Advice Needed - Communication Options in remote areas

[sptorourke]

Hello wise forum

I need some help selecting the best communication option for my disco 4.

I'll be driving from Perth to Melbourne over the Christmas break and will be hugging the coast line for most of it. There will be plenty of beach driving and camping in pretty remote areas.

I want to avoid getting an in car UHF as I don't want to fix anything into my car and I question how much I'll actually use it (to justify the cost). Therefore I default to a good handheld (5W with good antenna or a seperate attachable antenna). Being handheld it's a lot more versatile for hikes, spotting etc. And I believe I can still get good range from a handheld by using a detachable antenna or standing on the car. My primary aim is to cover myself in the event of an emergency.

My other trips will be to far less remote areas in Tasmania and the East coast of Australia so the need for long range communication isn't there.

What would you folks do?

[rover-56]

Sorry, a 5w UHF anything will be useless for remote area emergency communications.
Sat Phone or HF radio. UHF might reach 10km, 20-50 if a repeater is nearby.
Terry

[scarry]

I use a telstra mobile phone that has an external antenna port,and have an antenna mounted on the roof rails.

The range is amazing.

The only better option is a Sat phone.

Although there is something new out i haven't found out about.

I think its a device that creates a hotspot in the vehicle that utilises an external antenna,telstra product i believe.

[Konradical]

Can't beat a sat phone.

You can buy them cheaply, under a thousand or just hire one for the time you are away.

[Pedro_The_Swift]

[wink11]
Order your rental or hiring equipment here | 1300 851 591 | Rent a Sat Phone (https://www.rentasatphone.com.au/order)

[trout1105]

Sorry, a 5w UHF anything will be useless for remote area emergency communications.
Sat Phone or HF radio. UHF might reach 10km, 20-50 if a repeater is nearby.
Terry

Agreed.
A handheld is fantastic for short range communications But it is not much of an option in an emergency.
HF radio is good but nowhere near as useful as a sat phone.

[AK83]

I wouldn't call 'Perth - Melb and hugging the coastline' pretty remote areas!
I doubt you'd go a few hours without seeing other travellers.

It's not like you're going into the Gibson or Great Victoria deserts.

Sat phone for such a trip would be a waste of money.
Like scarry said, external mobile antenna would be good.
As for UHF, I'd say a Uniden UH850s and a nice large 6-8db whip antenna mounted to the roof will get you good enough comms for a few klms.

[oldsalt]

Have a look at a "Thuraya SatSleeve" for your phone... around $800... when you're out of normal phone coverage you slip your phone into it and voila it's a sat-phone...

cheers

[Zeros]

I hesitate to say you don't need a radio or satphone to cross the nullarbor, only because no one can provide that definitive advice. It's up to you. But most crossing the Nullarbor would only have a mobile.

If you want to take something to cover you for all emergencies - hire a sat phone. Don't buy a handheld radio unless you will really use it afterwards at other times.

Having said that, I've crossed the nullarbor 6 times without any communication device other than a mobile. Unless you're travelling significant distance off the nullarbor you will never be very far from other travellers.

Enjoy the drive!

[AK83]

..... Therefore I default to a good handheld (5W with good antenna or a seperate attachable antenna). Being handheld it's a lot more versatile for hikes, spotting etc. And I believe I can still get good range from a handheld by using a detachable antenna or standing on the car. My primary aim is to cover myself in the event of an emergency.

....

This is why I reckon the handheld idea sounds like a good one.
Factor in the hiking/spotting additional use scenario.
Never done Cape Arid, but I'd reckon there's probably going to be other travellers out there too.
If those travellers are keen 4WDers too, they'd all have their comms ... why a UHF could be helpful in some way.

I've only done two tracks off the highway to the coast proper, no idea which(pre GPS days back then). I can't say they were remote in any way(maybe 1/2 hr to 1 hr tops off the highway) near Caiguna/border.

Would love to find the time someday to visit Cape Arid too ...

[slug_burner]

Get yourself a brand name handheld UHF transceiver. The route you describe will be in use by heavy transport vehicles and they all carry a UHF. Other 4 wheelers will carry a UHF. I have had Unidens and I also have an ICOM. They are both good however I feel the ICOM is a more solid build quality. They are used by many organisations on other licensed frequencies, same units just different programming.

Along the Nullabor your likely to get mobile coverage, easy enough to check on coverage maps of the various network providers. Judging by this info
Telstra - Our Coverage (https://www.telstra.com.au/coverage-networks/our-coverage)

In an emergency on your route you’ll be fine on you mobile.

[Zeros]

Get yourself a brand name handheld UHF transceiver. The route you describe will be in use by heavy transport vehicles and they all carry a UHF. Other 4 wheelers will carry a UHF. I have had Unidens and I also have an ICOM. They are both good however I feel the ICOM is a more solid build quality. They are used by many organisations on other licensed frequencies, same units just different programming.

Along the Nullabor your likely to get mobile coverage, easy enough to check on coverage maps of the various network providers. Judging by this info
Telstra - Our Coverage (https://www.telstra.com.au/coverage-networks/our-coverage)

In an emergency on your route you’ll be fine on you mobile.

Yes that’s what I’d do if not venturing too far off the highway. If you were planning to drive north of the Nullarbor any great distance I’d consider hiring a sat phone.

Keep in mind half that Telstra coverage is ‘external antenna’ so if you want constant mobile service it would be good to get a mobile phone antenna on your vehicle. Also, it’s likely only Telstra would have that coverage.

Grab a UHF handheld if you want to listen to transport chatter and if you’d use it elsewhere afterwards as you say. But youd need a second external antenna to get decent range.

[DiscoMick]

This is why I reckon the handheld idea sounds like a good one.
Factor in the hiking/spotting additional use scenario.
Never done Cape Arid, but I'd reckon there's probably going to be other travellers out there too.
If those travellers are keen 4WDers too, they'd all have their comms ... why a UHF could be helpful in some way.

I've only done two tracks off the highway to the coast proper, no idea which(pre GPS days back then). I can't say they were remote in any way(maybe 1/2 hr to 1 hr tops off the highway) near Caiguna/border.

Would love to find the time someday to visit Cape Arid too ...
You could just buy a gutter-mount aerial to plug the UHF into. I use one with my UHF and it works fine.
gutter mount UHF aerial - Google Search (https://www.google.com.au/search?q=gutter+mount+UHF+aerial&safe=strict&rlz=1C1GCEA_enAU794AU794&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj-_ImwucbeAhVTbysKHWBuBLEQsAR6BAgGEAE&biw=1366&bih=657)

A previous poster mentioned an in-vehicle mobile signal booster. That is the Cel-Fi. They only work on one network e.g. the Telstra version only works on Telstra. They can be moved between a vehicle and a house, if that is useful because the reception around the house is weak.
Cel-Fi GO, Mobile Phone Booster for Car, Mobile Repeater for Car (https://www.cel-fi.com.au/cel_fi_go_repeater.html)
About $1000.

Hope that helps.

[weeds]

You could just buy a gutter-mount aerial to plug the UHF into. I use one with my UHF and it works fine.
gutter mount UHF aerial - Google Search (https://www.google.com.au/search?q=gutter+mount+UHF+aerial&safe=strict&rlz=1C1GCEA_enAU794AU794&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj-_ImwucbeAhVTbysKHWBuBLEQsAR6BAgGEAE&biw=1366&bih=657)

A previous poster mentioned an in-vehicle mobile signal booster. That is the Cel-Fi. They only work on one network e.g. the Telstra version only works on Telstra. They can be moved between a vehicle and a house, if that is useful because the reception around the house is weak.
Cel-Fi GO, Mobile Phone Booster for Car, Mobile Repeater for Car (https://www.cel-fi.com.au/cel_fi_go_repeater.html)
About $1000.

Hope that helps.

Is there an off the shelf gutter mount for a D4.....probably one for the bonnet.

[DiscoMick]

Is there an off the shelf gutter mount for a D4.....probably one for the bonnet.Good question. I don't know.

[donh54]

Personally, I prefer a vehicle mounted uhf, but if you're set on a handheld, and worried about range etc in emergency situations, get a PLB (Personal Locator Beacon) as well. We've had one for ages. Send it away every few years to get the battery changed, and it lives in the glove box of whichever car we're going bush in at the time.
Just make sure you get one that is set for the Australian SAR network, not one of the US or European ones.