Jump to content

Walkie Talkie Help Pleas3


donny

Recommended Posts

Hi guys,

My mate and I are in the market to buy a set of walkies to communicate with eachother when we are out hunting in the bush. We usually hunt stateforests - so terrain is quite hilly and bush quite thick. Would anyone have any advice or suggestions regarding which brand of walkie works best in this sort of a setting? I have heard it is hard to get any range out of hand held walkies in the bush due to limited line of sight.

Thanks in advance.

Don.

Sent from my SM-G925I using Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yep, that or the UH076DLX or similar. It's switchable to 5w. I had a small 2w which is now a back up. Try Prestige Communications in W.A. Good prices and service.

Grant.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 watt is a must.I have had a few from uniden to my current GME.think of your time in the bush,can you recharge or do you need something you can swap batteries in.I run an external mic clipped to my jacket so i don't have to dive into my pocket to get the unit out,something to think about.They come in all different sizes even for 5 watt,doesn't necessarily mean that bigger is better

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for all the info guys..seems like 5 watts is the way to go. Besides the wattage, is there anything else i should be looking out for? Like number fof channels, antenna size, etc..

Sent from my SM-G925I using Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A few have scanner functions for outside the CB range if you like to listen in.

The Icom 41 is actually 128 channel programmable (if you have the cable and dealer software). It's at the top of the price range, but the new model is waterproof to 1m and it's built tough.

Mine lives in the car, I mounted the charger in the glove box so it's always ready to go.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks again for the info. We have narrowed it down to the gmetx6150 and the Oricom UHF5500-2. There are heaps of reviews on the net for the gme units, but hard to find anything on the Oricom ones. Anyone here have had experience using one of these units? Almost half the price of gme.

Sent from my SM-G925I using Tapatalk

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Garmin rino 650 is good because you can see others location on the gps map.

Out of the 2 you listed the gme is a metal case and is water and dust proof. Not sure about the oricom but check before you buy...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for all the advise, guys. I ended up buying the gme tx6150. Waiting for it to be delivered this week sometime. The rino 650 was more than what i could afford at the moment :(

Sent from my SM-G925I using Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just a follow regarding the TX6150:

We used it over two weekend hunts in thick bush and were not very impressed with the range. The units cut out after about 300 meters. Last weekend we used a mates Oricom (not sure about the model) 5 watt which seemed to work better. We were able to communicate with eachother well over 1000 mtrs.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just a follow regarding the TX6150:

We used it over two weekend hunts in thick bush and were not very impressed with the range. The units cut out after about 300 meters. Last weekend we used a mates Oricom (not sure about the model) 5 watt which seemed to work better. We were able to communicate with eachother well over 1000 mtrs.

donny, did you compare the oricom in exactly the same 300m position that the tx6150 didn't work? If not, you can't accurately compare the 2 unless you were in the exact same locations in the exact same weather conditions, temperature, humidity, clouds, a couple of extra trees in the way, your relative position of each other vs the hillfaces etc... There are so many factors involved, i've found that unless you are testing models side by side, exactly the same time, in exactly the same conditions, it's really hard to find out which one is better (unless you have some kind of controlled environment/test equipment).

Here's a couple of things to check, you may have already checked them, but if not:

1. Have you got both TX6150 set to high power mode? The difference in range between low power and high power on tx6150 is HUGE. Low power is only 1W, high power is 5W. Big difference.

2. Have you got the squelch turned down on both TX6150 units? Turning the squelch too high can greatly reduce range. Try to set it as low as possible without getting background noise. The lower the better.

3. Are you using CTCSS or DCS etc? If so did you have the same settings turned on for the oricom? Turn them off on both to rule out as many variables as possible when testing/comparing.

4. Have you turned off scanning, dual watch, scrambler etc? You can turn them back on after testing, but while testing you want to rule out as many variables as possible.

5. Maybe one or both of the units are faulty, faulty antenna, faulty connector, transmitter/receiver etc...

Can't see how the oricom can transmit 3 times further, something isn't right with the tx6150's... If i had to guess, maybe 110%-150% difference might be acceptable, but 330%+ that you described doesn't seem right... Either the test environments weren't identical, the units are faulty, or the settings are not optimal. Hope you get to the bottom of it!!! Otherwise go get a refund and buy another brand!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If your mate has 2 Oricoms exactly the same model, and you have two TX6150's, let us know and i'll post up a quick test you can do at home which could possibly identify if one of the radios is faulty/incorrect settings...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was having all sorts of probs with my GME bx 720(think thats yhe right model),took it to the shop for a service and it needed a wire re-soldered.All good now

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Alf,

Thanks for the detailed response. I'm very new to walkies and wasn't aware of 90% of the stuff you stated. I did check both brands in the same stateforest but not in the exact same spot and conditions - it was quite humid (not sure if that affects anything) on the day I had the GME's out. I am going for another hunt in a couple of weeks and have decided to take both brands out and test them. I checked the manual that the GME's come with and the settings are as per their recommendation.

I do have both handsets with me at the moment and would appreciate if you can let me know what test I can do? If faulty, I'll take it back to the guy I bought it from and have them replaced.

Thanks again for your response.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Assuming you live in flat suburbia, you get someone to stay in the house while the other walks around a block or 2 (or 3 etc!! depending how big your blocks are) until they are out of range, but you both need a radio of each type you are testing (ie 4 radios total, 2 GME and 2 Oricom). So for example, you are in the house and your mate is walking down the street, you have a GME and Oricom, and he has a GME and Oricom. To test, transmit from your GME, he should hear it on both his GME and Oricom radio, then transmit from your Oricom, he should hear it on both his GME and Oricom (then vice versa, he can repeat the tests from each of his 2 radios and you should hear it on your 2 radios). Take notes, walk another 50-100m, repeat, walk another 50-100m, keep repeating until each of them can't hear the other, and you should see a pattern emerge of what's good and what's bad, or if it's just a single faulty radio etc... If the Oricoms can still talk to each other but the GME's can't, maybe they are better. If it's just 1 radio at one end (eg walker's GME) that can't talk to the other 2 in the house, but the 2 in the house can talk to and from the walkers Oricom, it could be just a single GME radio that has a wrong setting/faulty. I'd be surprised if Oricoms got 330% further range, but you never know! Test it and let us know how you go!
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Alf,

Thanks for the detailed response. I'm very new to walkies and wasn't aware of 90% of the stuff you stated. I did check both brands in the same stateforest but not in the exact same spot and conditions - it was quite humid (not sure if that affects anything) on the day I had the GME's out. I am going for another hunt in a couple of weeks and have decided to take both brands out and test them. I checked the manual that the GME's come with and the settings are as per their recommendation.

I do have both handsets with me at the moment and would appreciate if you can let me know what test I can do? If faulty, I'll take it back to the guy I bought it from and have them replaced.

Thanks again for your response.

One of the reasons it's important to test exactly the same spot at the same time is UHF CB radio's can't transmit through dirt (ie hills). So you can both be in a gully or on the same hill face or on hillfaces with a gully between you, or both on top of hills with line of sight etc and easily get many km's (eg 2-5km+). But put a hill between the 2 of you, you will be lucky to get a few hundred meters... if that...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...