Mining is a tough game. Hot, wet, dusty and rough. When GME made the TX4800, it was obvious that they had listened. Not only to industry in general, but mining in particular. How else could such a tough product evolve though the planning stages.
I have been in the two way radio scene for thirty years, so I can say I've heard it all before. To put a product into service and see it live up to expectations has been a real pleasure, and the feedback from our mining customers has been just as enthusiastic.
This radio was sold two years ago to the Beaconsfield Gold mine in Tasmania and has been in continuous operation all that time.
The radio was mounted on a remote bogger (loader). The cabs on these machines are exposed to all the underground elements, of dust, water and vibration. Which means, of course, so is the radio...
We received this radio in for repair with the complaint that it would no longer receive. The fault was reported only after it's external speaker had failed, which esposed the fact that the internal speaker had also failed.
Before starting the repair it was necessary to clean the radio. Not a problem! Seal the microphone opening, spray with degreaser and detergent, allow to soak before using a short bristled brush to scrub away the debris, then into a bucket of water for a rinse.
Removing the front panel, revealed a shiny circuit board, totally unscathed.
The front panel was a different story. This had to be completely dismantled to clean out and check how the keypad was fairing, and to change the speaker, which as you can see is totaled.
The keypad was cleaned and placed back into service, and a new speaker installed. The RJ45 microphone socket was also replaced as a precaution. Once everything was reassembled and tested, its performance was checked using a systems analyser. Everything was good, frequency offset, deviation, receiver sensitivity, transmitter power and deviation levels were all perfect...
After an hour in the workshop and the replacement of a few minor parts, this TX4800 was ready to go.
As someone who has worked with radios most of his life, I cannot recommend this radio highly enough.
For more information, Give us a call on 03 64370909 or visit www.gme.net.au