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Post Info TOPIC: UHF CB for budding travellers
Gary and Kerry


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UHF CB for budding travellers
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This was on another forum and I thought it might useful to pass on.



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

-- Edited by Gary and Kerry at 20:33, 2008-12-02

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Cruising Granny


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Thank you for the detailed advice re correct use of UHF Radio. I use mine mainly to listen to road conditions, weather, prangs, police patrols etc. I also use it to call the truckie following me to advise of my average towing speed and to give them the all clear to overtake if not on overtaking lanes. I usually receive a very grateful response and a cheery "thanks".
But I haven't used the repeater outback info to date, but it's great info, and I will use it if I have to.
And some of the town language is quite off, especially after school.
I even heard a girl offereing herself to anyone listening in the Bundaberg area. Nice! Cheers Granny.

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ibbo


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Thank you for a very informative post.Funny thing about life you think you know a hell of a lot when all of a sudden you know SBA.Cheers Ibbo.idea

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Xtrail51


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Thanks guys, very informative, I have learned a lot.  Cheers Barb. smile



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Peter_n_Margaret


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Well done Gary.

A couple of other tips:

1. Scanners take a few secconds to check all of the channels.
So if you do need help in the bush, hold the transmit button down for a few seconds before speaking. This will allow scanning stations to lock on to your signal and hear what you have to say.
If you have a real emergency but can't hear anybody, assume that someone CAN hear you. Say WHERE you are, and WHAT your problem is. Speak slowly and clearly. Someone may be able to hear you, even if you cant hear them. You don't wan't a situation where they can hear you but can't help because they don't know where you are. Sometimes in freak conditions, signals get picked up hundreds of kilometers away, just don't rely on it.

2. I think all or most 'built in' radios are 5W transmit power (this is the maximum allowed by law).
Hand helds vary from 1/2W, all the way to 5W. 1/2W is useless for anything except for help with backing the van (great for that). If you want decent range with a hanh held, buy a 5W unit.
We use 5W hand helds in the OKA mounted in car kits with external antennae and power supply, so they are as good as built-ins, but can still be removed for walking and fishing. There is a second one in the back.

3. Antennaes!
High gain antennaes give longer range (up to 30km or more), but may not be as clear and reliable depending on terrain.
Low gain antennaes give shorter range but better reception.
On the highway, talking to the truckies and your mates in convoy, you don't want to hear everyone for a 30km radius, so a short rubber zero or low gain antennae is better, cheaper, and harder to break.
This is all we ever use. We carry a 6dB/9dB spare antennae 'just in case' we need it for long range use.

4. Don't hog the airwaves. You may only be able to hear those that you are chatting to, but there maybe 50 others having to listen to your verbal rubbish. Give 'em a break. Please be considerate.

5. DO NOT rely on UHF as your means of emergency communication, and Telstra NextG (the best mobile coverage by a county mile) still only covers about 25% of the land surface of Australia (the propogana says "98%", but this is the % of the population, not the area).
If you 'go bush' have a long range method too. ie HF, sat 'phone or EPIRB.
The EPIRB (or PLB - Personal Locator Beacon) is the best, lowest cost, most reliable method of calling for help in a "dire emergency" anywhere in Australia and offshore.


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Smokeydk


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Gary.....Well said,

just for info...lot of Country Fire Service Brigades are using UHF in their trucks.lot are using Ch17.....I know My Brigade does.....they can communicate with farmers etc.

Also..perhaps We should all get letters cut to put on rear of our Campers/Caravans saing example .......Fred & Mary UHF 18..


Dave

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Peter_n_Margaret


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There are actually at least 60 UHF frequencies.
Those above 40 are not for general public use. They are used by emergency services and police.
It is legal to listen to those channels (one of our radios scans through to Ch 60), but it is not possible to transmit on them.

Cheers,
Peter

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dave06


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so from what I gather from here gary is that "GET OUT THE WAY DICKHEAD" is probably not acceptable etiquette, and maybe should be avoided

I see a lot of these "harry and jan ch 18" on the back of vans nowadays and I think it's great, cause you dont have to call them "dickhead" you already know who they are so cursing and abusing them is sooooo!!! much easier

much more fun coming up behind with the kenny at 100k and giving them a blast with the air horns though,

as my father once said "it's the little things in life that give the most pleasure" and he is soooo!!! right, the old coots nearly climb out the windows!!!

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