check out the new remote control Jockey Wheel SmartBar Topargee products Enginesaver Low Water Alarms
Members Login
Username 
 
Password 
    Remember Me  
Post Info TOPIC: Best hand held UHF for on the road, and I searched posts!


Senior Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 303
Date:
Best hand held UHF for on the road, and I searched posts!


Looking for a hand held UHF for use on the road, mounted unit is not an option.  The unit has to be user friendly.  Any suggestions would be helpful!



-- Edited by Lancelot Link on Monday 31st of October 2016 01:44:24 AM

__________________


Senior Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 419
Date:

There are some great units about.Suggest you look for one with a 5W capacity for good coverage.In relation to hard mounted types they can be quite expensive in comparison for a quality one that is. There are some excellent remote hard wired ones on the market now.The unit is hidden up under the dash out of sight and all the controls are on the microphone.I have my mike mount velcro'd to the dash.No room to mount a conventional unit in the Y62.Keep looking as there is something out there to suit every need.

__________________


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 4730
Date:

There is no one best CB radio for your use. Any radio with a power output of ¼ W or above is suitable for general convoy and road work. If you wish to use it when hiking you may desire a unit up to 5 W. I suggest you do a bit of tyre kicking, go around the shops and see what they offer and use that as a guide.

__________________

PeterD
Nissan Navara D23 diesel auto, Spaceland pop-top
Retired radio and electronics technician.
NSW Central Coast.

 



Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 1252
Date:

Gday Lancelot and welcome to our forum

As has been said there are many brands that claim to be best. We settled for UNIDEN 80ch UHF hand held and it works.

As long as you can talk to truckies and other travelers for safety etc. You will be well set up.

I was getting sick of antennas and more little boxes in the ute.

Cheers

__________________

Ex RAAF, now retired. EX Electrician/Teacher.

Homebase is Murray Bridge Tourist Park (in a cabin). New Horse.. 2020 Ford Everest Titanium, Jayco swan for touring.

Life is way too short to be grumpy.



Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 3066
Date:

I've always bought ICOM. or ICOM/KENWOOD for fixed.

The quality is a level up on others. Pricing too.

BUT. If you sit the three brands side by side. GME. Uniden and ICOM.
We have in yacht and fishing clubs. And use at differing ranges.
(Boats travelling in opposite directions)

As the ranges expand.
The Further apart. The more the quality becomes evident.

UNIDEN stutters first with range and clarity. Then GME.
BUT UNIDEN Transmit signal ranges further than GME.
and the ICOM goes for much longer. with much clearer "clarity".
Discernably so..
They really ARE, worth the extra.

Standard Horizon are up there too. I use one for my VHF in boat.

Hand Held.

ICOM Better right through the range. Especially in clarity.
and the alternatives in VHF are not even in same ball game.
You pay more, Yes. But you get more too.

You wanted the BEST.....ICOM and KENWOOD.

But sit down first when pricing Kenwood.
My HF 0-30 meg floored me 30 odd yrs ago
and it still wired up in back room.


__________________


Senior Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 415
Date:

One of the better quality brands was/is definitely the Icom IC 40 or it's current model, built to military specs and is bulletproof (almost).

An adapter can be bought to connect an external aerial for greater range, but they are a full 5 Watt output and very sensitive.

I have two Icoms one fixed in the truck and the portable handheld.

__________________
brian


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 4375
Date:

Best hand held UHF for on the road,

The best performance will be had by using a 5W hand held with an external antennae and power.

It will then perform as well as the best installed unit, but has the added advantage of still being portable. Car kits are available for hand helds, but just the external antennae will get the performance..

GME is an Australian company. Their products are as good as any. Why go past them.

 

Cheers,

Peter



__________________

OKA196, 4x4 'C' Class, DIY, self contained motorhome. 960W of solar, 400Ah of AGMs, 310L water, 280L fuel. https://www.oka4wd.com/forum/members-vehicles-public/569-oka196-xt-motorhome
 

 



Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 3066
Date:

Yes Pete.
They ok as a run of the mill PLEASURE units. Their Epirbs are good too.
For leisure.
But not used for commercial. as are their radio's.

He asked for the best.
for usage, and just "the best".
there are quite a few mfg's make much better..

Icom and Std Horizon. are mid range.
Several steps above the aforesaid GME/Uniden.

While staying in the "sensible" working class price ranges.

Kenwood upwards are top of line. but start around the $2k upwards

The CODAN on my last offshore yacht cost me around $3.500. 20+ yrs ago.

It's when you come to use them. at further ranges and in hills.
That you realise the extra IS worth it.
For clarity alone....

My old ICOM M32 H/H 5w. at Man and wife. (24km+ off the harbour).
behind the Keppels.
Talks to harbour on 3, clear as sitting beside me.
Other H/Helds in boats around me don't even get a signal or just static
I connect out at the ferns too,

__________________


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 606
Date:

Icom is the way to go .I have had mine 7yrs now they cost @ $600 then, but are military standard. Cheers

__________________

Westy.            Some people  I know are like slinkies. They look really funny when you push them downstairs !



Senior Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 141
Date:

PeterD wrote:

There is no one best CB radio for your use. Any radio with a power output of ¼ W or above is suitable for general convoy and road work. If you wish to use it when hiking you may desire a unit up to 5 W. I suggest you do a bit of tyre kicking, go around the shops and see what they offer and use that as a guide.


 ^^ this is a very good answer to your question ^^

Even the cheap ones sold in pairs for around $40 for 2 will do the job on the road.



__________________

Cheers,

Mutley :)



Senior Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 303
Date:

Thanks all, appreciate it.

__________________


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 2923
Date:

I can tell you what not to buy, do not buy an Oricom UHF2190, we are on our second radio and as yet have not been able to use it. Will not tolerate vehicle charging.

__________________


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 1353
Date:

I recently bought a Uniden uh820s and it works very well it has duel transmiting power .5 watt or 2 watt to save power. A very clear speaker, and a three year warranty. I think it cost me $110 new on ebay.
Landy

__________________
In life it is important to know when to stop arguing with people and simply let them be wrong.


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 3066
Date:


""Even the cheap ones sold in pairs for around $40 for 2 will do the job on the road.""

YES. Short range. Driving in convoy etc
But once you start asking them to do something is when you realise...
especially in speaker quality.



__________________


Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 5388
Date:

I have an Oricom half watt hand held UHF (2 for about $40) I got them from Repco a couple of years ago.

I thought that they were 5 watt, and went on line to register them, for the warranty.
I got an email saying that they were actually half a watt

I emailed back saying not to worry about the warranty, as I would return them, explaining that I needed them to talk to any truckies who were overtaking me.
I was assured that I would be in range, before the truckies could read my call sign.

The only problem I have encountered is that because I removed the batteries between trips, I had to bend the connections back inwards to make contact with the batteries.
I now leave the batteries in, and just turn it off, between trips
I have no way of comparing them against other hand held ones

Hope that this info is helpful



__________________

Tony

It cost nothing to be polite



Senior Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 141
Date:

macka17 wrote:


""Even the cheap ones sold in pairs for around $40 for 2 will do the job on the road.""

YES. Short range. Driving in convoy etc
But once you start asking them to do something is when you realise...
especially in speaker quality.


I'm glad that you agree! I have them & can't fault them. Ours have been on the Birdsville/Strezlecki/Oddnadatta tracks, the Old Ghan Heritage Track, Eringa, Charlotte Waters, The Dowling Track, Palm Valley, Mereenie Loop, Chamber's Pillar, Cameron Corner, Warri gate road, Rainbow Valley, Gibb River Road, Old Jim, Jim Rd, Plenty Hwy, N'dala, Arltunga, Lambert's Centre, Dalhousie, Mt Dare, Hell's Gate, Lorella Springs, Beetoota, Holowilena, Andamooka.. you get the idea! They have never let us down ever. We even do some tar sometimes too! Adelaide to Darwin a few times, Barkley Hwy, Great Northern Hwy, Burketown to Adelaide via Cloncurry/Blackall/ Longreach/Tambo/Charleville/Broken Hill.......Never had any issues with the cheapie walkie talkies!



__________________

Cheers,

Mutley :)



Senior Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 141
Date:

Tony Bev wrote:

I have an Oricom half watt hand held UHF (2 for about $40) I got them from Repco a couple of years ago.

I thought that they were 5 watt, and went on line to register them, for the warranty.
I got an email saying that they were actually half a watt

I emailed back saying not to worry about the warranty, as I would return them, explaining that I needed them to talk to any truckies who were overtaking me.
I was assured that I would be in range, before the truckies could read my call sign.

The only problem I have encountered is that because I removed the batteries between trips, I had to bend the connections back inwards to make contact with the batteries.
I now leave the batteries in, and just turn it off, between trips
I have no way of comparing them against other hand held ones

Hope that this info is helpful


 I use those as well Tony, great units. We also have a 2.5 W hand held, the biggest advantage with the 2.5 W one is the battery lasts longer.



__________________

Cheers,

Mutley :)



Member

Status: Offline
Posts: 24
Date:

Icom IC 40 for me too .. software upgradeable .. batteries still in excellent condition after 5 years ..

I too have a Codan .. but not familiar with a hand-held version ?



__________________

             Jon

  living the life



Guru

Status: Offline
Posts: 1571
Date:

I'm very happy with my 5w hand held GME



__________________

Bryan

Page 1 of 1  sorted by
 
Quick Reply

Please log in to post quick replies.

Tweet this page Post to Digg Post to Del.icio.us
Purchase Grey Nomad bumper stickers Read our daily column, the Nomad News The Grey Nomad's Guidebook