Personal Comms equipment

Grank · Post by **Grank** » 10 February 06 10:39 am

Rather than start a new thread I thought it would be OK to resurrect this one ....

I have almost convinced myself that having a UHF radio is a good idea. I have read the forums etc and think I've settled on getting a 5-watt hand held device.

The last experience I had with CBs was back in the late Ã‚â€˜70s when a mate had one in his panel van and I wasnÃ‚â€™t that interested then in Ã‚â€œchatterÃ‚â€

ozzie-jeeper · Post by **ozzie-jeeper** » 10 February 06 11:08 am

I use UHF radios with the Jeep Club... Basicaly handhelds, even 5 watt units have limited range. You can only expect around 2k from a hand held in a bush environment... But having said that, i use a handheld in the bush, with a fitted unit in the Jeep for travelling..... and a mobile phone etc etc.... The biblical rule for safety is to let someone know where you are going!!!...

Grank · Post by **Grank** » 10 February 06 11:42 am

ozzie-jeeper wrote:The biblical rule for safety is to let someone know where you are going!!!...

Agree 100% - I was a rock hopper way before mobile phones existed - I still complete the "tell someone" exercise now - even to the extent of marked up maps etc that I leave at home if I am going bush

Suitman · Post by **Suitman** » 10 February 06 11:51 am

Grank wrote:... I have come down to three handhelds. Their prices are in a similar range, the difference not enough to sway my decision at any rate. They are: -

Uniden UH075 Ã‚â€“ biggest advantage I can see over the others is itÃ‚â€™s size and weight are 30% less (eg 250g Vs 370g) and it claims to be waterproof.

Icom IC405

GME TX6200...

<br>
Grank, I'm interested in the subject. What price range are you talking about here?

ozzie-jeeper · Post by **ozzie-jeeper** » 10 February 06 11:59 am

With hand helds.. get a unit that can take "off-the-shelf" batteries... My hand held is a UNIden 4watt unit with a Lithium battery. BUT needs a 240V"base-station" to charge up in.... NOT ideal... If i was to purchase another unit, i would get one that i could put spare Duracells in if the thing went flat in the bush.

Grank · Post by **Grank** » 10 February 06 12:00 pm

Generally (there's a range of a few $ depending on which site I access)

Uniden UH075 $369 + $29 for an in car charger

GME TX6200 $395 + $39 for an in car charger

Icom IC405 $398 or $425 with in car charger.

All are 5 watt.

The Icom seems to be highest spec'ed technically (from the brochure) with the Uniden lowest spec'ed technically.

Grank · Post by **Grank** » 10 February 06 12:05 pm

ozzie-jeeper wrote:needs a 240V"base-station" to charge up in.... NOT ideal...

the bigger watt handhelds seem all to have the lithium battery pack, but I have made sure all have car chargers as available as a trade off. In dire straits could always do the "on the hour and on the half hour" trick which should last a day or so ... then it would probably be EPIRB time

ozzie-jeeper · Post by **ozzie-jeeper** » 10 February 06 12:11 pm

I would NOT go with anything that cant take a standard battery....If you are near your car, use the car UHF, better range etc etc...You cant exactly walk 10 or 15k back to your car to charge the thing up... And, if you needed the radio in an emergecy situation, chances are you CANT get back the your car. Murphies law would say the thing would go flat on you just as you really needed it.

Team Red Roo · Post by **Team Red Roo** » 10 February 06 12:15 pm

I bought 2 Digitalk 40 channel handhelds for about $60 on Ebay. They came with batteries and a 12v and a 240v charger.
The best distance covered was 4.5 Kms line of site - reception was a bit scratchy using the 2 handhelds, but handheld to car was perfect

. The expected coverage in scrub/bushland is up to 1 km.

Geof · Post by **Geof** » 10 February 06 5:35 pm

I don't know of any good quality units that offer the use of regular batteries.
Wile a bit pricey I'd go gme on the after sales backup. They are also made in sydney.
Icom is good stuff but after sales

Check how rebuildable the battery packs are too. NiMh are available but some lithium ion cells are not and / or the microprocessor that keeps records of battery state of life is not resetable in some cases.

juzmac · Post by **juzmac** » 11 February 06 1:21 am

We bought 2 1.5W handhelds when we started our 4x4 trips as it allowed us to keep in contact with the other 4x4s around us and know when turns were coming up, when it was safe to go up the hill, etc...
We've now got an in car unit (thanks DJ!!!) which we've picked up signal from around 40 - 50km away (again it was DJ I have to thank as he was on the other end

)...

Getting to my question though Grank - considering the range(s) of the handhelds you are looking at - will there be someone within range to hear your UHF calls (ie someone waiting in the car that is within a few km)... If not, it may be better for you to look into a satellite phone (either rental / borrow / purchase).
Very expensive but you can call anyone you like and say "Help, I'm at Sxxx, Exxx, " etc...

Do the 5W units you're looking at have high / low power modes to conserve battery strength (we found this handy with our 1.5w units)?

Cheers
Justin

juzmac · Post by **juzmac** » 11 February 06 1:23 am

Oh, and CDMA phones are a possibility too...

I carry a CDMA phone (pre-paid) with me for whenever I'm out of GSM range which has proven handy to call up a hint line for a cache out bush (saves going out there again)..

*touch wood* we haven't needed to use any of our stuff for an emergency!

Grank · Post by **Grank** » 11 February 06 7:54 am

juzmac wrote: will there be someone within range to hear your UHF calls (ie someone waiting in the car that is within a few km)... If not, it may be better for you to look into a satellite phone (either rental / borrow / purchase).

Usually there's noone in the car but me. Or if there is, the person with may join me. There's a few areas I visit (eg around Wollombi, Loctstock) that have no telephone coverage but you can be quite near to roads with numerous cars passing. A friend does desert work and he's 100% with you on the satellite phone.

juzmac wrote: Do the 5W units you're looking at have high / low power modes to conserve battery strength (we found this handy with our 1.5w units)?

Yes. I am honing in on the Uniden UH075 now (after a PM and conversation) and it has a 1w low power mode.

Biggles Bear · Post by **Biggles Bear** » 11 February 06 8:34 am

ozzie-jeeper wrote:...........You cant exactly walk 10 or 15k back to your car to charge the thing up... And, if you needed the radio in an emergecy situation, chances are you CANT get back the your car. .............

<P>
If you're that far out in the mulga chances are you'll be out of radio contact too, especially if the terrain is hilly. Sat phone might be a better bet in that situation.

Richary · Post by **Richary** » 12 February 06 10:10 pm

In theory a 5 watt unit will give you about 3 times the range of a 0.5 watt unit if I remember my theory correctly. I have a Uniden 0.5 watt radio that takes AA rechargeables, and has good battery life to boot. It's main uses are when 4WDing it is useful to be able to walk ahead and check something out before radioing back to the main convoy, or to talk someone over a tricky section. <p>

Any UHF will be severaly limited by terrain. If you are in a gorge somewhere don't expect any coverage unless someone is standing along the gorge or above you, the basic rule to remember is line of sight or very close to it. Don't rely on anything more even though you may get it. <p>

Mobile phones (CDMA or GSM) are pretty useless in that terrain as well. And in fact even more line of sight that UHF CB (simply physics, higher frequency = closer to line of sight only). So by all means grab one as another option that may help, if someone driving past has the CB on the channel you are calling for help on. And also check out the local repeater sites for the area you are in, they can help boost coverage enormously.[/b]