UHF Radio

Thankyou for your response. What you say makes sense so I guess I will just have to continue to use the on off button. :-) It does sound a bit complicated.
Thanks Geoff

Thank you for your response Tony. I will check if my UHF radio (Icom 400 Pro) has this sort of output you are speaking about. This and your additional information has given me something to start with.
Thanks Geoff

The radio may have a "mute" input used for phone handsfree - if so it might be easier to drive than cutting the signal going to the speakers.

Depending on how handy you are you could get the OPC-617 cable for your radio. I think pin 6 tells you if it's receiving (based on this http://www.sm5nvc.se/erak/mod/rig/Icom/ic-f3xx-f4xx-f5xx/repeater.pdf - see towards the end)

A bit like the space program, the Yanks spent a lot of time developing a pen that would write in a vacuum, zero gravity, when wet etc,, the Ruskies just use a lead pencil.
Sometimes the simplest solutions are often the best.

Hi Robin.
Nothing to do with this thread but I was reading one of your threads from a year or so back about how you couldn't decide on what car to upgrade to. Now I can't find the thread so I'm contacting you this way (will I get in trouble?).
1. What car did you end up purchasing?
You (maybe someone else) also made a comment about a friend leaving their 200 series on the Canning.
2. If it was you, could you elaborate on the story please?
We drove it the year the guy stopped doing break down recoveries and encountered 2 broken down vehicles and several abandoned or burnt out ones. Hoping you reply.
Deejay.

No Worries Deejay.

I am very reluctant to get a new car which can't match my current 4800 patrol in ways that are important to me (like being able to sleep in it and suspension) , hence I have not yet got a new car. The Navara NP300 king cab I recently test drove has come closest, but the 200 series is better in other ways .

My next door neighbour was the one who lost his 200 series in a solo drive on the canning in a swamp and got choppered out. The helicopter dropped a couple of rescue packages with sat phones in the night and they were never found , despite some from here looking for them.

He never saw his car again and insurance covered the lost with extras fully.

I can't remember just when the thread was , and some other exploroz people knew other details from the rescue side point of view.

Thank you for that Robin. I drive a 2006 TD42ti Patrol and it has turned out to be a great car - easily the best 4wd I've owned. I used to be a mechanic in a previous career and had a small fleet of 105 series to maintain plus my own 80 series. It is for these 2 reasons I went over to Nissan and have never looked back. Everyone raves about how wonderful the 200 series are but from my experience they are too problematic, too heavy and criminally overpriced. I think it's the snob factor that keeps their sales up. I drove the Canning in 2011 with 1x105 series and 2x200 series. The 105 series developed fuel pump problems from the second day but I managed to get it started each day. One 200 series blew a power steer hose just after Bililuna and was tilt-trayed to Alice Springs for $3600 and repaired for $968. The other 200 also had problems with the dash warning lights coming on periodically. They also used considerably more fuel than me - I even had to loan them fuel on 2 occasions. My Patrol was the only car not to develop any faults of any kind and also used the least amount fuel. Anyway, the point I'm trying to make is that LandCruisers are over rated and survive on an exaggerated reputation. I had many 4wds to look after over the years and most, if not all, were as good and as bad as the Toyotas. If I had to replace my Patrol I would be happy with practically anything on the market today but I must admit the NP300 and the Pajero would head the list. If I were you, I'd keep the old 'Troll. Better the devil you know .......

Hi Bantam,
Thanks for your response. I have received some good feedback as to what I could do about my UHF radio query. After reading your response and some other people telling me it would not be worth the trouble as well, I think it is time to leave things as they are.
Geoff