GME XRS 2-way CB radio system

Introduction

in Australia, GME is amongst the leading manufacturers of UHF CB Radios for off-roaders and they are made in Australian
the XRS range was launched in 2016 and have the most capable features for off-roaders including radio transmission of GPS location and Bluetooth connection to mobile phones and head sets
most of the models are for installing into a 4WD but there is a hand held model, the XRS-660 for spotting and hiking, etc
NB. if you are looking for the smartphone Location Services app, this was merged into the XRS Connect app in 2021 on both Android and iOS.

GME XRS-660 hand held CB radio features

hand held 5W model released in Feb 2024
XRS-660 user manual (pdf)
https://www.gme.net.au/au/hand-held-radios/xrs-660/ $AU499-549 each
- includes one BP030 7.4V 2550mAh Li-Ion Battery Pack and the required proprietary AC charger which as a 3.5mm 12V 2A DC output - a 12V car cigarette charging cable which inserts into the charger is an extra $23
- ~4hr recharge on AC
337g, rugged, waterproof to IP67 with 5yr warranty
5W/1W/0.1W transmit power settings
- use 1W or 0.1W for close comms to reduce battery usage
- 20-22hrs at 5W, 31-33hrs at 1W, 48-64hrs at 0.1W
- NB. the power rating of the radio does NOT affect its ability to receive signals but the power rating of the transmitting radio will make a big difference in signal strength for the receiving radios
removable 1/4 wave 15cm SMA 2.1dBi AE4028 unity gain antenna
color TFT screen readable in all light conditions
- 1st handheld UHF CB radio to have colour TFT LCD screen - other TX hand held GME models have LCD screens only
2W speaker
Bluetooth to headsets and smart phones
VOX
- hands free talk mode
Roger Beep
- when enabled, is a tone that is automatically transmitted whenever the PTT is released. This tone serves to alert the receiving party that your transmission has ended.
Built-in GPS (but need a smartphone for map)
- even if you already have a better GPS system on your phone which also has maps which the radio lacks, this still has some useful functions:
  - 1. can set the radio to embed your current GPS location in your voice message to all XRS radio receivers who can then view your location on their XRS radio or linked smartphone
    - this allows your colleagues with XRS to find you even when there is no mobile phone network - of course they have to be in range of your radio which could be an issue
  - 2. in the event your smartphone has run out of battery, you can get your GPS coordinates and elevation and you can tell a rescuer over the radio your GPS, or if you have a map, you can find your location on the map
  - 3. if your smartphone is working and linked, you can save battery by using the smartphone's GPS location to embed in transmissions to other XRS radios
XRS Connect location services
- the XRS models allow automatic sending and receiving of GPS data between radios when a voice call is made
- this requires Bluetooth connection to a mobile phone or tablet device at each radio and that device must have the XRS Connect app installed and if not local internet connection, have the areas maps downloaded for offline use - also helpful on each app to set a user name so this info will be transmitted as well as your current status you set eg. “driving”
- you can also program a side button to display your GPS and elevation data on the radio screen
- you can also create breadcrumbs which “age” in color on the phone map
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpxP0kQpe-Y
CrewTalk
- CrewTalk is a new XRS feature that allows you to automatically configure pre-defined Net-Scan lists. As with regular Net-Scan, the benefit is that a group of users can have communications with far less chance of being blocked by outsiders, or hearing unwanted transmissions from outsiders
Selective Calling
- SelCall operates like a telephone. Your radio is pre-programmed with its own unique SelCall Identification number (which you can rename). If this number is called by another radio, your radio will beep to alert you and if you answer the call you can start a conversation.
- can store up to 20 numbers
- includes a Group Call function that allows you to call up to 1000 radios simultaneously. This can be useful in an emergency situation where you may need to transmit a message to a large number of radios in your group. This requires a sequentially numbered SelCall Idents for each radio. A dealer needs to re-program it to allow more than 10 radios in a group.
  - If the radios in your group do not have sequential SelCall numbers and you want to make use of this function, you will need to re-program the SelCall Idents in your radios by changing the numbers in your radio’s ‘OWN’ SelCall memory
- a useful feature is that if the other person does not answer, you will get a ping back with their GPS location - very handy if they have got out of vehicle and broken a leg
Quiet mode
- mutes the receiver to prevent incoming signals from being heard in the speaker until your SelCall Ident is received. In this way you can monitor a busy channel for personal calls without being disturbed by unwanted signals.
Scramble function
- allows your voice messages to be scrambled so other CB radio users who don't have this scramble technology (the scrambler is compatible with the majority of scramblers used by other manufacturers, allowing you to enjoy scrambled communications with owners of non-GME radios) cannot understand what is being said
  - if using SDR, you can unscramble it by using two instances of the SDR software:
    - 1st instance choose NFM, Correct IQ and output it to computer audio (eg. Windows Direct Sound)
    - 2nd instance takes that audio as input (eg. Windows Direct Sound), set to LSB and adjust frequency
    - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yntHhQ5GYu8
- cannot be enabled on channels 5, 11, 22, 23, 31-38, 61, 62, 63, 71-78 or on any channel that has been set to Duplex mode (1-8)
Triple Watch feature
- monitor two “Priority channels” such as 5 and 40 while you are using your main channel
Voice recording and playback
- If enabled, records 1st 30secs of each transmission received up to 12 minutes
- this is a very handy feature as you can replay transmissions in case you were not listening or you didn't hear properly
In-built CTCSS and DCS:
- user selectable Continuous Tone Coded Squelch System and Digital Coded Squelch system provides silent operation on individual channels
Additional radio receiver only function
- can create a “zone” for a frequency in the 403-520MHz range to listen in on various transmissions such as some emergency services or commercial retail services
- these can be programmed in via the smartphone app for ease of use
- not sure how useful this is
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f474xmrKhRY
firmware update in 2025 adds shared BT audio
- allows phone and radio to use your BT headset eg. Dual option - automatically reverts to phone at end of radio transmission but doesn't interrupt a phone call
issues
- does not charge via USB and charger is not compatible with TR models
- some have issues with poor range from inside their vehicles but that's probably due to metal blocking it and no external antenna
- tends to be complex due to its many functions - need to watch the Youtube clips
accessories
- MC013 2W wired speaker IP67 microphone ~$AU129
- HS017 wired earpiece microphone with PTT button ~$AU59
- XRS-PTT wireless PTT button and steering wheel clamp mount (designed for the XRS-BT1 for other models but presumably also works with the 660?) ~$AU69
- BCV007 12V DC Vehicle Charger cigarette lighter to battery charger ~$AU23
- spare BP030 2550 mAh Li-ion Battery Pack ~$AU169
- antenna options via SMA
  - replacement GME AE4028 unity gain antenna
  - for in vehicle use:
    - AE4026SMA Magnetic Antenna Base with 3m Lead & Plug - SMA Connector ~$AU55 presumably is compatible although the XRS-660 is not listed
      - you could combine this with a UHF antenna such as GME AE4702B (6.6dBi) or AE4704B (2.1dBi)