UHF Repeaters useage

Hi Ozscot

Repeaters on Ch 5 are generally for emergency use only, other repeaters on ch 1, 2, 3 ,4 , 6 ,7 ,8 are normally for general use

repeaters recieve and transmit on different channels

ch 1 and 31
ch 2 and 32

And so forth so remember not to use the reverse channel for simplex (normal) chat as it could block repeater traffic

A repeater works by retransmitting a signal so it can be heard over a wider area , normally repeaters are located as high up as possible so the have "line of sight" as far as possible

Hope this helps

john

UHF CB repeaters are accessed on Channels 1 through to 8 with Duplex switched on.

Have a look at this for a complete list of repeaters -
http://www.exploroz.com/OntheRoad/Communications/Default.asp#Article_UHFRepeatersIndex.

Channel 5 is specified by law to be used only for Emergency purposes.

Channel 10 is generally used by 4WDs, Channel 18 by Caravanners and Channel 40 by Truckies.

Mike

There will be plenty of 'expert' opinions coming shortly no doubt, but in laymans terms. No.. the repeaters do not relay all 40 channels.
The easiest way to use them is to press the 'duplex' button on your radio, then switch the radio to scan. (I believe repeaters only work on Ch1-10) but by scanning you will hear the repeater test come up every few minutes.. Each repeater works on different channels (there is also good info here on Explore Oz.. check out the UHF article) By doing it this way.. as your radio starts to come into range of a repeater it will pause on the channel it is hearing the repeater test tone.. when it does this, you know what channel you can use. (N.B to transmit using the repater you need to be 20 channels up from the one your radio is recieivng on.. by using the duplex thing I was telling you about the radio does this automatically.. ie you press the talk button and it will transmit on Ch 24 even though the screen says it's on ch 4 (in this exampe thats the channel the repeater is transmitting on.)

comprende? sorry if I have confused you more.. perhaps some of the other experts will dazzle you with 'boffin ' talk..

perhaps this can be made clearer :+)

Channels 1--8 and 31--38 are used for repeaters

When in duplex mode your cb transmit a signal to the repeater on channel 31--38 depending on which channel you have selected 1--8

The repeater then "repeats" your signal by transmitting it in channel --1---8

so when you set your cb to duplex mode on ch 1 you transmit on 31 and recieve on 1.. or 32-and 2 , 33 ,3 ... and so on up to 38 and 8

sounds complex but its quite simple to use

The golden rule to remember is to pause every so often so if anyone else is trying to use the repeater that can get a chance.

Ozscot,

I think you have sufficient replies to your UHF query?

I'm planning a similar trip to the Painted Desert mid May.
Don't know whether you have looked at the Treknotes on here. Well worth a look and you can even print them for reference "on the go".
Have a look under Treks - South Australia - The SA Desert Region - Painted Desert.

Just one small "detour" to the Treknotes I would recommend.
Instead of heading directly out on the Mount Barry track, head up the Stuart Highway a couple of kilometres and turn right to the Breakaways. This track loops back on to the Mount Barry track and includes a lookout over the Breakaway Range.

If you are up there, you may as well see where the Mad Max movies were filmed and the view is worth while.

Just a word about the use of repeaters in the real outback. Some shires in Queensland have large signs advising you not to use certain channels as they are for emergency use only. Channels 1 - 8 and 31 - 38 are NOT TO BE USED by people having a chat to each other. Please use any channel in between. The reason being for this is in Diamantina Shire (2nd largest shire in Queensland) Channel 8 has been linked throughout the shire (and into parts of South Australia) so if someone was to be having car to car chat about how bored they were, or how many gibbers there were till the lunch stop - almost the whole of the Diamantina Shire could hear these conversations, and if there was an emergency such as the roll-over that happened this morning and the emergency crews needed to keep in touch via ch 8 they wouldn't be able to talk to each other whilst on the move to/from the accident because someone was hogging the repeater channel with drivel.
Do I sound as if I'm yelling - no, just trying to speak forcefully. This would be the norm pretty much everywhere in the real outback, not just Queensland.
Sorry to sound exasperated. I hope you enjoy your trip to the Painted Desert.

Hi Ozscot
Dont know much about UHF in Aust. as the system in NZ is quite different. We stayed at Arckaringa Station last year. It's now run by Mount Barry station and a young couple live there as managers. A pleasant couple they were to, he is Jason, can't remember her name but the dog is called Bindy and very playfull. They have about 5 basic cabins and an exposed camping area with a covered dinning area, 230v power and laundry. I don't think you need to book unless it's school holiday time, just turn up. Got up early and went back to the Painted Desert for the sunrise, well worth the effort though even through the half flooded Arckaringa creek. (mud, hate the stuff)
Cheers Clive. (give Bindy a pat from me).

Thank you one and all for the information.
John, Mike Coyote & Atropos I think I will be able to use the radio with more confidence than before I posed the question, it is now a lot clearer and we shouldn't do the wrong thing now.

Sandman, - We done a trip last year from the Mornington Peninsula (Vic) where we live right up the east coast to Townsville then across and up to Darwin, then south down the Stuart and all the great places in between. In Katherine we met a couple in a caravan park who suggested we visit the Breakaways on our way south. They told us about the Painted Desert but we didn't have time to get out there. We did visit the breakaways and went back out for sunset, we think it is Australias best kept secret, what an awsome place. We will visit it again on this trip then head out to the Painted Desert. The couple in Katherine said when we got to the Breakaways take a good look then imagine the Painted Desert is even better, we decided then and there to return and visit it.

Ruth, - Maybe more people should do as we done and get the right information before using unfamiliar equipment, I think we are better equipped information wise thanks to everyone here, I can assure you we won't be hindering any emergency workers by using the wrong channel. If we ever visit the real outback we will be sure to drop in, to us anything north of Flinders Street Station is the outback ;-)

Once again thanks one and all, it is great to get a question answered by so many so quickly, what a great site.

Ozscot