4x4 Action Group - Official Radio Policy

[Mad Manny]

The 4x4 Action Group Club's official policy regarding Radio Communication:

The Club recommends the use of VHF Radio's duly licensed with ICASA through ORRA.

Users will comply with official Radio usage policy.




Background:
Much discussion has taken place on this matter, the viability of using license free, hand held radio's (with or without vehicle mount antenna's) has been investigated & discussed. Read these Threads:

http://www.4x4ag.co.za/forum/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=113

http://www.4x4ag.co.za/forum/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=68

http://www.4x4ag.co.za/forum/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=119

However, the cost saving (less than R1 grand) of Hand Held License-Free radios is just not worth the limitations.
Additionally, many members have Licensed VHF & it therefore creates a problem when others have License Free as they cannot (always) communicate with one another.


We recommend the RTS 2135 S Radio.
RTS is in Senekal.
Current cost (August 2020) is around R2800.00.
Update: Price at end of 2024 has increased slightly to R3030.00 for Radio & Antenna.

[AndreasR]

Please refer to this Thread for the Procedure to obtain an ORRA User Authority (Off Road Radio License)...

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=1667&p=38125#p38125

[Jaco Jeep RIP]

Morning Guys. I have two radios. Must i then pay for two radios. Only asking.

[Paul#25]

Morning Guys. I have two radios. Must i then pay for two radios. Only asking.

Jaco, the person is the licence holder not the individual radio.
As a licence holder for specific frequencies, like the ORRA / 4x4 frequencies, you can have multiple radios programmed with those frequencies. Anyone operating one of the radios, even if they are not the owner of the radio, must have the relevant licence.

[Jaco Jeep RIP]

Thank you Paul. Will apply for licence.

[Rabbiddog RIP 7/6/21]

Unfortunately i'm out, and here is my reasoning.

I have 6 radios, 2 bubble wrap, and 4 decent ones 2 with mag mount antennas and mike's programming software and cables, all LFR, that have served well in the past.

If I had to buy it would be at least 2 radios (hand held) with mag mount antennas and mike's, and the costs just do not justify doing it.

I have also had too many bad experiences in outings with ORRA programmed radios not communicating with each other, where we had to rely on LFR's, like on the RT2.

Go look on the 4x4com forum, Fluffy and a few of us spent hours doing tests on both ORRA and LFR and in the real world with the new radios,


I understand the need for for VHF with ORRA for Vick, Flip, XJ and a few others as the people that they need comm's with, all use AAWDC comm's, as that was the "approved" off road comm's and got paid for it.

I know there are more LFR's than VHF radios in the club. This I have seen on RT 2 and the EC passes

[Mad Manny]

Rabbiddog, I'm not sure why you went out & bought piles of Radio's.
But I understand that you are unhappy that the club's official policy is to go with Licensed VHF as you have this bucket load of LFR's.
However, if we went with LFR's the guys with proper licensed radio's would be posting a complaint.
Also, I agree that a LFR with external antenna will be as good as a VHF in 90% of cases, but most guys going LFR do so because the don't want the external antenna & therefore range & usage will be limited.

At the end of the day, after lengthy discussion & debate, the club, correctly, opted to go Licensed VHF.

Obviously others will have opposing views based on what they already bought, but we had to make a decision based on what is best for the club as a whole.

[Mad Manny]

Just to add - when Rabbiddog got the puncture on the passes tour the LFR's proved useless.
I had to chase after Martin (who was leading the convoy) to tell him to stop.
The LFR's couldn't cover 3 to 5 km of mountainous terrain.
But, to be fair to LFR's, none of them had external antennas...

[XJ Junkie]

Why would you even consider UHF radios? VHF covers twice the distance.

[Rabbiddog RIP 7/6/21]

Manny

I'm not unhappy.

Just stating why it does not make sense for me at the moment.

[Flipside]

I have 2 Bosvark LF radios as well, and they have served me well for the past 5 years.
Added a mag mount antenna and a proper mic to one of them, and they do extremely well over open area.
But VHF have become very affordable and the new smaller form factor makes for an easy fit in even the smallest places. And they reach much better in hilly and uneven terrain.
I would think it should be a decision each person has to make for themselves.



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[KurtG]

Just to add - when Rabbiddog got the puncture on the passes tour the LFR's proved useless.
I had to chase after Martin (who was leading the convoy) to tell him to stop.

Did you guys not discuss convoy rules before the trip?

[Flipside]

Just to add - when Rabbiddog got the puncture on the passes tour the LFR's proved useless.
I had to chase after Martin (who was leading the convoy) to tell him to stop.

Did you guys not discuss convoy rules before the trip?

Convoy rules work well on a trail, but on open road, the dust sometimes makes it very difficult to see the road, so. The convoy inevitably stretches out to reduce the lingering dust. But if you do stretch out, you should maintain radio contact and relay road or traffic conditions to the rest of the convoy from the front and update the progress of the sweeper from the back.


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[Mad Manny]

Did you guys not discuss convoy rules before the trip?

We did & they were largely followed.
However, on very dusty roads the vehicles tend to spread out & then when a vehicle slows down you don't see them in the dust.
With very twisting undulating roads you very soon lose a guy who stops.

But three vehicles stopped with Rabbiddog it just took me a few kilometers to get Martin to stop,

Remember, I was behind Paul who was mainly focused on keeping his Disco on the road, being wedged between two Fortuners with superior off road ability, who were pushing the pace, left him with scant opportunity to look out his rear window.

[Saxj]

After the tyre incident we resolved the comms problem with Martin in front with both LFR and VHF (No external antenna), followed by Paul with VHF (External antenna) and me at the back with VHF (External antenna). Most of the rest of the group had LFR (None with external antennas).