You've been using YOUR UHF WRONG!!! CB Radio SECRETS for 4WD in Australia PLUS History & Technology

[@AussieArvos]

What dBi antenna do you use? Where do you mount it? Let us know! 👇

[@-Awareness]

5.5dBi ground independent, mounted same location as yours…

[@MicksGarageDarts]

I have 2. 3DB interchangeable with a 6.6db running from my GME unit and a 7.5DB running on a Oricom unit. Both mounted on my bull bar. As stated in my main comment I would love to swap the Oricom out for for a GME XRS but I cant afford it.

[@robertbullimore4243]

i run dual at the same time, 2.1 and a 5.5 connected through a T connector seems to work ok

[@brentmcd12]

6db rfi element + 6db mobile one whip antenna. front left bullbar standard tab . + backup antenna rear left roofcage . height is might

[@MiniLuv-1984]

All in planning atm, so I'm thinking of a low gain and a high gain both mounted at the back and up high above tail gate on a bar to give the separation (and place to mount). The bar will flip down to point the antennas backwards for when I need to get through low hanging stuff. Probably a 50mm square, light gauge aluminium bar.

[@zacandmillie]

Well researched and presented. I'm a former Army Artillery signaller so spent 20 years using VHF and HF. The only time we used UHF was with small personal radios for patrolling in tight formations. Just one tip.... Don't say over and out. It's either over or out.

[@burntoutelectronics]

Yes, over and out is just contradicting yourself

[@bashkillszombies]

UHF's range is just too balls to bother with. Also the Australian Army needs to step it up and bust out those incredible super secure powerful Baofeng UV5R's I see every Russian soldier rocking in the Ukraine invasion. Roger the dodger, over and out.

[@burntoutelectronics]

@@bashkillszombies UHF can be really quite the performer, especially once you crank up the watts with a private channel. VHF gives a good balance in hilly areas as it can behave less directional and bend around valleys more readily. I can’t imagine anything baofeng would make would be all too reliable

[@Ghryst]

he's one of the few youtubers who knows about location sensitivity. the bullbar is the worst place to put it for getting signal to/from ahead of the car, it makes a very tear/pear-shaped transmission field

[@Ghryst]

@@bashkillszombies 1: battery life matters, low transmission range = low battery use = less weight = carry more bullets. 2: the army does have more powerful radios, but not every soldier needs to communicate 1000km. most often a 1watt radio would be good enough for tactical purposes, communicating with a soldier who is scouting ahead a few hundred meters or so. 3: uhf is not limited by watts for the army. they can use whtaever the hell they want. they got their own bands.

[@southernoff-road]

I’m a beginner 4wder and I didn’t know much about what channels to use and what they mean. So this video really help with understanding how uhf radios work. Cheers guys great video 👍

[@AussieArvos]

So glad it could help! Thanks mate!

[@morphshag]

the book that came with your radio probably has the channels and their uses printed in it.

[@greatest_bumble_bee_dude]

Be careful which channel you're using. Definitely want to stay off the urgent need channel 5 and 35 unless a genuine emergency services situations of course.

[@greatest_bumble_bee_dude]

Also : ultra high frequency citizens band radio the channel 40 The cops 👮 💂 👲 👳 👴 👵 👤 👥 🚓 🚔 🚎 🚐 🚚 🚛 🚗 🚘 🚣 🚁 ✈ 🚲 ⛵ 🚨 themselves Especially uniformed officers in flashy highway patrol pursuit cars 🚔 🚘 around . They never say anything about wanting though, they're still there so better not to use them channels unless absolutely necessary

[@DustyRobertson]

Pat I'm so thankful you can branch out and make videos like this. It's absolutely fantastic and as someone who was a radio operator for SLSQ I can say you've done exceptionally at explaining everything.

[@AussieArvos]

Thanks so much Dusty! yeah really appreciate you saying that, its good to be able to make some different sort of videos! really interesting all the UHF stuff so glad you enjoyed it! thanks for the comment ! :)

[@livingadamman7994]

@@AussieArvos Now goto WIA and get a manual for HAM so you can study for a Foundation HAM license, which if your touring deep in the outback you will need for survival, forget Sat phones too expensive but maybe an ePerb. You're a champ for making this video, would say one of your best so far on the channel not to undermine the other great vids though. Cheers

[@ventura9513]

As a Ham Radio Operator and avid 4wdriver myself, the infomation you have provided is bang on mate, it took me a long time studying to get my advanced amature radio licence but these high end HF radios are a lot of fun, experimenting with different antenna ideas is a big part of our hobby and making our radio shack stand out from the rest

[@buuntaa1986]

What a great video. Coming from an Amatuer Radio background I've watched plenty of videos on people "attempting" to provide information about UHF radios and the uses on vehicles and i usually want to turn off within the first 2 mins but i actually watched this video the whole way through. Very well researched and you actually explained facts instead of some idea that someone had in their head. You should explore the hobby of Amatuer Radio. It'll open up your mind even further on what you can do with a Carrier and some Intelligence.

[@jbison]

I was thinking the same thing, Chris! Great explanation.

[@stevent3499]

congrats boys high distinction for this project

[@AussieArvos]

Thanks Steven!!

[@Berkeloid0]

4:39 Interestingly 61, 62 and 63 aren't reserved for future use, it's because years ago when they went from 40 channels to 80 channels, they cut each channel in half. So in terms of the actual radio frequency, channel 41 sits between channels 1 and 2, 42 sits between channels 2 and 3, etc. But they left the data channels 22 and 23 the same size, which means channels 62 and 63 now overlap, so couldn't be used. So they are called "guard channels" because they guard against overlapping transmissions on the data channels. So you can't transmit on those channels (or you will interfere with the data channels 22 and 23) but if you listen to them, sometimes you'll receive some blips and beeps as you partially overhear transmissions on channels 22 and 23.

[@paulwindler3040]

UHF radio's are a must have in Rural Areas and are worth gold. As you cant beat them for what's going on locally with traffic accident's, water across roads, livestock out or being moved and weather events just too name a few. Great video as always.

[@adrianluders4417]

Just did a trip from Adelaide to alice and was about 30mins behind a pilot vehicle spotting out road hazards. I found out I was half hour behind when I started hearing hazards and timing how long it took to see them. When I finally caught up to them had a chat and we were all using 6.6 gme aerials, was well and truely over 50kms away. We were all blown away

[@Tom-mu2nr]

One handy trick we do in convoys is figure out who's got the best radio put them in the middle and use them to repeat messages essentially trippling the range and really good for looking for a camp so we don't have 3 or 4 cars reversing back up a track

[@bonezed]

yup, we've done this too.

[@lama9800]

Great video, I am radio tech myself and i can see you really did your homework. Really good explanations with great graphics to back them up. BTW awesome shots of Mt St Leonard 👍

[@AussieArvos]

Thanks Sketchy! really appreciate it mate! yeah Mt St Leonard is a great one! can see everything from up there! thanks for the support!

[@D4NS80]

Yeh I'm in the radio industry also and it's great to see someone did their homework on this one. So many other videos out there with rubbish facts being thrown around and incorrect terms being used.

[@skepticsr_us]

Ham radio operator in America here. About 20 years ago I bought a HF antenna called the Outbacker, made in Australia. This was typically mounted on the rear bumper of a car. I didn't use it much but I made successful contacts on the 80 (at night) and 40 meter bands. Pretty amazing considering it's small size. I just did a google search and found a site that claims they are the "home" of the original Outbacker HF mobile antenna.

[@E190Driver5]

They are a great antenna. I have been using one recently to make HF contacts worldwide on 20m, and yes, they are made here in WA.

[@Βόρειο_Σέλας]

Good content mate. I am an Electrical Engineer and agree with aerial placement on roof. Mine is on the roof rack and have 2.1dB short aerial (High Country) but when I am on open stretch I put the 6dB whip. Cheers

[@sa25-svredemption98]

I've got my HF mounted on the roof - my UHF and SATCOM are bull bar mounted, but that's more due to space and keeping the cables and antennas separated than due to range desires. If I can't reacj on a bull bar mounted UHF, it's time for the good old HF on RFDS or VKS-737 (I can use both, but mostly operate on VKS-737). Of course, working in Maritime Communications, all this talk of 100W and less is a bit tame for my tastes! My ship recently got a QSL card from Germany, following one of our GMDSS HF tests (conducted off the NW Shelf near Broome)! That's range!

[@QUIX4U]

ME-2 However, I only became an electrical engineer, several years after I stopped using the CB. Hence my knowledge was obtained from (older) TV / Radio aerial books and understanding SWR compared to various points of mounting. SWR for the same aerial & cable length can vary greatly, depending on the location of the aerial. Also - if one has a 2nd aerial (either a normal am/fm radio aerial, or a dedicated CB aerial), if it happens to be at a set distance from a working aerial, it often acts as a dipole reflector. Having TWO aerials connected as if a dual dipole can also have a greater effect than most people know - of creating a razor sharp "arrow beam" - similar to what a YAGI gives. In other words, sometimes a dual aerial system works to block signals from the sides while amplifying signals from front & rear (or one side to the other). Side to side beam patterns are good, if one is sitting at the side of the road, wanting to hear radio chatter from either direction, whereas a front/rear lobe effect allows travelling people to hear others in front or behind (such as in convoy), whilst eliminating any radio traffic to the sides (from fixed house locations etc.).

[@jasonstray9582]

The Bunnings theme at the start had me in stitches

[@ThePaulv12]

If you drove trucks for a living like I do it is infuriating this sort of thing. They have 40 or 80 channels to use for cooking around on and they use the road channel saturating it with clutter so it's utterly unusable when you need to use it

[@anyamingan2287]

15 seconds in, already amazing ‘How has it effected me… you got a spare couple of days’🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽 great history content too

[@johnhutch1917]

I am 62 and planning a trip to the Top End and will now purchase a GME XRS-370C4P after listening to you - I love your work - cheers - Hutchy

[@mattduncan3304]

One thing I love about GME that nobody seems to mention is where they locate the microphone on the handset. It's above the screen so those of us who grab it with our hand across the front aren't blocking the mic when we talk. It's a clear indication of someone who actually uses the gear, not just makes it.

[@herbshirt6073]

That was a seriously excellent upload. Just bought my first (GME) CB and there's more to learn than I'd bargained for. You answered so many questions I had. Really really well presented and the choice of topics was on point. Well done.

[@AussieArvos]

Thanks mate!

[@HamRadioDX]

I wanted to make a UHF CB video and trying to explain it... now I feel intimidated as this is one of the best videos on UHF CB explanation I've ever seen. Well done, great job!

[@AussieArvos]

Wow thanks so much mate! really means alot ! Thanks :)

[@HamRadioDX]

@@AussieArvos If you want to learn about Amateur Radio or do a video on it, hit me up I'm in Tassie

[@nathanpike5853]

You go alright too Hayden😉. I feel a young VK in the making..73's

[@HamRadioDX]

@@nathanpike5853 thanks Nathan 👍

[@davidbrayshaw3529]

A very thoroughly researched and accurate presentation. Well done. Your level of knowledge would make acquiring a ham foundation license a mere formality. Ham radio certainly compliments CB very well. If you can get your regular driving mates to sit the license with you, you'll never look back. I promise.

[@mjharps1662]

Nice job mate. You should do a follow-up on how to use CTSS or DCS to filter comms of other users not in your convoy. It is great for restricting what your CB receives when travelling with family and friends (and not interested in the general public interference). I’d give you an A+ if you also included graduate level discussion on using the encoding to cipher the transmission. Thanks!

[@jonimiller1954]

Also to be responsible you should have TX lockout enabled otherwise you can jump on someone else. Use of CTCSS etc on repeaters is illegal as well.

[@stuartkcalvin]

Good piece mate, thanks. CH 10 is for National Parks and National Conservation areas. If you're not in either of those areas don't use CH 10. If you're in a State Park or on private land, pick another channel, usually 12 by agreement. 29 was originally the CH used by the road construction industry on sections of the Pacific Hwy upgrade, particularly the NSW mid-North coast. This allowed the site chief (one chief in the olden days) to communicate with inbound or outbound loads or plant. Using 29 back in the heyday was generally a fascination for travellers but it could also warn of road closures before bypass roads became de rigueur. No construction? Stay on 40. Different construction areas use different channels. These days, on large road constructions sites, different road construction entrances use different channels - there'll be signs indicating which channel is to be used so the site chiefs can manage truck and plant movement on their site. On antennas - the height doesn't matter as the signal propagates from the middle of the antenna. What does matter is the thickness. You can have an eight foot whip that can be as thin as speaker wire; or a two foot whip, which needs to be fat (for internal wire length) for propagation. Personally, I don't mount my antennas on the bull bar - rough roads destroy the mount quicker than a roof mount, especially if the bullbar is not pinned. Height on the vehicle does matter. If your eyes are at 5' 7", on flat ground the horizon is 15Km distant; so decent propagation on the flat is the centre of the antenna at 5' 7" - a bullbar mount won't achieve this unless the whip is gimoungus. Azimuth doesn't matter but inclination and declination also matters - that's some math for another day. Also some math for another day - if you can get the centre of your antenna to, say, 12', then the horizon is 30Km; being reasonable, without a repeater, and an antenna at 10' centre, 20Km is audible and understandable with 5W; that'd be a 6.1 My three antennas [and sand flag] are mounted on my roof rack (all four corners) using foldable mounts with four positions of foldability. In tight vegetation, folding them flat, with 5W, does little to reduce propagation distance in that type of country. Disclosure: I run GME XRS handsets and whips, and a Cel-Fi Go. As an aside, a well designed kangaroo will rip an antenna off the bullbar, but might slow it down enough - so it doesn't enter the cab through your front glass ;)

[@TKayCO]

Channel 10 can actually be used anywhere by 4wd clubs or convoys. Typically in National parks or out in the middle of nowhere. But it is perfectly within the rules to use 10 anywhere providing you’re on the road with a group of 4wds. Also.. (Not trying to be argumentative here, I enjoyed your post. Just chatting here…) .. While the signal is generally propagated from the Centre of the antenna, it radiates and transmits from the entire length, so height absolutely matters. Line of sight doesn’t just drop off when the Centre off your antenna drops below the horizon. It may however get progressively weaker the further away it gets from the middle until the current reaches 0A on the waveform when it hits the tip (see below). Lastly, Even if what you said was true, height would still matter completely wouldn’t it? The taller the antenna, the higher the center is. Length is also important relative to the wavelength of the transmission signal as I’m sure you know. If you have a set transmission voltage and current at the Centre where the waveform starts, the voltage increases as the wave gets closer to the top (and bottom) of the rod. The current however decreases relative to the increasing voltage (V x I = P) causing the set transmission wattage to stay the same (minus losses, which may be little or may be extreme, I have no idea). This causes all kinds of magnetic fields that confuse me greatly. I think, (not really sure here but sounds right) that while longer might be better for transmission distance, i think the length of a well designed UHF antenna is a lot more complicated than that. I think you can have a perfect length that is extremely efficient and doesn’t cause weird magnetic fields and eddy currents. I assume the ‘ the perfect length’ would change with the output wattage?. But I’m just talking shit at this point. Maybe you know something about this?

[@seanhutton7155]

I have a 5.5dbi Uniden antenna in NZ, which i have fitted to a custom (Rago fabrication) bracket from the USA. Very highly recommended. It folds around the bottom of your rear light. I never would have thought about the accident scenario on the front bumper, so thanks dude. It makes me very happy with my decision.

[@Steve064]

Wow Ive been using UHF for years Your 18 minutes just gave me so much information Im embarrassed to admit it .Thankyou And keep the videos coming

[@dennisfreebairn8754]

Good work lads, it was only yesterday I was on the highway in Sa when a call came over on 40 letting me know my tail light was falling out. I do a lot of country km’s and it’s worth it’s weight in gold. Safely getting around trucks over taking etc

[@AussieArvos]

Definitely ! tjhanks Dennis!

[@morphshag]

Good video mate. I have been in to CB radio for 20 years now, both 27MHz and UHF and 3 years ago got my ammatuer radio licence. Its a lot of fun and were very lucky to have the free to use CB radio spectrum we do. Its WAY better than the American counterpart.

[@AussieArvos]

Thanks John!!

[@QUIX4U]

@@AussieArvos Away back in the early 1970's here in NZ - the CB license was a cost for everyone, minimal but still a cost (about $5 a call sign of which I had FOUR, 3 for my three units in Otago and 1 in the car for use in Invercargill). Later, when they opened the number of channels available up to 40 with Upper & Lower sidebands too, they started charging (like wounded bulls) an exorbitant amount, in annual fees - which was about the time I said nah - to hell with it, and stopped using my CB's. About ten years after that, when most people were wanting a comparable unit to those in the USA & Australia, NZ changed to 27Mhz, which meant my old 7 channel pop-up-toaster, and my later 11 channel were unable to be used, as I couldn't afford to convert all the crystals over to 27Mhz, and the units couldn't be changed to USB & LSB either, just down the middle old school radios. Thus my old CB's still have the original (main band) 26.5Mhz based crystals

[@davidch880]

When I was CBing in remote W.A. in the 1980s and 1990s, I used a GME AE409L ground Independent UHF Antenna, which I mounted on a vehicle roof gutter bracket with a spring base. It being a "ground independent" antenna made this type of mounting easier, and it gave me a full 360-degree ground plane pattern, so it didn't matter where I located it, just so long as it was up high and free of other metallic obstructions. I used the 6db gain loaded stainless steel whip most of the time and found it entirely satisfactory for general use. Here is some more info on this GME antenna. The GME AE409L gives you the flexibility to use it either on 6dBi or 9dBi gain through the use of an additional whip on top of the existing whip. The 6dBi whip is suitable for most conditions. When you are out in the flat country areas, a 9dBi whip will give you a longer range. This antenna is suitable for mounting on bonnets. An excellent antenna if you are driving mainly on bitumen roads. It is not recommended for off-road driving conditions. But with a little bit of "tweaking ingenuity," you can always add your own spring base to your mounting hardware to circumvent this problem. I highly recommend the use of a ground Independent type of antenna setup because that way, it doesn't matter where you locate your antenna, you'll always have a perfect ground plain. You will need to keep obstructions well away from the antenna though.

[@erikmason3470]

Great video Patty. The quality of videos coming out now are really impressive the camera work and information are A class. You have really found your stride mate I remember when you used to just be in the background. Really glad you are putting yourself out there now mate you have a lot of skill in front of the camera. Aussie Arvos is picking up speed really quick and I can see it blowing up and becoming really huge very soon!

[@AussieArvos]

Thanks Erik! i really appreciate the comment, yeah with Lockdown its been pretty hard to film videos as a group, but still trying to make some interesting different videos ! so really glad you liked it and thanks for taking the time to write that really nice comment, i really does mean a lot and makes all the time and effort worth it! thanks mate :)

[@peterj5751]

Gme xrs here with the 2dbi and 6dbi antennas used as appropriate. Mounted on the bullbar for convenience and because you can see it before it hits trees. I totally agree on GME for both the exceptional quality and buying something owned, designed and built here. For a bit of a time warp, I started using cbs when most people used 18 channel am cbs using the 27mhz frequency. UHF cbs in those days were an oddity. How times change. And another great video. I love the stuff you guys are doing.

[@BrettWilliamson]

They make these in Sydney's North West in Winston Hills. I wanted to support local and bought the same radio. It has been excellent so far.

[@72superlead]

I only just installed mine this week and tested today. Low and behold my first real experience was was some aggressive knob starting a fight with the driver just a few cars ahead of me! Great introduction. I told him he needs to learn how to love. It actually stopped after that..

[@DannySmithMedia]

Congratulations on a great video. Straight to the point, accurate and enjoyable. I’m an old 27mhz CBer from way back! This video makes me want to get back into it. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

[@4x4dan26]

Aussie made for Aussies shown on Aussie Arvos GME and Patrick awesome work 4X4 content we need and enjoy thanks mate

[@AussieArvos]

Thanks so much Dan!!! Really appreciate it mate!

[@QUIX4U]

11:50 A radio check, is NOT just to see if you are being "heard" or that anyone can talk back. A (genuine) radio check is to tell you TWO certain specific things. 1/- That yes - you are "getting out" .. But more important is 2/- YOUR SIGNAL STRENGTH. On your unit, there will (or should be) a strength meter. On any received signal - you will see the strength that it is being received at. Now - to be certain that your signal is getting to somewhere else, two things are needed. ONE is how far away from each other are you, and TWO, what power they are transmitting to you on. BOTH these strengths, give you your own output power, AND your ability to receive a likewise power signal. Thus - for a genuine radio check - you need to advise where you are, and what your SWR is. (SWR = Standing Wave Ratio) If you have an aerial - it matters as to EXACTLY, how long your cable is, between your transmitter & your aerial It thus also matters, as to what your STANDING WAVE RATIO "is" between your transmitter & your aerial. Which is why - any half-dead Indian - always asks - what does my smoke look like. In other words, how STRONG is my signal when it gets somewhere, and what strength their signal is, when it gets back to you. SWR matters. Why - ? Because if your aerial is NOT tuned correctly, your standing wave ratio COULD be so high, as to obliterate your lovely output power. Having the SWR as close to 1:1 as possible, means that a small power output, could be MUCH STRONGER (further away) than a weaker "out-of-tune" 1:5 SWR radio that is closer to the recipient. Often as much as completely wiping the other station out, if your SWR is at 1:1 (fifteen miles away) with a closer station with a higher SWR of 1:2, less than 1/2 a km away from the recipient. POWER = strength. Strength is only obtained by having a correctly TUNED aerial. An aerial transmits FAR MORE POWER, if the standing wave ratio (SWR) is as close to 1:1 as possible. Thus, at the same time as "buying" your TX/RX unit, and your co-ax, and your aerial & fittings, buying a SWR meter, (connected "in line" with your aerial & TX/RX unit) is probably the best money for value - you could ever spend in CB radio terms. Sure, a "manufactured" aerial is approximately 1:1 - when you buy it (as the manufacturer can test these on fixed loads) However, even 1/2 inch more or less, of the wrong size co-ax (50 ohm instead of 75 ohm) - can put your SWR so far "out" that your transmitter does NOT have enough output power, to overcome the standing waves, inherent in your aerial cabling, to output ANY signal. PLUS POSITIONING OF THE AERIAL MAKES A HUGE DIFFERENE IN SWR An over-the-counter (store bought) aerial can have a SWR of 1:1 with your lovely new TX/RX CB radio, if the aerial is center mounted in the middle of the roof (on a roof rack bar) But the SWR in the cable, could be self-blocking your output power - if the "mismatch" is in the order of say 1:5 SWR. So to hear someone say - Oi, yes you are getting out - means diddly shyte, if they are say 1/2 a km away - vs someone who tells you your signal strength is about a 3 - at a distance of twenty km.

[@dionjayw]

Honestly don't know how I stumbled across this vid, clicked it by accident, was gunna change it but you had me engaged haha. Some really good knowledge to have, so cheers!

[@davetaylor4741]

Fascinating. I learnt a lot. I live in rural Qld. Mobile phone signals are sketchy at best. I have the UHF in my ute as a safety back up mostly. Don't run with it on as too much crap on it. I did ten years in the rural fire brigade. During the big floods in 2011 our trucks didn't have UHF in them. Flooded in people were trying to talk to us and couldn't. Since then UHF has been included in our trucks. Certainly still very useful in rural areas.

[@aususer]

Repeaters: when set in duplex, when you press the push-to-talk whilst on channel 1… you are actually transmitting on channel 31 (that’s what the repeater listens to).. and when you release, your radio switches back to listening to channel 1. that’s why you can hear the “roger beep” the repeater sends when you let go. Same for Channel 2=32 thru to 8 on 38. (You can test this with a second radio listening to channel 31 and hear yourself) Basically a repeater simply takes channel 31 and transmits (repeats) whatever it hears on channel 1. It’s up to your radio to deal with transmit/listen. Pretty basic, but it help if you understand how it works it’s easier to understand what it’s doing. (Also a good reason to avoid channels 31-38.) Another interesting fact: by law all repeaters must transmit their VK license number at regular intervals in Morse code… if you listen to a repeater long enough you can confirm it.. if your Morse code is fast enough you can identify exactly what it’s call sign is… (it’s very quick however!) then look it up to find it’s physical location.

[@duncangough9969]

There is also an HF CB system available which is still out there on the 27MHz band and is still class licenced like the UHF CB frequencies. It does not require the massive tuner box for the antenna that the radios using the lower frequencies around 3 - 7MHz. Best of both worlds to have both!

[@goodoodreaming]

Plain, simple and to the point. Probably the best advice Ive heard on the basic use of UHF and great info on the XRS. Thanks for sharing.

[@user-ev1sz6kg1t]

Another great video from Aussie arvos with real world information that anyone can understand 👍

[@holdenmad111]

The comments about being Australian made is exactly why i always tell others GME is the best!

[@stevjosco.adventures]

Great video. Very informative and easy to understand. I've always mounted my antenna on the bull bar and never thought about what would happen if I hit an actual bull. I just installed a UHF in my new 4WD last week and now I'm thinking I should move the antenna.

[@MrMarkguth]

Far more informative than another channel I watched. Some dude called Russell coight

[@garyzimmerman8679]

Here in the USA are “CB” is in the HF range. While many off readers used that in the past. The move to GMRS (UHF) here in the states has been a major switch lately. However we only get 22 channels. Many off readers here in the States also use Amateur “Ham” radio. Some use HF in the same frequencies used In Australia and around the world, but most use VHF/UHF (2m and 70cm) as we have massive amount of repeaters in use for the 2m/70cm band. A license is also required in the USA for 2m, 70cm and the HF bands. We have a 100 watt max on 2m/70cm and 50 watts on GMRS although a few GMRS channels are limited to 5 watts. I have talked to many Australians using 2m and 70cm repeaters that are connected through the internet to repeaters in Australia. Off Roaders in Australia don’t need the 2m/70cm band like we do in the states because your “CB” is similar to our GMRS (UHF band) and have many more channels. On my off road 4x4 a Ford Bronco Badlands. I have mounted my GMRS antennas and 2m 70cm to the “A” puller posts on the hood (Bonnet) and to the rear spare tire mount on the back of the vehicle. My antennas are all 5 db on 2m and 9db on UHF 70cm

[@slowboat6021]

good on you GME

[@Kiwiluv4tunes]

Ive been in telecommunications for 10years, love my job.......bloody awesome video lad👌

[@toomasnelson4561]

great talk about radios mate and as an influencer I wish you could tell people to back off clogging up channels and using CB like a mobile phone.

[@cooperken11]

Best video yet. Great content,well researched and presented and really worth while. I’m running an old 40 channel GME tx 7something that’s about 30 years old with the original 6ft aerial but have a hinge mount GME like yours that’s going on the roof soon.

[@AussieArvos]

Thanks Ken! really means alot mate! the old GME gear is just as good i reckon!

[@bgreene65g]

It's wild to see the large differences from country to Country. USA with a GMRS license (UHF) we get 50watts. And an amateur radio license, general class. We get to 1.5kw. good informational video

[@NoLaggPlz]

gme definatly got thie moneys worth out of this sponsorship. great work on the video, hopefully this dedication leads to plenty of future sponsor offers for you guys.

[@colincutler194]

Well presented. We are going to be travelling Australia fulltime soon, so i am about to now show my kids this video and test them 😉

[@xXBurgman86Xx]

6.5db mounted to the bull bar, the aerial is the perfect length that if it touches I won’t fit or if it misses I will, where I live in Qld we have more flat grounds, long straight roads so the high gain is good for me

[@mikozaire58]

Great video and info - learnt a few things and love the energy. I would love to see a 3-5 min version of this with condensed facts and information. Keep it up

[@stephenlloydco]

This is how you do brand integration. What a great video! My understanding is 29 is used in Newcastle because the Pacific Highway comes close to the New England Highway.

[@bigkevcanb]

Heaps better vid than others that talk about GME, you actually say why

[@nananananana10]

I LOVE these informational ones and the way you do it. I also liked the snowy river information segments in another of your vids

[@AussieArvos]

Thanks Nathan! really appreciate it! yeah definitely want to make more!

[@ericfreidman1571]

I am also a beginner and your video was a great intro. Many thanks.

[@randythompson1957]

Great information, it me an instant subscriber. Cheers from the U.S.A. That's a great radio system mate.

[@Eye_Candy_Promotions_Australia]

Brilliant mate, Yours is becoming one of the best and most informative channels on youtube keep up the good work..

[@AussieArvos]

Thanks mate :)

[@dufus7396]

Thinking of getting UHF now so hope you are pleased with yourselves

[@niall696]

Great video. Well presented. You certainly did your homework. Keep up the great work!

[@neriksen]

Brilliant video mate, you would make a great ambassador for the youth of Australia to enter the Amateur Radio ( Ham ) community…

[@sedatsezgin3]

Mate best vid on uhf's. Explains everything you need.👍

[@Vuka2024]

UHF is available all over the world, it is extensively used on boats/ships and farmers/workers who are in remote locations. When buying a UHF set you need a encryption code from, for example the Police, Fire, Coastguard to have access, so chances of that is zero. I use to be a Police Officer (very young, I was 19 years old) in a very remote area, 500Km from the next Police Station and we could talk to them as if they were right next to me. We had an "Open Band" base station and we could even talk to Air line pilots ships out at sea, basically anybody half way around the world. Imagine the fun we had with that thing. The base station had an antenna that was about 30 meters tall if not taller and a Repeater about 200 Kilometers on top of a mountain, and the Police vehicles had mini base stations in the boot of the car with an aerial that was about 3 meters tall. The worst assignment ever, we were 3 Cops with only 1 eligible Girl in town, so over and above us there were the local farmers who eyed out the same girl. Needless to say I lost because I am writing this comment, If I won, I would still have been in that God forsaken place. LOL!

[@tolzyt5338]

That was truly awesome dude. Very informative and helpful. Didn’t know the gme was Australian made. For me. Sold!🇦🇺

[@anarchytelevision8445]

Tipping my hat from the 1122 Wingnut radio out here in the panhandle of Florida standing by monitoring channel 38 CB band frequency 27.385 Lower Side Band

[@rosswines]

I also position my vhf and uhf antenna top of my 4WD.. A low gain can actually be more efficient than any high gain on bull bar. The low gain short antennae are mounted on bases that easily fold over if get knocked with out any damage. The other advantage is they are quiet, no wind noise that those large thick GME stuck on bull bars make

[@wangbill_rick4951]

Great little video, found it useful. As for my aerials I have a GME UHF High Gail Aerial on the Bullbar as I have my Telstra Ci-Fe mounted on the roof of the car. Found this works best for my needs. Thanks again, look forward to more of your videos. Mick

[@jonnewton5929]

Good practical info guys. Lotsa stuff I never knew about. Cheers for the heads up. Oh and I love my new hoodie and shirt.

[@pajaro685]

I was amongst the first C-Bers back in the 1970's to get a licence, when they made them legal. We were using them a for a long time illegally, we'd have to unplug the mic, because it wasn't illegal to have one, just illegal to use it or to be able to use it. So, We had to go to North Sydney to apply for the licence which was $20 far a year and my licence # was NAE-804 The N was for NSW. i was the 804th to get a licence! There is so much history with CB radios, when they were 27Mh. and 23 channels. Before they made them 18, because they gave to top 4, to the marine coast guard. Cheers

[@nickgrech9634]

What an awesome video! So glad I found your channel. Great work mate

[@jimmymifsud1]

Loved the video, you’ve got some pretty solid facts. The whip you hear when you transmit though a repeater is something programmed into the repeater; there is some around that won’t give you that crack As a radio technician, I have a lot of friends reach out and ask about common faults, and troubleshooting techniques; I think that would make an excellent video. Reach out if you need any information

[@aussieproud7319]

As a licensed hobby radio operator great presentation and very accurate in your theory presentation 👍

[@luish19779]

NICE INFO. HERE I GOT MOTOROLS MCS2000 UHF 50 WATTS RADIO.400-520 MHz IN NYC AND MY ANTENNA IS IN THE ROOF OF THE BUILDING. SOON I BUILT A REPEATER.

[@vk2jmv]

Well Done mate! People really need to know what channels they can use to operate. Btw..my HF mobile was able to reach as far as US, Japan, Germany, Philippines on 50 watts from ACT.

[@vk2us]

My best HF Mobile was to a station in Helsinki while driving back up from Wollongong. 706 MK IIG was a fantastic beast. Also ran, once, an 80mtr half wave mobile. The performance was brilliant but speed was limited and It's not something to be tried around town. 73's vk2us

[@JLM85_]

Great video Pat... Love the history and solid info on UHF radios definitely learnt a couple of new things. Well done GME getting behind a solid up and coming youtuber...

[@cy5279]

I haven't gotten in to CB radio, which here in the states is HF. I got into ham radio for the back country trips I like to go on, and you get much more power, and someone is always listing to the ham repeaters

[@davidbrayshaw3529]

We also have HF CB in Australia which operates on the same frequencies and channel allocation of yours although they are far from popular these days. From what I understand, our UHF CB's are very much like your FRS radios. They operate around the 477 mhz, part of the spectrum, have a maximum power of 5 watts and 80 channels, some of which are reserved. They are also FM. Ham isn't as popular in Australia as the States but it is enjoying a resurgence. Despite this, there are quite a number of 2 and 70 repeaters and very few idiots which makes it a very appealing proposition.

[@bushmanbill8923]

Antenna on the roobar. Get one the correct length so you can check your clearance going under trees etc. more importantly when going through the maccas drive through

[@darrenrichardson6936]

I have the same set up as you and it’s a great unit with antenna on the front. Top video🎙📻

[@bretto8630]

Great vid and explanations... its a pity a lot of city and local truck drivers use channel 40 as a personal play thing...

[@LegitimatelyAxeL]

You guys always turn what seems like a basic video, into a super interesting video. Keep it up

[@gonebush4x468]

So I understand the duplex mode only works if: a) there is a repeater tower in range b) you set your UHF to the same channel as the repeater. Is there a quick way to work out what channel the repeater tower is? Or do you have to just shift through the 1-8 channels, clicking the broadcast button, and waiting to see if it beeps back?

[@davo99]

Good presentation. As you said roof mount is ideal and there is a huge difference to a Bull bar mount not to mention the weird directional pattern generated. 5W comes out the connector at the radio, the quality of coax and how it's connected to the antenna and connectors is extremely important. Do not let water get into the coax, cuts and nicks and extreme bending can be real bad. Unfortunately CB's use PL259 / UHF connectors these should not be used greater than 30Mhz (UHF connectors = Universal HF) so the choice of connectors is extremely important, I have seen 1/2 the power lost at a pair of connectors (pity they don't use SMA, BNC or N connectors).

[@Glover303]

thanks for the reminder cos back in '78 I converted my old Phillips FM320 to BNC..... hmmmm! i just might do the ICOM

[@markb3146]

UHF - ultra high frequency , I agree on a better connector... converted my FM-620 to TNC

[@davo99]

@@markb3146 TNC is good, same as BNC except twist instead of bayonet.

[@markb3146]

@@davo99 BNC becomes too loose after too many uses, TNC is a better option for multiple uses

[@davo99]

@@markb3146 Be aware that the transmission line part of the connectors is the same in fact the N, BNC & TNC inner parts are the same, take the outer ring off a TNC and can plug directly into a N. Converting to TNC, BNC or N or even SMA is a great idea. So twist or bayonet the wear on the critical parts is the same. The big mistake a lot of people make is that when they tighten connectors they twist the whole connector instead of the ring component, eg using an adapter they twist the adapter instead of keeping that still and twist just the ring component to tighten. TNC & BNC are really only useful to 1Ghz which obviously is OK for CB. PL259 should not be used above 30Mhz.

[@edstafford4511]

Always coming through with the info boys. Always hanging out for you videos 👌👌

[@AussieArvos]

Thanks Ed!

[@BushKayakersCampingAustralia]

good video mate . I am just looking at getting handheld waterproof uhf radios for kayaking with my wife so was looking around KZbin for some info . You packed this video so full of info for me . me being a total cb noob. thanks !

[@vk3fbab]

I think it is worth stating that extra RF power doesn't make much difference to range. It's all about line of sight in VHF and above. I've done nearly 100km with 0.6W on UHF CB. Just high point to high point in a low RF noise outback setting. If you're nowhere near line of sight even 100W won't help you punch through. The insertion loss of a coax switch will not be able to be noticed by most people. Probably about the same loss as having a few metres of extra coax length. The 5W power limit is probably more around RF safety than anything else. At UHF it is quite easy to exceed the maximum RF exposure limits specified by ARPANSA. Given that there is no EIRP limit with UHF CB they need to ensure that people don't endanger themselves and the public. That said 5W into 40dB of gain (50000W EIRP) could be quite dangerous while still being legal. Luckily most people aren't running massive dishes or Yagi antennas on their 4x4. With CB repeaters the tail (the transmission coming back ) is configurable by the operator. So it could be long, short or not even present. Some repeaters have Morse and voice ID. CH5 Mt Anakie in Vic has announcements playing on it for example. In more remote areas a lot of cattle stations run their own repeaters so it is considered poor form to jump on their repeater and rag chew. That said even though they pay for the repeater it is supposed to be free for all to use. Jumping on a station repeater is a good way of getting local knowledge and letting the owners know about issues with their stock or fences etc.

[@rogerramjet6429]

What? Nice theory but line of sight can be dependent on output wattage. Seems like you've used enough to have assumptions about operational parameters, but no real knowledge, that range of a given output as a standard will decrease in range regardless of line of sight as frequency increases. Range limits can be overcome up to a point via the increase of amplitude output. I've done many installations in UHF, VHF used for security patrols of large properties and had to tune the systems for optimal output with minimal SWR reflectivity returned to the transmitter base. Plus a number of other systems for ambulance services and long range police patrols.

[@vk3fbab]

@@rogerramjet6429 if line of sight is dependent on wattage as you assert. Go and look up how much RF Voyager 1 and 2 output and the gain of their antenna. Then let's talk about line of sight. Those craft are 100 Au distant and still in contact with earth on a near daily basis. The signal takes nearly 1 day 1 way at the speed of light. From memory under 100W of RF power from the probe. The reason this communications link works is line of sight and gain on the ground station receiver and some signal processing gain but not an increase in RF power. Here on earth's surface the limitation is the curvature of the earth and the fact that VHF and above don't refract in the ionosphere. But if you put your antenna on a mast on a hill you have a great site for a repeater. But your range is limited to your horizon. You take more power and I'll take more line of sight any day of the week above 50MHz. With line of sight it's amazing how little power you can run.

[@fyiaustralia9686]

Such a brilliant explanation of the technology and easy to understand!

[@jcramond73]

An update for those around Canberra, channel 2 Repeater is back up, big thanks to GME and Watts Communications in Fyshwick. 👍

[@brentmcd12]

haha really enjoyed the intro !! typical radio chatter.. duplex when you key up on repeater ch you hear the Roger tail beep from the repeater after your transmission. duplex off is simplex mode

[@AussieArvos]

Thanks Brent!

[@johnsambar2658]

XRS are great, only thing is the adhesive on the magnet mount comes off in the heat or when it's super cold but i suppose that's part of it and depends on the dash material

[@tropicaldreaming]

Great video well presented, but you forget to mention 27 mhz ssb CB radio, that's also free, and also skips and dose not required a license.😎

[@davidevison3851]

Ch 40 is the road transport channel except in Tasmania where all the different transport companies sit on there own secret channel, a nightmare for someone doing oversize loads

[@wayne1959]

before the mobile phone era we had HF radios in our trucks and reef boats..i used to be able to call frankston from mackay when needed and home from the reef..uhf are a must on the road now i think, but like the guy said turn the volume down in the big smoke. Good informative episode mate

[@dougiep8464]

Hf was great for listening to Sydney FM Radio when working in the NT or Nth WA. Used to be able to call into beacon and use it as a phone.

[@LiippynCougar]

Great informative video, i'd like to also mention the use of the original cb radio 27Mhz(HF) is also still being used thou radios r hard to find these days. Amateur Radio(Ham Radio) is another great radio service which covers many of those 12 bands depending on licence qualifications. Antenna placement is key to any mobile station and the roof is ideal but not practical like u say. Cheers Matt VK2ZG

[@TomTomIAm]

Should do a video on AM CB we still use it out here in the Snowys.

[@CrazyWhiteVanDriver]

Uppa and Lowwa

[@J3richosis]

i have a 3.3 on the bonnet hinge, with a 6 on the rear, and when going from darwin to melbourne i have the 12 that i swap the 3.3 out with but it runs to the front of the bullbar. also when you set it up on the bullbar, watch out for your cable runs. if you need to drop or swap your bar, you may need to diassemble your RF set up, and majority of damage comes from the connectors being screwed on/off.

[@petergill8819]

Very informative a lot that I did not know about channels one of the best videos. I think I’ve watched a long time well done

[@jbison]

Great video! Delivered well. Though I don't like the "over & out" at the end 😂

[@damienwilloughby]

I got a BA Falcon and use it on the highways the truck drives are a great help.

[@SimonVK3XEM]

Awesome video, you did a great job producing it. I recognised your filiming location as Briarty Hill between Healesville and Coldstream.

[@AussieArvos]

Thanks Simon!