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Car Forum / Australian Car Forums / 4x4 Cars (Australian group) / September 2006UHF Emergency Channels Outback Driving
Folks, Thought I might saddle up the Landcruiser and go for a bit of a drive before the weather turns hot... No chance of that today; blowing a gale and barely over 12 degrees at present. Heading South from Longreach to Birdsville in a fortnight, and then South again via the Birdsville track, then pootling around SA for a week or so. Then skipping across into VIC & heading back North towards the good country... Question: What UHF channels are the accepted emergency channels? Is it always 5/35 for everywhere, or is this more a local thing? I understood it is a nation-wide channel, but wondered if there were others. How should I announce myself on the emergency channel if I need to contact them? Is there a particular phrase to use?? Also, is UHF 40 the most common for other traffic on the road? It is in QLD (for trucks, especially), but I recall someone saying there is another channel (39 or 20??) due to congestion. Not that I'm going to be needing to talk that much, but out back, it's always handy to get the truck stay on the narrow road while I get off (saves me a windscreen, anyway...) I'm talking more about away from populated areas here; not really interested in what's to be said when I get close to major cities; too much crap to make much use of it. I have a mobile phone for when the houses get closer together. I also read in the Aviation Safety Digest (or 'crash comic' as it's known) that EPIRB's operating on the old Analogue 121.5Mhz distress frequency wont be monitored by satellite after February 1, 2009(only the newer digital 406Mhz will be monitored from this date on). Are many of the EPIRB's being sold at present still on the 121.5Mhz freq, or have they all been 406Mhz for a while?? Any thoughts welcomed. ----------------- Cheers, Rod.....Out Back ================================================== For a selection of my pics from the past 12 months, visit the web site below: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rod_outback/ > Folks, > [quoted text clipped - 45 lines] > visit the web site below: > http://www.flickr.com/photos/rod_outback/ Rod, I run my UHF on scan when after the last house. Not only do you discover any repeaters that are being used, but also any "we got uz a con voy" type people that tend to be on the wrong side of the track around blind corners. If on a heavily used track I usually stick to 40, works for me. AFAIK chan 40 is the common road channel with 39 being used when 40 is busy. Announcing yourself in the event of an emergency isn't difficult. Just inform anyone listening that you have an emergency and require help. EPIRBS sales appear to be in a sort of limbo at the moment. Not many 121meg EPIRBS are around, but I'm unaware of any pocket sized UHF devices that will as convenient as the 121meg ones. I'd love to be proved wrong. When you get to Birdsville, do yourself a favour and have a meal at the Big Red Cafe. Its around the corner from the pub. Cheers Jim http://home.iprimus.com.au/jimshire/pix.html > Folks, > > Thought I might saddle up the Landcruiser and go for a bit of a drive > before the weather turns hot... No chance of that today; blowing a > gale and barely over 12 degrees at present. That offers time to get an F class call and use the ham bands , 40 meters is like using a radio phone during the day.. > Folks, > [quoted text clipped - 40 lines] > > Rod.....Out Back Probably best to scan. channel 10 is suppose to be the one for 4WD (like the tracks in the Simpson) Channel 18 for caravans and campers and as u say 40 is for trucks (26 on the pacific between N'castel and Brisbane- because of interference from those trucks on the New England Hwy). But it really is a bit of a dog breakfast as a lot of people just use any channel . So scan ,, and good luck Peter "peter" > Probably best to scan. > channel 10 is suppose to be the one for 4WD (like the tracks in the [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > breakfast as a lot of people just use any channel . So scan ,, and good > luck It's 29 Pete on the Pacific Hwy, not 26. Even then like you I scan and also still get road traffic on 40 on the Pacific. State driver training handbooks are advising 40 as being the primary UHF road channel. They make the point that the emergency channels are government allocated. All helps keep the service alive. > "peter" >> Probably best to scan. [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > It's 29 Pete on the Pacific Hwy, not 26. Even then like you I scan and > also still get road traffic on 40 on the Pacific. Yes u are right. I always get that 6 and 9 confused :-) Peter Hello Rod Up here (far north Qld) once you get out west there are regular signs that simply say "Repeater 3" or whatever the local repeater station is. This is the local channel used by the station folk and is usually beefed up. ie I think from memory around Mt Surprise region it is Channel 3 but when you get up north of Chillagoe it is Channel 7. If you were to stop at any road house etc out whereever you are going maybe they could give you some indication of the local repeater channel? Just a thought :) Often the repeater channel has a "beep" everynow and again also so that you then know that is the channel. Kathy |
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