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Clearing up the confusion on radios....

Posted: Wed Nov 21, 2007 9:53 pm
by 4wdnuts
There seems to be a lot of talk on here at the moment about radios and all sorts of other related things. so ive decided to write up a bit of an explaination to help all those out there that need it.

C.B Radio

These are considered the "old style" of radio and have been around for years. They are commonly used by trucks and by 4wd clubs etc. they operate on a frequency roughly around the 26/27mhz range. most vehicle mounted units put out 5 watts and this translates into a range from anywhere from 1km all the way up to 50km or more.

PRS/UHF Radio

these radios are relativly new. they are more commonly used in 4wd clubs and a lot of other places as well. these radios operate on a frequency around 476/ 477 mhz. most vehicle mounted ones are also 5 watts but ranges are generally less than the older cb. however they are alot clearer than the older cb's. allthough with the use of a repeater, range can be extended onwards of 150kms!

handheld units can also be brought but generally have alot less power. some as low as .5 watts!. these can be good if moving from a vehicle of for talking someone through a tricky section. although you can get handheld units that have 5 watts of transmit power as well.


so as you can see from the frequencies listed above, the two different styles of radio cannot communicate to each other. So you ask, which one do i buy? :? it really depends on what everyone else has and what your club uses. most people these days lean towards the PRS/ UHF units, however some do still use the CB Radio. If you still cant decide then Uniden do make a unit that has both styles intergrated into one!

So what to look for buying a radio?

for a vehicle mounted one, consider things like where can i mount it? does it have 5watts of transmit power? does it have a scan function? and also little things like what side the mike plugs into etc.

for handhelds the most important thing is probably the transmit power. its probably best to get one that has as much power as you budget allows. other things to think about are how long will it last on batteries? does it matter if i drop it in the mud?( obviously a cheaper one would be a better option here :lol: ) is it easy to use (ie big buttons).

so what does all that jargon mean on the box?

Scan: searches through all the channels and stops on them if they are active.

Duplex: this allows the use of repeaters. this extends the range considerably of your radio. if you are in canterbury then have a listen one night on channel 1. you will hear alot of people talking. if you push "dup" button then you can make use of the repeater and your transmission will be broadcast out as far as Darfeild, Oxford and Amberley.

CTCSS/ DSC: this is basically a tone that is sent with your transmission. it allows other radios that have this tone turned on to hear what you are saying. its usefull if you only want selected people to hear what you are saying.

Aerials:

you must get an aerial for the right frequency you radio produces. ie, you cant use an aerial designed for cb with a prs unit and vise versa. there are a few different styles of aerial like steel and fibreglass. some people have different opinions on whats better but at the end of the day, as long as its designed for the radio you are using then it should be fine.

also have a think about where your going to mount it. ideally the top of the roof is the best place but for 4wding this is really un practical. usually youll see them mounted to the bull bar, on the guard or on the back of the truck. think about what sort of track etc you go on. do you go driving close to trees that could easily rip it off (99% of us do)? also i would recommend the use of a spring to allow the aerial to bend down in case it does get tangled up in something.

when running the coax (aerial cable), try to keep it away from alternators, starter motors or other big electrical things. they can all interfear with the signal and give really poor performance of your radio. also make sure no sharp metal bits cut into the cable when passing through the firewall into the cab.


i think thats about me for tonight. if anyone can think of anything else that can be added then please add to this topic.

Posted: Wed Nov 21, 2007 10:05 pm
by TJ
Great work and explnation. Just to add, old school CBs (27 Mhz units) are also referred to as AM CBs. PRS is also referred to as FM radiio. I am not going to get into too much detail, but these kinds of units are incompatible with each other.

Handheld PRSs can be something from .5 watt to 5 watts.

Posted: Wed Nov 21, 2007 10:13 pm
by NJV6
Can ya go back to your post and make it a 'sticky'? Bloody good post & it'd be a shame to see it disappear off the radar. :cheers:

Posted: Thu Nov 22, 2007 8:20 am
by Bubba
Bloody Good Post 4Nutts :lol:

this should even be posted up as a article so it can be referred to at any time, coz you know the same questions are going to be asked again and again amd again :roll:

Just one question on the scan function. I take it someone would have to be talking as the radio went past that freq for it to be picked up aye? Now I wrote it it seems like a silly question :oops:

Posted: Thu Nov 22, 2007 1:04 pm
by Swaney
Great post.

Thanks for the info. After reading this I have decided I am going to be purchasing some Midland GXT850VP4's 2-ways off the net.

Posted: Thu Nov 22, 2007 6:15 pm
by 4wdnuts
Bubba wrote: Just one question on the scan function. I take it someone would have to be talking as the radio went past that freq for it to be picked up aye? Now I wrote it it seems like a silly question :oops:


yes thats right. the channel has to be active. ie some one talking or transmitting on that channel

Posted: Sat Nov 24, 2007 7:46 am
by kruzin
Good stuff mate. 8) . You have written here about PRS and CB, but what about VHS? Dosnt anyone use these? Because it would be really handy to have one that can get emergency services, forecasts, AND, be able to talk to everyone..

Posted: Sat Nov 24, 2007 2:00 pm
by 4wdnuts
kruzin wrote:Good stuff mate. 8) . You have written here about PRS and CB, but what about VHS? Dosnt anyone use these? Because it would be really handy to have one that can get emergency services, forecasts, AND, be able to talk to everyone..


i have really only touched on the ones that we would use in the 4wd scene. however, i do know a few people that use vhf radios (myself included), but for the cost of decent ones and then all the nessecary licenceing etc, most poeple cant justify the cost.

In my honest opinion, you would be far better off hiring a mountain radio when you do your back country trips. if you ever need emergency services the channel is being monitored 24/7, and weather forecasts being transmitted every 12 hours (8am and 7.30pm from memory).

they are cheap to hire. i think around $25 a weekend but to purchase you would be looking at big $$$, but if your going to get the use out of it then it could be a well worth while purchase. 8)

Posted: Sat Nov 24, 2007 4:23 pm
by kruzin
hireing a mountain radio is going to be the ticket then i think. Thanks alot mate!

Posted: Sat Nov 24, 2007 6:04 pm
by callum007

Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2007 7:32 pm
by Dace
Has anyone ever bought these of trademe, are they any good?

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=128492573

Posted: Tue Nov 27, 2007 11:03 am
by Swaney
Is PRS (Public Radio Service) the same as FRS (Family Radio Service)?

Posted: Mon Dec 24, 2007 3:40 pm
by Jon
HF radio is also a good option and just a bit of usless information, if you belong to a Search and Rescue Team, You can use HF (for SAR use) (wink wink) without needing a license.

Posted: Mon Dec 24, 2007 8:20 pm
by giovanni
Quote:"HF radio is also a good option and just a bit of usless information, if you belong to a Search and Rescue Team, You can use HF (for SAR use) (wink wink) without needing a license."

That is once you have written permission from your SAR Police sergent,National Land SAR HQ and Radio Frequency Service,c/o MED.


With HF you get the distance at a price.
The radios are expensive and delicate.
Not very forgiving to water and vibration.
Use more battery power.
Large or very large antennas,2m plus in length are required,trees win!
Certain electro-atmospheric conditions,skip,permit you to work many hundreds of miles but not the stations you want,sub 80 miles,as an example.

Posted: Wed Dec 26, 2007 9:15 am
by Jon
Yes well down here we are all of those so we don't have a problem. I do agree about the radios themselves not being up to our 4x4 environment. That's why my personal truck has UHF, AM 26 and 27mhz. That's all we really need around here. The HF is best suited as a base set like they are designed to be. :wink:

Posted: Wed Dec 26, 2007 9:26 am
by jdeburgh
kruzin wrote:Good stuff mate. 8) . You have written here about PRS and CB, but what about VHS? Dosnt anyone use these? Because it would be really handy to have one that can get emergency services, forecasts, AND, be able to talk to everyone..


VHF although you can have more power output that PRS or CB is still only 'line of sight' communication. Chances are that if you are stuck somewhere you wont be able to contact them anyway because you are probably in mud (in a valley) or upside down at the bottom of one!

John

PS. I carry PRS, AM CB and my Amatuer radio VHF/UHF gear too...and a cellphone..or two..

Re: Clearing up the confusion on radios....

Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2008 6:25 pm
by Armz
Whats the advantages of having a in truck mounted prs instead of just a handheld? Im thinking its just a transmission thing, the bigger the aerial the more range you get?

Im thinking of buying one of these as you can unscrew the aerial http://www.trademe.co.nz/Electronics-photography/Radio-equipment/Amateur-radio/auction-178640375.htm then hard wiring in an aerial so when im in the truck I can screw it in2 that an use the car charger for the power. Then when I need to leave the truck I can screw in the normal aerial and have the best of both worlds, plus I get a 5watt prs a shit load cheaper than the DSE in truck ones.

Anyone got any thoughts on this idea? Have i missed anything?

Has any brought one of these?


Cheers

Re: Clearing up the confusion on radios....

Posted: Mon Sep 29, 2008 7:50 pm
by coxsy

Re: Clearing up the confusion on radios....

Posted: Fri Oct 17, 2008 4:56 pm
by fweddy

Re: Clearing up the confusion on radios....

Posted: Fri Oct 17, 2008 8:09 pm
by coxsy
yes to both 4wd action said they are good , the chassis may not handle hours of aussie corragations

Re: Clearing up the confusion on radios....

Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2008 5:03 pm
by fweddy
Two other options I'm considering

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=185228654
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=185230337

Opinions? the second one seems a good deal with the hand held included?

Are there better options? deals?

Re: Clearing up the confusion on radios....

Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2008 8:44 pm
by aroma
Have just looked at the uhf article in the lastest 4wd australia mag in very basic language that i found easy to understand and compared three radios in vehicles and handhelds (sorry cant copy its at work) inc aerials
this isn't ment to offend any of the other comments on this subject placed by knowlageable people on this site

Re: Clearing up the confusion on radios....

Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2009 10:03 am
by muskie
has anyone bought a uhf recently, any good package buys out there at the moment, i am looking to buy early 2009.

Re: Clearing up the confusion on radios....

Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2009 2:04 pm
by T-Boon
Curious to know if these are any good ?

from 1-day,

Only one watt, but are $80 for two...

The Oricom PMR1000R 2-way radios are designed for activities that demand long-range capability.

With a massive 1 watt transmit power and a range up to 7km*, they deliver excellent long-range performance, making them ideal for serious outdoor enthusiasts and tradespeople.

The PMR1000R offers other must have features including 38 CTCSS codes, channel scan and hands-free capability. Compact, lightweight and rugged they come with a handy charging pod, rechargeable battery packs and belt clips.

Features:
2-Way UHF CB radio
38 license free channels
1 WATT of power
38 interference eliminator codes (CTCSS)
Range extender in duplex mode
Channel scan
Volume control
Roger beep tone
Channel busy indicator
Keypad lock
Nuisance delete
Backlit display
Call tone alert
Monitor mode
Hands-free use (VOX) (headset not supplied)
Headset jack

Specifications:
Range: Up to 7km (* Range depends on environmental conditions)
Frequencies: 476.425 – 477.400 MHz
Power: Ni-MH 4.8V 600mAh rechargeable battery pack (included, or 4 x AAA batteries (not included)
Charging time: Up to 14 hours
Model: PMR1000
Dimensions:
Radios: 150 x 55 x 32mm
Desktop charger: 190 x 75 x 55mm
Individual radio weight (with battery): 130g
Colour: Grey/black

Package includes:
2 x UHF radios
2 x belt clips
2 x Ni-MH rechargeable battery packs
1 x twin desktop charger
1 x AC adaptor
User manual

Thoughts ?

Note: Deal finishes Midday Thurs 19 March.

Re: Clearing up the confusion on radios....

Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2009 3:39 pm
by coxsy
lets buy it, it will do till you have flat batteries then buy a big 5 watt truck mount

Re: Clearing up the confusion on radios....

Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2009 5:52 pm
by tgaguy1
Buy them anyway. Most trips I go on I take my two hand helds as well as my truck mounted unit. If you have mobile comms available to you; you would be surprised how often you use it during recoveries and winching etc.

Re: Clearing up the confusion on radios....

Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2009 6:00 pm
by downunderxj
I bought a pair last year from Dick Smith and have used them on the various club trips I have gone on. They go really well, I have had no issues.

Once on Odlins Road at the top of the Akatarawa's we were able to listen into a conversation between two people in Wanganui, going by the street directions they were talking about. A bit further than the 7 km, but I am sure there was some exceptional atmospheric conditions helping out.

Cheers
Ian

Re: Clearing up the confusion on radios....

Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2009 6:14 pm
by T-Boon
yeah, might buy a pair, just for those times you want out of car comms. e.g recoveries and guiding cars.

Re: Clearing up the confusion on radios....

Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2009 7:09 pm
by sig
i run a hand held as well as a vechicle one.when waiting in a line up off vechicles i normally walk up to the front to be nosey and if its a bit of a walk i,ll get the better half to drive the wagon up when its clear (i hate walking .if i cant drive or quadbike there it isn't worth going :D )

Re: Clearing up the confusion on radios....

Posted: Thu Jun 04, 2009 7:56 pm
by chrome
why are people going away from am cb?? i just hooked up a uniden530 with arial for bugger all cost under a hundy