Newbie Advice - Spot/Sat Phone/HF

Ayita5,
The first thing you need to know is where you are. A simple GPS that can give co-ordinates would suffice, or map reading / knowledge is a must.

I agree with your opinion of HF sets and I would recommend a 2nd hand Codan 9323 & 9350 antenna. Make sure the antenna is a D series or later.

The spot thing will only tell people where you are not that you need help.

So to cut a long story short, I have travelled around Aus with my lovely wife in very remote areas using a HF radio.

As a back up I also have a PLB which is a last resort.

To date after many years out back neither has had to be fired in anger.

It is nice to chat to others on the HF and VKS737 is a great reference, when on the road & you don't have access to the internet then VKS 737 can fill you in on road and weather conditions..

I would recommend that you have a telephone connect on the HF so you can phone ahead to reserve that room in the pub you have always wanted to stay in especially after 7 days in the wet. This is from personal experience as I don't
care,though the Missus needs a break at times like this.

Cheers

G'day,

I have all 3, very happy with SPOT and its capabilities....the OK feature is a great function, we have ours set to advise up to 5 SMS family contact 5 family email address of our status as required, the email is great for family/friend's as they receive a Google maps link of your activation location and you have the "911" and SOS functions. The Satellite has all the obvious phone advantages, providing you also have access to the emergency phone numbers for the area you are travelling. The HF is a favourite toy of mine and always will be however I offer this......HF can be a complicated devise to use in an emergency if you only "practice" with the set rarely......now take into account that you the user of the HF who has spent all those hours practising how to use the HF is not the person in a position to may an call for assistance ???? You may be the person in need......So based on this quiet possible scenario......Go get a Sat phone.....if you can use a mobile you can use a Sat phone with 30 seconds instruction......p.s get a SPOT $ 250 + $ 99 per year.......and a basic UHF CB setup.

Enjoy


Chris

Hi Skye

We chose Satellite phone (reasons in thread a few posts below this). Spot would to me be a better choice than an EPIRB as it is slightly more versatile, but fees do apply, and it doesn't enable direct conversations. If someone in your family has a critical medical emergency, you can only send out a help message (like an EPIRB) whereas with a sat phone, you could talk to the RFDS doctor as to what to do until they get to you - which would be quicker with a direct call, than a generic help message.

Motherhen

hi guys, we work and live remote and have done so for 9 years now, have 3 kids, 3,7,9 yrs....... From Pilbara to Kimberlys, Arnhem land to Nyirripi up the Tanimi and now in NWQ.....
Have worked with and used all types, 4 years with HF/phone connected, on a shire council 275,000 sqklms so had to use it a lot for remote road crew operations, have had an EPIRB for the last 5 years and still carry it every ware...
In short to fully cover yourself get the best sat phone you can afford, get an EPIRB and always take your gps, and also helps to fit a UHF for beneral chit chat...
If you hit a decent roo and take out the antennea you are stuffed with a HF, if you roll it you will wipe out the antennea, if your car gets washed away at a crossing, and it happens, there goes your HF, you will get out but what can you do then...
We have the latest Iridium phone and are on a plan with TR Telecom, you can switch it of when not travelling and simply re-connect when going away again, if that suits you, or some Telstra sim cards will slot into it and it will use your existing account at the sat rates (expensive) but only need one sim to swap with 2 phones then....
We never make calls with it and never have had someone ring us, have made test calls and hope never to have to use it but with little kids when we do need it it will be worth a billion dollars if it can save a life...
Cheers Joe

Hi Skye,

We have both HF and a Satphone.

Started with the HF ($1800 secondhand) and it has been interesting but never needed for assistance. The technology is somewhat ancient, same as the shortwave that I listened to the foreign stations and static 60 years ago. VKS737 can be useful with assistance for spares etc. but does require some skills for an emergency as Chris has said above.

Added the satphone more recently ($850 secondhand) and again has not been used for assistance but has been useful for social reasons several times. It is the latest technology but needs Telstra's Iridium network for reliability. Has the advantage of being as easy to use as any other telephone so simple in an emergency. I understand that RFDS are using satphones for regular communication but still maintaing HF radio. It has the advantage of easy communication to receive medical advice in an emergency. Just bear in mind that calls are about $4 per minute so it is not for long social chats. Lists of emergency numbers and outback services are readily available.

A PLB (Personal Location Beacon, similar to an EPIRB) can be considered the ultimate rescue device as it brings the cavalry when activated, but bear in mind that it can take some time before they actually get to you and even then it may be just the local police when you really needed an ambulance and paramedic.

For ultimate rescue or recovery you also need to be able to determine your location co-ordinates with either a GPS map navigator, PLB or SPOT device or other GPS navigation device that displays co-ordinates.

To sum up, my initial action in a real emergency will be 112 on the satphone. If I am simply bogged or broken down it will be VKS737 on HF radio.

Glad you did not ask about UHF. I think it a waste of time for anything other than talking to travelling companions!

Thanks so much everyone for your invaluable opinions. Seems there's still benefits to be had from all three devices (if money was no object I'd just get them all and be done with it!). :)

You've given me a bit more to think about anyway. Seems like in a medical emergency I'd probably be glad of the sat phone, but the hf would be handy for day to day info, spare parts, etc. I see the point about the hf being gone in the case of an accident, etc...hadn't really thought of that.

And the SPOT just seems like a handy (but not entirely essential) thing to have!

Hmmm...

Thanks again, will keep on thinking with this new info. :)

Footlose comments on HF

This is a post made some time ago by a former member that has sadly departed this mortal coil, but his words of wisdom remain thank goodness.
HF for me thanks to Footlose.

Cheers Colin.

Excuse my ignorance, but what is the Best UHF channel to be on, for listening and contacting road trains, etc, we are planing a trip from Brisbane to Kilcowera Station on the School September Holidays
Regards
Peter

Im a bit late on this having been away but we had both an HF and a Satfone on our 13 month trip.

We never had any occasion to use either.
I logged on in Alice on the HF just to see if I was using it right.
Sold it in WA to a guy going outback.

Used the Satfone once when we were late one day on the Nullabor.

If you are sticking to marked roads there are few places you will be lonely if folowing the traditional times and directions of travel.

Sometimes its not if, its how many people you see in a day.

As said its easy to damage an aerial so I would go for a satfone as we did for $950 off Ebay and we use our Telstra sim in it.

Call costs were $3.77 a minute both IN AND OUT
A GPS so you can give your location would be a necessity if offroad.

As far as a UHF is concerned it should be mandatory
Lots of wide loads in the west and nothing like knowing about them before you see them.
Can be too late to pull off when you come upon them suddenly.

Also talk to the trucks and let them know what you are doing and NEVER SLOW DOWN in FRONT OF ONE when hes passing you.

Wait till he gets the whole rig on the other side of the road and then back off a bit.

Those who say they are useless have their head in the sand.

We found they were an essential part of the rig and used on channel 40 everywhere except the Pacific Highway which is 29 it helped us immensly to keep on the right side of the truckies.

We use a HF and find it very satisfactory for all our requirements. We can use it as a phone, send SMS, email, GPS position reporting, and listen to the Radio for news broadcasts and weather reports.

In terms of SPOT, we are recent converts, and they can be configured to tell people you need help.

There are four modes under which you can alert others, the first three require that you pre-populate the message on the SPOT website and it will be sent as an SMS and email that you have previously nominated as contacts, the last is for an emergency.

To summarise the four modes;

1/ I’m ok button. I have this programmed to say ‘arrived at today’s destination – all okay’.

2/ Custom button. You can put any message you like in here.

3/ Need assistance. I have a message that says ‘ I’m okay, but need assistance at current location’.

The first three will send an SMS and/or email to your nominated contacts.

4/ S.O.S. – it is as it implies – need urgent help at current location. Once activated the SPOT tracking people will make appropriate contact with both the authorities within your area, and your emergency contacts.

Another benefit of SPOT is that you can pay around 430 per annum to have live time tracking (have a look at EO Tracking for further information).

For the cost of a unit I think the SPOT tracking device is an invaluable tool for remote area travel. And whilst I do not suggest they will replace a PLB, SPOT has functionality that is not offered in a PLB. You cannot convey the level of ‘emergency’ when activating a PLB.

Good luck with your choice.....

Cheers, The Landy

Hi Skye,
I've actually just written a new article regarding "Staying in touch when travelling" and whilst it does not include Sat Phone and HF (as this is covered in another article, namely "Outback Communications" and we have dedicated articles to each device separately) the new one gives a bit more info about options for keeping intouch with family/friends and although this isn't what you're asking specifically, it does include info on Spot that will clarify some of the bits of misinformation stated here about the Spot.

Just a personal comment - as you currently do not own any of the high value investment items (HF or Satphone) you are in a good position to see the Spot as an ideal solution to your emergency and contact needs - when you compare the functions and cost you'll see it represents good value for money.
MM

Thank you again, to everyone who has contributed their information, opinions, articles, etc. I'm thrilled I found this website - so helpful to be able to speak to those who have been there, done that.

My thinking at present, taking all into account, is this;

I believe I'd feel safest - medical emergency-wise - with a sat phone, so that will be a must. (Apparently Telstra do them on a 24 month contract where you can pay off the phone over the contract, like a normal mobile?? That would certainly help the budget).

SPOT and UHF - both seem like very handy things to have in their own right, and as they're both fairly small outlays I reckon we'd just get them both and be done with it. I understand the use of UHF on a day to day basis would be helpful (though not to rely on it alone, of course, and to remember common sense) and I like the messaging capabilities of SPOT, as well as being able to use it for EOTrackme and a GPS. I don't think I'd feel comfortable it being the only 'sos' device, but with a sat phone as the main one, the sos function of the spot could just be a backup. It's other features make it worthwhile.

HF - Would love to have it, love the features, etc, but it is rather a large investment! (Especially if I want the above three items too, lol). I think I'll have to put the HF on the wishlist and get there eventually.

We have bought an old, empty shell of a caravan, 17ft, and are doing it up from scratch. Super fun but it means that the more we spend on "accessories", the less money we have for the kitchen sink. :)

Big thank yous to all - hope to see some of you on the road someday!

Skye

Skye, just to throw another option into the ring.

If you wanted something purely and simply to let out an emergency distress signal, consider a Personal Locator Beacon (PLB).

They are only for life and death situations but if someone is dazed, disabled by the accident, or simply doesn't understand how to use more complex devices then it's simply a flick of a switch.

Mrs Bush and I carry a UHF CB, a satphone (I use my Next G SIM) and a PLB (with GPS function).

Don't forget that with a UHF CB, it offers much more than just vehicle to vehicle comms. Get a handheld as well and you can guide your other half while he positions the van etc. We take ours into shopping centres, Bunnings etc and, if we want to look at different things we can call each other when we've finished and make our way back to the checkout. I've sat in the vehicle while parked with the van and Mrs Bush has taken a handheld into the shops; handy if you want to add something to the shopping list.

cheers