Communications for Cape trip

Hi Ray, I think it extremely unlikely you would need a HF radio yet if you feel the need why not hire an Iridium Sat phone from Cairns $150 per week including insurance. Calls are $3 per minute We are closer to the satellites here so things are cheaper ;-) Why pay for a phone all the way from down south when your mobile will cover all the way to Daintree.
Cheers,
Rob Berrill
Cairns Offroad Training & Tours
www.4wdtraining.com
4wdtraining@cairns.net.au
www.cedarparkresort.com.au

Hello Ray,

Dont worry, as long as you have mobile-mobile comms. You'll be OK.
30,000 per year head up there. You'll meet plenty of good people
you can tag-along with.

Have a ball,

Another Ray

Ray, I travelled to the Cape in '99 and was supprised by the number of people up there. It was like Pitt St(main street of Sydney CBD) in peak hour!! We went to lots of what I thought was 'out of the way places', but there was always other poeple coming and going. Great place to meet fellow travellers but not good for solitude. If you have a UHF, then thats enough comms gear, in my opion, for a Cape trip. Have fun!

If this is your first trip then you'll most likely stick to the well travels parts, so long distance comms aren't essential.

If you want extra security you could consider a personal EPIRB. They are reasonably cheap and easy to store in the vehicle. And they last at least 5 years.

Enjoy the trip and don't forget to wave when you go past my place.

Ray, you we'll seriously need to listen and scan the uhf frequencies to/from Cape york. 90% of the Far North QLD tracks are
very wide and it is like a highway.
But the vehicle traffic to/from Cape York is very busy and some 4WDrivers drive in some narrows areas up to 80 kms /hour
without any visibilty. We witnessed a convoy of 6 vehicles crossing a creek at 70 kms/hour without any visibilty.
Hard to believe.
Put your head lights on for narrow tracks.
Scan the UHF frequency and talk to your self on channel 40 UHF (if by yourself) so other 4WDrivers will know you are on the same track.
Sat phone are only good to talk home and tell your family you are stranded but the help from other 4WDrivers in your near area will come from HF and VKS737.
Guy

Hi,

Thanks for all the replies!!