1st Trip Advice needed

Stu

Advice will be more appropriate if you can be more definitive about the type of route you might take.

Down the canning??
Following highway 1????

Down to port augusta and across the nullabor????
Down to Ayres rock and across the great central road??

????????????

Give examples at least of the places you may go and many will be able to given appropriate advice.

Alan

Hi Stu,

Thats a great trip you have planned, I have been from Vic to Darwin and back and it iwas amazing and have been to 'The Kimberley' When we did those trips we had the UHF (we had 2 vehicles so it made it easy to comm between the 2 cars)
We also hired a Sat phone just in case (fortunately we never needed it) as we did a bit of 4Wdriving. I would suggest definetely have the UHF but the Sat phone is optional. It was a comfort to know that we could call for help if necessary anytime as mobile phones only work in populated areas.

Gets down to what value you put on your safety Stu.

Regardless of how long and where you are going in remote areas I would consider that a UHF, EPIRB and Satphone are essential items.

UHF are not designed to transmit long range but will give you the chance to communicate with nearby traffic. There is a good article on radios in the latest 4x4 Australia Magazine.

If you have a Telstra Next G Mobile Phone it is possible to hire a phone and use your sim card which will save some of the cost. There was another thread recently regarding satphone costs. The secret is to only turn them on at certain times each day and in an emergency.

I am not sure that you can hire an EPIRB. It would be possible to borrow one from a mate with a boat or you can buy marine ones for around the $400 mark. It is important that you register it with AMSA as being in a 4x4 and not a boat. AMSA's website has some good information on the use of an EPIRB.

Hope this helps your planning and enjoy your trip.

Hi Stu,
if you want further info you can email me ( I live in Palmerston), just click on the "my profile" link here.. Email me and I'll give you my phone number if you wish to discuss things.
regards,

Hi there. I have found that UHF is great when you are in convoy, and when you have escorted wide loads coming towards you, or if you want to talk to a truckie.
But, as an emergency device, I think a UHF is really not much use, even creating a false sense of security. So if you are travelling solo off the beaten track, don't rely on a UHF to get you out of trouble unless you are lucky.
My trouble is that Satphones and HFs are too expensive, and even EPIRBs are too dear while they are in short supply, so I appreciate your question.
Someone else said on this site that even an hour without help can be too long when you eally need it!!
Which brings me to the point of having a First Aid kit AND knowing how to use it.
I recall my first trip: no knowledge about letting tyres down, (my tyres were bald anyway, so perhaps they didn't dig in too much); did the Land Rover thing and snapped a half shaft; but we DID have a shovel. We got home with front wheel drive only, and no wheel fell off, despite the broken half shaft. Didn't have a clue, and didn't realise I knew nothing, so I didn't ask anyone!

If you stay on the bitumen (main highway) you shouldn't have too many probelms if you do break down. This time of the year lots of travellers on the road.

If you are going down the highway at the moment you will get overun by us

grey nomads hogging the white line all the way from Darwin to Perth and

beyond.

Just get a UHF to ask nicely for us to move over in the bed a bit

ROFL

Hi Stu.

Your mobile phone will not work unless you are in a populated area, lt might work in a small towns but not out in the open even if you have telstra Next G. i would be considering Hiring a Sat phone, you pay rental per week and then the cost of any calls (hopefully you wont have to make any.)