Just so you know, the GME 5 watt hand held has a removable aerial. They make an adaptor so you can attache an external mounted aerial to give you the normal 5 watt range as you'd get with a fully installed CB unit.It's worked well for me over the last 4 years but I've just bought the XRS 370C. The hand held will be the back up as you say. Love your vids. Cheers Bud
No ronny is starting to understand tone, pacing and other sides of the yt biz he should blow up soon. I've been watching for years and god damn you where an awkward bugger back then compared to now, good to see the personal growth ronny keep it up
One permanent UHF in the cab with a 6dB antenna, plus a spare 2dB, and two 2W handhelds, either for second channel, someone spotting, our when we both leave the ute.
I think its worth adding to this, its handy if the portable radios are USB rechargeable (i.e GME 2 Watt), this makes them much more versatile, most people will have some form of USB charging either in the vehicle or in the form of a battery bank.
@@samdesantis6803 I think the handhelds should be 5 Watt. You may want to go hiking and have good contact with base camp or a backup if the fixed radio fails or breaks an antenna.
@@Malc664 More power is better but not all the time. If you can't see the base camp due to terrain, you are unlikely be able to contact them on 5W. Using a a Chinese radio and larger handheld antenna, I have managed two miles on 2W in an urban setting. I have done 78 miles on 2W, I have also done 88 miles on 5W using handhelds with slightly larger antenna. I had elevation as I was almost 700 ft high.
Just got back from a snowy trip to the mountains and the difference from using a cheapy radio compared to the better ones my mate and I had definitely showed. Especially in clarity. Bloke was talking and we could barely make out what he was saying while he could hear us nice and clear.
I bought a 5w hand-held uniden UHF qhen I first got into 4wding, best money ever spent... 10 years later I still use it and recently I got called in for main comms duty as I updated my 4wd and havent yet fitted a in car unit. Well over 10km range in good conditions
Hey Ronny. Great videos!!! Suggestion: Many of your viewers like myself are in the USA, and "CB" here means the classic Citizen's Band communications radio operating in the 27MHz range on AM. These are VERY different from UHF or VHF radios operating on FM. To keep confusion down, it may be desirable to stop using the term CB and just stick with, for example, UHF or VHF, which is universal. Thanks for producing such great content!
@@krump743 Agreed. I was just trying to alert Ronny that the term can be confusing to a very significant portion of his viewers who happen to be in the USA. But it could have been any country that used that term to mean something else.
This is better than watching From Creek to Coast. Well done Ronny. I bought one of those GME handheld radio because I'm using it in my car and motorcycle. I don't need far range. Just enough for the radio signals around me.
You forgot to mention how to maintain the handheld one if its got a lithium battery. You should always keep the battery charged between 40-60% if that unit is not getting used for a long time. That will make sure to prolong the battery life by alot!
As an licenced amateur radio operator I have several mobile transceivers, including 100 watt mobile HF units that at the right time, right frequency band and a good antenna are capable of communicating across the world. However for most travellers, caravanning, 4WD'ers I would recommend a fixed unit, there are, many brand choices, my preference in UHF CB transceivers are Icom and GME, both very high quality the Icom meeting Mil spec and GME (Australian) utilise very high quality components and excellent design. I use different antennas for different uses, ie shorter for travelling in radio company, and longer for greater distance, remember UHF frequencies are "line of sight" whereas HF goes high, bouncing of certain atmospheric layers and returning to earth sometimes (frequency, time and conditions dependent ) sending a signal thousands of miles. The real difference in getting a signal out is not more power necessarily, more performance is gained via good antennas and location. A 1000 (1Kw) transmitter with a poor antenna can perform worse than a quality 5 watt transceiver with a very good antenna and mount! A good earth, base is critical, centre of vehicle metal roof or a bull bar provide this very necessary function. Buy quality, have a communications specialist recommend antenna and fitment to suit 'your' requirements, 'most' auto superstores do not have good comms expertise and will recommend the brand(s) they sell. Buy and install well ....buy once and smile.
Ronny I have a question. Why haven’t people made remotely switchable flip down mounts? These have been used on the roofs of many boats for lights/poles etc for going under bridges
@@erikhy yup though the only time you can use upto 50-75 watts is in repeater mode.. Noting ronny is talking about uhf narrow and uhf wide band cb at around 476-477 MHZ for a tag along tour like what Ronny does as a business venture I would would state that if you are traveling more than 2km apart you are likely going to be using 27MHz more often than not.. at ssb 12watts 4-5 watts has a 2.5 km point to point radius so as long as you are within 2.2-2.3 km with over lap you should be fine unless you are hitting a repeater somewhere off a farm Sad to say whilst it is great to have access to ham radio it is going to be pointless in scenarios of listening to traffic reports and so forth at this point in time gmrs has no use in Australia as you can only legally transmit on UHF cb, 27MHz land and 27MHz marine, marine and air bands a license unto their own in australia ham radio and other services radio are a license on their own where legally operated..
@@jasonhowe1697 Good explanation. I operate under the USA Federal Communication Commission laws, and equivalent laws in Australia and other countries may be different. I admit to also having a CB (6 watts AM/USA) for traffic/truckers, but don't use it 4-wheeling.
@@erikhy even at 4-5 watt on basic cb close on a mile, though anything past there you are using ssb/lsb/usb at between 12-14 watt allowing for swing shift transmission.. according radio spec it has a radial radius of 5km though unless you are pinging a repeater within the wattage range 50-100 watts you are pretty much screwed in transmission range .. Noting that some of the antennas ronny uses aren't typically used on cb even if they can tune to it.. and some of the radios configured to uhf cb would not be under legal definition.. of a cb radio.. but hey i have warned him afew times already.. be careful of the gutter tripe you put in the public domain and show as it can get you in the IRE of ACMA our governing radio body.. noting the the GME radios look like baofungs/baofengs,,,
The first antenna is a Elevated Feed designed to get the Whip above the Roof so No reflection of signal and a better line of site, just need to add a spring for the bumpy roads and a Stainless Steel Whip, and it will work Perfect and last You need to check the SWR once the antenna is mounted, before you start transmitting
I have never had so much trouble deciding what to buy for my Colorado, there are just so many uhf's to choose from. I really like GME and Uniden but some of the higher end Oricoms look ok but you see a lot of bad reviews which puts me off. I think I am going to go with the GME 370C ( maybe a 330c ?) and a 2.1db antenna mounted on my roll bar. That was by far the best bloody info I have seen so far and I have watched heaps !! Thanks Ronny ..
I used The GME portable UHF in my ute on a 5000km trip I did up to NT (from SA Eyre Peninsula), across to WA to Surveyor Generals corner and then down the Connie Sue Hwy. It was fantastic. Convoy was only 2 vehicles and at times on the CS Hwy I was a fair way behind the other vehicle we believe it started to cut out at about 5km depending on the terrain. One Con you didn't mention for the portable GME unit was the cord that runs from the unit to the antenna on the outside of the vehicle CAN affect the door seal depending on it's location. I thought mine was fine however water began dripping in quite significantly when it started pouring with rain, it took a little while to get it into a suitable position where the door seal held up well against the rain with the cord. Have a question though, given the XRS unit size being tiny, why waste your glovebox storage space by mounting the unit in it when it could be mounted in at least half a dozen better places hidden out of sight?
Rules for talking on Radios while driving are, The Microphone has to be a Basic PTT Mic with no extra buttons or screen, as it was illegal here in Vic Laws change, and i have not looked for a while
Kinda wish I'd found this channel before buying my Pajero NW, got a tiny 5w Oricom which in the NW is dash mounted thanks to a WA company that 3D prints parts so it looks factory and give me 3 spots for switches. Ended up mounting the 6.5dBi whip antenna on the nudge bar as its what came with the Pajero. But I have plans to get a roof rack and will probably get a better one to put up there. For now this works for what I want, will be doing a long road trip in a few months to test it fully.
Great vid. If you ever get fed up down under I can hook you up with a job in the states. All of these comms vids of yours are very good and informative. An Ariel that has no obviously labeled gain is called a unity gain antenna, no gain.
if you can install it yourself, a budget UHF setup is great. I had a Oricom UHF395 ($200 always on sale at SCA)with a UNIDEN at380 ($30) rubber ducky on a benelec gutter mount antenna ($30). This is a great and cheap setup for only
It's interesting that you say that because that's my opinion/thoughts as well and its why I'm having so much trouble deciding what to get. Do I go all out on a GME 370 and probably not really use all the techy stuff or get a good basic Uniden for half the cost.
@@timrosenthal46 half the gme features are gimmicks. I thought I would really benefit from voice playback but I only need someone to repeat when the transmission was scratchy. All their user programable frequencies is absolutely useless, there is no useful frequencies you can tune into as police and fire use digital encrypted radio. Every other feature is available in other radios, One thing gme comes out on top is the scan rate, all 80 channels in 2 seconds vs 8s on oricom.
Great vid! The MXT-575 50w paired with the MXTA-26 antenna; two Wouxan Pro 5w with one optional UT-72G antenna, plus a Motorola CB and 5' Firestick antenna does the job quite well on my rig. ('02 4Runner SR5 4WD). Greets from California!
Thanks for all the tips and tricks, Ronny. I enjoy your down to earth approach to things and the respect shown to the Australian bush. Keep it up mate.
Many thanks again, you aleays give common sense, no b. s. advice, and always comprehensive. I've learned an enormous amount from watching your vids. Thanks again.
In terms of portable handheld radios, you forgot the middle ground of an external antenna that fixed to the vehicle. Something like the Axis ARU3 is a magnetic 3Db aerial that comes with a standard connection to mobile CB and additionally a connection to a handheld unit. Combined that makes handhelds more versatile.
Personally, I think those cheap Oricom radios that come with ariels like the 390 are pretty good. I put the Oricom 390 in my Ln106 and it works flawlessly with the 6.6dbi. All set up and installed for $280.
Mine was about the same the UHF310 with a 6.5dBi, I did the install and got an electrician to do the wiring. Luckily my relatively new 2013 NW Pajero there is a company in WA that 3D prints replacement dash parts to make an in dash install possible.
I have an Oricom fixed unit with a floppy aerial and it works fine for me. The aerial did unscrew going up the Oodnadatta track, but I was pulling into camp at William Creek so I didn't lose it and I fixed the problem with duct tape (what else???). Because it's mounted on the bullbar, I didn't want a massive aerial obscuring my vision either.
@@krump743 Duct tape is what I had at hand and it's still there 2 and a half years later. Although having flat spots on the side of the base for a spanner so you could tighten it properly would be good.
1) That's the Atlantic Highway in the middle of Norway. Denmark used to own Norway. The Atlantic Hwy is one beautiful drive. 2) Make sure the radio you buy is actually made in Australia or Japan. Don't support the communists. 3) A stainless wire whip 2 dBi antenna mounted on a spring and knock-down mount on the roof gutter or roof rack is about as good as it gets. Height is Might. Clear is Cheer. 4) Australian made antenna manufacturer is ZCG Scalar. www.zcg.com.au Ask your radio retailer to get the best - ZCG Scalar.
Thanks for this video mate. I’m in the UK and plan on building out a new Defender next year. Plan on trips in Iceland, Africa, etc. I’m struggling between a UHF or VHF. Right now am thinking about a dual band … What do you think? I’ve been watching your channel lately, some good stuff there.
More people that tow must get a radio - drives me nuts the amount of caravan owners without a radio. It’s so unsafe, especially up north with the road trains.
@Ronny I would love to hear what you think about the following: Good 5W handheld radio, rechargeable via micro USB over your cigarette lighter with removable antenna that hooks up to your fixed antenna on top of your roof rack. Wouldn't that be the best of both worlds plus saving a big junk of money? Test? Keep up the good work :)
Keep up the good work Ronny, I very much appreciate the practical advice for people to make their own informed choices as too what suits their purpose.
Thanks for a great video! I have a LC200 with no bull bar or roof rack towing a caravan, so I’m kind of restricted to either a mirror or bonnet mounted aerial. Do you or anyone else have any comments on the mirror mount using a 2.1 aerial?
Another excellent and informative video. Keep it up. Quick question. What would you recommend having as a channel 40 (Highway) monitor? I was thinking a 1 or 2 watt hand-held, with the in-car unit on the usual convoy channel
@@jasonwise5989 true. My current radio does this, the main problem is only one chanel is active at a time. Meaning if someone is talking on one of the channels you can miss some of what is said on the other. Can be a bit annoying especially with harvest just having wound up
Hey Ronny, not a UHF question your roof rack has a handle installed where from? Also the max Trax how have you installed onto your rhino rack? Cheers love the videos keep up the great work! 👏👏
I have two Baofeng uv-5r hanfhelds, one for inside the car and one for outside. The one inside has a 12V adapter, external mic/speaker handset and a roof mounted magnetic antenna. I only use it for convoy and offroad driving. Happy New Year to all of you.
We've got "fox hunters" all over the USA with direction finders, most of them legit ham operators. A $20,000 USD fine is no joke. Get licensed. It's cheap and easy.
Good advice all round Ronnie, but 14:34 'roll bar' ???? That thing would fold up and come off in an instant if you rolled the vehicle - purely for looks and the first thing I got rid of.
There are a few small areas i travel that don't have phone reception so I was looking at a 5W handheld with the car kit to transfer between vehicles. Would this be a better option that the suctioncup models discussed or is it essentially the same thing just with the benefit of having the portability outside of vehicles
Ronny, regarding antenna position you forgot to tell the people about a very important detail that might help them to understand and decide by themselves: ground, or magnetic and electrical mass. Any antenna, except the ones for caravans or boats, need ground to work properly. Second: SWR. Not that important for UHF compared to let's say shortwave, but still a factor.
@@adelarsen9776 The ground is required for mobile antennas to replace earth you would have for vertical antennas mounted directly on the ground. That’s why most stationary antennas mounted off the ground to improve range have radials, forming the groundplane. On cars, mobile antennas use the roof or bonnet as a groundplane. Without a groundplane, the cast is more towards the sky and it‘s impossible to get a good SWR.
@@Christian76S Again - Most UHF CB antennae are Ground Independent so you can mount them anywhere. The ground is not needed. A ground is the other half of a dipole.
@@adelarsen9776 Do they simulate ground by using capacitors or how? Why is it that the majority of CB (11m) antennas need proper ground to work properly?
Would love to hear your highly valued opinion on the value of sattelite txt msg communicators in lieu of any UHF radio. I myself, am a solo traveller so no need to communicate with my mates. I would consider it recovery gear as my only use for comms is if I get hopelessly bogged of injured. With sattelite based text messaging I could contact anyone with a phone number or email addy to arrange recovery. Initial cost is $200 USD and a monthly subscription of $15 USD. Super portable, small, and lightweight. Can also be thrown in a backpack or kayak. Any thoughts?
Hey Ronny, can you do an idiots guide to repeaters? I've tried to look at other videos and guides on google but none of it still makes sense. Like what even is a call sign in regards to repeaters?
Mate, I've watched a bunch of your vids, and you often talk about mounting the antenna on the roof. Back in the '70's CB craze days, there was a lot of talk about centring the antenna on the vehicle roof. You never mention that, is that not a thing anymore with UHF?
Sorry to say Rooney but you shouldn't show us the new landrover as a brand new vehicle example. Coz as soon as you put a cb radio in that the engine light will come on and tou have to spend the next 3-6 months going & coming back from dealer.
Just so you know, the GME 5 watt hand held has a removable aerial. They make an adaptor so you can attache an external mounted aerial to give you the normal 5 watt range as you'd get with a fully installed CB unit.It's worked well for me over the last 4 years but I've just bought the XRS 370C. The hand held will be the back up as you say. Love your vids. Cheers Bud
Yes. I have the GME 5w hand held unit for hiking. Brilliant unit !
I have a pair too, just brought the external mount, so I will give that a go.
No ronny is starting to understand tone, pacing and other sides of the yt biz he should blow up soon. I've been watching for years and god damn you where an awkward bugger back then compared to now, good to see the personal growth ronny keep it up
One permanent UHF in the cab with a 6dB antenna, plus a spare 2dB, and two 2W handhelds, either for second channel, someone spotting, our when we both leave the ute.
I think its worth adding to this, its handy if the portable radios are USB rechargeable (i.e GME 2 Watt), this makes them much more versatile, most people will have some form of USB charging either in the vehicle or in the form of a battery bank.
@@samdesantis6803 I think the handhelds should be 5 Watt. You may want to go hiking and have good contact with base camp or a backup if the fixed radio fails or breaks an antenna.
@@Malc664 More power is better but not all the time. If you can't see the base camp due to terrain, you are unlikely be able to contact them on 5W.
Using a a Chinese radio and larger handheld antenna, I have managed two miles on 2W in an urban setting.
I have done 78 miles on 2W, I have also done 88 miles on 5W using handhelds with slightly larger antenna. I had elevation as I was almost 700 ft high.
Just got back from a snowy trip to the mountains and the difference from using a cheapy radio compared to the better ones my mate and I had definitely showed. Especially in clarity. Bloke was talking and we could barely make out what he was saying while he could hear us nice and clear.
I bought a 5w hand-held uniden UHF qhen I first got into 4wding, best money ever spent... 10 years later I still use it and recently I got called in for main comms duty as I updated my 4wd and havent yet fitted a in car unit. Well over 10km range in good conditions
Hey Ronny. Great videos!!! Suggestion: Many of your viewers like myself are in the USA, and "CB" here means the classic Citizen's Band communications radio operating in the 27MHz range on AM. These are VERY different from UHF or VHF radios operating on FM. To keep confusion down, it may be desirable to stop using the term CB and just stick with, for example, UHF or VHF, which is universal. Thanks for producing such great content!
They are still CB radios in Australia as the UHF is a citizens band
@@krump743 Agreed. I was just trying to alert Ronny that the term can be confusing to a very significant portion of his viewers who happen to be in the USA. But it could have been any country that used that term to mean something else.
"What would you rather have; a floppy or a stiffy?"
floppy, less chance of snapping it when getting it working.
depends on whether you fancy "stuffing or rooting"
depends of the length of your antenna
motion of the ocean not size of the wave
1 Nando: 2.1 dbi stiffy mounted on the sports bar.
This is better than watching From Creek to Coast. Well done Ronny. I bought one of those GME handheld radio because I'm using it in my car and motorcycle. I don't need far range. Just enough for the radio signals around me.
You forgot to mention how to maintain the handheld one if its got a lithium battery. You should always keep the battery charged between 40-60% if that unit is not getting used for a long time. That will make sure to prolong the battery life by alot!
UHF..... 1st thing I ever put in my 4WD's.... before tyres, lift, anything
As an licenced amateur radio operator I have several mobile transceivers, including 100 watt mobile HF units that at the right time, right frequency band and a good antenna are capable of communicating across the world.
However for most travellers, caravanning, 4WD'ers I would recommend a fixed unit, there are, many brand choices, my preference in UHF CB transceivers are Icom and GME, both very high quality the Icom meeting Mil spec and GME (Australian) utilise very high quality components and excellent design.
I use different antennas for different uses, ie shorter for travelling in radio company, and longer for greater distance, remember UHF frequencies are "line of sight" whereas HF goes high, bouncing of certain atmospheric layers and returning to earth sometimes (frequency, time and conditions dependent ) sending a signal thousands of miles.
The real difference in getting a signal out is not more power necessarily, more performance is gained via good antennas and location.
A 1000 (1Kw) transmitter with a poor antenna can perform worse than a quality 5 watt transceiver with a very good antenna and mount!
A good earth, base is critical, centre of vehicle metal roof or a bull bar provide this very necessary function.
Buy quality, have a communications specialist recommend antenna and fitment to suit 'your' requirements, 'most' auto superstores do not have good comms expertise and will recommend the brand(s) they sell.
Buy and install well ....buy once and smile.
i use a bullbar clamp and mount it from the sports bar up high:)
2.1 dbi? And where do you run the coax cable, along the chassis or along the floor of the cab?
Ronny I have a question. Why haven’t people made remotely switchable flip down mounts? These have been used on the roofs of many boats for lights/poles etc for going under bridges
Thanks Rhonda
That you Ketut?
@@alch3myau if you know, you know
Great vid as always, now would love to see one comparing Bulbar mount vs Roof mount.
De-chromed mirrors and sports-bar looking good Ronny!
Was waiting for someone to notice 😜
I've got Ham, gmrs and CB......because you never know what the other guy might/might not have. Beside Ham packet radio is the bomb......
50 watt ham radio beats 5 watt CB every time, as long as your buddies have one too.
@@erikhy yup though the only time you can use upto 50-75 watts is in repeater mode..
Noting ronny is talking about uhf narrow and uhf wide band cb at around 476-477 MHZ
for a tag along tour like what Ronny does as a business venture I would would state that if you are traveling more than 2km apart you are likely going to be using 27MHz more often than not.. at ssb 12watts
4-5 watts has a 2.5 km point to point radius so as long as you are within 2.2-2.3 km with over lap you should be fine unless you are hitting a repeater somewhere off a farm
Sad to say whilst it is great to have access to ham radio it is going to be pointless in scenarios of listening to traffic reports and so forth
at this point in time gmrs has no use in Australia
as you can only legally transmit on UHF cb, 27MHz land and 27MHz marine, marine and air bands a license unto their own in australia ham radio and other services radio are a license on their own where legally operated..
@@jasonhowe1697 Good explanation. I operate under the USA Federal Communication Commission laws, and equivalent laws in Australia and other countries may be different. I admit to also having a CB (6 watts AM/USA) for traffic/truckers, but don't use it 4-wheeling.
@@erikhy even at 4-5 watt on basic cb close on a mile, though anything past there you are using ssb/lsb/usb at between 12-14 watt allowing for swing shift transmission..
according radio spec it has a radial radius of 5km though unless you are pinging a repeater within the wattage range 50-100 watts you are pretty much screwed in transmission range ..
Noting that some of the antennas ronny uses aren't typically used on cb even if they can tune to it..
and some of the radios configured to uhf cb would not be under legal definition.. of a cb radio..
but hey i have warned him afew times already..
be careful of the gutter tripe you put in the public domain and show as it can get you in the IRE of ACMA our governing radio body..
noting the the GME radios look like baofungs/baofengs,,,
The first antenna is a Elevated Feed designed to get the Whip above the Roof so No reflection of signal and a better line of site, just need to add a spring for the bumpy roads and a Stainless Steel Whip, and it will work Perfect and last
You need to check the SWR once the antenna is mounted, before you start transmitting
I have never had so much trouble deciding what to buy for my Colorado, there are just so many uhf's to choose from. I really like GME and Uniden but some of the higher end Oricoms look ok but you see a lot of bad reviews which puts me off. I think I am going to go with the GME 370C ( maybe a 330c ?) and a 2.1db antenna mounted on my roll bar. That was by far the best bloody info I have seen so far and I have watched heaps !! Thanks Ronny ..
I used The GME portable UHF in my ute on a 5000km trip I did up to NT (from SA Eyre Peninsula), across to WA to Surveyor Generals corner and then down the Connie Sue Hwy. It was fantastic. Convoy was only 2 vehicles and at times on the CS Hwy I was a fair way behind the other vehicle we believe it started to cut out at about 5km depending on the terrain. One Con you didn't mention for the portable GME unit was the cord that runs from the unit to the antenna on the outside of the vehicle CAN affect the door seal depending on it's location. I thought mine was fine however water began dripping in quite significantly when it started pouring with rain, it took a little while to get it into a suitable position where the door seal held up well against the rain with the cord.
Have a question though, given the XRS unit size being tiny, why waste your glovebox storage space by mounting the unit in it when it could be mounted in at least half a dozen better places hidden out of sight?
I put a GME radio in my hilux and it was $225 for the radio $130 for the antenna and $210 for the install so it ended up $565
Rules for talking on Radios while driving are, The Microphone has to be a Basic PTT Mic with no extra buttons or screen, as it was illegal here in Vic
Laws change, and i have not looked for a while
Hi Ronny, there a micro uhf adaptor which you can connect a uhf antenna external to your hand held radio.
Kinda wish I'd found this channel before buying my Pajero NW, got a tiny 5w Oricom which in the NW is dash mounted thanks to a WA company that 3D prints parts so it looks factory and give me 3 spots for switches. Ended up mounting the 6.5dBi whip antenna on the nudge bar as its what came with the Pajero. But I have plans to get a roof rack and will probably get a better one to put up there. For now this works for what I want, will be doing a long road trip in a few months to test it fully.
Great vid. If you ever get fed up down under I can hook you up with a job in the states. All of these comms vids of yours are very good and informative. An Ariel that has no obviously labeled gain is called a unity gain antenna, no gain.
You can buy an adapter and connect your vehicle mounted antenna to your hand held and use your mic to talk as you would with a normal mounted unit
if you can install it yourself, a budget UHF setup is great. I had a Oricom UHF395 ($200 always on sale at SCA)with a UNIDEN at380 ($30) rubber ducky on a benelec gutter mount antenna ($30). This is a great and cheap setup for only
It's interesting that you say that because that's my opinion/thoughts as well and its why I'm having so much trouble deciding what to get. Do I go all out on a GME 370 and probably not really use all the techy stuff or get a good basic Uniden for half the cost.
@@timrosenthal46 half the gme features are gimmicks. I thought I would really benefit from voice playback but I only need someone to repeat when the transmission was scratchy. All their user programable frequencies is absolutely useless, there is no useful frequencies you can tune into as police and fire use digital encrypted radio. Every other feature is available in other radios,
One thing gme comes out on top is the scan rate, all 80 channels in 2 seconds vs 8s on oricom.
@@TheJanope13 Thanks for that reply. You have/had an Oricom , were you happy with that ?
🏆🏆🏆👍🙏
Thank you for sharing.
Happy New Year 🎇
Great vid!
The MXT-575 50w paired with the MXTA-26 antenna; two Wouxan Pro 5w with one optional UT-72G antenna, plus a Motorola CB and 5' Firestick antenna does the job quite well on my rig. ('02 4Runner SR5 4WD). Greets from California!
Thanks for all the tips and tricks, Ronny. I enjoy your down to earth approach to things and the respect shown to the Australian bush. Keep it up mate.
Many thanks again, you aleays give common sense, no b. s. advice, and always comprehensive. I've learned an enormous amount from watching your vids. Thanks again.
In terms of portable handheld radios, you forgot the middle ground of an external antenna that fixed to the vehicle. Something like the Axis ARU3 is a magnetic 3Db aerial that comes with a standard connection to mobile CB and additionally a connection to a handheld unit.
Combined that makes handhelds more versatile.
You're amazing! just opened youtube wondering "what radios does Ronny reccomend." Perfect timing
21:55 Let's be honest it certainly is about what you trust, that's why we watch your channels because we trust you give us great advice! hahaha 😂
Personally, I think those cheap Oricom radios that come with ariels like the 390 are pretty good. I put the Oricom 390 in my Ln106 and it works flawlessly with the 6.6dbi. All set up and installed for $280.
Mine was about the same the UHF310 with a 6.5dBi, I did the install and got an electrician to do the wiring. Luckily my relatively new 2013 NW Pajero there is a company in WA that 3D prints replacement dash parts to make an in dash install possible.
Thanks Ronny. Great video as usual loaded with lots of info.
Another great topic would be how to get the antenna cable inside the cab from the roof without drilling holes in your nice new vehicle's bodywork ...
Alan Fry you stole my thunder mate, that was gunna be my question!
Another informative content creation.. just started the what to have../ need search for a UHF.. thanks mate for your time and effort
Great real world information as usual, loving the content as usual
On of the con's of the handheld radio, is that you can lost it !! Like dropping it from the window !!!
I have an Oricom fixed unit with a floppy aerial and it works fine for me. The aerial did unscrew going up the Oodnadatta track, but I was pulling into camp at William Creek so I didn't lose it and I fixed the problem with duct tape (what else???). Because it's mounted on the bullbar, I didn't want a massive aerial obscuring my vision either.
@@krump743 Duct tape is what I had at hand and it's still there 2 and a half years later. Although having flat spots on the side of the base for a spanner so you could tighten it properly would be good.
Thanks
Great advice Ronny. Cheers
1) That's the Atlantic Highway in the middle of Norway. Denmark used to own Norway. The Atlantic Hwy is one beautiful drive.
2) Make sure the radio you buy is actually made in Australia or Japan. Don't support the communists.
3) A stainless wire whip 2 dBi antenna mounted on a spring and knock-down mount on the roof gutter or roof rack is about as good as it gets.
Height is Might.
Clear is Cheer.
4) Australian made antenna manufacturer is ZCG Scalar. www.zcg.com.au Ask your radio retailer to get the best - ZCG Scalar.
Thanks for this video mate. I’m in the UK and plan on building out a new Defender next year. Plan on trips in Iceland, Africa, etc. I’m struggling between a UHF or VHF. Right now am thinking about a dual band … What do you think? I’ve been watching your channel lately, some good stuff there.
flip down Gutter mounts for antennas as well
some brands you can set you radio to turn off after a certain time, after the last (any) key pressed
Interesting recommendations. I’d prefer ICOM units with the scan channels programmed for police or other emergency service frequencies
Icom are Japan made. Quality.
More people that tow must get a radio - drives me nuts the amount of caravan owners without a radio. It’s so unsafe, especially up north with the road trains.
Yep totally agree
thanks for the video Ronny!
@Ronny
I would love to hear what you think about the following:
Good 5W handheld radio, rechargeable via micro USB over your cigarette lighter with removable antenna that hooks up to your fixed antenna on top of your roof rack.
Wouldn't that be the best of both worlds plus saving a big junk of money? Test? Keep up the good work :)
Keep up the good work Ronny, I very much appreciate the practical advice for people to make their own informed choices as too what suits their purpose.
Good video mate. Thanks!
Best RUclips channel
Information on Electraphone uhf Tx 47ot please
Another great video Ronny, very informative 👍
Can you recommend any reputable installers south of the river? Keep up the great work!
Don’t know south of river sorry but Klarmann auto in Bassendean is top notch
Install a gadget Maddington do good work
@@jamesmcmillan2656 they’re even in the same suburb as me. Cheers mate
Great helpful informative video, thank you.
Thanks for a great video! I have a LC200 with no bull bar or roof rack towing a caravan, so I’m kind of restricted to either a mirror or bonnet mounted aerial. Do you or anyone else have any comments on the mirror mount using a 2.1 aerial?
Another excellent and informative video. Keep it up.
Quick question. What would you recommend having as a channel 40 (Highway) monitor? I was thinking a 1 or 2 watt hand-held, with the in-car unit on the usual convoy channel
Yep 💯 then you can monitor Highway and others can contact you as well
You can monitor 2 channels at the same time on the XRS 370 and some uniden radios do as well
@@jasonwise5989 true. My current radio does this, the main problem is only one chanel is active at a time. Meaning if someone is talking on one of the channels you can miss some of what is said on the other.
Can be a bit annoying especially with harvest just having wound up
@@lotsacirclework that is true I do have a handheld as well
Hey Ronny, not a UHF question your roof rack has a handle installed where from? Also the max Trax how have you installed onto your rhino rack? Cheers love the videos keep up the great work! 👏👏
Will all be in a future video
Very informative, thanks. [14:10] Is this antenna connected to ground?
I have two Baofeng uv-5r hanfhelds, one for inside the car and one for outside.
The one inside has a 12V adapter, external mic/speaker handset and a roof mounted magnetic antenna.
I only use it for convoy and offroad driving.
Happy New Year to all of you.
I hope you have a licence to operate those. They are illegal on CB Radio
@@damienclissold4088 Only illegal if caught
@@damienclissold4088 Yes.
BTW: I am using the PMR frequencies with narrow band mode.
Where are you from?
We've got "fox hunters" all over the USA with direction finders, most of them legit ham operators. A $20,000 USD fine is no joke. Get licensed. It's cheap and easy.
@Cassie Harry you can use them with a amateur radio (ham) licence only. You can check with the ACMA if you like.
Thanks so much for this.
Good advice all round Ronnie, but 14:34 'roll bar' ???? That thing would fold up and come off in an instant if you rolled the vehicle - purely for looks and the first thing I got rid of.
I’m aware it’s just a for looks bar but everyone calls them or refer to them as roll bar
Gday Ronny. Could you please do a video on rear approach angle tub vs tray?
thank you for detail video
awesome video guys.
Thanks Ronny good info
There are a few small areas i travel that don't have phone reception so I was looking at a 5W handheld with the car kit to transfer between vehicles. Would this be a better option that the suctioncup models discussed or is it essentially the same thing just with the benefit of having the portability outside of vehicles
Ronny, regarding antenna position you forgot to tell the people about a very important detail that might help them to understand and decide by themselves: ground, or magnetic and electrical mass. Any antenna, except the ones for caravans or boats, need ground to work properly. Second: SWR. Not that important for UHF compared to let's say shortwave, but still a factor.
Most UHF CB antennae are Ground Independent so you can mount them anywhere. The ground is not needed. A ground is the other half of a dipole.
@@adelarsen9776 The ground is required for mobile antennas to replace earth you would have for vertical antennas mounted directly on the ground. That’s why most stationary antennas mounted off the ground to improve range have radials, forming the groundplane. On cars, mobile antennas use the roof or bonnet as a groundplane. Without a groundplane, the cast is more towards the sky and it‘s impossible to get a good SWR.
@@Christian76S Again - Most UHF CB antennae are Ground Independent so you can mount them anywhere. The ground is not needed. A ground is the other half of a dipole.
@@adelarsen9776 Do they simulate ground by using capacitors or how? Why is it that the majority of CB (11m) antennas need proper ground to work properly?
@@Christian76S We are ONLY talking 477 MHz UHF CB in Australia.
Yes, capacitance.
Great video once again, very useful information.
Great info mate. 👍
Have you heard of Auscb radio? They are handheld and boast almost as good as fixed radio.
Great video Ronny
Would love to hear your highly valued opinion on the value of sattelite txt msg communicators in lieu of any UHF radio.
I myself, am a solo traveller so no need to communicate with my mates. I would consider it recovery gear as my only use for comms is if I get hopelessly bogged of injured. With sattelite based text messaging I could contact anyone with a phone number or email addy to arrange recovery. Initial cost is $200 USD and a monthly subscription of $15 USD. Super portable, small, and lightweight. Can also be thrown in a backpack or kayak. Any thoughts?
Would you rather..
A. Floppy or A.Stiffy
🤣🤣🤣...bloody spat my cool drink..
The Uniden kidszone channel which is CTCSS I believe. Just a question , are normal in car mounted radio system able to communicate with the kidszone ?
Great vid! Defs getting a vehicle mounted radio, when the funds replenish
Hey Ronny, can you do an idiots guide to repeaters? I've tried to look at other videos and guides on google but none of it still makes sense. Like what even is a call sign in regards to repeaters?
Love this mate
Were you doing a roof rack review for the Hilux? I see you’ve gone with the rhino rack :)
what frequencies do you have in aus uhf and vhf?
Fustration, the amount of beer fusts per hour?
where the link to the vid on antennas ?
Buy handheld with extra batteries and a mount for it with external antenna
Then you have a 2in1 unit
Hmmn, sounds a bit dubious. I'd prefer to buy the hand held 'AND' the fixed vehicle unit, then you have 2 in 2 units.
Is there a mobile booster vs satellite phone comparison coming?
Great info mate.🇦🇺👍🍺
is it worth getting a portable one for highway driving? just for cops and traffic events. theres some baofeng ones that claim 5Watts
Mate, I've watched a bunch of your vids, and you often talk about mounting the antenna on the roof. Back in the '70's CB craze days, there was a lot of talk about centring the antenna on the vehicle roof. You never mention that, is that not a thing anymore with UHF?
Apparently not with a 'ground independent' areal?
If ya have 2 mounted uhf radios why not install 3?
Where's your hat from, looks cool?
All the radios
Sorry to say Rooney but you shouldn't show us the new landrover as a brand new vehicle example. Coz as soon as you put a cb radio in that the engine light will come on and tou have to spend the next 3-6 months going & coming back from dealer.
This guy remind me of Craig mcclaughlin
I like a fixed units
Does anyone have more information on when you need a license? Is it just based on watts?
Would you recommend a 2.1 dbi on front of a vehicle?
so all you need is a mounted cb radio ?
Bonjour Ronny pourrait tu m’es donner le nom de la société qui a fait ton 4x4 projet black ? Merci
When are you going to do the bull bar mount v roof mounted antenna
If i remember correctly he already has touched on it on another video. Might be mistaking with someone else though