Suggested designated UHF channels???

the subject has been flogged before, but anyway,here in w.a. at least the 4wd clubs and i think the 4wd assoc have tried to promote ch 10 for 4wd's.
it would be nice if all groups/solos used this channel but it does not mean that the absence of chat on ch 10 means that there is nobody hurtling towards you on a blind corner.
most people/groups just scan or have 2 radios.

have a look at http://www.acbro.org/uhf_cb_channel_allocation_guide_rtf.rtf

Check out this site, explains all.
http://www.acrem.org.au/AUS%20UHF%20CB%20PRS.pdf

Cheers

It depends where you are. When we go to the extremely popular powerline trek in Sawyers Valley just east of Perth on a Sunday there is absolutally no point trying to use Ch10 as every 4wd club and their dog is on it. We use channel 10 when it's free but if there is another party on there or it's a long weekend and EVERYONE is on there, we bugger off and use another channel and scan the rest on a second radio.

Basically 40 on the highway, 10 off road is my general rule if your travelling by youself, if theres two or more and your chatting away with midless chatter (which a great majority of us LOVE to do, it's one of the best parts of UHF's in convoy IMHO) get out of everyone's way and leave 10 for other users.

I think scanning is the most simple solution to these woes.

This has been on my mind for many years, having suffered drivers screaming around blind corners in the middle of the track, sand dunes etc.
One solution that I toyed with was a small beeper box that would emit a beep via your UHF radio which could be picked up by a UHF that was scanning . This would theoretically indicate the presence of a vehicle somewhere in your immediate vicinity. It would simply be a small box between the mic and the UHF set. This would automatically disengage when the mic button was pressed and have an overide etc.
Advice by the appropriate authorities indicated that despite any safety improvements such a device might foster, it would be illegal unless type approved, a process costing a fortune.
In the wrong hands I suppose it could drive other drivers crazy :)
Technically fairly simple, but I never did get around to thinking it through. It may even be possible for the beep to be transmitted at a fairly low level to keep interference to a minimum.
No, it wouldnt tell you how far away they were etc.
And since not everyone has or uses a UHF it might just provide a false sense of security.
But every time I hear of a head on in the desert I wonder why I didn't persue the idea.
A nutty idea ? I still wonder...

There seems to be an obvious flaw here. It has been suggested that everyone use channel 10 for safety reasons, but if you are chatting with your convoy or mates then switch to another channel to avoid hogging the airwaves. You then presumably drive smack into someone who is monitoring channel 10. It has been mentioned that not everyone has a radio - obviously correct, but of those that do I would think that very few have two.

I have no solution, I am usually on 40 on road and 13 or scan off road so I seem to have got that wrong - though I can't be alone because I often pick up others on 13.

Then there are CARAVANS!!!! Many many times I have come up behind a caravan with a sign on the back stating their channel - usually 13. I have NEVER, repeat NEVER, come up behind one that actually has their radio turned ON!!!

Perhaps all that is required is a small transmitter/receiver of low power and fixed frequency that transmits a beep as suggested above on a dedicated channel outside of the normal 40. Tandy's is currently selling hand held UHFs for as little as $20 so a simple device like this should be pretty cheap. As it would only have a range of about a kilometre or less it shouldn't cause problems. This could be stuck on your windscreen or dash with a sucker just when needed.

Ok, say we all use Ch10 or some other channel, but unless you are transmitting every 5 minutes, who is going to hear you?
Large group may transmitt that often, but just one or two vehicles? Doubt it.
As the post above suggests, if it is going to work, every 4wd needs a device to regularly 'beep'.
But then if I am driving that fast I can't swerve to miss some one coming around a corner, or a tree, or slow for a washaway, maybe I am going too fast anyway?
A case of less haste for the sake of speed?

I believe a dedicated 4wd channel is must, perhaps ch.10 as a call channel, when away I always scan 5 (Emergency Channel), 10, 11 (Call Channel) and the regional repeater channel. I also always scan the VKS-737 network on HF or if that is fairly busy Ch.2 8022. Not sure what the ultimate answer is but Ch 10 is probably a safe bet if you get into trouble and need help locally.

Interestingly I think it is the Lands department or some other beauracracy in WA that recommends the use of 40 on the Canning Stock Route.

It's certainly mentioned in enough of the guides on the trip.

So at the start of the season with four fifths of f. all travellers on the track we did the right thing and sat on 40 and called ahead from time to time.

Met one group coming the other way (morons from Melton in F250 and 100 series with 4 2-stroke motocross bikes and a four wheeler on a trailer they'd already stuffed (?cooked) - oh and they did 2 axles on the trailer in the trip too - looked little better than a garden trailer,) on a channel in the 20's and another tag along group on yet another channel.

Nearly had a head on with the 100 series too - 30 seconds apart at the top of a dune. We weren't impressed. 30 seconds sounds like a long time but when you consider we only saw about 15 vehicles in 2000km I'd say that's a close call. Murphy must have been having an off day.

Dave