UHF - why aren't they used?

[davemc]

We have a portable 5W we have and a sticker now we did 10k trip last September we like the info although not the swearing. we scan 10/18/40.
The only person to contact us was some other vanner who wanted to over take us on the 10k dirt road to the dinosaurs at Winton.
We where going 60-70 in the dirt he needed to do 100 Beat us by a whole 40 seconds. The vanners behind us had kids as well and said what the did he ping you to get past.

Apart from that we only used it with the expanda crew at Flinders and @mrsmfexpanda @mfexpanda on the way back in convoy.
Helped in the floods on the way back.

We contacted a few trucks on other trips where we where in a section we where not comfortable to sit close to speed limit and they where. We check mirrors have a reverse camera. Although we normally travel close to speed limit so have no problems with trucks, other cars stupidly overtaking you and then cutting off. YES.

With speed I look at it if your got a setup of car/van and you cannot safely sit above 70-80 on a flat road like the Newell then should you be on the road.
Although most of them its not the fact its unsafe for the 200/Sterling combo they are saving fuel. I can save 2-3 litres travelling at 70-75 on a single lane road although I am sharing it with other users. Truck drivers for the most part do a fantastic job with the added weight they can struggle to stop or get speed up to make a hill if slowed by someone saving fuel.

I have had this debate with a few people I know, Yes nomads are retired living on a pension and just slowly moving around to take the next free camp spot at 11am in the morning before it fills up
Although they are sharing the road with people who still making a living.
I know there was a section coming into Longreach I think 70% of vehicles we saw coming the other way was vans.
Now if most of these are doing 70-80 and the Truck driver behind them has a deadline, that means they need to go past all of them. Each overtake has a risk to it. Then it be bloody truck driver.
Sorry rant over

 

[bigcol]

to @davemc

 

[Dobbie]

Thoroughly agree...if I had a big fist and a vertical thumb I'd add it.

As said, there's a need for courtesy and common sense on all sides and it seems there are more caravan transgressors than truckies. An age old debate but if we carry and use UHF it's got to help.

but....the language and inane nonsense at times is really not a help.

 

[bigcol]

but....the language and inane nonsense at times is really not a help.

aint that the truth


although, I have listened in to some pretty interesting subjects (Vanners / Grey Gonads / Truckers / Farmers / even planes some nights) when travelling and it breaks the monotony of the drive

 

[Lach]

but....the language and inane nonsense at times is really not a help.

Agree it can be annoying but as someone said, once our of the city i find it settles down pretty well.

 

[Marv_mart]

some times it is practical for you to move for them, some times its not

but atleast if you talk to them, they will know what you are doing

I usually have mine on Ch20, when we are away with others, and flick to Ch40 if and when required / needed
have thought about updating to the new fangled 80Ch, and keep the 40 for convoy use on Ch20

I had one truckie on a trip back from the riverland tell me my poptop had come unclipped on the back, I couldn't see it. Thanked him and said I had to slow down and would pull over at the first opportunity. 'No worries mate, there's a spot about 500m ahead'. Thanked him again profusely. Often call up a truckie to offer a hold back when he is ready to pass. Always appreciated with a couple of blinker flashes or thanks. I try to sit on ~100 clicks if safe.
Agree that more people should act as per examples above, makes for much safer traveling and happier truckies.

On another occasion heard calls from afar getting stronger about 'pull off the road'. Had plenty of time to find a spot well in advance of a convoy of truckers carrying dozer blades over 8m wide!! Very glad I had the radio on 40 that day. Always interesting listening to the truckie chatter although often not much going on but when there is no radio/music.

 

[WHHEMI]

I scan 18 and 40 (vans use 18 for there chatter normally) while the better half does get a bit annoyed at the language coming for the trucks at time generally find it's not that bad once your away from the cities, I don't have a problem with trucks (even the cowboys) most are fairly courteous on the roads if you are to them, in fact it's generally other motorists that give me the sh....ts more than anything.

I remember travelling the Hume a few years ago with @chartrock on our way to the Vic High Country met when a truckie called us up and wanted to know about our vans, (we both still had Expandas then).

A UHF 18/40 stick is always a go idea let's them know you have a radio and may be on channel, I need to get one for my van, several years ago I ordered some and sold them to members here at cost plus postage, I'd be willing to do this again if I can get enough interest and the same supplier is still doing them, though I'll start another thread at a later date.

If you no longer have a supplier, let me know as I have a friend that can do them.

 

[Bushman]

If you no longer have a supplier, let me know as I have a friend that can do them.

No worries, I'll get in touch with them next week and find out,I don't have their detail on me at moment.

 

[crackacoldie]

Having driven trucks the biggest problem I had with the stickers on the back of vans was that many van owners don't reply when you call them, to the point I eventually stopped calling them.

I still have a sticker on our van and do answer if called, don't listen to 40 in the car because of the language.

 

[Drover]

The best advice I used to give vanners was just stick to the speed your happy with and I'll look after the rest, just don't slow down or speed up as I come up behind................................

 

[Bluey]

I have my reciver on my lap not turned up too loud when i hear somthing i put it to my ear i heard many a flash for cash ahead truckies talking to each other ..... language not so bad im on 40 all the time turn it on when i get well out of big citys ..... for me this has worked very well and if the talking is very bad i just turn down a bit for 10 mins when going to NSW i knew of every police car i saw very handy indeed 5 stars

 

[davemc]

@Marv_mart the wide loads and being able to hear and chat to them with a van is great.
Where hd them where we had to get off the road so they can clear.

 

[bigcol]

yeah, got to agree, I have sometimes sat behind the "wide load" guys talking to them - as I'm in no hurry
some of the funny stories they will tell you while your travelling

and listening to their comments about the drivers behind them, or who have just passed them

good value

 

[Dobbie]

and it keeps them awake as well...that's gotta be good for safety.

though some of the people we've met in caravan parks would bore you to tears if you had to converse with them while on the road.

..

 

[straydingo]

I got a 18/40 sticker on the back, and try to the start the day with the radio on.
a) I have trouble understanding is being said
b) I get fed up with the constant conversations on ch40 that no-one can use the channel anyways. And the language is always so bad that I keep turning the volume down and down for the sake of my poor suffering family until I figure...why bother, and just turn it off.

 

[Crusty181]

Well, aint this got the potential to become another WDH, or tow licence topic ... or Navara v everything else

About 3 months ago during my Big Lap, I had two idiot truckers behind, one coming up on the radio cold, without other provocation, and threaten to blow my head off with his shotgun .... simply because he decided I was driving to slow for his liking. I was doing 95kph via the satellite navigator. Add the inbuilt speedo variance to his speedo and it would read 100kph.

You know the one bad apple story ... this is mine. It was an impressive ramp up of annoyance on his behalf, from nothing to dead by gunshot in a nano second. After I told my thoughts, he then invited me to pull over ... when I very very enthusiastically accepted with the descriptor of where his shot gun would end up, typically the hero of our story kept driving. So forgive my long rant, Ive got some pretty strong views on this topic.

Me driving at 95kph forces the truck driver to drive at 95kph for a short time, any decision he makes to do something dangerous is entirely his

All drivers need to realise they ain't so special, and they need to come to terms with the very real notion they have no more rights or any right to extra consideration than any other driver of any other vehicle type; truck, caravan, bike, space ship or submarine. They need to learn a little humility and patience; and clearly a cursory look over the legislation. The fact is ladies and gentlemen, brace yourselves, the secrets out there's no special dispensation for certain classes of vehicles, because if there was, trucks might not be the one to get it. Theres just as much argument for it to be caravans, or motorbikes, or skateboards, racing lawn mowers ..... or trucks.

I have a licence and my vehicles are registered, roadworthy and insured and that gives me the identical rights to anyone else. The legislation and my decisions, most certainly not other drivers, dictates my code of conduct. To have a self serving "unwritten code of shallow ethics" that benefits only the select few is a little arrogant. "I also work on the road, so I deserve more as well" is not helpful ... I drive my ute from suburban building site to suburban building site ... and guess what, no-one pulls over for me. Sometimes it takes me for ever to get anywhere ... damn it.

Whilst I try to take other peoples safety into account, I drive and tow for myself and my family and that's pretty much it. I drive at a speed Im comfortable with, and I refuse to be 'coerced' into driving faster than what suits me, in fact Ill slow down if I think some turd needs to be reminded of that. I have a UHF on channel 18 because I read somewhere thats the caravaners channel, and the bonus is rarely does anyone use channel 18 because Im not interested in chit chat anyway. I definitely wont be putting the UHF on the truck channel and subjecting my son or the Princess to the disgusting foul gutter mouths that are on it.

I have "CH 18" on the rear of the van, and if anyone, including but not limited to trucks, would like to flick across radio channels and politely ask for a chop out Ill oblige to a point if I can ... but not because he wants to drive 5km faster and cant wait for the next overtaking lane 10 minutes up the road. If he sits up my ar$e with some obvious sense of entitlement he'll get the slow treatment.

Im certainly not going to pull off the road at predetermined distances. The highways and byways have overtaking lanes at regular intervals, because the need has been identified by far more important and learned people than me, possible the smarty people that are in charge. If a particular section doesn't have an overtaking area and someone feels it should Im not responsible, contact your local member of parliament.

I get stuck behind old Nanna's all the time as well and I have to suck it up on a regular basis. Theres no Nanna code that requires all Nannas to clear the highway when Crustys heading to town. I dont presume to know the reasons why some people arent driving at warp factor, because I cant know and because thats ignorant and self serving to guess. They clearly have a reason, its none of my business and that should be enough, because if theyre driving within the law its not anyones else's concern.

As annoying as it is Im not going to pressure some old nervous Nanna to drive faster than she's comfortable with, because thats ignorant and dangerous, defines road rage and may well kill someone. If old nanna, or me, is driving within the law suck it up and leave us the hell alone.

100km is a maximum, not a requirement. At least in Mexico

 

[straydingo]

When I can understand whats being said, I've never been asked to let someone pass.
I have called up trucks and asked for them to let me know when safe to pass. Generally I don't even need to do that - they just give a flash on the indicator, as I also do for others. We are all using the road together - sometimes a truck will be slow, sometimes a van, always a nanna. I figure its just courtesy to let another know they can pass - sometimes I'll even slow down for them to make it easier. On a very slow drive like lots of turns in a mountain pass or whatever, if there is a queue behind me and if there is a pull out area, then I will pull over too - regardless of the road user behind me, and regardless of whether the UHF is on or not.
But as soon as someone thinks its an obligation, then I'll play funny buggers.
And if it ain't safe (ie oncoming traffic etc) then regardless; they will wait.
Its also helpful to let someone know what your intentions are so they are prepared, or that you are prepared for their actions.
To me and in this context, the UHF is just a tool to facilitate safe vehicle maneuvers. But then, so is an indicator, which also gets forgotten by that certain arrogant few.

 

[Dobbie]

Whoopi.....love it!

and totally agree....common sense and common courtesy are not always common....we have to share and sharing should mean give and take.

There's too much taking and not enough giving for my liking.

@crusty it good to have you back in 'the land of those not on the road at the moment'

 

[Bank of Dad]

UHF........forum for appalling language.

I use my indicator to assist people get past me.....but when the speed limit is 100 and I'm doing it, am I assisting people break the law?

 

[straydingo]

There was a series of articles and comments made a couple years ago by the legal fraternity (no I no longer have it sorry) that if a cyclist was to wave to the vehicle behind to go past, and the overtaking vehicle was then involved in any sort of incident, the waver was to be held liable...
While that was for cyclists, the same would apply to drivers. Thus yes the question must be asked if you encourage a driver to speed to overtaken then are you doing a bad thing too?
Thus should we bad waving/indicating/unf-ing someone past?

(Protruding limb from a moving vehicle also illegal)
:biggrin-26:.