Thread: Best UHF?

Originally Posted by wardy1

Bought the Uniden 5060. Price was better by about $10 than any other site I found

Thanks for the responses guys

I bought the same unit. Happy with it, plenty of volume from the handset. Free postage is a bonus.

I've got an ICOM IC-410Pro, it's got a remote head and with an extension speaker tucked between the seat & console very easy to hear over the noise of the TD5 Defender cabin. Have been very happy with it.

I also fitted a 5060 to my D4. Used the Lab Electronics antenna mount Aerial Bracket for the AT880 antenna. Mounted the 5060 under the passenger seat using existing holes in the bracket already there. Then wired the 5060 power into the permanent 12V electric seat supply already under the seat. This is fed from the main battery, not my aux battery, but shouldn’t be an issue for me.

Oricom UHF380 head unit(the mic with all the controls) .. feels a lot flimsier than a new modern GME.
In saying that tho, nothings gone wrong with the Oricom I installed into brothers car now.
I had it one year at least, then found a good deal on the GME XRS370 so got that too.
Head unit on the GME feels like granit compared to the Oricom.

I've had GME's fail tho. Two 40 ch TX3400s(??) ... like loanrangie said .. mic cables!! ... disintegrate every few years, and one of the mics stopped working too(not due to the disintegrated cable).

Oricom UHF380 vs GME XRS370

sound quality about the same.
transmit quality is slightly better on the GME.
Audio volume through mic head is slightly better on the Oricom. (never used the in body speaker as the radio unit is always hidden)

As said before, head unit on the GME is impressive, mush less so on the Oricom(but never failed in any way .. just feels light and flimsy) both easy to use once you know your way around them.
Oricom feels more ergonomic due to it's larger size and lighter weight tho, but the quality of the GME always takes precedence in overall terms. GME is still as easy to use as any other microphone.

If you listen to any other channels, extended/emergency types .. eg. I set my GME to the fire channels to listen for activity in case of bush fires or whatever:
This is where the GME blitzes, with it's bluetooth/app setup. Monumentally tedious to try to program in 400 extra channels in the Oricom, but with the GME app, even tho it only holds 80 or whatever, using the app to locate an area, an extended channel range .. etc. Almost a little too geeky/fun!

I had the Icom 440 in my D3 and D4. Lab bracket on the bonnet, radio under the driver's seat and the handset socket cable tied to the lower side of the centre console (hidden by the passenger seat). This arrangement meant I only plugged in the handset when needed. I liked the 440 for the ease of use and auto power off function.

Had the Uniden UH8060S in the SDV6. Cheaper but not a patch on the Icom.

Nothing in the D5 as yet but I might go a handheld. Maybe a GME TX6160. Aerials are an issue as I'm told there's no existing cable entries into the cab, unlike the D4.

I have a gme been a very good unit my son has a uniden under dash unit excellent unit .

Originally Posted by kelvo

I also fitted a 5060 to my D4. Used the Lab Electronics antenna mount Aerial Bracket for the AT880 antenna. Mounted the 5060 under the passenger seat using existing holes in the bracket already there. Then wired the 5060 power into the permanent 12V electric seat supply already under the seat. This is fed from the main battery, not my aux battery, but shouldn’t be an issue for me.

G’day Kelvo,
Any chance of a pic of your install under the seat please?
Wardy

Originally Posted by wardy1

G’day Kelvo,
Any chance of a pic of your install under the seat please?
Wardy

Not much to show really. I opened up holes 1 and 3 in the UHF bracket by about 2mm, I was then able to use the existing holes in the under seat bracket, then short bolts to come in from under the bracket with the nuts on top. This was a bit of a fiddle. Antenna and handset cables then run under the carpet into the centre console. Antenna cable came into the cabin through the, now very full, grommet on the drivers side. Power for the UHF taken from the permanent 12V supply for electric seats, already under the seat, then grounded to the under seat bracket.