Hi guys Well first time on the site, have been reading the forum and got some really great hints from time to time. We're just 11 weeks away from leaving home and hitting the road to go where we haven't been and see what we haven't seen. We were extremely fortunate last year to be able to buy a 100 series cruiser and supreme caravan for our travels from a couple who due to health reasons had to settle down and quite their travelling. Being totally ignorant of what would be required and how to set it up, having it mostly all done for us is a true blessing. We're still working out how the solar/batteries, tv and satellite etc etc etc work. Our previous caravan was a 89 Pratline and was very basic but towed like a dream. We've gone on a couple of short excursions with our new van but the true test is still to come. I've read on the forum to use chanel 40 on the cb radio, is it a good idea to put our names on the back of our caravan so truckies etc can call us when they're coming up? Hubbie want to put a camera on the back, would this just be an distraction whilst driving or would it come in handy? What is the best method of communication with home, is broadband going to give us the coverage up NW of WA and the NT, what carrier would be the most economical? Would we be better just relying on a mobile? Seems like I have a hundred questions but I'd better just start with a few at a time and hopefully over the next few weeks will get a few things sorted before we go.
Great site......
Marken Time
Bridgee said
01:37 AM Feb 14, 2009
Welcome aboard Marken. We are fellow West Aussies and like you have recently purchased a caravan with all the "fruit" and are trying to get our head around the electrics as in solar power, inverters etc. This forum has certainly helped ease our concerns and lessened the confusion over many technical issues. We are also planning to go on a big trip, in about 8 weeks time.
dave06 said
09:53 AM Feb 14, 2009
g'day you pair and welcome to you. ah! the big adventure begins, well you've done the right thing and purchased good reliable equipment right from the start with a lot of the shortfalls and problems already solved for you, well done
channel 18 on the UHF is the "call channel" so start with that for initial contact, if you see a van or motorhome with their name and channel on the back you can switch to that, stay away from the truckies channel they are a grumpy lot and pretty foul mouthed and really aren't interested in anything you may have to say even advice on when to pass or whatever remember they are at work and you are in their way, chances are you will only get a mouthful of profanities if you tell them when and where to pass and probably told to get the f####k off this channel and stay off it!!!
yes its a good idea to have your names and UHF number on the back simply so people can say g'day on their way through, also beside your door, no not because like me you forget who you are but so folks walking past can know you easier, it's a welcome mat thing and a conversation starter
reversing cameras are sometimes a good thing and other times a right pain, they show you how close the drivers get to your rear end which becomes a distraction to you but can help you get in to some tight spots, but they don't give true "depth of Field" and as such cannot be 100% trusted for reversing, so a bit of a toss up, put it in the "toy department",
however a small handheld UHF tuned to the vehicles UHF frequency for you when hubby is reversing can save a lot of shouting and swearing and body blows
don't be trapped by all the "must have" junk on the market, keep it simple and enjoyable, leave the bells and whistles to the whackers who brag about their travels but don't actually travel much and enjoy the simplicity not be frustrated by the complexity
Mike47 said
11:04 AM Feb 14, 2009
Hi Ken and ???, welcome to the forum.
More Sandgropers! Good to see, keep coming and ve vill achieve our takeover of zis site.
Let us know more about your plans and where you plan to go.
Dave, I hate to doubt a Guru, but I was under the impression that Ch 18 was the Camping and Caravanners channel and the CH 11 was the call up channel. I usually take the easy way out and have the unit set on scan. You're right about the language on Ch 40 though, sometimes I wonder how those blokes can kiss their children with those mouths.
Mike
dave06 said
12:44 PM Feb 14, 2009
yes Mike of course you are right, uhf is something I dont muck about with too much I find it rather tedious, however I do listen to knowledgeble people who know about such things and I am always open to being corrected, with the medication I am on now it is happening more and more
but I will post this little titbit that was placed by a very knowledgeble person on this subject not all that long ago and is now away with the pixies travelling this vast and beautifull land and I am hoping that gary and Kerry are enjoying their well earned break
G'day, A warm welcome from me also, I am sure you will find the forum enjoyable, informative and you will make a lot of good friends.
Best Regards and Safe Travelling.
John
Bridgee said
02:35 PM Feb 14, 2009
I thought this might be useful and suggest you copy and paste into a 'caravan' folder or print it out, I have done both......to be sure to be sure! The info below was supplied by our good friends Gary & Kerry
The UHF Cb comes with 40 FM channels,requires NO licence,and basically has a range varying from 5 to maybe 15 kilometers depending on landscape. The flatter the further you'll talk.
Channel 1 to 8 are known as REPEATER channels,you program the radio for repeaters by going to ch1 then press and hold the DUP button on the front of the radio till it beeps and you'll see DUP in the display.continue this programming through to and including ch8.
repeaters work very simply,on ch1 DUP you transmit ch31,then,receive ch1...its automatic when you press the press to talk button...ch2 transmits 32 and receives ch2.ETC ETC to ch 8 .
repeaters give you VAST improvement in range cause repeaters are usually mounted HIGH on a nearby mountain etc. Range through a repeater can EASILY reach 80+kms...
so,if youre travelling with your friend 300 meters in front of you,go to a channel other than 1 to 8 otherwise you'll interfere with long range traffic..
Channel usage::: ch 11 is the CALLING channel if you want to talk to a stranger. CH 5 is the Emergency channel [in cities] and uses the repeater for longer range emergencies. ch18 is the caravan ch ch20 is the motorhome ch ch 40 is the Truckies ch
DONT use ch 22 and ch 23 as these are data channels used mostly by farmers to turn on remote water taps to water their stock etc etc,infact the NEW UHF cbs WONT transmit 22 and 23...
using the calling channel if you want to talk to a stranger,put a call out in NORMAL voice in NORMAL english,then IF or ONCE youve got someone you both agree to meet of aclear channel,avoiding the nominated ones above.
Emergencies,in the cities its a simple matter of going to CH 5 ,MAKE sure the DUP is ON,then in plain english call for help,explain your location,if youve got a gps navigator it will display your EXACT position in lat/long so you pass that onto the operator,operrators are volunteers so treat them nicely. Emergencies in the OUTBACK call ch5 ,if nothing look on ALL 40 chs for someone chatting and break in...
most newer sets comes with scanning,thats the radio checking all 40 channels in less than a second,if it finds activity it STOPS on that channel so you can listen,waits a few seconds then starts scanning again.If you want to stay on a scanned channel simply press the press to talk button ONCE that stops the scanning and you can join in the conversation
OUTBACK Travellers ARE encouraged to travel,if youre NOT talking to someone,then put your UHF cb on SCAN. Reason is if someone has an emergency and does NOT know the proceedure they might call on any channel.You might be the only one to hear them,if you werent scanning youd completely miss their call.
Now,having said that,USE CAUTION if you hear a distress call,you can usually hear the sense of urgency in their voice if its genuine.if in doubt,respond and say you'll notify police at the next town.
in the outback truck drivers [ch 40] will ALWAYS respond to you providing you use plain english ,otherwise they might disregard you as a clown.
talking to a truck driver on 40 is easy,get his direction of travel even if it opposite yours. and say "southbound transport can you hear me",he will know by your strong signal you mean him and he will respond,sometimes a few will respond.
Lastly,in Cities [large cities] i recomend you turn the cb OFF unless you really need it. Theres hundreds of ppl on repeaters all abusing each other,swearing,its NO place for family to listen ...trust me
but PLEASE,outback travellers,if youre not already talking then SCAN,someones life might depend on
mike and Judy said
05:14 PM Feb 14, 2009
Welcome young fella, this is a good place to get a variety of answers to any questions you may think up and the people on this forum seems to know them all, (questions)
Had my name on the back of all my gear since the 70s when I started out, and it has proved invaluable , and agree with all the previous messages here, put it on scan,
What happened to the Pratline had one but gave it to my sister and b/i/law,
suited them better
Marken Time said
10:55 PM Feb 14, 2009
Thanks everyone for the info. I'll print off the CB info and put it in the car to take with us.
Thanks again
Cruising Granny said
08:34 PM Feb 15, 2009
Hi there to you too.
My radio is hardly ever off ch40. It's a great source of road condition information. Being the ex partner of truckie, a former fisher person and cattle station worker, fluent truckie french doesn't bust my eardrums. I do admit some of it is extremely foul, which is when I chip in and tell him to go and have a cuppa and lie down. The worst experience on the radio was hearing an obviously very young girl soliciting on air. That was more disgusting than the trucking language.
I have found most truckies to be very friendly and relieved to know I have seen them in my rear vision missors. I just call them up, advise of my cruising speed, and if they ask I will let them know when it's clear to overtake. They have a job to do and their stresses and expectations are a lot greater than mine.
I have my call channel on the back of my van and car, and my spare wheel covers give them a clue as to who's operating the "rig". If someone wants a chat I change to a chat channel.
These convoy campers give me the sh....ts when they tell each other where they are, what corner, what they can see etc, even though they're only 500metres apart. Close travellers are more the real nuisance to the truckies. Not enough space to overtake one at a time, and to slip in between, especially if the truck has 3 or 4 trailers. There's a lot to watch when towing a van, but I don't need a camera to know they're back there.
Safe and happy travels. Cheers Granny
Marken Time said
01:38 PM Feb 17, 2009
Hi Mike
That'd be Marge, partner of Ken, writer of emails. Ken's not really into the computer too much, does the odd search, may send the odd email but likes to know everything that's going on. We're heading up north, visiting rellies in Exmouth and Karratha before heading off around the top. Not set too much of a schedule, plan on being flexible so that we can visit places other people have been to that we don't know about yet. Ken's known amongst our friends as Mr Havachat, so no doubt we'll get plenty of info along the way. All suggestions will be gladly received. Have a great day Marge
Hi guys
Well first time on the site, have been reading the forum and got some really great hints from time to time. We're just 11 weeks away from leaving home and hitting the road to go where we haven't been and see what we haven't seen.
We were extremely fortunate last year to be able to buy a 100 series cruiser and supreme caravan for our travels from a couple who due to health reasons had to settle down and quite their travelling. Being totally ignorant of what would be required and how to set it up, having it mostly all done for us is a true blessing. We're still working out how the solar/batteries, tv and satellite etc etc etc work. Our previous caravan was a 89 Pratline and was very basic but towed like a dream. We've gone on a couple of short excursions with our new van but the true test is still to come.
I've read on the forum to use chanel 40 on the cb radio, is it a good idea to put our names on the back of our caravan so truckies etc can call us when they're coming up?
Hubbie want to put a camera on the back, would this just be an distraction whilst driving or would it come in handy?
What is the best method of communication with home, is broadband going to give us the coverage up NW of WA and the NT, what carrier would be the most economical? Would we be better just relying on a mobile?
Seems like I have a hundred questions but I'd better just start with a few at a time and hopefully over the next few weeks will get a few things sorted before we go.
Great site......
Marken Time
yes Mike of course you are right, uhf is something I dont muck about with too much I find it rather tedious, however I do listen to knowledgeble people who know about such things and I am always open to being corrected, with the medication I am on now it is happening more and more
but I will post this little titbit that was placed by a very knowledgeble person on this subject not all that long ago and is now away with the pixies travelling this vast and beautifull land and I am hoping that gary and Kerry are enjoying their well earned break
-- Edited by dave06 at 11:52, 2009-02-14
A warm welcome from me also, I am sure you will find the forum enjoyable, informative and you will make a lot of good friends.
Best Regards and Safe Travelling.
John
The info below was supplied by our good friends Gary & Kerry
The UHF Cb comes with 40 FM channels,requires NO licence,and basically has a range varying from 5 to maybe 15 kilometers depending on landscape. The flatter the further you'll talk.
Channel 1 to 8 are known as REPEATER channels,you program the radio for repeaters by going to ch1 then press and hold the DUP button on the front of the radio till it beeps and you'll see DUP in the display.continue this programming through to and including ch8.
repeaters work very simply,on ch1 DUP you transmit ch31,then,receive ch1...its automatic when you press the press to talk button...ch2 transmits 32 and receives ch2.ETC ETC to ch 8 .
repeaters give you VAST improvement in range cause repeaters are usually mounted HIGH on a nearby mountain etc. Range through a repeater can EASILY reach 80+kms...
so,if youre travelling with your friend 300 meters in front of you,go to a channel other than 1 to 8 otherwise you'll interfere with long range traffic..
Channel usage::: ch 11 is the CALLING channel if you want to talk to a stranger.
CH 5 is the Emergency channel [in cities] and uses the repeater for longer range emergencies.
ch18 is the caravan ch
ch20 is the motorhome ch
ch 40 is the Truckies ch
DONT use ch 22 and ch 23 as these are data channels used mostly by farmers to turn on remote water taps to water their stock etc etc,infact the NEW UHF cbs WONT transmit 22 and 23...
using the calling channel if you want to talk to a stranger,put a call out in NORMAL voice in NORMAL english,then IF or ONCE youve got someone you both agree to meet of aclear channel,avoiding the nominated ones above.
Emergencies,in the cities its a simple matter of going to CH 5 ,MAKE sure the DUP is ON,then in plain english call for help,explain your location,if youve got a gps navigator it will display your EXACT position in lat/long so you pass that onto the operator,operrators are volunteers so treat them nicely.
Emergencies in the OUTBACK call ch5 ,if nothing look on ALL 40 chs for someone chatting and break in...
most newer sets comes with scanning,thats the radio checking all 40 channels in less than a second,if it finds activity it STOPS on that channel so you can listen,waits a few seconds then starts scanning again.If you want to stay on a scanned channel simply press the press to talk button ONCE that stops the scanning and you can join in the conversation
OUTBACK Travellers ARE encouraged to travel,if youre NOT talking to someone,then put your UHF cb on SCAN. Reason is if someone has an emergency and does NOT know the proceedure they might call on any channel.You might be the only one to hear them,if you werent scanning youd completely miss their call.
Now,having said that,USE CAUTION if you hear a distress call,you can usually hear the sense of urgency in their voice if its genuine.if in doubt,respond and say you'll notify police at the next town.
in the outback truck drivers [ch 40] will ALWAYS respond to you providing you use plain english ,otherwise they might disregard you as a clown.
talking to a truck driver on 40 is easy,get his direction of travel even if it opposite yours. and say "southbound transport can you hear me",he will know by your strong signal you mean him and he will respond,sometimes a few will respond.
Lastly,in Cities [large cities] i recomend you turn the cb OFF unless you really need it. Theres hundreds of ppl on repeaters all abusing each other,swearing,its NO place for family to listen ...trust me
but PLEASE,outback travellers,if youre not already talking then SCAN,someones life might depend on
That'd be Marge, partner of Ken, writer of emails. Ken's not really into the computer too much, does the odd search, may send the odd email but likes to know everything that's going on.
We're heading up north, visiting rellies in Exmouth and Karratha before heading off around the top. Not set too much of a schedule, plan on being flexible so that we can visit places other people have been to that we don't know about yet.
Ken's known amongst our friends as Mr Havachat, so no doubt we'll get plenty of info along the way.
All suggestions will be gladly received.
Have a great day
Marge