Thread: Epirb

If you do get an EPIRB be carefull were you put it, without going into my job, I heard of one getting knocked around and getting turned on, bit of a horrible feeling driving around the counrty with the thing going off. Another good thing is an SSB CB we got caught at Cordilo Downs Station with the rest of the party heading towards Birdsville radio'd to some old guys talking in Perth got them to phone relay a message to the local boys in blue to then they phoned the local copper in Birdsville to inform the party of what was going on. AM CB useless out there, UHF only good if there's repeaters around and Sat ph was a hit & miss normal ph just a paper weight.
Always tell someone before you head of in the distance of your timings have to play it safe sometimes.
Cheers.

The problem with EPIRB is that it gets one response, a full scale search and rescue, and those people are not happy if it's a breakdown without people in imminent danger to life and limb.

Sat phones can be (are) unreliable, because of the lack of satellites over Australia, valleys and if anyone knows about SatTV thick clouds destroy the signal.

Spend your money on some real HF Radio equipment, Codan or Barrett and join VKS737, which will give you much more reliable communication and they don't mind arranging for spare parts etc. The other good thing is that other VKS737 members may be near by, listening in and possibly able to help out.

Cheers
Lotz-A-Landies
1950 80"
1951 ex-RACQ 80"
1967 SIIB 110" Forward Control
1985 Range Rover Hiline 4.6 L
spare 1985 Range Rover Hi-Line 3.5L
VKS737 - Romeo2540

G'day Lots-a-Landies,

I intend to get a good quality HF, however for that I want / need to get my radio license first Which I will be doing, just not right now


I understand that EPIRB's are for life-threatening emergencies only, however my first aid instructor raised a very valid point when relying solely on radio's. Hypothetical situation: You are out and about and in the course of your journey you roll your 4wd in the middle of nowhere, in the process snapping off your radio antennas.... as of that moment the radio's aren't much good You have food and water for x days (on the assumption the water container wasn't punctured) and wait for that long for someone to come past, but if they don't want do you do?

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that will happen & I'm not saying there aren't ways around it - all I'm saying is that I want the facility to cover as many options as possible. Yes an EPIRB is a be-all-and-end-all danger-warning-will-robinson piece of equipment, however it should still be considered a valuable piece of equipment to take

I too am not keen on Sat. phones. They're expensive, they're point-to-point (whereas HF are - as you say - broadcast so someone much closer may hear and come to your aid), and they're finicky.. but it's handy to have as many options as possible, you never know which one is gonna be needed on the day