Review: GME XRS Connect Super Compact UHF CB Radio

The GME XRS Connect Super Compact UHF CB Radio series, featuring popular models such as the XRS-330C and the newer, upgraded XRS-335C, is an Australian-made, app-enabled communication system designed for modern 4WDs, trucks and work vehicles.

Michael Kelly, from Berry on the NSW South Coast, installed one of these UHF CB radios in his 4WD a while back. Here, he takes five with Great Walks.

GRW: What were you looking for in a UHF car radio?

Michael: I’d say my partner and I are 4WD beginners. We’re building up from a simple old car, adding things as and when we can, and it can be quite a steep learning curve. The UHF radio was something I found a bit nerve-racking, so I was hoping for something simple that could do the jobs we needed it to at this stage of our journey. Just a basic, functional radio with enough range for our needs and simple enough to operate.

GRW: How did you find installing the GME XRS Connect Super Compact UHF CB Radio?

Michael: I found it surprisingly easy compared with what I thought it was going to be. I’d say the main challenges were navigating some of the awkward corners of my car and deciding where to put it.

GRW: How long did the installation take, and were you able to do it yourself?

Michael: I was out there for maybe an hour and a half to two hours. But that’s me being somewhat of a perfectionist, watching the videos, rewatching them and making sure I was doing everything right. Really, when you boil it down, it wasn’t that hard. There weren’t that many steps.

GRW: You’ve had the radio for a few months now. How are you finding it?

Michael: Loving it. We use it on our journeys with our little group of people. For a long while, I had it on channel 40, and I found listening in to conversations fascinating as well. We’ve subsequently turned it off because of some of the colourful language you might hear from tradies, which doesn’t always go down well with my daughters in the car.

GRW: What sort of range are you getting with the radio, and do you think it’s a handy product for travellers planning a big road trip?

Michael: I’m not getting a massive range, but I think that comes down to the aerial rather than the radio. I’m sticking with the aerial I have because it suits the journeys we’re doing for now. However, for a big road trip, particularly one where we might find ourselves in a situation involving danger or a potential breakdown, I’d want an aerial that offered greater range. The radio itself is fantastic: easy and simple to use. I can’t fault it, to be honest.

For more info on GME’s range of UHF CB radios click here.