personal experience:
(so note that this was not a scientific test, just personal experience).
In my D1 I originally got myself an Oricom unit with a remote head setup. model was the UHF380. was a very reasonable price, and worked well enough for me(so I thought, which I'll explain below).
In a rush of blood to the head, I somehow bought a GME XRS 370 for a bit less than the $500 most places had it for online .. at a store, in my hands that moment, fitted a few more once at home.
I didn't need it, I already had the Oricom. What would have been a better irrational expense could have been a better antenna instead. But rush of blood, and one XRS370 later, I felt satisfied in some way.
Actually what felt satisfying was the much more sturdy/solid construction of the GME remote head unit compared to the Oricom.
Oricom felt OK whilst I had it, but I really only noted how flimsy the Oricom actually was compared with the GME control/mic unit.
(note here tho, not all GME mics feel as solid as some folks wax lyrically about .. the work truck mics feel pretty crappy for supposed high quality GME products. I reckon the Uniden mics(note just plain old mics) feel more solid.
And the Oricom remote head feels more solid than the work GME truck mics.
But this XRS remote head takes mic/remote head unit quality to another level(I reckon). Solid, heavy! .. but solid. Nice button feel, etc.
So with a spare UHF unit, and brothers D2 having an old GME 40ch unit, and really badly aged GME mic .. I thought to hand him a hand(so to speak), and his unit had not so good Tx ability, which I thought was simply the really bad way a previous owner routed the coax or something.
Anyhow, Oricom now in brothers D2, XRS370 in my D1.
We had to swap carsa few times on a drive once, as I could understand what he was saying. I was too loud according to him, but he was barely audible in most situations. After a few swaps and a few different distances apart, the Oricom was simply terrible on Tx. I thought it was the original whip aerial, coax to it was all new, solid length apart from the connects to the radio and aerial. Previous owner had three sections with two PL259 connectors between radio and aerial.
Anyhow, new 6dbi GME aerials didn't help him, and made no difference to my XRS370.
And to be sure I roughly fitted my XRS370 to his D2 as a test and using a cheapo handheld UHF from Aldi ... his D2 now sounded 'loud' too. Oricom back in to the D2 ... weak Tx, which translates to fuzzy dim Rx on other units I've tried.
Just something weak with the Oricom UHF380 design. quickly fitting the XRS370 to his D2 confirmed that my coax fitting wasn't the issue in his D2.
So if I had to buy a UHF unit again, or recommend to anyone a product to get, I'd go for the GME. I'm not a fan of in dash units and buttons and controls on the dash, I like the remote functionality of the remote/mic systems.
I have mine setup in my D2 with a RJ45 port fitted to the centre console and radio unit hidden behind a panel somewhere(maybe behind glovebox.. can't remember) .. so remove is to simply unplug and stash it.
On a drive, any type of drive, not just off road to touring into another state, or remote area ... UHF is always on.
I set it to scan all channels, eg. listen to other users, farmers, etc. A lot of gibberish(eg. avoid Ch 40 in main cities as it's just idiots being morons!) out of the cities, truckies usually just chattering along some with BS, some with useful info on road conditions and stuff. It all depends on where you are.
With my XRS, I've set the additional channels capability to listen to emergency services. In the high country that'll be fire. So via the app, I did the app thing and it was easy to do to program the additional channels. A few button presses.
On the Oricom, you can program more channels(200 Oricom vs 80 on the XRS) but each one needs to be singularly programmed, and who has time to do that? Never used on the Oricom.
Very rarely do I actually interact with the communicating public, but once I did out in the desert area of Western Vic. Radio on, mainly to listen out for vehicles, but on one occasion, one chap asked if such and such road was open or easily trafficable. I was on that track and after a few seconds of no reply.. I did. Again radio on scan, and just happened along this chatter.
Last 18 months have been hit and miss for easy travel due to the pandemic and threat of lockdown .. so haven't used the UHF at all.
I personally don't believe that GME are 'more durable' in any way. I've had two myself that simply broke down, mainly really badly lasting mics, but also display on my TX3500 went cockeyed.
Brothers D2 came with a TX3400(or similar) 40ch remote head(not remote mic/head) unit. Again head unit half died, mic piece fell to bits .. etc.
I know you can get some replacement parts and suchlike, but as far as being more durable in some sense .. I've never seen it myself.
What I refer too above with the XRS370 remote mic/head is not so much durable, more so quality feel. The feeling is solid, better quality plastic, where the Oricom plastic feels cheap/flimsy(less solid).
This is not the same as more durable.
One thing I can highly recommend to get (if whatever you get doesn't have it) .. that's a magnetic mic mount!
I know GME have it (MB207) .. not sure if other brands use magnetic mounts.
Absolutely awesome! I'll get one myself one day to replace the archaic clip on hook on thing you get as standard.
Some of our work trucks are newer and others older. The older ones have the traditional hang on hook. The newer ones use the magnetic attachments.
The magnetic ones have a magnet system, where the hook up is rounded/convex/concave and magnetised.
So much easier to pickup and put down again. You never need to take eyes off the road .. you just feel for it. It does the rest.
I remember seeing AStPW do a quick review of one and thought .. what an idiot .. it's not needed. Just waste of $s getting folks to think they need a new system... but having used it now at work .. I was the idiot. Makes so much more sense this magnetic system.
Our work involves some quite extreme rough driving, and I feel 100% confident that it won't pop off the magnet under almost any situation in a road vehicle.
Arthur.
'99 D1 300Tdi Auto
'03 D2 Td5 Auto
Bookmarks