UHF decision??

[Bikie]

Hi i'm looking for any information about the Uniden UHO13 radio + scanner. What are the pros and cons with the remote screen display over a normal style set? Also i'm tossing up whether to get a dual band set (AM and UHF)like the Uniden UHO90, how come these sets are reasonably cheap compared to the units with the remote screens, and are they worth having or is it best to have two individual sets?? Also where is the best place to mount a set in a GQ patrol?

[chopper]

bikie, work out wether or not you really need an AM set. I've got one but haven't used it for years.

IMHO i'd be looking at GME over Uniden, had a UH100 (which was supposed to be the ducks guts) and it was nowhere near as crisp and 'powerful' as my current TX3400.

I like the remote head but then it suits my application.

best of luck.

...and shop around there are many different prices on this gear out there>.

[Bikie]

Thanx chopper, why do you prefer the remote head exactly? is it just a space issue? and can you tell what I would expect to pay for the TX3400, without an aerial, as I already have one.

[big red]

i had an overhead consol for the radios and a dashpod for another radio.

[wooders]

I wopuldn't bother with the combo AM&UHF unit......But if I was in the market for a UHF and wasn't too worried about distance I'd be buying a Uniden handheld long before an incab these days - heck I bearly use the incab anymore....

On the AM front - any else noted how quite it is these days - you can actually get more peace on AM than UHF ???

[Heywood Jablowme]

No offence but I wouldnt ssip on a Uniden after my UH-011. It ended up literally getting thrown in the bin.

I now have a GME 3200 Remote head with the cop channels programmed into it.

I have talked to someone from Bacchus MArsh, and I was in Karingal, which in a straight line goes thru the center of Melbourne! My Unidung wouldnt talk to cars 5 kms away..

Up 2 u...

And if you can "find" an arial signal booster to poke in the coax between the radio and the arial, and those you wheel with have one too, up to 85w out the arial makes for some great comms in the bush. ;)

[baby_troupe]

I have only Uniden UHR in Car, UHF Handheld & AM sets.

I have had the AM for over 10 years & until now has been great. The Mic has just packed it in on this & I am still undecided as to whether I will get it fixed or chuck it out.
As for my UHF, I bought a middle of the road set (I can't think of the exact model at the moment & the cruiser is at home so I can't look) from Dick Smith for around $300, then spent about $60 on a basic lead & aerial with 4.5 db gain.
I have had experts tell me that it is mounted wrong & that my range is not as good as someone else, but guess what. This set is as good as any set & I have found on some trips that I have had a better transmission range then people with top dollar sets set up by so called experts.
Some will say "You get what you pay for", but my only comment is, get the set you can afford & take the time to ensure that when it is mounted to have clean connections & no kinks in the cables. That has been my only trick & like I mentioned earlier, the Uniden works great for me.

[60cruiser]

I have a Uniden UH013 installed in my cruiser. I have never used the scanner part. It has been a fantastic radio.

As far as peaople saying Unidens are crap I really wonder ???

I have had situations where my uniden worked heaps better than the GME radios in the group I was travelling with!!!.

It comes down to your own preference and the install quality has a bit to do with it (mainly how and where the aerial is installed).

As for mounting inside the cabin I found the best place was in a roof centre console. No kicking or reaching for the handle. In fact I normally leave the mic on the hook and just press the button to talk as I'm driving. If I need both hands in a hurry you don't have to worry about hanging the mic or throwing it somewhere out of the way of steering wheel/ pedals etc.

I got my unit from prestige communications over the net
(http://www.prestigecom.net.au) for what I was going to pay for the unit at my local shop I got the radio, aerial, cable and external speaker for the same price.

Maybe 4WD monthly should do a comparison between latest models ???

[BurnieM]

I have run several model Unidens literally side by side with several model GMEs. The GMEs are consistently both more sensitive and more selective.

Do you really need the scan functions or extra channels on some sets ?

The GME TX3200 is an excellent basic set and fits in many small spots. About $325 (or $300 if you shop around) and don't buy from a 4WD shop.

http://www.burniemorgan.com/grand_vitara/images/cb_phone.jpg

I also use a Uniden UH040 for short range work

[BigMav]

Does anyone know if the new Uniden handheld 2watt model has been released yet. I'm keen to get my hands on one of those bad boys.

[60cruiser]

BurnieM,

I am interested in how you tested both the selectivity and sensitivity of the radios (I am not doubting what you have said - only interested).

Having been a navy technician and until recently developed software and systems for the Navy to test this exact type of thing (as well as bandwidth, SINAD, tracking, etc) I am very interested.

My interest comes from the fact that the equipment to test this type of thing reliably costs alot of money (maybe you have the gear)

I should note that I have not ever worked in a civilian environment so I'm not sure to what level specs things are tested.

[BurnieM]

Apart from SWR/power I do not have measuring equipment.

When you have them side by side and can listen and swap aerials etc the difference is quite noticable.

Note I am only talking about UHF CB sets.
You can put GMEs 27mhz marine sets where the sun don't shine :)

[baby_troupe]

With mine, I can make it more or less sensitive on receiving a signal by adjusting the squelch.
You will probably find that the unti you have that is less sensitive has the squelch turned up a bit to get rid of some of the static. ;)

[BurnieM]

Squelch is not what I am talking about.

I am talking about the ability of a set to receive weak signals while having a relatively narrow noise filter and rejecting adjacent signals and noise.

It is easy to hear the GME superiority when placed along side a Uniden

[baby_troupe]

It is easy to hear the GME superiority when placed along side a Uniden

I am sure this has been your experience.
I am also speaking from experience & like I mentioned my experience is when my set (along with the GME product) is in the field & always on trips.
My experience where we found the major differences was on a trip to Big Yango (Yengo National Park with NPWS) & the NPWS set (GME) could not be picked up by the guys back at camp where they could hear me fine (over 8 km distance in hilly terrain). I was 2 cars behind the NPWS Ranger, so I was asked to relay the messages.
The Set was checked by a technician when he returned & he said everything was set up as it should & we were both running similar 4.5 db gain aerials.

Can always ad a amplifier to the arial.... ;)

[baby_troupe]

Can always ad a amplifier to the arial.... ;)

I heard of people doing that on AM.
I haven't heard of anyone doing it on UHF, but I guess the same principal would apply.

[BurnieM]

What was the SWR of both aerials ?

If your tech did not explain this to you or, worse still, did not check it, then get another tech.

[baby_troupe]

I know mine was pre tuned, so I guess the SWR was right. As for the Nat Parks one, I cannot be sure, but as it is paid for by our Taxes, you would expect it would be right as well.

[BurnieM]

A brand new pre-tuned aerial (as most UHF aerials are) should have a low SWR.
Corrosion in the feed cable, or base loading coil or whip or poor soldering will cause a lot of the signal to be reflected back to the set and to raise the SWR reading.

In a marine environment our 27mhz/VHF/UHF-CB aerials would only last up to 3 years with one dying at 5 months. These were Benelec marine antennas.

4WDing is not nearly as bad but any aerial over 3 years with normal use should be checked.

If you have nicked the feed cable or worse, cut it and re-joined it then I would throw it away and buy a new one.

[baby_troupe]

I guess that may be the prob I have with my AM set. It is over 10 years old & the cord is around 5 years & has been in 3 different vehicles. I guess I could replace that, but I am getting rid of the AM soon anyway, so I won't worry about it.
As for my UHF, I reckon I must be safe for another 2 years then as all of this was new last year when I installed it ;D

[60cruiser]

I have tested UHF cables with kinks where the power loss has been dramatic (probably due to SWR). The tests were for the cable themselves so there was no actual antenna (just a load) and the only possible losses were fatigued connections or damage to the cable itself. Removing the kink improved the results of the tests. I was suprised that this had such an effect at UHF!.

I have also seen microwave (>3GHz) cables that have been slighlty kinked and caused almost total power loss.

Microwave cables generally don't totally recover after being kinked and are normally thrown away (in the environment I worked in). I don't think UHF cable would have the same issue, but they certainly shouldn't have any kinks!

[Sparky]

Apart from SWR/power I do not have measuring equipment.

When you have them side by side and can listen and swap aerials etc the difference is quite noticable.

bloody spot on scientific bulldercrap
learn to do the job properly backyard johnny
you bloody well cannot swap aerials without retuning them
put the GME and Uniden on a work bench with proper gear and then start talking
Not to much to choose between brands Uniden construction is better and noise cancelling
Reliability Uniden wins

You may have a point here, but primary school name calling sort of ruins any credibilty your post may of had........

[BurnieM]

They are pre-tuned aerials !

Buy what you like.
I will continue to buy the best quality product within my budget.

[60cruiser]

Being happy with what you bought is where it is at!

As happy as I am with my Uniden someone told me the other day that the GME is Australian made. Had I known that (didn't look at their site) I would have bought a GME!

dont go with the uhf/am combo biggest piece of uniden i have ever sold !
i had a gme uhf and lasted me about 16 months before the pcb cracked from tough 4 wheeling got a fairly new uh 011 basic uhf never had any problems with it i also run a pierce simpson bearcat ssb and am just to see whats still around on am

the new uhf uniden has been released in aust they retail for around 168 and are avail from tandy and dicksmith i tried one out not long ago and in adelaide they worked well

and you dont need to swr a uhf

I wopuldn't bother with the combo AM&UHF unit......But if I was in the market for a UHF and wasn't too worried about distance I'd be buying a Uniden handheld long before an incab these days - heck I bearly use the incab anymore....

On the AM front - any else noted how quite it is these days - you can actually get more peace on AM than UHF ???

I have noticed that too, 8-10 years ago i was a keen CBer, I even met my wife on it ,luckly she was one the very few sexy YLs. Thank god now they are only used when needed in the bush...Dazz