not so Outback Communications

I usually wait for the nubile nude women when I have mechanical problems .... especially those with knowledge of diesels. Saves the cost of a phone call for starters.
Jack

Rick,
Don't ever rely on CDMA etc for genuine outback travel; not even with an in-car kit and 6db external antenna. I have one of those set-ups and you might get a signal 20klm further out, but not reliable.
You have 2 choices (and then some!!!).
#1....Sat phone....great if you know who you want to call in time of need.
#2....HF Radio.....(this is the way I went with mine). With this option, yes you do need a licence; but you automatically get that when you join a radio network (I'm a member of VKS737....they have a web site....www.vks737.on.net
Picture this scenario.......You're out on the Gibb River Road and you hole your fuel tank. No worries, you're well prepared and carry gear to fix a hole of this nature. However, with hole fixed you've now got no fuel to get out. With Sat phone, you phone local servo (just 500klm up the road!!!) and they kindly offer to bring some fuel to you.....for 3 grand!!!) However, with the HF, you make a call to one of the Network's bases and when you outline your plight, there is a damn good chance that another network member will hear you and come your aid....they could be only a short distance away and would settle for a carton of coldies. It has happened.
With the HF, you also get to listen to all the banter that goes on (bit like the "forum of the airwaves") during the daily "skeds".
These "skeds" are daily scheduled sessions from various bases (eg: Alice Springs, Charters Towers, Sandstone, Adelaide, StMarys) wherby you can call in each afternoon and advise of your safe arrival at a certain spot etc. Before you leave on a trip, you can advise relatives etc of a phone number for the network so that they can phone you in the case of an emergency (if someone has died) and the network will broadcast the fact at the beginning of each session that there is a message for a particular member.
Sounds complex, but works easier than the way I've explained it here.
You can, if you wish, also use your HF radio to make radio phone (ie: "radphone") calls, but you need to pre-arrange this (I haven't bothered with this).
Just my 2 cents worth.
Membership of VKS network is about $70- p/a
You can hire both HF and Satphones if you are only likely to use them infrequently, but I'm not sure of the respective costs.
Good luck,
Cheers,

Rick roachies reply was spot on. I was also looking at getting the antenna and going down that path . I have a hf but expensive and coplicated to make phone calls and a bit scratchie .
I found a better choice for me was the sat phone bought through ebay works out about the same as antenna cost and acsess to hf phone call net work

All the best
Eric

Rick, where in Central Queensland exactly? Makes a difference to the answer.

Rick.......there's a Satphone / HF info page on www.vks737.on.net.........covers a few of the pro's - con's re HF and Satphone usage. Contact vks737 head office if you need more advice ... see the contact page at the site.

Ok Rick, I don't believe you need to go to the expense of any of this, especially not the HF radio - unless of course you are a radio nut. carnarvon Gorge has Rangers and telephones. Do you have UHF? You will mostly be on good roads with plenty of people passing by. If you are uncertain you could hire a Sat phone. Have a great time anyway, up in Carnarvon you should be too busy walking and birding to worry about the phone!!

As you are not a radio freak and not going too far into the unknown I think I have come up with an answer to your problem/dilemma, Rick.
Until you leave on the trip, put a tape recorder on the phone and record each one of SWMBO's calls to her girlfriends, then when you are on the trip - hand her the phone, play back the tape and she can have 2 hours on the "phone" each day. LOL