5w handhelds available for less than $100-. However, when I looked a bit more closely, I noted that they are not in the same frequency range as we generally use (Uniden, GME etc). These ones we use are 476 to 477mhz........ the cheapies on ebay are 430 to 470mhz; or thereabouts.
So, just be a bit cautious..........although if you're gunna buy 2 and only want to talk to each other, then maybe they'd be a good buy; no foul language etc cos you'd be the only ones (presumably) who'd be using those frequencies.
Cheers
Roachie
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186164
Follow Up By: Mike Harding - Sunday, Jul 30, 2006 at 22:04
Sunday, Jul 30, 2006 at 22:04
>you'd be the only ones (presumably) who'd be using
>those frequencies.
Not exactly.
The 430 to 470MHz range covers all the 70cm Amateur band, lots of commercial frequencies and, in Victoria at least, most of the non digital police frequencies.
You may rest assured that if you transmit in that frequency range you _will_ be detected and prosecuted. Many Amateurs take a perverse delight in "fox hunting" intruders and are _very_ good at it. I suspect the police would also take a dim view of you using one of their frequencies.
I strongly suggest you stick to the Australian CB channels.
Mike Harding
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Follow Up By: warthog - Monday, Jul 31, 2006 at 09:53
Monday, Jul 31, 2006 at 09:53
Thanks Roachie,
I was looking on ebay at the omdi's ($175-) and they say channels 1-40 uhf, so might have to look a bit further. Maybe just put a fixed unit in the pord palcon and take him back out when we sell him.
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Follow Up By: Mike Harding - Monday, Jul 31, 2006 at 10:10
Monday, Jul 31, 2006 at 10:10
$350 for two handhelds for car to car chat is a lot.
I'd go the one fixed unit - probably about $300 and one cheapo hand held, about $30. Best of all worlds.
Mike Harding
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Follow Up By: warthog - Monday, Jul 31, 2006 at 12:28
Monday, Jul 31, 2006 at 12:28
I have a fixed unit in the 4wd but the 2nd car which will soon be traded on some thing smaller has nothing. I have a couple of cheap .5 watt hand helds but their range is limited ,sounds like those with experience are saying a hand held won't be much chop from inside a car no matter what it is. Maybe I'll just get another fixed unit and not tell how much it cost, and remove it again when we sell the palcon.
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