Thread: Hand Held UHF / Two Way Radios

Need a licence for vhf.
Anything that uses AA or AAA batteries will lack power cig time compared to dedicated lithium etc.
IE. The Garmin Rino radio is reduced to just 1 watt output if you use the AA option, as against 5watt on the inbuilt Lithium.

Originally Posted by Pengy

Need a licence for vhf.
Anything that uses AA or AAA batteries will lack power cig time compared to dedicated lithium etc.
IE. The Garmin Rino radio is reduced to just 1 watt output if you use the AA option, as against 5watt on the inbuilt Lithium.

Thanks for that.
I wondered why replaceable batts weren't more common.

@DAF @andyanimal31

Are your Midland gxt 5 watt radios the GMRS ones?

Are these legal here? I find the legal frequency links very unclear abd confusing.

Use a pair of cheap ones that run on 3x aaa and 2watt can't remember brand but they are yellow... Will cheap tonight @Ryan_Songhurst has a good set up on the farm

I've been using some 2w uniden radios, but find them a bit lacking. And with AAA's the battery life isn't that great. I also hate how they can easily get turned on accidentally and also the buttons get bumped turning on some other mode that prevents being able to communicate with the other person.

Looking for some reasonably priced 5 watts. Looking at Midland, baofeng, puxing etc.

Originally Posted by GWH

I've been using some 2w uniden radios, but find them a bit lacking. And with AAA's the battery life isn't that great. I also hate how they can easily get turned on accidentally and also the buttons get bumped turning on some other mode that prevents being able to communicate with the other person.

Looking for some reasonably priced 5 watts. Looking at Midland, baofeng, puxing etc.

Sounds like my ones!

I'm thinking that up here in the bush, line or sight and accidental switch on with flat battery could be more common problems than lack of sheer grunt ?
223, Do you ones run OK on rechargeables (ie NiMH) or do you have to use actual alkalines ?

Just use disposables with the middle one turned around untill I take them out. Sick of recharagbles going flat when just sitting in the shed

Hi thanks guys.
Just to show what I decided on:

Uniden UHF35-4 4pack of little "toy" radios
Eneloop AAA batteries 3x4pack
About $200 all up at PB Tech
Reception in suburbs is OK at 500m through houses but zilch once you go over the top of a slight hill.
Weight 95g each with batteries in.
So far so good.

I'm using GME 2w radios with a proprietry Li-ion battery. It can charge from USB. I took one radio and one spare battery from my other radio with me on the roar trip to Haast. First battery didn't even drop one segment. I also took a 10,000mAh power pack to recharge from USB if needed.

Originally Posted by 223nut

Just use disposables with the middle one turned around untill I take them out. Sick of recharagbles going flat when just sitting in the shed

Low Self Discharge rechargeables like sony enloops fix this problem.

Originally Posted by MassiveAttack

Low Self Discharge rechargeables like sony enloops fix this problem.

Tried these... Not that impressed

Originally Posted by 223nut

Tried these... Not that impressed

They rock so not sure what you are doing wrong. They have several editions and now come out in a high discharge version so maybe you got an early version? I have found them much better than disposable alkalines. Amazon is the place to buy enloops from.

Took my enloops back, they were going flat in the drawer over couple of months... 12 months old noel leeming replaced them after talking to Panasonic.. Yet to see how new set go....

uniden 2W have a design problem. they go into auto RX, as if they are receiving a transmission. Its a 18buck part from uniden, but a PITA.
I know cos both mine did it, and I spoke to Uniden NZ about it. Needs a soldering specialist to replace, otherwise they do it at nearly the same cost as new radios.
Which is why I went to GME.