Communications

Hi Drew

First and foremost regardless of brand (I personally prefer GME) is to make sure that they are the new 80 channel radios. Many places are trying to quite the older 40 channel radios at cheap prices, but they will be illegal to use and operate after 2016.

Also the most important factor regardless of radio, is the quality of the Aerial. You could have the best radio in the world and the worst aerial and the ability to receive and transmit will be hopeless.


Cheers


Stephen

Appreciate your comments.

Will be doing serious research just want to know where to start

Cheers


Drew

Drew

Get an Icom 400 Pro, and an RFI CD900 Black 6.5db UHF CB Antenna.

Prestige communications in Perth do good deals.

The radio has lots of potential and can be programed to meet all the new regulations, if ever they come in.

Note.. I wired mine in and have double fused it directly to the Auxillary Battery, and even fused the return Earth, (just in case)

I have a simplified user manual, in .pdf form, so feel free to contact me if you decide to get one, as the manual that comes with the radio is not real flash

Cheers
Bucky

Drew

I know a lot of people advise getting one with all the bells and whistles. Don't! You will only use the channel knob, volume (on/off) and microphone button. Unless you want to sit there and play of course. Ours sits on the club channel on a club drive, the touring channel on a tour (if we what it on) but mostly its off. I have never bothered with scan. But a simple scan button is good to see if anyone is around in an emergency

From 40+ years in mobile comms, commercial and mainly Defence, may I suggest that you get the most simpler one. Also try NOT to get one with heaps of buttons on the microphone. You drop it in the dark without it being locked and it may get into a strange mode that makes it unusable until you get home where you left the handbook. They are a pain to the novice also.

If you want to travel everywhere and therefore cross creeks then do not mount it low. A good idea is a roof console.

I do not know what your knowledge is of UHF but only count on "line of sight" contacts. Nothing past the horizon or over, and around, big hills. It may do it but do not rely on it.

I hope this helps.

Phil

If you are travelling solo-vehicle in the Simpson Drew, many would say you'll need more that UHF for safety. Groups often have a sat phone or long distance HF to share between them in case of drama (they can be hired). That said, any mainstream supplier/installer of two way radios can short circuit your dilemma at a reasonable price - going that way, you get a suitable model, matched antenna and reliable istallation (but of course buying it all online at a great price, with self install is an option many choose). Agreed re much of the above - simple can be best in radios - any mainstream brand with the new 80 channels is a pretty safe plan - they all have scan and Duplex. My Icom 400 Pro is great, but has many features I'll never use (let alone understand :-o)........agreed re Stephen on GME - hard to go wrong with that 'Aussie' brand :-o).... I use one of their handhelds.

I would suggest Icom or GME.

DON'T BUY A UNIDEN.

Lex M

If some one has an opinion it's always biased or it wouldn't be an opinion.

SOooooo....... your opinion about me being biased is biased and if you weren't biased you would be agreeing with me.

If you are only buying it for your Simpson desert trip, why not buy a good 5w hand held UHF radio?

Damn this pedantic bulldust is boring...

I was involved some time ago in a discussion with those that insisted on buying Australian UHF radios ... as I pointed out, and showed manufacturers websites, there is no such thing.

Forget the bias, just give opinions on personal experience, and let others do the same, without being denigrated and having bleep put on them for having the audacity for actually having an opinion.

Like I said, nothing wrong with my UHF (forget about the brand).

Grow up!

Cheers, Dave

Hi Drew, as you are now probably confused try asking around a local 4WD club. There will be plenty of people who could help, or ask on here for someone who is local to you. There will be plenty of people who would give you hands on practical advice as there are a few things to know with UHF that would help you get the best out of it and not interfere with other users.

For my money I would go GME making sure its upgradeable to 80 ch but I would wait until more 80 ch sets are in use before upgrading. Icoms are excellent quality being commercial grade sets but are very hard to operate beyond simple talking on one channel. Bucky's simplified manual might be ok but GME radios are far simpler to use if you ever want use the extra features. As has been stated the antenna installation is the most important thing to get right.

Any further questions fire away! Cheers Darryn