UHF Radio - Which one?

The Uniden UH088SX looks like a good buy:]

Uniden UH088SX

Mike Harding

PS. Forget UHF CB and go for an Amateur Radio licence.

Cram,

Have a look here.

UHF Radio

This is one brand that is very popular and I know from experience is very good.

Even with a good radio the aerial is very important for good communication.

The 3340 is a good unit that is basic and they go up from there.

Wayne

gday cram.
as said above the aerial is what will pretty much make or break whatever unit you get (gme, icom, uniden?).
at the moment i run a gme 4400 as a base station at home and in the pathie have a gme 3200 (new model is 3220/3420?) fitted into the dash.
if space is of a concern, go the smaller units, which allow a few more options when it comes to installing. go a decent aerial and you should be right, (depending on terrain/area etc)
regards
rowdy

Hi Marc
Like others have stated above, the most important factor with any in car UHF Radio is the aerial, as the maximum legal transmitted power on any UHF radio is 5 watts.

I am still very one sided with the GME, as they are Australian Made, not like some other brands that are made in China.

It will all come down to you and what you would like to own.

All the best, and don't overlook the GME Range.

Cheers

Stephen

WOW sight and sound have a combo at present.
GME TX 3220 with an AE409L 6/9db aerial for $350.

No affiliation etc.

Check out THIS GREAT SITE for info on how antennas work. It will also explain the db rating of the antenna so if you know you want distance over flat go for 6db, or 4.5 db is a good compromise etc etc etc

I have a Uniden 013, remote face, the unit itself is well tucked up out of the way.

Have no complaints about it at all.

Have had a lot of problems with bad earths, now I run a heavy earth, from the shell of the base unit, to the battery, and from the bottom if my areial to the battery a, as well.

Now some of the puritans recon this is overkill, and not needed, but it works for me. Since I have done that I have no problems with range or reception.

Another hint for you, never ever have any type of join between the aerial and the base, no matter what. One piece of cable all the way is the go.

Make sure that if you need to re-cable the unit to the aerial, that you get the better cable, not the cheap one.

Good link there Bonz !
That may help our friend
And another explaining Ground plane
http://www.criterioncellular.com/antennas/groundplane.html

The best ground plane on a vehicle is the middle of the roof, but I am not game enuf to drill a hole in my vehicle. So I have to settle for a bullbar mount system, ( like most people ) and I use a RFI aerial, that came from a WA mob, Priestige Communications I think

Cheers
Bucky

ps and thanks to Roachie, I picked up a few more tricks

I have a GME handheld (6200?? - can't remember the model) full strength with an external GME aerial on the front bar

It means that I can use it when travelling on the highway but when I am 4wd-ing I can also get out of the vehicle with it, walk up the track and relay info back to others in the group of what is ahead. I can easily take it out of the vehicle so less risk of it being pinched.

also good for around camp sites when the kids are playing and they carry a small handheld 0.5watt with them. Just leave it on a bench nearby and can hear it if anyone calls

I just waded through all the responses you've received so far. They've all centered around the assumption you do in fact require a UHF radio. The part that worries me a bit is, and I quote from your question:

" just something that would provide us with assistance in the event we need it."

This, to me, begs the question: Where are you going to be travelling and with whom?

If, for example, you plan on doing a remote (dare i use the word "outback") trip on your own, then a UHF will be of little use to you. The UHF is ideally suited to use when in convoy situations etc and I would not like to rely on it in the event of some calamity where you need urgent assistance.
If you are going to be relying on a radio for long distance assistance, then you're really going to need a HF (or possibly a satphone).

Even when tavelling in areas that are not so "remote" (eg: Vic High Country, the Great Dividing Ranges west, north and south of Sydney etc etc), you might find you've been lulled into a false sense of security if you think that a UHF will summon assistance in an emergency.

I'm not trying to change the direction of this thread, just trying to cover all the bases and not "assume" that Marc knows everything about radios and their relative uses and limitations.

Cheers

Roachie

Uniden - chinese/taiwan made, good entry level stuff. Not the best receiver as they can overloaded from strong signals eg, on a hill. However you can usually tell when someone talking to you is on a uniden because the audio sounds muffled.

GME - aussie made, european owned great gear. As much as people say how good they are, they are still breakable and that's why a lof truck stops sell GME spare parts like mics. Probably the best audio and excellent receiver quality - very sensitive.

Icom - owned and made in japan. As Michael J Fox said, all the best stuff is made in japan. Best quality, good audio but can sound 'tinney' due to noise cancelling mic. Designed for 25 watts with a heatsink on the back so at 5w it'll last forever. More complicated than the other 2 but computer programmable.

Vertex - new to the market but has a top name in commercial and amateur circles.

I have GME 3200 and is nice compact unit.

But for all out durability and quality (+$) go the ICOM. We use them in our mining equipment and they last.

Cram,

All the brand name radios are good, so it gets down to what your budget is, specials that may be on at the time you are buying and of course, your expectations of a UHF radio.

In itself, the humble UHF radio is still the single most useful accessory to add to your vehicle. It may not be practical for emergency remote contact, where a HF set or satellite phone comes into it own, but in convoy use, (anywhere from 2 vehicles upwards) or communicating with anyone within a 20 kilometer range (excluding use of the repeater channels) you cannot do better.

A couple of years ago, a convoy of three vehicles we were in was heading up a very slippery Birdsville Track, having just left Mungerannie. The lead vehicle was not towing anything whilst the other two of us had camper trailers.
We had no idea how far the "slippery bit" went for and whether it got worse or better, but as we were communicating between ourselves, another traveller heading down the Track towards us was able to give us an update on conditions at his end.
In this way we were able to make an assessment that the zigzagging "dance" we were performing was only for a relatively short distance and this made the difference on whether to proceed, or turn back.

There are many circumstances where "local" communication is all that is needed and you just cannot do this any better, or cheaper, than with a UHF transceiver. Travelling over sand dune country is another practical use for the UHF set and the occasional use of the Truckies' channel to inform them you intend to overtake, or advising them to overtake you provides a safer way to travel.

If you keep in mind that a 20 kilometer range is about the limit for a UHF set, plus the use of the repeater channels in designated areas can be a means of getting possible help if necessary, then you can decide if you need additional facilities. One of these may be a cheaper handheld which you can use when ranging away from your vehicle, but still have the means of communication with someone still in the vehicle.

I rarely travel in remote areas alone, so if one vehicle in our convoy breaks down, the other vehicle can seek help. I also have an EPIRB should I require emergency assistance.
That's it. I have no justification at this stage, to invest in either a HF radio, or a satellite phone.

If and when circumstances change, I will re-access our requirements and hire, or purchase, additional equipment at that time.

Hope this is of some value to you.