GME TX 3340

Submitted: Tuesday, Jul 12, 2011 at 20:22

ThreadID: 87524 Views:3357 Replies:5 FollowUps:6

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Deborah S

We are thinking about buying and installing a GME TX 3340 UHF radio . I would love any feedback on this unit , are they any good as we are heading for 1- 2years and want a good unit .

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Reply By: ken triton - Tuesday, Jul 12, 2011 at 20:35

Reply By: Member - John Baas (WA) - Tuesday, Jul 12, 2011 at 20:57

Tuesday, Jul 12, 2011 at 20:57

Hi Deborah.

I run that unit and also a couple of GME handhelds. Never had a problem. And...following this Forum, other brands such as ICOM are also good.

The other thing you should consider is your arial. If it's going to be in a high vibration environment get a stiff stick :-)

And if it's range you want (and given you're thinking about a good unit) get a high gain job.

I thought initially that all I wanted was convoy comms, but on the CSR last year extended range was really useful in talking to other parties further along coming our way.

Cheers.

AnswerID: 459776

Follow Up By: Member - Bucky - Wednesday, Jul 13, 2011 at 05:46

Wednesday, Jul 13, 2011 at 05:46

John
FWIW
Was gunna get one of those 2.1 mt aerials, but decided not to in the end.
Wish I had had of lifted my UHF aerial, as I could not get as far out as a mate, whose was mounted high off his spare wheel carrier.. He could hear vehicles calling locations well before I could.

There is a safety factor in desert country, to let people know which direction you are heading, and roughly where you are.
On CSR 2 years ago, and yakked our heads off between vehicles
Believe me, people could hear us coming,, and as I said, we looked at that as a good safety factor, in dune or heavy scrub country.. ie around Well 30 ..and again coming down from 38, to 33

Other people said they knew where we were, but would not reply, because they feel they should never talk on Ch 40 ...because they should not bog down the call up channel... must be sone cort of "sacred chennel"

Cheers
Bucky

FollowupID: 733411

Follow Up By: Member - John Baas (WA) - Wednesday, Jul 13, 2011 at 11:22

Wednesday, Jul 13, 2011 at 11:22

Hi Bucky.

Re the vibs, it's not the height of the arial, just the stiffness. On my roo bar flexible arials get a hell of an harmonic up and quickly break. My arial would only be about a metre long.

Re the range, one of our party had a high gain ICOM arial and he was able to hear parties at least 2-3 kays further out than me, while the other vehicle was struggling to hear anyone more than three kays away because of his el cheapo whip.

Cheers.

FollowupID: 733439

Follow Up By: Member - Bucky - Thursday, Jul 14, 2011 at 03:44

Thursday, Jul 14, 2011 at 03:44

JB

I run a RFI aerial on my bullbar, and this one is a little beauty.

RFI aerial

Never an issue, although I figure that the only way to get 6.5db out of it is to roof mount it... Rest of the time it just chugs along, probably around 4.5-5db (but never been tested). But I did manage to pick up a mate at Pierre Springs, Well 6 on the Canning, from only about 1/2 way in fromGranite Peak Station, and that did surprise me.

I too tried running cheaper type aerials, and yes they break too, then the more expensive type, and they broke...

I can run the longer thick GME type aerial, with it's shorter brother, for local running around, but then they both rattle the bejesus out of my garage door, going in and out. And believe me at 3 or 4 am in the morning it's not good for SWMBO.

My Radio is an Icom 400 Pro, and has a couple of mods.
Apart from going nuts trying to figure it out when I first brought it, the radio is brilliant.

Cheers, and have a good one
Bucky

FollowupID: 733493

Follow Up By: Deborah S - Thursday, Jul 14, 2011 at 06:43

Thursday, Jul 14, 2011 at 06:43

Hi Bucky & JB

Thanks for the heads upon the aerials as well as I was wondering which one we should buy. Very hard to decide which is best as the sales staff in stores are helpful but at the end of the day just want to sell you their stock.

Thanks
Deborah