PDA

View Full Version : GME 600 VHF problems



gone_phishin
06-12-2007, 06:55 AM
G'day All,

I'm having problems with my 5 month old transceiver.

When on channel 81 (our local watch channel) I can't seem to get through properly to anyone a lot of the time...that is, they can just hear me through the static etc. but then the next time I call there is no problems, everything loud and clear. If I change to say channel 77 I always come through loud and clear so only appears to be 81 with no ryhme nor reason to the outage. A mate thought I may not have been getting through to the repeater but was also 200metres away from local VMR Tuesday morning and they couldn't hear me properly, and that night I was about the same spot and the mate could hear me 10 mile offshore.

Spoke to the dealer I bought the boat from and he just told me to send the unit back to GME in Sydney which is all very well but Xmas School holidays are here for the young bloke and if I do send it back I'm illegal on the water...and for how long???

I was just wondering if anyone may have some idea of what may be happening and is it something a local may be able to fix i.e. radio communications shop or similar.

Cheers
Geoff

Simmo2
06-12-2007, 07:13 AM
Just drop by your local comms shop and ask them to put a power meter on the set. They will be able to see if the swr is ok and the unit is making power.
Whilst they have the unit in transmit, wiggle the antenna wires and 'bash' the antenna with a fishing rod or stick or something to see if the antenna itself is faulty. (dont use your hand because as soon as you touch it you will detune it.)

gone_phishin
06-12-2007, 07:24 AM
Thanks Simmo2...I'll try that!

Geoff

gone_phishin
06-12-2007, 08:17 AM
Just remebered that the young bloke knocked the little plastic cap off the top of the antenna on Tuesday but this was well after the radio started having problems, and before I got through loud and clear to the mate 10 miles away. I've lost the cap
into the bowels of the boat never to be seen again so shoud I cover it with something else in the meantime?
Geoff

Simmo2
06-12-2007, 08:27 PM
The antenna sounds like one of those fibre glass jobbies??? If so, inside that fibreglass 'tube' is only bits of coax soldered together, so preventing water getting in is highly recommended!! Wack some silastic in the end mate, that'll fix it!
However, if the end came off that easy....it may well be the source of your problems anyway!! Time for a new aerial!!

gone_phishin
07-12-2007, 05:16 AM
Thanks Simmo2...I'll let you know the outcome!

Geoff

deadbeatloser
08-12-2007, 08:26 AM
G'day All,

I'm having problems with my 5 month old transceiver.

When on channel 81 (our local watch channel) I can't seem to get through properly to anyone a lot of the time...that is, they can just hear me through the static etc. but then the next time I call there is no problems, everything loud and clear. If I change to say channel 77 I always come through loud and clear so only appears to be 81 with no ryhme nor reason to the outage. A mate thought I may not have been getting through to the repeater but was also 200metres away from local VMR Tuesday morning and they couldn't hear me properly, and that night I was about the same spot and the mate could hear me 10 mile offshore.

Spoke to the dealer I bought the boat from and he just told me to send the unit back to GME in Sydney which is all very well but Xmas School holidays are here for the young bloke and if I do send it back I'm illegal on the water...and for how long???

I was just wondering if anyone may have some idea of what may be happening and is it something a local may be able to fix i.e. radio communications shop or similar.

Cheers
Geoff
i had the same unit die after 5 weeks and used twice took it back to whittys n they replaced with new on following day. it had taken in water some how.??

northernblue
08-12-2007, 06:59 PM
Their screens don't like much direct sun either.
I mean they are OK for day to day fishing but if your boat is stored in direct sun they seem to stuff up

FrankFWM
09-12-2007, 11:19 PM
I had a simmilar problem - it started in a minor way with my GME 27meg - couldn't figure it out - but it wasn't that bad but I could tell it wasn't right on a couple of channels.

When I put in a GME VHF radio - it was real bad.

I finaly worked out what it was... electrical interference from two devices.

First which wasn't as bad as the other was a "Megapulse" device installed on my battery(antisulfation device) - disconnected it - problem got a lot better.

Second was a xatrex Link 10 battery monitor. It's computer was generating electrical noise which was interferring with transmissions on certain frequencies.

Ferrite modules and noise limiters wouldn't fix it. I upgraded to their newer model of battery monitor which fixed the problem and now use the link 10 on something else which is not near a tramsnitting radio - problem solved...

So you may wish to go through and turn everything else off in the boat in terms of accessories one by one and see if it comes good.

Frank