Communication between vans
Submitted: Monday, Jan 03, 2005 at 08:59
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Billv
We normally travel by ourselves, but next winter another couple in their own separate caravan will be travelling with my wife and I on a longish trip (on the bitumen) through western NSW, SA, NT and Queensland. As mobile coverage will often be unavailable we need to be able to keep in touch. What is the most cost efficient way of doing this? Advice will be appreciated
Reply By: Member - JohnR (Vic) - Monday, Jan 03, 2005 at 09:09
Monday, Jan 03, 2005 at 09:09
Billv, that depends on how far apart you want to communicate. If you were 10-20 Kms and no further you would look to UHF radios with higher gain antennas on each vehicle. Dependent on where you were, you could find that repeaters could extend that range considerably. There is a list on this site of such repeaters. (under On The Road above)
For normal travelling a digital mobile is not good for distant parts of Australia and you would be better off with CDMA mobiles, which have a good coverage around all but the smallest settlements on more utilized routes. You do say 'on the bitumen' so I guess that should still stand. CDMA is a lot better supported by Telstra than the normal digital as the range is a lot better for that technology.
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Reply By: Nick R - Monday, Jan 03, 2005 at 09:18
Monday, Jan 03, 2005 at 09:18
UHF radios would be the go. One with sel call would be brilliant so us people who live on a major tourist route don't have to listen in.
Sorry, a bit of an axe to grind here, some people babble on all day on them which makes it really annoying if you have them all over your
farm and need them turned on all the time as a normal part of business. Some people go on about what they had for dinner last night, where will we eat tonight? ohhhh looook, isn't the coast line beautiful.......................
I'm sure none of those type of people are on EO, here we only have considerate users of radios.
NickR
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Follow Up By: Mad Dog (Victoria) - Monday, Jan 03, 2005 at 09:41
Monday, Jan 03, 2005 at 09:41
What! To babble on was the original intention of such a service...CB Radio...Citizen Band Radio, a band for all citizens to use to with no restrictions with what they babble on about. If you want to use a cheap service for business then you'll have to put up with the babbling or pay for your own frequencies.
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Follow Up By: Member - JohnR (Vic) - Monday, Jan 03, 2005 at 10:14
Monday, Jan 03, 2005 at 10:14
Hey Ray, it isn't you that continually gives a description of the western Great Ocean Road is it on the UHF? "Oh, what a pretty place........ can't see Billy yet following this way, ....oh yes there he is...... what are you having for dinner tonight?" "have you any baked beans left? " " Did you taste that walnut and date cheese at Cheesworld?" ".... hey look down that
boat ramp..."
So much of the chatter is just inane, but agree with billv that the worst is the is the fould mouthed yobbos. We get some contractors about who seem to be the worst or rather their employees, but have found their job is at risk with a quick call to their employers.
It would be better to use a half wave antenna if all the travellers want to do is talk between cars. There is no need to send inane slop so far and wide.
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Follow Up By: Bonz (Vic) - Monday, Jan 03, 2005 at 10:23
Monday, Jan 03, 2005 at 10:23
It is a babble-a-thon, but thats what CB radio is all about. Sadly the demise of 27meg has moved incessant compulsive babblers to UHF, but its a cross we all bear. I have been known to tell some people to take care with their language on the UHF but more often than not have received a barrage of expletives that even a nun couldnt understand.
cest la vie
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Follow Up By: Truckster (Vic) - Monday, Jan 03, 2005 at 10:31
Monday, Jan 03, 2005 at 10:31
quite simple, people who babble, should get off the main channel, and onto another.
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Follow Up By: Bonz (Vic) - Monday, Jan 03, 2005 at 10:35
Monday, Jan 03, 2005 at 10:35
T-Man, I think we are talking about people who babble on their chosen "other" channel whch happens to co-incide with the channel used by the farmers/taxi's etc.
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Follow Up By: Member - Sand Man (SA) - Monday, Jan 03, 2005 at 11:26
Monday, Jan 03, 2005 at 11:26
Nick,
Selcall will not stop others from listening in. Selcall allows selective calling (paging) of other units by way of a unique code.
When the Selcall button is pressed, only the receiver with the selected code will signal another (authorised) party is calling you.
You should have already arranged with other parties within your call group, what channel you will use.
When answered however, anybody within range can receive, or transmit on the same channel.
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Follow Up By: Mad Dog (Victoria) - Monday, Jan 03, 2005 at 13:21
Monday, Jan 03, 2005 at 13:21
From the ACA
CBRS Class Licensing
Citizen Band Radio Service
The Citizen Band Radio Service (CBRS) is a two-way, short distance, communications service that can be used by any person in Australia, whether it is for recreational or domestic purposes, or in connection with work or business.
-------------------------------------------
So if I want to talk about what I had for dinner or how far up the track I am I'm quite within my rights as long as I'm not on the two emergency channels or the two telemetry channels and I have to share the channels with others who have their own needs.
If I want a private frequency then I have to pay for it.
Don't get me wrong I hate hearing the abuse, stupid noises and clowning around as much as anyone but that's life. To expect CB to be immune from these people is unrealistic.
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Follow Up By: Member - JohnR (Vic) - Monday, Jan 03, 2005 at 15:41
Monday, Jan 03, 2005 at 15:41
Ray, I know some also set up pump controls on UHF too but they shouldn't be encouraged as I know although legal upsets the whole district on that channel, I am not talking a telemetry channel either.
One of the worst users I hear from time to time is a fellow in an ultralight aircraft who likes to talk to the ground. I can't understand him so I wonder at his friends or family.
I always try to be very circumspect in the language I use and the information I give but have given some information to fellow travellers too. You then have to realise you are open to debate other channel users too, like others disagreeing as you pass information. The last week in November I had one fellow justifying his use of wrapping his silage in plastic bundles while describing methodologies to EO friends.
I guess I must have been annoying him, cos I wasn't using my normal channel...........
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Follow Up By: Mad Dog (Victoria) - Monday, Jan 03, 2005 at 17:15
Monday, Jan 03, 2005 at 17:15
It'll never work without a spirit of co-operation
John, too many with a gimme gimme gimme attitude, all take and no give.
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Follow Up By: Member - Davoe (WA) - Monday, Jan 03, 2005 at 21:07
Monday, Jan 03, 2005 at 21:07
I think those cheap 1/2 watt jobbies are a real bane thank goodness there only low powered whenever you drive into a town or go near a caravan park all you hear is kids playing with them and they can be unuseable in the city
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Follow Up By: motherhen - Monday, Jan 03, 2005 at 23:17
Monday, Jan 03, 2005 at 23:17
Hi Davoe - Back from your holiday? How was it? We'll be leaving tomorrow or the next day - still selling cattle. All packed up. Motherhen
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Follow Up By: Mark E - Friday, Jan 07, 2005 at 16:56
Friday, Jan 07, 2005 at 16:56
Nick,
As a farmer or business person using these frequencies, the best way to eliminate all the unwanted dribble is to use CTCSS. Fitted to all your radios, it will mean that you simply don't hear all the chatter. The channel you use will stay 'muted' until it hears one of your 'group' of radios, with the appropriate sub audible tones fitted.
I assume the reason you use CB's is because they're quite cheap and no need to licence them...CTCSS would be the next best thing to having your own 'private' frequencies as many companies use.
As mentioned in other threads, CB is just that....Citizen's Band and like it or not, there are a lot of people using it (some who lack basic etiquette!!). And if you choose to leave your set on in the house or shed, you are bound to be 'annoyed' by innane chatter.
Check out CTCSS with your local radio dealer.
Hope this helps,
Mark
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Follow Up By: Member - JohnR (Vic) - Friday, Jan 07, 2005 at 18:28
Friday, Jan 07, 2005 at 18:28
Mark and Ray,
for business it is important actually to have CB rather than just another pay channel. Even selcall is pretty poor as it would preclude the people we do business with even on a sporadic nature. Truckies and the like that need to be talked in down our road - many can't read maps or directions or weren't provided with them.
I used to use a time switch on the power supply to cut out an insomniac who used a dish from south east of
Melbourne at 3am! Who says UHF is line of sight - that was over 200 kms? Antenna is lower now:-)
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Follow Up By: Mad Dog (Victoria) - Friday, Jan 07, 2005 at 18:52
Friday, Jan 07, 2005 at 18:52
I understand what you're saying
John but it is a shared service and that means having to share it with the village idiot as
well. Unfortunately there is no solution to the problem. I have a problem at
home with the power authorities infastructure ripping up HF....most of the band is unusable with s9 hash,
well it was a problem I'm over it now and only operate from the ute when out and about.
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Reply By: Muddy 'doe (SA) - Friday, Jan 07, 2005 at 18:56
Friday, Jan 07, 2005 at 18:56
Just a thought.
Nokia are starting to market mobile phoes with a PTT (Push to talk) function that is like using handheld UHF. It is supposed to be a direct phone to phone communication that is not a regular phone call and is free. I think it is line of sight just like radios and does not involve towers and stuff.
Does anyone know the details on these? What freqs they use, what range they cover?
Might be an alternative and would keep the farmers happy if it is not using UHF CB freqs.
Cheers
Muddy
AnswerID:
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Reply By: Bob Y. - Qld - Friday, Jan 07, 2005 at 22:02
Friday, Jan 07, 2005 at 22:02
Hello Billv,
My choice, if in your position, would be to purchase an Electrophone(GME) TX3200 UHF (cheap, but good value), and fibreglass aerial fitted on a GME folding Gutter mount. The TX3200 is 5 watt output, same as the more expensive sets, but doesn't have all the (often unnecesary) bells & whistles.
This set-up would be easily installed, and keeps the aerial up high, and sends plenty of signal back to your fellow traveller. It doesn't take much of a caravan to block much of the signal to the rear, especially over 5-10 kms.
Prefer fibreglass aerial whips to stainless steel, as the s'steel break off when subjected to constant corrugations.
The cheap 0.5 & 1 watt handhelds might be a poor choice, as they can give inadequate performance when conditions are not ideal. Clarity is often not good, and need a quiet environment to be heard distinctly.
Think everyone assumes you will be travelling in convoy with your friends, if travelling apart then you would both need HF, or Satphones
Enoy the trip,
hooroo...
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