There has been a huge break through in the cost of handheld UHF CB radios. The units pictured above now only cost $99.00 each. In the past you could get nothing under $300.00 each. The uses are many and they can make caravanning much more pleasant - dare we say that once owned you wont venture out without one! For instance as you all know, passing through a large town with your A'van in tow severely restricts where you can park as so few towns make provision for caravan parking. Simple,  with a pair of UHF handhelds. Drop one person off in town and go park anywhere you can no matter how far away or just "cruise"! As soon as the the quick shop for essentials is done just call up on the radio and meet at an agreed spot. These little gadgets are amazing. In Port Macquarie we couldn't get a signal in the ground floor of Coles on either mobile phone yet the little UHF got in and out loud and clear. What's more the calls cost absolutely nothing. The best use though is for backing and parking. That set of eyes at the rear stops all silly blunders and avoids arguments and protects your valuable investment from "dings"! They actually work better than the rear TV cameras you see on the $250,000.00 motorhomes. Don't forget though that everyone else tuned to your channel can hear what you are saying, so you can only use it when privacy is not an issue. You can cheat a bit here! When doing your "manoeuvrers" in a caravan park for instance try  switching to channel 23 etc. so the other caravanners don't monitor your efforts!

We use alkaline batteries and get probably 100 hours plus out of each set. On the road just stay on the "caravan channel" (18) and you can talk to other caravanners. Indispensable when travelling with other vehicles in convoy. Lots of uses when you aren't on the road too. Great when one partner likes to walk and the other stays home - you keep in touch giving a good feeling of security. In our case Chrissie loves photographing sunrises, meaning that she must get in position well before dawn. Range is adequate. As an example ours went from inside the Australian Stockmen's Hall of Fame and was received clear as a bell in the township of Longreach - again inside a building and well over 4 kms - very flat country. They are a remarkable INDISPENSABLE little gadget. Ours came from Dick Smith at $99.00 each. We have heard on the grapevine that the price is about to be reduced even further to $87.00 - watch for ads by Dick Smith. You can buy a rechargeable battery kit as an accessory. In our view this is a waste of money as you can't use the radios whilst on charge. Also rechargeables rarely give a full 1 1/2 volts, so output may be reduced slightly. The blurb below comes mainly from the Dick Smith internet pages. A visit to the Stockman's Hall of Fame is not to be missed either!

Uses Auto Power Save function for longer life during stand-by periods. Battery level indicator on LCD screen shows when batteries are becoming exhausted. Keypad lock facility prevents accidental changing of the radios settings. No user licence required in Australia. This transceiver operates on 40 channels in the 476.425 - 477.400MHz range. Measures 61 x 118 x 28mm (WHD not including antenna and belt clip).

ACCESSORY LINES AVAILABLE: D-2037 Heavy-duty speaker/mic, D-2038 Headset, D-2041 Carry case, D-1832 overnight NiCad charger. Cat No. D1748

What is UHF CB?
UHF CB is the term used to distinguish the 477MHz CB band from standard 27MHz CBs. Hobby and business users of UHF CB enjoy not only the convenience of smaller, more convenient mobile and hand-held units, but also clearer reception and lower noise levels compared to standard CBs. The higher UHF CB frequencies allow good coverage indoors; hand-held operation for in-building use is becoming increasingly common. There are also many UHF CB repeater stations around Australia, greatly extending the range of UHF CB signals and made available for general use without charge. If you are considering an upgrade of your existing CB system, or have a need for short to medium range communications where privacy is not a priority, UHF CB may be ideal. With no airtime or licensing fees, and very reasonable equipment pricing, it offers you cost effective and convenient communication.

UPDATE:-
You can now buy the UHO40XR in pairs for $149.00 from Dick Smiths. For those on a tighter budget you can now buy a no frills version for $89.00 a pair. These units have a range of 3 kms, has no scanning and only uses three channels 18/20/24. Output is reduced to 210 milliwatts. This will work OK is close convoy and on beaches etc. We didn't like the use of the dearer AAA batteries plus you need four instead of the 3 AA's for the bigger unit. The catalogue number is Cat No. D1792 . (7/1/03)