Radio, Satellite, and Adventure Communications

[bigleonski]

I’ve had the Hema maps on a mini ipad mounted over the centre screen (perfect fit in the 200 sahara) for a bit over 10 years. I reckon it goes alright although you need to have the ipad charging as it uses the battery up pretty quickly.
That said for planning a large trip, and getting the “bigger” picture about where you’re heading while on the road I also have the Hema atlas and the full set of paper hema desert maps. Nothing like a real paper map when you want to look for alternative routes or get strategic. We’ve often used Google Maps to hunt for tracks and different options and points of interest by drilling in and creating KMZ files which we can follow as well.

 

[globalgregors]

I have been using the HEMA app on an iPad mounted to the windscreen for off-road navigation with offline maps in Oz since 2015.
I like that 5min vector that’s shown when you’re moving and the fact it keeps the tracks.

Oh yeah, good point. I also always have a Garmin InReach maintaining a breadcrumb trail and running a garmin map subscription.
I’d typically use the Garmin app for route planning, but it doesn’t offer much detail for outback travel hence the HEMA app (and book).
I‘d almost never use the InReach for actual navigation unless for some reason one ends up on foot.

 

[Stu_Barnes]

Found this today, interesting breakdown of the new iPhone emergency sat comms setup.

View: https://youtu.be/ilXq-POO4d0

 

[TheDocAUS]

My car has 11 airbags, I have so far not used any of them. What a stupid waste of money and resources.
Until I need them.
Not so stupid now huh!
Hope for the best but prepare for the worst

I was recently in high speed head on crash (offset), and I sure needed the driver's airbag to survive. Combined speed of crash 150 to 180kph. "Until you need them" indeed.

 

[Rok_Dr]

This thread has been an enjoyable read , particularly hearing how radios are used in other countries and the differing legislative requirements and regulations that people operate them under.

I’ve spent over 40 years working in the remote areas of Australia, Africa and Asia Pacific. How one has communicated, particularly in an emergency, has changed markedly with the advent of mobile phones and satellites. Thankfully it's no longer HF radios and poor atmospherics with Morse code pushing of the emergency RFDS button to relay that all was OK.

Currently I use the following devices when I travel, which these days is within Australia.

• Mobile phone, presently an iPhone SE2 with a Telstra SIM. For international readers, Telstra, for better or worse, has the best mobile coverage in Australia away from the major population centres. $300/year prepaid plan.
• Convoy and local comms. A UHF CB in the vehicle and a 2w handset for local wandering.
• A PLB for real life threatening emergencies.
• Satellite phone. A basic Thuraya XT-Lite sat phone on a $16.50/month casual plan through Pivotel, an Australian provider.
  • Thuraya have Australia wide coverage and the phone can be purchased online for $900-$1000.
  • Pivotel offer you the huge advantage of a standard Australia mobile number so anyone can call you at little or no charge.
  • They don’t charge for incoming calls and outgoing call/SMS costs are reasonable ($1/min and 50 cents/SMS). You can also suspend the service between trips at a reduced rate of $7.50 per month, without losing your number.
  • The disadvantage of Thuraya system is you need to have a clear view of the sky to the NW and point the antenna in that direction. In SE Australia the satellite will be lower to the horizon, which may make reception difficult in hilly areas. Also, if you are an international traveler, they don’t cover the Americas or southern Africa.
  • The XT-Lite handset is very basic, much like the mobiles of old, so back to pecking texts on a keypad and no apps! It does have a GPS though and you can text your location in an emergency.
  • I recommend, if your budget permits, buying:
    • An external vehicle antenna. This will improve your reception, particularly if you aren’t facing in the right direction.
    • A standard wired mic/earphone headset with a 3.5mm 4 pole plug, which will allow more comfortable usage.

I did look at the Spot, Zoleo and Garmin inReach emergency SMS systems, but given the hardware and ongoing subscription plan costs, I decided that the Satphone and PLB together offered a better overall functionality.

I haven’t considered internet away from the mobile network yet, but am watching Starlink with interest as they recently extended coverage to the whole of Australia. Need to see it in action first.

Cheers
Steve

 

[AnD3rew]

This thread has been an enjoyable read , particularly hearing how radios are used in other countries and the differing legislative requirements and regulations that people operate them under.

I’ve spent over 40 years working in the remote areas of Australia, Africa and Asia Pacific. How one has communicated, particularly in an emergency, has changed markedly with the advent of mobile phones and satellites. Thankfully it's no longer HF radios and poor atmospherics with Morse code pushing of the emergency RFDS button to relay that all was OK.

Currently I use the following devices when I travel, which these days is within Australia.

• Mobile phone, presently an iPhone SE2 with a Telstra SIM. For international readers, Telstra, for better or worse, has the best mobile coverage in Australia away from the major population centres. $300/year prepaid plan.
• Convoy and local comms. A UHF CB in the vehicle and a 2w handset for local wandering.
• A PLB for real life threatening emergencies.
• Satellite phone. A basic Thuraya XT-Lite sat phone on a $16.50/month casual plan through Pivotel, an Australian provider.
  • Thuraya have Australia wide coverage and the phone can be purchased online for $900-$1000.
  • Pivotel offer you the huge advantage of a standard Australia mobile number so anyone can call you at little or no charge.
  • They don’t charge for incoming calls and outgoing call/SMS costs are reasonable ($1/min and 50 cents/SMS). You can also suspend the service between trips at a reduced rate of $7.50 per month, without losing your number.
  • The disadvantage of Thuraya system is you need to have a clear view of the sky to the NW and point the antenna in that direction. In SE Australia the satellite will be lower to the horizon, which may make reception difficult in hilly areas. Also, if you are an international traveler, they don’t cover the Americas or southern Africa.
  • The XT-Lite handset is very basic, much like the mobiles of old, so back to pecking texts on a keypad and no apps! It does have a GPS though and you can text your location in an emergency.
  • I recommend, if your budget permits, buying:
    • An external vehicle antenna. This will improve your reception, particularly if you aren’t facing in the right direction.
    • A standard wired mic/earphone headset with a 3.5mm 4 pole plug, which will allow more comfortable usage.

I did look at the Spot, Zoleo and Garmin inReach emergency SMS systems, but given the hardware and ongoing subscription plan costs, I decided that the Satphone and PLB together offered a better overall functionality.

I haven’t considered internet away from the mobile network yet, but am watching Starlink with interest as they recently extended coverage to the whole of Australia. Need to see it in action first.

Cheers
Steve

Amazon will have Kuiper at some stage too, although may still be a couple of years away.

 

[OGrid]

Some recent media in the last few weeks on Starlink’s growing presence in the Australian market. I still use Starlink on a roaming basis and so far so good.

Elon Musk’s Starlink closing in on 100k customers in Australia: report

Starlink has been rolling out its services to Australia, offering internet connectivity at speeds ranging from 100 Mbps to 300 Mbps.

www.teslarati.com

On a side note, the major Australian mobile carriers provide ‘wi-fi calling‘ through mobile handsets, which is seamless automatic call routing when on wi-fi in Aus or overseas (my residence in northern outer Sydney is nearly always on wi-fi calling when I look - my house wifi service). Similar, Sat internet when remote facilitates wi-fi calling services.

 

[ChasingOurTrunks]

I just recently got an offer for Starlink Equipment at 50% off for both the household and "Roam" options here in Canada. I'm not financially in a position to take advantage of that today, but thought I'd mention it as others might benefit from the significant discount on hardware.

 

[Andrew Kilby]

This thread has been an enjoyable read , particularly hearing how radios are used in other countries and the differing legislative requirements and regulations that people operate them under.

I’ve spent over 40 years working in the remote areas of Australia, Africa and Asia Pacific. How one has communicated, particularly in an emergency, has changed markedly with the advent of mobile phones and satellites. Thankfully it's no longer HF radios and poor atmospherics with Morse code pushing of the emergency RFDS button to relay that all was OK.

Currently I use the following devices when I travel, which these days is within Australia.

• Mobile phone, presently an iPhone SE2 with a Telstra SIM. For international readers, Telstra, for better or worse, has the best mobile coverage in Australia away from the major population centres. $300/year prepaid plan.
• Convoy and local comms. A UHF CB in the vehicle and a 2w handset for local wandering.
• A PLB for real life threatening emergencies.
• Satellite phone. A basic Thuraya XT-Lite sat phone on a $16.50/month casual plan through Pivotel, an Australian provider.
  • Thuraya have Australia wide coverage and the phone can be purchased online for $900-$1000.
  • Pivotel offer you the huge advantage of a standard Australia mobile number so anyone can call you at little or no charge.
  • They don’t charge for incoming calls and outgoing call/SMS costs are reasonable ($1/min and 50 cents/SMS). You can also suspend the service between trips at a reduced rate of $7.50 per month, without losing your number.
  • The disadvantage of Thuraya system is you need to have a clear view of the sky to the NW and point the antenna in that direction. In SE Australia the satellite will be lower to the horizon, which may make reception difficult in hilly areas. Also, if you are an international traveler, they don’t cover the Americas or southern Africa.
  • The XT-Lite handset is very basic, much like the mobiles of old, so back to pecking texts on a keypad and no apps! It does have a GPS though and you can text your location in an emergency.
  • I recommend, if your budget permits, buying:
    • An external vehicle antenna. This will improve your reception, particularly if you aren’t facing in the right direction.
    • A standard wired mic/earphone headset with a 3.5mm 4 pole plug, which will allow more comfortable usage.

I did look at the Spot, Zoleo and Garmin inReach emergency SMS systems, but given the hardware and ongoing subscription plan costs, I decided that the Satphone and PLB together offered a better overall functionality.

I haven’t considered internet away from the mobile network yet, but am watching Starlink with interest as they recently extended coverage to the whole of Australia. Need to see it in action first.

Cheers
Steve

Hi Steve, I can assure you that starlink is nothing short of fantastic. I currently have four starlink services for different parts of my businesses, all remote and high speed with easy set up.

 

[Ovrland Bill]

In the USA, it used to be that you needed a license for GMRS but it wasn't a test, just a "pay the FCC and go", and I'm not sure if they still enforce that. I don't think we've ever needed licensing for GMRS in Canada, but I also think we are limited to 2 watts on GMRS…

Still, a 50 watt GMRS handheld unit would solve my vehicle to spotter and vehicle to vehicle comms challenges.

A GMRS License (which covers most of your immediate family) must still be purchased in the U.S. The fee is 35 USD and is good for 10 years. The only “test” is to navigate the arcane FCC website! Most handheld (H/T) GMRS radios max out at 5 watts, but mobile units can, indeed, go to 50 watts.

 

[Burki]

My emergency concept (e.g. for North Africa) in my Trialmaster looks like this:
1) Dual SIM cards for different networks (e.g. for Morocco: Maroc Telecom and Orange Maroc)
2) SW transceiver for international amateur radio emergency frequencies 14.3, 18.16 and 21.36 mc -> KENWOOD TS-480 connected directly to the Aux battery and matched to a mobile 7m vertical antenna
3) Handheld air band transceiver, powered independently from the Trialmaster 12 Volt battery by 10x AA Mignon batteries -> ICOM IC-A22E, set on 121.5 mc
4) Satellite phone IRIDIUM 9575 Extreme

 

[Burki]

My emergency concept (e.g. for North Africa) in my Trialmaster looks like this:
1) Dual SIM cards for different networks (e.g. for Morocco: Maroc Telecom and Orange Maroc)
2) SW transceiver for international amateur radio emergency frequencies 14.3, 18.16 and 21.36 mc -> KENWOOD TS-480 connected directly to the Aux battery and matched to a mobile 7m vertical antenna
3) Handheld air band transceiver, powered independently from the Trialmaster 12 Volt battery by 10x AA Mignon batteries -> ICOM IC-A22E, set on 121.5 mc
4) Satellite phone IRIDIUM 9575 Extreme

Satellite remote device from the sw txr

 

[Tomdoc]

Today I began the much anticipated installation of my radio gear. I am currently installing:

HF - Icom IC7000
U/VHF - Yaesu FTM400
Antennas - Tarheel II with Target tuner automatic tuning for 80 - 6m and a Diamond SG7900 for 2/70

Mounting up front on a Lido L-max mount which holds all the control heads.

Both radios have detachable front control heads which allows me to install the bodies of the radios behind the seats on the front face of the battery box. I have the 2-seater version. Having removed the cargo barrier I will use the existing bolt holes to hold a custom metal plate onto which I will attach the brackets for the radios (thus avoid drilling the new car and annoying my wife!).

I have installed a Rig Runner 12V distribution box from the auxiliary battery using Anderson plugs for all power cables.

I have already run one coax cable through the existing DTP grommet alongside the wiring, into the roof then behind the B pillar to exit just behind the driver's seat - very neat!

Will get some pictures soon (it just started chucking down with rain and has gone dark).

 

[hopefulkiwi]

late to the party but i run a vhf mobile radio(our 4wd club has a "license" for all members to use these frequencies) and i also have a uhf set which is identical to the uhf "cb" radio setup in australia. Most 4wds in NZ will also run the "cb" uhf radios,most will have handhelds but many will have in car sets. Otherwise just a mobile phone. When doing a special trip i will use an old school garmin gps using open street maps nz which are updated every week.There are topomaps available too. I also have maps books covering the whole country. An inreach is in my near future.
We also have a HF "4wd" countrywide radio service but i believe the sets are huge. We have arcane radio regs which means some of the integrated sets you guys have arent avaiable.I think if you get a ham license things are easier in that regard

 

[Burki]

Today I began the much anticipated installation of my radio gear. I am currently installing:

HF - Icom IC7000
U/VHF - Yaesu FTM400
Antennas - Tarheel II with Target tuner automatic tuning for 80 - 6m and a Diamond SG7900 for 2/70

Mounting up front on a Lido L-max mount which holds all the control heads.

Both radios have detachable front control heads which allows me to install the bodies of the radios behind the seats on the front face of the battery box. I have the 2-seater version. Having removed the cargo barrier I will use the existing bolt holes to hold a custom metal plate onto which I will attach the brackets for the radios (thus avoid drilling the new car and annoying my wife!).

I have installed a Rig Runner 12V distribution box from the auxiliary battery using Anderson plugs for all power cables.

I have already run one coax cable through the existing DTP grommet alongside the wiring, into the roof then behind the B pillar to exit just behind the driver's seat - very neat!

Will get some pictures soon (it just started chucking down with rain and has gone dark).

I also mounted the TS480 frame behind the front seats in the center console on the bracket supplied by Kenwood without having to drill holes (my wife is also happy).
I originally wanted to install a 400 watt power amp for the TS480, I put that on hold for now.
Therefore, an RG58 coaxial cable is sufficient for the antenna (mounted on the front cross bar on the roof), which I wanted to run through the upper front (or rear) left power outlet with the Deutsch connector. I hope that works. At the moment I am leading the coax cable through the rear window into the interior of the car for testing the Diamond antenna. Btw, where do you connect the antenna ground to the car chassis as radial?
Tomdoc, maybe you can send me a photo of how you put the coax cable inside?

 

[Tomdoc]

I also mounted the TS480 frame behind the front seats in the center console on the bracket supplied by Kenwood without having to drill holes (my wife is also happy).
I originally wanted to install a 400 watt power amp for the TS480, I put that on hold for now.
Therefore, an RG58 coaxial cable is sufficient for the antenna (mounted on the front cross bar on the roof), which I wanted to run through the upper front (or rear) left power outlet with the Deutsch connector. I hope that works. At the moment I am leading the coax cable through the rear window into the interior of the car for testing the Diamond antenna. Btw, where do you connect the antenna ground to the car chassis as radial?
Tomdoc, maybe you can send me a photo of how you put the coax cable inside?

H @Burki

I ran two coax cables - one each side for HF and 2/70 and an extra antenna controller wire on one side (which I ran through an additional grommet in the existing electrical cover box.

First take out the doorstep cover (just pull out), then remove the single floor bolt (10mm) in the grey panel.

Then remove the big torx bolt and the tie-down point:

Then I used some cheap trim tools (avoids scratching the plastic etc) to take off the covers and the plastic trim from the pillar and the rear roof edge:

I removed the grab handle (6 torx bolts), the DTP connector (allows the wires to pull out through the grommet (gromet has a cable tie on the back), and ran my coax through the existing grommet (it is a tight fit but doable):

Put the grommet back in!!

Run coax behind the pillar (beware airbags if fitted)

Hope that helps!!

Tom

 

[Pat-Ard]

Nice job!!!

 

[Tomdoc]

The final look:

HF antenna

Note I had to drill and tap a 5mm bolt into the grab handle as they spin in their brackets and the antenna would fall sideways!! I am intending the screw eventually to be a torx bolt in black to match the look.

2/70 antenna:

 

[Tomdoc]

Final install of both radios tucked behind the seats using homemade mounts and utilising the cargo barrier screw points.

 

[anand]

Has anyone without the roof outlets taken the grab bars off to see if these grommets exist?