Thread: Uniden remote mic head range explanation

Also, is it worth getting an aerial dual pack - eg Uniden have a short 3 db and a longer 6.6 db pack - for communication options (lower db for hill country v higher on the flats etc), or is that really just about having a shorter aerial option for situations where a longer aerial could get in the way?

Short antenna is for hilly country as the radiation pattern is like a globe and goes up and over hills.
High Db gain big antenna is for flat country where the flat radiation pattern goes further.
Usually I use the short as UHF is usually for convoy use. If your convoy is over 20km long the long may be of use.
Believe me you WILL break the long one at some stage by underestimating the height.
Regards Philip A

Originally Posted by PhilipA

Believe me you WILL break the long one at some stage by underestimating the height.
Regards Philip A

Thanks - it's like you know me! :P

Caveat: I'm not sufficiently knowledgeable with anything of importance, let alone Uniden UHFs!

But, from what I can see of the main specs:

8080: would be great if you had 100 friends you want less interuppted conversations with(100 user programmable frequencies).
If you prefer more control over filtering out the normal garbage you hear on UHF, it has 5 step squelch control. 8060 has 3 squelch steps.
More means better fine tuning out of noise.

The main difference between the 5060 and 8060 appears to be the colour capability of the 8060.
I'd also hazard a guess that there must surely be some other hidden feature upgrade to the 80x0 series over the 50x0 series too, but they don't specify any.

I recently purchased an Oricom UHF380 which has user selectable colours for the remote.
I used to think they were a (not so) great gimmick, but have now been converted.
While there's nothing wrong with the old style traditional black text on green LCD backlighting, the ability to change colours to one that suits your eyesight preference for any give situation is useful.

So the way I'm seeing it is:
1/. If you want more control over squelch, and have a hundred mates with similar UHFs that you want to converse with .. the 8080
2/. If you want an device that you can configure to match the interior decor of the vehicle, or more importantly your eyesight's ability .. the 8060.
If you just want a cheap UHF that just works, either the 5060, or 7760(but the 7760 doesn't seem to have user adjustable squelch, where the 5060 has 3 step adjustable .. so I'd favour the 5060 over the 7760).

And of course it all depends on price too.
if the price difference between each is only say $50, then just go for the top of the pile .. y'never know!
But they're more likely to differ by more than about $100 or so .. so by that reckoning, I reckon the 8060 seems to be the best option.

As for aerials, I've never really found enough difference between a 4dbi and 6dbi to make it an issue to concern over.
But the 8dbi fibreglass 'tower' I used to have(bullbar mounted) years ago on my old Rangie did make a massive difference over a 6dbi I also tried.
This time around I just went for the 6dbi aerial.

ps. the Oricom I recently got is a good unit. The box itself is very ruigged feeling. the remote on the other hand is good, feel comfy in the hand, but if does feel like it's made of very flimsy plastic.
Nothing wrong with it, in that it's broken or flexible or whatever, just feels like it's made from cheap plastic.
time will tell if it survives.
Oh! and if you think that the so called great GME's are worth the extra expense, I'd have to strongly disagree. I also have a Tx3400 from the Jurassic period(about 20+ years ago).
While it still works and again it's rugged and reliable, the quality of the rubber material on the mic is crap!.. it ages quickly and leaves a sticky residue gunk on your hands after use. I'd say about 5 years in the sun, then stored for a few years, and then back out in the sun again.. etc.

hope that helps.
Arthur.

just went through this process and ended up getting the 8080 with antenna pack off a dealer in melb. fleabay $330 unit only or $350 with antenna and spring base. delivered.

the 8080 has an inbuilt scanner if you like scanners. uhf scan only. in melb you would pick up ambulance, fire and many small companies. not police.

in regards to the extra 100 channels mentioned by previous poster, they are listen only channels. with the scanner option of this set theres around 90,000 channels you could listen to. the 8080 allows you to remember 100 of them and to put into a library so to speak to recall later. cant transmit on anything bar the 80 allocated uhf channels. the option to filter out unwanted transmissions is on most later model uhf radios. its a code system that you add to a channel. theres two versions of code. if two radios put the same code in, then they will only hear each other. if 20 radios put n the same code, the same result. but still all withing the australian allocated 80 channels. great for 4wd convoy stuff if everyone has that option. theres so much rubbish on air around larger cities to filter out. out in the bush its not such a problem.

the other radios you mention have lesser options but also cost less. im a ham radio hobbiest so the extra expense on the 8080 was worth it for me. i dont listen to music while driving , i listen to radio comms from all over.

google has so much info out there it can get confusing but its a great place to find prices and comparisons.

hope my bit of knowledge can add to the previous posters here and help you make a decision.

just as an aside, the speaker built into the handpieces on most sets including the 8080 is a bit of a compromise in anything but a rangerover.(quiet cabin) you can hear it just. but most of this type of set has the option of adding a better speaker for better clarity and volume. (recommended)

cheers cactus

Originally Posted by cactus

.....
in regards to the extra 100 channels mentioned by previous poster, they are listen only channels......

Aha!
This is what I hate about 'marketing' guff.
They don't explain that the 100 use programmable channels are Rx only!

Good to know.

On my old GME Tx3400, it allowed an option for 5 user programmable channels(still in the allowable UHF range).
This is an old 40ch UHF tho. I got it in the early 90's so 20+ yo now.
Still works, tho it's more limited.

For Stuart:
I just searched for the 8060 on fleabay and find some are priced in the mid $200's(low 300's with antenna pack)
If you can justify the price, then I'd say that the mid 300's price(with antenna) for the 8080 is probably the better deal.
The way I see it, just the extra ability to tweak the Squelch by a couple of extra steps is handy to have.
But that's the main way I use my radio.
My main priority is in scanning the waves out in remote central desert country for activities when on a trip.
As I'm always solo(both vehicle and in car!) it's comforting to know there's someone out there just in case of a breakdown.

I'll post a quick image of how I installed it into the D1 (in the D1 section) as soon as I get a chance to take a snapshot of it.
Having the remote head all built into the mic is much better(ergonomically) then the old Tx3400's remote head unit setup too.

I ended up getting an 8060 with the dual antenna pack at the 4x4 show on the weekend, for $325. Only an averagely good deal but there's something to be said for being able to hold the product as you part with your hard earned.

The scanner in the 8080 would be... interesting... but a few $ I didn't need to spend, and the unit itself is actually a bit bigger, so I figured in the name of ultimate compactness...

Out of interest the Oricom handpiece has a scroll wheel for volume and channel selection, which is a really great feature IMO, nearly swayed me on that point alone. However it just didn't have the nice solid feel in the hand of the Uniden and GME units.

Now to fit the thing!!

Thanks for the observations and experience.

Originally Posted by Stuart02

....

Out of interest the Oricom handpiece has a scroll wheel for volume and channel selection, which is a really great feature IMO, nearly swayed me on that point alone. However it just didn't have the nice solid feel in the hand of the Uniden and GME units.

.....

Yeah, that's really about the only 'disappointment' about the unit.
Otherwise it just works.
If I had my time over again, I'd probably look at something more like the 8060.

The rotary dial for channel and volume is a mixed blessing.
Rotary detents are tactile enough to scroll to what you think is the channel, or volume level you think you want.
And even tho selection between one and or the other is just a simple push of the rotary dial, it's easy to forget which mode you're using.
So you think you're changing up a few channels, when you're upping the volume instead.
I'm a great believer in ergonomics and intuitive usage of products, so that they're easy to control/use when you're also doing something else.

The beauty of these remote mic radios is that they're so much easier to fit than DIN sized units!

I really should try hard to remember to do some of the things I say I'm going to(but I get easily distracted).
I fitted the mic unit to the centre console plastic(D1) low down on the transmission tunnel, a couple of inches from my left leg at rest.
I drilled a hole into the plastic and then squared it out using a file.
The square is just the right size for the central connector(only) of a wall mount ethernet plug.
The plug is perfectly shaped so that a very small(cm or so) square just protrudes from the console plastic.
This makes it a 1 second job to remove the remote, and hence making the unit less susceptible to smash and grab opportunists.
The plug connector that came with the radio is fine other than it's shape didn't allow for the easy removal of the mic.
All I need to do is to remove the rubber gaiter boot at the plug ind of the mic and find something to use as a replacement.

Went for a quick squirt up to Mt Disappointment state forest today, and had the radio on scan(as I usually do).
Only problem is the serious annoyance of the idiots on Ch40 that generally spend all day being idiots on there, and on Ch29 the constant static with the steady flicking noise at about 2Hz. Dunno what that's all about, have heard it before on and off.

Happy radioing!

Originally Posted by AK83

I drilled a hole into the plastic and then squared it out using a file.
The square is just the right size for the central connector(only) of a wall mount ethernet plug.
The plug is perfectly shaped so that a very small(cm or so) square just protrudes from the console plastic.
This makes it a 1 second job to remove the remote, and hence making the unit less susceptible to smash and grab opportunists.
The plug connector that came with the radio is fine other than it's shape didn't allow for the easy removal of the mic.
All I need to do is to remove the rubber gaiter boot at the plug ind of the mic and find something to use as a replacement.

Went for a quick squirt up to Mt Disappointment state forest today, and had the radio on scan(as I usually do).
Only problem is the serious annoyance of the idiots on Ch40 that generally spend all day being idiots on there, and on Ch29 the constant static with the steady flicking noise at about 2Hz. Dunno what that's all about, have heard it before on and off.

Happy radioing!

Yeah Ch 40 is disgraceful - can't have it on with the kids listening!

A few of the D4 crew are doing similar installs with the extension plug in the centre console. Very neat and discrete.