GME UHF Problems
Submitted: Friday, Mar 28, 2008 at 17:54
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Brooka27
Hello I have GME UHF TX3200.
Over the past two years the distance at which I am able to transmitt to others seems to be reducing.
It is that bad now, the other car has to be within 300m of my car before picking up my call.
I am able to pick up others beyond line of sight but can not communicate back.
I have changed the antenna to a AE4705, triple checked connections and replaced the hand piece.
Still no improvement.
Any ideas or similar issues?
Reply By: Member - Mike DID - Friday, Mar 28, 2008 at 18:01
Friday, Mar 28, 2008 at 18:01
If you can still receive as normal then you have no problem with the antenna, coax or receiver.
You have a problem with the transmitter power failing or the power feed has a faulty connection causing voltage drop during the high current drawn on transmit.
If you can't anything wrong with the power lead or the fuse, then it's a workshop job.
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: Brooka27 - Friday, Mar 28, 2008 at 18:06
Friday, Mar 28, 2008 at 18:06
Thanks Mike, will send off and see if it is worth the fix or get a new one.
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: RosscoH - Friday, Mar 28, 2008 at 18:35
Friday, Mar 28, 2008 at 18:35
Very lnteresting, the people we were with at
easter have exactly the same radio with the same problem, transmit good up to about 150 meters and then nothing but recieving a couple of kilometers away. Maybe a common fault with the tx 3200.
Cheers Rossco.
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Star Bug - Friday, Mar 28, 2008 at 19:00
Friday, Mar 28, 2008 at 19:00
At the others have said, Find someone with a SWR/power meter, run it into a dummy load or a known good antenna, and see how much power you're getting out the back end. Should be around 4 to 5 watts.
Sounds like you have cooked the final PA transistor, often due to a faulty antenna/coax system.
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Nomadic Navara - Saturday, Mar 29, 2008 at 00:57
Saturday, Mar 29, 2008 at 00:57
As Mike said -
check the power to the set - 80% of all 2 way radio problems are 12V power related.
PeterD
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Follow Up By: warfer69 - Saturday, Mar 29, 2008 at 14:10
Saturday, Mar 29, 2008 at 14:10
My friend has the 3400 and the exact same issue !
Chers
FollowupID:
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Reply By: MEMBER - Darian (SA) - Friday, Mar 28, 2008 at 18:01
Friday, Mar 28, 2008 at 18:01
I'm no tech, but the symptoms exactly match a situation I had (diff. brand but) - at some stage in the radio's life (probably when re-routing the coax for a new antenna location - or swapping betwen vehicles) I'd been transmitting without a proper antenna connection - such activity fries one of the radio's "giblets" (said I was no tech !) - no antenna - nowhere for the energy to go - once reconnected properly, the radio can receive
well enough but the transmission range is a couple of hundred meters at best, as you say - took
mine to the UHF doc - he put it on a meter - no TX ! - new component plus labour was nearing the cost of a new radio - I went the repair, but its not a funny exercise.
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: Brooka27 - Friday, Mar 28, 2008 at 18:05
Friday, Mar 28, 2008 at 18:05
I have moved
mine also between the 80 series into the 100.
Thanks for that.
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Reply By: Member - Davoe (Yalgoo) - Friday, Mar 28, 2008 at 18:11
Friday, Mar 28, 2008 at 18:11
A tech can chuck a swa metre on it that will rule out the ariel/conection. then you iwill know where to look ie ariel, connections which you reckon youve sorted (how often do these things still end up the cause?) or the unit
AnswerID:
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Reply By: Member - Phil G (SA) - Friday, Mar 28, 2008 at 18:27
Friday, Mar 28, 2008 at 18:27
You say you changed the antenna, but did you change the base, coax and the PL-259 plug?
Sounds awefully like the coax centre wire is broken in the base, or at the PL-259 plug, or the coax sheath is touching the centre wire.
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Follow Up By: Brooka27 - Friday, Mar 28, 2008 at 18:35
Friday, Mar 28, 2008 at 18:35
All new componets and base.
Cheers Jason
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Follow Up By: Member - Davoe (Yalgoo) - Friday, Mar 28, 2008 at 18:43
Friday, Mar 28, 2008 at 18:43
Having had the same issue I agree, I would definitly get a swa metre put on it befor I pulled the unit out and sent it away
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Follow Up By: stocky - Friday, Mar 28, 2008 at 19:05
Friday, Mar 28, 2008 at 19:05
good chance you have fried the PA - especially if the last antenna wasnt a ground independant and didnt have a suitable ground place - seen plenty of em on cocky's tractors who want "cheapest" antenna (ie whire whip) then stick it on fibreglass roof!
:-(
First get a tech to see if you have any RF output at all
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Follow Up By: SteveL - Friday, Mar 28, 2008 at 20:03
Friday, Mar 28, 2008 at 20:03
I have a 1/4 wave mounted thru a hole in the centre of the roof which has near perfect SWR.The same antenna and base (i.e. not ground independant) mounted on the bullbar (as many people do) gives very high SWR.
This would eventually destroy the PA transistors. If you have this type of set up
check it with a meter and find out the bad news.
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Reply By: TrevorDavid- Friday, Mar 28, 2008 at 19:42
Friday, Mar 28, 2008 at 19:42
Brooka, have you added another antenna, say a 27 meg antenna near your UHF antenna in that period you have been having problems ?
TDB
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Follow Up By: Brooka27 - Friday, Mar 28, 2008 at 20:35
Friday, Mar 28, 2008 at 20:35
No I havent mounted a 27meg near by.
Regards Jason
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Reply By: Trekkie (Member - WA) - Friday, Mar 28, 2008 at 23:30
Friday, Mar 28, 2008 at 23:30
I had a similar problem 2 years ago - took it to GME dealer who sent it (I think to
Adelaide) to be repaired. Called me a few days later and said $30 to fix - no big deal - good as new
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: Brooka27 - Saturday, Mar 29, 2008 at 06:07
Saturday, Mar 29, 2008 at 06:07
You are correct Trekkie, the main repair joint is in
Adelaide.
GME will cover all freight costs too.
I talked to a technician at work and he says its the PA Transistors that have gone. He is going to confirm it tonight after doing a power meter
test.
Thanks to everyone for their help.
Hopefully others will benifit from this thread also.
Cheers JB
FollowupID:
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Reply By: Member - Phill E (NSW) - Monday, Mar 31, 2008 at 21:37
Monday, Mar 31, 2008 at 21:37
As said earlier.. Bad antenna connection & or brocken antenna will
cook the internal of the set.. Another common problem is they get off frequency for no reason at all.. A Tech's job with the right metering gear, helps if they have yrs of experience too.
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