Communications
Communication is critical!
The ability to interact with others while riding is as important as being able to chat over big distances.
Getting a message across on the trail can take many forms, from the most ridiculously basic to high-tech and expensive electronics
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Get a Loud Horn
Okay, it sounds a little strange, but we all know that modern bikes run horns that couldn’t out-dB a duck. That brrruuup! that sounds like a strangled frog does no-one any good and is useless. Around ...
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EPIRBs
If you ride alone, or are heading somewhere remote in a group, you really should invest in an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon. These units save lives every year, calling in the cavalry in...
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Mobile Phones
Most riders have them, and most of us carry them. Coverage is reasonable along much of the Great Divide, with reception available from some surprisingly remote hill tops. Choose your carrier though....
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Satellite Phones
Unless you’re in remote areas a lot, it pays to hire sat-phones. They are expensive and susceptible to water and vibration damage, and are also expensive in terms of call costs, so they aren’t an...
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UHF Handheld Radios
UHF radios are the trail rider’s friend, because they’re an affordable, easy to use and a practical way for a group to communicate internally. UHF radios work best in line-of-sight but can still...
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Smoke and Mirrors
These forms of communication are a lot more simple. Smoke is an excellent signal that can be seen over huge distances on still days, and is an accepted way of pin-pointing a crash site to a rescue...
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On Charge and Protection
All of the technology-based communication systems require power. Most have their own batteries, and most of these will last at least through the daylight hours. A 12-volt outlet plug on a bike is...
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Safety First
Having effective communications provides a brilliant safety net in the bush, but requires a little etiquette. Your UHF transmissions can easily end up in a farmer’s kitchen or a family 4WD, so keep...