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Thread: Recommendations for Expedition Comms Gear

  1. 26th August 2009, 08:57 PM #1
    rocket_rod's Avatar
    rocket_rod
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    Recommendations for Expedition Comms Gear

    Hi all,

    My other half and I will be on the road around Oz towards the end of Sept and would like some advice about what people use and experiences with different comms gear.

    We plan on doing a fair bit of hiking over the trip so we are thinking that an EPIRB or similar is essential? What about the SPOT unit any reports? What other brands?

    What about the choice between sat phone and HF radio? We are willing to front with the dollars for a sat phone if we have to, but is hiring them good value or do you just pay half as much as the cost of a new over a year and not end up with the phone a the end of the hire.

    All suggestions would be helpful.

    Thanks,

    Matt.
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  2. 26th August 2009, 09:05 PM #2
    miky Guest
    I think you may have trouble hiring a sat phone at such short notice especially at that time of year.

    Plenty of posts around about exactly what you are asking.

    Search is your friend
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  3. 27th August 2009, 06:54 AM #3
    bblaze
    bblaze is offline Wizard Subscriber
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    I travel solo and I take

    1- epirb This is your life saver when all other methods fail you and can be carried with you on your walks or when away from the vehicle.

    2- Hf radio I recomend a quality unit with auto tune arial, this will give you the opurtunity to log iin daily, direct contact with the flying doc etc.

    3- Uhf- local coms with other road traffic, truckies etc
    cheers
    blaze
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  4. 27th August 2009, 07:57 AM #4
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    Chucaro
    Chucaro is offline Swaggie
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    I think tha THIS is a good add on as well.
    Cheers
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  5. 27th August 2009, 09:44 PM #5
    waynep
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    Yep if nothing else get an EPIRB ( or PLB as they call them now ) - I wouldn't go remote without mine. If buying secondhand ensure that no one tries to pass off a superseded 121.5 MHz one as the new 406MHz type. Get one with the inbuilt GPS which makes locating you much faster. You must register the unique ID number under your name with the monitoring centre in Canberra. They are about $500 - $700 new to buy but that's the only cost until you need to change the battery in seven years. The GME is probably the most common brand but there are others.

    The SPOT messenger is another option but it does operate over a commercial satphone service ( Globalstar) which means you will have an ongoing fee - the network also has reportedly been having issues.

    Sat phones and HF radios have different advantages/disadvantages that have been discussed on here many times -try a search.
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  6. 28th August 2009, 02:01 PM #6
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    rocket_rod
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    Thanks guys,

    PLB is a no brainer and as per lots of suggestions will go for the GME. SPOT looks interesting but given the fact we will be hiking it's only needed for calling in the calvary, tracking etc. not so important.

    I had been searching and looking at the pros/cons of the HF and sat phone situation and looking through the threads. I guess I was just a little bit lazy and wanted someone to say - 'buy this, subscribe to this and problem solved'. Leaning towards an HF system, and have taken plenty of notes about models, training, who to subscribe to, etc. Sat phones seem to be expensive, particularly if they are only there 'just in case'. I thought that with all the changes and improvement in technology that the sat phone might be more competitive.

    We will be back in Adelaide towards the end of next month so maybe a visit to Codan is in order.

    Any more help is appreciated though.

    Matt.
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