In Car UHF

AshR · Post by **AshR** » Wed Jun 06, 2012 8:09 pm

I'll start by saying this part of the forum doesn't get used often by the looks.... *watches the tumbleweed roll by*

but I'm sure a few people have them.

I really am not sure what I'm looking at/for and my UHF experience is from the early 90s when my dad was an estate agent in the country and had one in his car.

I have seen how small they are now, like the Uniden uh7700nb which would be perfect.

They're priced at around $220ish. and I think they are superseeded.

I'm wondering if anyone has any reviews etc or other options for models that are a similar size and preferably sub $200 would be better. (not inc ariel as well, that's a whole different kettle of fish I have found, and I don't want my car looking like a B&S ute

)

Brumby Kid · Post by **Brumby Kid** » Wed Jun 06, 2012 8:18 pm

Um, I'm in the same boat as you are Ash. What I know so far.
Get a good brand like uniden or gme.
80 channels.
You can get the small ones with controls on the mic, and then you hide the rest away in your dash, and have a small plug in the dash, this way you can remove your mic.
Why not? Come on, everyone wants a b & s ute aerial. Haha.

Cheers Cam

AshR · Post by **AshR** » Wed Jun 06, 2012 8:41 pm

I know Bennie is sort of keen, we could get onto a group buy if we get a few

I don't mind having a plain mic as that's the part that'll get bashed about with movement etc I'm probably happier to have it replaceable with anything rather than one brand.

what make a brumby look like this?

would be pretty funny with a "mini me" next to this

breedy · Post by **breedy** » Wed Jun 06, 2012 9:02 pm

i have a gme in the prado which is good for around 30k's with a small aerial about 600mm long,you could also look at the walky talky uhf's,i think a 3 watt would be good for a few k's and are a bit cheaper+you can take it anywhere,just a thought

AshR · Post by **AshR** » Wed Jun 06, 2012 9:04 pm

yeah I did think about a handheld, but then I'd have to remember to charge it etc.... I'm probably not the most reliable at recharging things (my camera has been on my desk a couple months without a charged battery)

so the in-car is probably a better solution (though have seen the Uniden in car with a handheld in a pack)

taza · Post by **taza** » Wed Jun 06, 2012 9:27 pm

Cheap hand held units are crap. When I go on trips some members have them, the range is crap, especially with hills and you can't understand them.

I have an 80 channel Uniden unit. It's quite small, fit's where my ash tray goes in the Forester. I have gotten over 15km range on the highway. I have a 6db aerial. Being the new 80 channel you have more channels to use and they are much clearer over all the channels unlike the old 40 channel units. I would say it is as clear as talking on the average mobile phone. My mate and I have the same unit and we went in the opposite direction from the city centre of Perth and managed to get 8km of range through all the traffic and buildings

I got my unit with an aerial as a combo on ebay for $199 onsale from a whole saler over east. I highly recommend in-car unit's over hand held but both are handy offroad.

Very handy to have aswell as being a must for offroading with other vehicles in my opinion. Get a good GME or Uniden unit as they are reliable and a good bit of kit.

Taza

EDIT: This is the unit I have.

Great, small unit, cheap unit. Highly recommend it.

http://www.uniden.com.au/australia/p_uh7700nb_index.asp

alang · Post by **alang** » Wed Jun 06, 2012 10:04 pm

oricom 5 watts 80 channel with duplex for bouncing of trig towers $249 at super shit have twin packs of oricom 2 watts hand helds with 10k rang and 80 channel $170 good for winching and guiding small and good quality

AshR · Post by **AshR** » Wed Jun 06, 2012 10:12 pm

That uniden UH7700nb was exactly the one I was looking at

glad to know you've field tested it

taza · Post by **taza** » Wed Jun 06, 2012 10:26 pm

AshR wrote:That uniden UH7700nb was exactly the one I was looking at

glad to know you've field tested it

Ok, cool.

Yeah I know a few people with the UH7700nb's along with myself. Great unit and for $200 with aerial and free postage it's a bargin. Very simple to use too.

That one at super shit could be alright..

GOD · Post by **GOD** » Wed Jun 06, 2012 10:31 pm

Definitely go for a proper 5W mounted one rather than handheld. Uniden and GME are the only brands to have in that price range. Mine is a Uniden UH015sx, which transmits on the 40 CB channels and also receives anything from 400-512mHz. Still going strong after 5 years (apart from one $35 mic replacement following a drowning).

I'd stick with a 40 channel radio for now, just for compatibility with what nearly everyone else out there has. Taza can your radio communicate with 40 channel ones, eg cars in the club or trucks on the highway? My understanding is they should be weak or distorted due to different deviations.

Choice of aerial depends on the terrain you spend most time in, and how much phallic compensation you require on your bullbar. Low gain for hilly country, high gain for the flat, huge for B&S utes.

Dane.

Brumby Kid · Post by **Brumby Kid** » Wed Jun 06, 2012 10:36 pm

The 80 channel ones will communicate with 40 channel versions.
They are the same 1-40. But they added another 40, 41-80. It's these 40 that the old ones can't pick up. Defianatly get an 80 channel radio.

Cheers Cam

AshR · Post by **AshR** » Wed Jun 06, 2012 10:43 pm

yeah I wont be getting a B&S antenna, and not planning on a bullbar either. Looking for a small gutter mounted one, (saw one talked about on here)

Thanks heaps for the info guys, I think the Uniden will be the goa. first thing after rwc and rego -> UHF then test out the Brumby

GOD · Post by **GOD** » Wed Jun 06, 2012 11:15 pm

Brumby Kid wrote:The 80 channel ones will communicate with 40 channel versions.

Speaking from experience?

They are the same 1-40. But they added another 40, 41-80. It's these 40 that the old ones can't pick up. Defianatly get an 80 channel radio.

Cheers Cam

They're not quite the same 1-40. There are now 80 channels in the same frequency band as previously had 40 channels, so there is some overlap. This sort of explains it: http://www.acma.gov.au/webwr/_assets/ma ... uhf_cb.pdf

Whatever. Mine does what I need it to do, so I'll stick with it for now.

Dane.

AshR · Post by **AshR** » Wed Jun 06, 2012 11:37 pm

GOD wrote: Whatever. Mine does what I need it to do, so I'll stick with it for now.

Dane.

That's the thing, if you have one that works no need to get a new one

purp · Post by **purp** » Thu Jun 07, 2012 8:12 am

My very limited real world experience is that the new NB radios are comparable with the old channel. HOWEVER that is in idea use, ie just up the road with the old radio being a recent one. I am also doubtful about their compatibility at the edge of their performance envelope (long range or rough country).

Brumby Kid · Post by **Brumby Kid** » Thu Jun 07, 2012 8:47 am

Experience no. That is what I was told by the salesman.

alang · Post by **alang** » Thu Jun 07, 2012 9:58 am

here is a list of repeater stations duplex from uniden

http://www.uniden.com.au/australia/n_re ... tation.asp

vincentvega · Post by **vincentvega** » Thu Jun 07, 2012 10:26 am

I highly recommend the ICOM IC-400PRO

Commercial grade quality. I have had mine for about 8 years and it hasnt missed a beat.

Not sure if they have a newer model that does 80channel. Might be worth looking into.

These guys have always been good when I have bought radios:

http://www.prestigecom.net.au/

AshR · Post by **AshR** » Thu Jun 07, 2012 10:56 am

vincentvega wrote:
http://www.prestigecom.net.au/

Dead link

Found the ICOM IC-400PRO, but it's a bit more expensive than I was looking for.

still might be worth saving a bit extra for a unit like that?

taza · Post by **taza** » Thu Jun 07, 2012 1:06 pm

Yes the 80 channel is compatible with the old 40 channels. The new 80ch unit's are clearer on the old 40's but they don't come through very clear on the new ones.
I have found distance isn't an issue between the new and old units. It's more so hand held vs CB in car.
Why go old technology if you are getting one, get the new one. In the city especially you notice that the first 40 channels are used often and sometimes find it hard to get a channel to use. My mates and I use them on the freeways, suburbs, highway and offroad when there's more than one car so they are very handy.