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Post Info TOPIC: Why don’t people use their UHF


Senior Member

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Why don’t people use their UHF


I know this has been discussed before. But why do so many caravaners have UHF 28/40 emblazoned on the back of their vans and seemingly never have it on and never respond to calls.

On a recent trip we came across a van with names and channels on the back of the van and I could hear several truckies and other vehicles trying to hail them so they could pass them with no response. To make matters even more frustrating about 50 ks down the road - the same thing. I couldnt believe it. Why spend all that money on a UHF and not use it?

 



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One reason, the GPS sitting in the LH seat doesn't like it on!

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Gday...

hmm I hear ya Ger08 .... I too have encountered the problem.

..... and iana, if the GPS doesn't like it on ... the simple .... REALLY simple solution........

Leave the UHF off ... and only turn it on when (if?) it is needed .......

AND .... take the bloody decals off the rear of their van so that other poor travellers will not waste their breath and expectation.

Cheers - John



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The Happy Helper

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We have ours on most of the time - especially on major highways - today we had three separate wide loads (school buildings - 2 trucks each time) - the pilots never call to say how wide these days, I suppose that is because they either figure we can see the load, or that no one will answer or respond. We sometimes ask if we can't see the load coming.

We don't bother so much if in towns or suburbs, though have had some fun on the Highway heading north from Brisbane, around Nudgee etc., in peak hour traffic - get some good natters going on between truckies and others caught in the hold ups.

We always keep an eye on trucks coming up behind us, call them up and say to let us know when they wanted to go, and we would co-operate, reckon most of them are happy to have it happen, makes it easy for them.

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jules
"Love is good for the human being!!"
(Ben, aged 10)



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Thanks for the responses -

I agree with Rocky, take the decals off, and in our vehicle the co-driver is responsible for, navigating, entertainment and comms etc.

I did see a bit of karma a couple of months ago, we were behind a large van with the usual channels on the back and a call came over channel 40 to beware of a mobile speed camera ahead, it was interesting to see the number vehicles that slowed, unfortunately the van driver drove straight past the speed camera and made a nice donation to the government plus it was a double points weekend. Karma!



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Most nowadays just listen. and turn off in Metro areas. for the foul mouths.
I took them off yrs ago.
In groups we usually use our Marine VHF's.
Usually stronger with much better quality signals with a decent Ant,.

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There are quite a few ''must haves'' but ''rarely used'' items involved with RVing. UHF radios & en-suites for instance. If you're not going to use them why buy them? Simple really.



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Always have my UHF on and I always let the truckies know that I have seen them and thay can 7then make up there mind when to go. My dislike are the pilots who never let you know what or how big a load is,when
I asked one pilot the answer was caravavers never respond grrrrrrrrrrr

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I get very little contact on the radio and get very little feed back from truckies when I let them know I know they are there , Sometime I wonder if it's worth having one at all .

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Chief one feather

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I have mine on at all times even if the TeePee is not on the back of the tug. Not everyone can read smoke signals. I chat to truckies a lot but have only spoken to a few RVers. I agree that if you are not going to have it on, get rid of the signs on the back.

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Desert Dweller wrote:

There are quite a few ''must haves'' but ''rarely used'' items involved with RVing. UHF radios & en-suites for instance. If you're not going to use them why buy them? Simple really.


 In my opinion D/D the en-suits are a great addition ours is used for toilate,showers,laundry,storeroom ,washing hands,storage just imagine how life would be at home without an internal bathroom and toilate,I guess you could still pee in your bucket biggrin



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RE: Why don�t people use their UHF


I realised when younger after I added accessories to cars there was always a negative. More upkerp, little used, something else c to go wrong. I tend to see DD's view of everything that opens and shuts. While doing our lap ladt year in our tiny 10'8" van we had what we call essentials, dunny, shower, kitchenette, awning, fridge, solar. Never had a problem with trucks, road trains always looked for them and pulled over at next opportunity and got the thankyou indicators. Gadgets rob you of the scenery.

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Why don’t people use their UHF


Macka 17, its not legal to use Marine VHF in land situatons.

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D.L.Bishop


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I agree that a lot of the pilot vehicles could use their UHF a lot more but I guess it must be frustrating to get very few responses to their calls. I have been thinking about this subject a bit more and is it a possibility that a lot of people are just unsure of how to use or call out using their UHF? I was pretty nervous about what to say when we first got a UHF.

On an interesting side note note I was picking up a new antenna for our set and there were three vehicles there all having top of the range UHF sets installed and the comment from the sales rep was gold, mate they have have all spent a fortune on top of the range sets that will probably stay on one channel or hardly get used.



-- Edited by Ger08 on Saturday 21st of October 2017 03:26:02 PM

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Has DD has said must have rarely needed Boys toys .

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DeBe wrote:

Macka 17, its not legal to use Marine VHF in land situatons.


 But Macka knows boats....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5mas-GNJ80

 

Cheers,

Peter



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The Happy Helper

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Ger08 wrote:

I agree that a lot of the pilot vehicles could use their UHF a lot more but I guess it must be frustrating to get very few responses to their calls. I have been thinking about this subject a bit more and is it a possibility that a lot of people are just unsure of how to use or call out using their UHF? I was pretty nervous about what to say when we first got a UHF.

On an interesting side note note I was picking up a new antenna for our set and there were three vehicles there all having top of the range UHF sets installed and the comment from the sales rep was gold, mate they have have all spent a fortune on top of the range sets that will probably stay on one channel or hardly get used.



-- Edited by Ger08 on Saturday 21st of October 2017 03:26:02 PM


 Probably right there - they won't use them - funny thing with our UHF aerial, had been having a lot of crackling, hard to understand, and frustrating.  All of a sudden it improved dramatically - the aerial had broken at the bull bar and fallen behind it - we get amazing reception now!  Go figure that one, will get it vixed one day, but as my dad used to say, why fix it if it works.



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jules
"Love is good for the human being!!"
(Ben, aged 10)



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We have the notice on the back of the van, and we don't wait for the truckies to call us. We call them, and give them our I.D. (so they know its us they are talking to) as they range up behind to let them know we will co-operate when they want to pass. Most are very appreciative. We have also found that wide loads with pilots are usually obvious with the chatter going on between those in front and the one behind. On our last outing it seemed that everyone was "moving house" (literally- we encountered about a dozen house pieces on the move) plus there was an even wider and heavier device with police escort which needed us to get right off the road. When we heard their chatter we asked for some indication of their location and direction of travel, and we were ready for them when they came over the horizon.
Like most others, we switch off in the larger cities to avoid the foul language, but turn it on again as soon as we leave the city limits.
I find the UHF really does help with situation awareness and helping the truckies to keep moving. I wouldn't go without it now.
Cheers

Coop

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RE: Why don�t people use their UHF


The reason most truckies dont reply to uhf is they think it the cops listen drivers as to know where road hazards are remember most trucks can only 100kms so if you see them in your right mirror just back it down to get them pass as drivers have window times and yes there are some that are cowboys

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The Happy Helper

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RE: Why don’t people use their UHF


Peter_n_Margaret wrote:
DeBe wrote:

Macka 17, its not legal to use Marine VHF in land situatons.


 But Macka knows boats....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5mas-GNJ80

 

Cheers,

Peter


A good laugh, thanks Peter and Margeret biggrin 



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jules
"Love is good for the human being!!"
(Ben, aged 10)



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Good on ya Coop -we find the UHF to be an invaluable tool in our travels and have actually started to leave it on a bit more in the cities and larger towns. The other day we were stuck in a traffic jam caused by road works and we were able to listen into the traffic controllers as they got an Ambo on a priority call through. It was interesting to hear the calls from the truckies and controllers as everyone worked together to get the Ambo through.



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RE: Why don�t people use their UHF


Listening to traffic controllers . Often hear their names . The look they give you when you call them by their name ..lol I find it a safety feature . North WA with. Narrow roads,corners and large trucks with people on push bikes ! Some pushing rubbish bins ?? Couldnât work that out ? But itâs Australia !! Extremely dangerous approaching corners on narrow roads . Let people know on radio or hear of anything ahead .

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Whats out there


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Why don’t people use their UHF


Agree with you Aus Kiwi - up north here in WA they are essential with all the large and wide loads and yes the look on the traffic controllers faces when you thank them is always good.

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RE: Why don�t people use their UHF


The language in cities leave much to be desired ! I swear too . But sheesh the F and Câs never stop !â

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Whats out there


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Why don’t people use their UHF


The UHF can work both ways, and I only have an el cheapo hand held one of 0.5 watts

I came up behind an over size load on the Stuart Highway, north of Port Augusta, and I was not familiar with that area

The rear escort said to the front escort, that a motorhome was behind him

I piped up and said that I was happy to stay where I was, as I was looking for a place to stop for a cuppa

The front escort, (a Lady), said that there was a small truck bay, on the right hand side, about five kilometres up the road



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Tony

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Tony Bev wrote:

The UHF can work both ways, and I only have an el cheapo hand held one of 0.5 watts

I came up behind an over size load on the Stuart Highway, north of Port Augusta, and I was not familiar with that area

The rear escort said to the front escort, that a motorhome was behind him

I piped up and said that I was happy to stay where I was, as I was looking for a place to stop for a cuppa

The front escort, (a Lady), said that there was a small truck bay, on the right hand side, about five kilometres up the road


 The perfect example of why and how a UHF can be of real assistance on the road



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Have had a CB since the Pirate days of 1972, got it from the USA back then, graduated to a UHF and would use the VHF and UHF heaps in my trucking days but even then would shut it down for cities and big towns due to idiots, now if I'm on the highways I'll have it on to call up a truck or a wide load always get a good reply but that maybe because I can talk truck but rarely call up other vanners, no signs on my rig though you have to spot the aerial, waste of time and money spending big dollars on aerials and set, its a UHF and range is never going to be great........................it's all about location with the aerial, built enough of them over the years.

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Macka you got it right. The foul mouths make be slink into the seat and then turn the thing off as I am embarrassed that my wife has heard what I have heard, especially channel 40. However, on channel 18 listening to fellow nomads we very often get a good chuckle as one tries to guide another to wherever the desired stopping place is. Funny how many women do the talking on channel 18; not that we mind. I guess that leaves, in many cases, the bloke to concentrate on driving.



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The Happy Helper

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We left theTV aerial up when we left a roadside camp, fairly narrow road and hilly - BDouble came up behind us and told us, he said there was nowhere to stop, but he would pass us, and radio back where we could get off the road to put it down - that's road courtesy I reckon, and a good reason to have the UHF on. We would have lost our aerial on some of the overhanging branches.

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jules47 wrote:

We left theTV aerial up when we left a roadside camp, fairly narrow road and hilly - BDouble came up behind us and told us, he said there was nowhere to stop, but he would pass us, and radio back where we could get off the road to put it down - that's road courtesy I reckon, and a good reason to have the UHF on. We would have lost our aerial on some of the overhanging branches.


Great outcome Jules and shows the advantages of having and using a UHF



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