Here at Caravan World we’ve been using GME products for a couple of decades, from the earliest handhelds to the latest in-cab UHFs, and one thing has always stood out — GME quality.
The latest gear to land on our events equipment shelves were two sets of, ah, TX6160YTPs. For those that cannot read code, they are part of the TX6160 family of 5/1W handhelds but resplendent in yellow.
What stands out to us is what is obvious to you: the colour. I kid you not, we were losing a black radio every few months before we got these. The vibrant yellow colour stands out on the ground, in the centre console of the car or when left on the front locker of a caravan, not that we’ve done that more than a bunch of times.
We opted for the granddaddy of packs — the twin set — that comes in a hardwearing and well-sealed hard case with charging stations that can be plugged into 220V and 12V (cigarette plug), a pair of earpieces and mic extensions. The extensions are particularly handy for us as we call through caravans on video and photo runs, but they can work equally well when driving as they are able to be clipped to clothing or your dash.
GME claims a solid 30-hour stand-by life but in real work testing (by that I mean we leave them on overnight — accidentally — often) we’ve seen better. When using the radios over two to three-day shoots, we rarely have to charge them and we’ll be on-channel most daylight hours.
In terms of range, we do not take them off 5W mode, so I can only speak to what we’ve seen in their most powerful setting, and that’s pretty good for a handheld. In and around the Victorian High Country we’ll see over a kilometre in dense bush and on the flats, over 5km. While we have seen claims of around 17km, we haven’t had the chance to properly test that but would believe it.
The radios each feature a built-in LED torch, which is handy although not the first thing you’ll grab when you need a torch. I suspect its value will come if you end up lost in the bush with only your GME to save you.
They have scan mode, which cycles channels superfast and are loud — very loud — when adjusted all the way up. They are built to withstand the harshest Australian environments and are super robust, passing our accidental drop test well and carry a three-year warranty (which we’ve never had to claim on with any GME product).
We are proponents of having a UHF on the road and in the bush. The ability to communicate with passing trucks or the convoy you are in is invaluable. Whether it is built into your tow vehicle or handheld is up to you but if you go handheld, you can take it with you if you go for a walk or ride.
The pack we have has a recommended retail price of $619 and a single handheld has an RRP of $269. We have a discount code for our partner at A247 and the GME range it stocks. Head there and use the code Adventures24 for 10 per cent off any purchase at A247.
One last thing, if yellow is not your thing, GME does a limited edition pink option that supports the McGrath Foundation. With any sale of the range, GME sends 10 per cent of the sale value to the McGrath Foundation — well done GME!
A reliable communication device is essential to any safety equipment setup, and these high visibility yellow twin pack GME radios are an excellent product to add to your adventuring setup.
For additional information about GME's product range, head here.
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