GME-XRS UHF radio install - Here's how to DIY (2024)

Installing a UHF is essentially a rite of passage for new four-wheel drivers and is one of the first things you do when you get a new fourby. This GME-XRS UHF radio install writeup is for those who are looking to install their first UHF or those who haven’t done one in a while and could look to pick up a couple of tips.

Working it all out

The first thing you’ll want to do is work out exactly how and where you’re going to mount the unit and where you’ll run the cabling. For me, I’ve got the GME-XRS UHF unit to install, which has a small control box to hide up behind the dash, and the speaker/handpiece that has all the controls on it. So I know I’m not going to need much space.

For the wiring on the HiLux, the battery is on the passenger side, and I’m going to connect it directly to the battery so I can leave it on while the keys are out of the ignition (HiLuxes beep incessantly if you’ve got the keys in the ignition and a door open). The power and aerial cable will run down the passenger side of the engine bay, through the firewall, and in behind the glovebox. I’ll mount the unit in there, and run the handpiece cord through to the cab. This GME-XRS UHF radio sounds like an easy as install, right?

Ok, so we’ve got a plan and know where we’re going to mount and run everything, so let’s get to it.

Running cable

This is the fun bit of your GME-XRS UFH install, and it helps if you have kids with tiny hands, or you’re triple-jointed at the waist and elbow. The first thing you’ll want to do is lay your aerial out the front of your four-wheel drive and feed the aerial cable through your mount, whether that be on the bullbar or a standalone mount you’ve got.

Next, you’ll want to put the nut on the cable, run it up to the aerial mount, and do the nut up on the bottom of the aerial with the split washer. Working out that you need to do this after you’ve run it through the firewall is not nearly as much fun as it sounds. Ask me how I know.

Once you’ve done that, run the aerial cable through your grill and have it pop out near where you’ll be running the power lead from the battery. This keeps things nice and neat, and you can run them together, which makes life just that much easier. Finding a factory harness you can run along with always helps with this GME-XRS UHF install, as it gives you a good anchor point to cable tie the cables up and out of the way.

From there, you’ll want to go around any sensors, engine bay parts, or wiring looms to your firewall. You should have a rubber grommet that the factory wiring loom runs through, and most times, there is a spot where you can run your own wiring. If not, find a hole in your firewall to run the wiring through, but make sure you add an appropriately sized grommet. This will help to keep water out, but more importantly, it will help stop your wire rubbing and shorting on the steel of the firewall.

Now, with a bit of luck, you’ll have wire inside your cabin and can think about mounting the unit and connecting it all up.

Mounting and connecting the GME XRS

Now that you’ve got the wiring through, you’ll probably need to remove the glove box (if you’ve gone down the passenger side) and find somewhere to mount the unit. If it’s a DIN unit (with a full fascia like the TX4500), mounting this under your stereo is a great option. If it’s a tuck-away unit like the GME-XRS UHF, you can hide the control box up behind the glovebox with a few cable ties for this install.

From there, it’s just a matter of routing the handset to your centre console area and connecting your aerial and power wire to the unit.

Mounting the handpiece mount to your dash is entirely on you. I’m not one to go drilling if I don’t need to for an install, and the HiLux has a great little spot under the air-con controls that I can pop the handset of the GME-XRS UHF. It’s out of the way and gets some good sound bounce under there for when I’m listening, and it remains easily accessible.

Work out a good spot to put yours and whether you want to go drilling holes for the handpiece mount.

Giving it power

If you’ve gotten this far in the GME-XRS UHF install, the last thing you should need to do is connect your wiring up to the battery or an accessory source if you’re going that way. How you do this will vary, vehicle to vehicle, but the single most important thing you do here is to add a fuse as close to the positive terminal on the positive wire as you can. I know there is one already on the wiring harness, but you’ll need an extra one close to your power source. Make sure you get one in there – a 2amp fuse should be plenty and will cover your wiring.

The second most important thing is to make sure you connect the earth to the chassis, NOT the battery. As the aerial uses the bullbar as an earth, if you have an issue with the vehicle earth, your UHF becomes the only back-to-battery earth you’ll have. So make sure you earth it to the chassis!

Confirm it works!

In the same boat as tying a load down on your ute, giving it a nudge and saying, “That’s not going anywhere!” is the required radio check! Once you’re installed and connected up and the GME-XRS UHF unit has power, you’ll want to make sure it’s working as it should. If you’ve got a local repeater station (usually on a channel between 1-10), jump on there and call up. If not, get your radio on, scan, wait till you hear someone on a channel, and ask for a radio check.

Bear in mind that sometimes folks are using a sidetone, so they’ll not be able to hear you – going near a decent highway and listening to channel 40 or 29 you will usually get a truckie who will let you know your new bit of kit is working.

For a quick overview of how to run the cabling, check out Wes’s video below on the Unsealed4x4 YouTube channel.

Words and images by Wes Whitworth

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