Coming to Oz from Arizona, USA

[FARWEST]

The handheld devices are fine for short distance communication....the benefits of a decent ariel for distance, and base set, will repay any cost differences if needed in a poor situation.

[drover]

I would make sure that you keep a folder with all your documentation up to date and very handy as driving with plates from another country, LH Drive as well as towing a trailer with foreign plates is going to attract so much attention from the blue/red light brigade (Police) and the fellas that have Mauve lights (Transport) .......... Staying off the major highways when possible gives a far better travel experience, lots of stupid people on highways and try not to drive at night, lots of wildlife ..

Also we have some states that have Quarantine Restrictions for plants, Vegetables and fruit so you will need to get on top of that so you don't end up having to chuck your stuff in the bin .... some states have check points on the border and go right thru everything..... This link while covering the lot does give links to the various states, it does look worse than it is and we all just run all over the place without any great problems... https://interstatequarantine.org.au/...rantine-zones/

Ideally a Tesltra Phone with 4G will give the most coverage again no address may hinder that as well and once out of the cities and away from the major highways reception is hit and miss or none at all, unless you find a big hill.

[layback40]

Originally Posted by 2YanksAbroad

We absolutely plan to get a UHF radio. I already have a GMRS in the Jeep but AUS does not operate those frequencies for civilian use. The plan was to just get one or two quality hand held UHFs for close convoy communications etc.
Do you think it's necessary to get a full mobile UHF installed in the Jeep or would a decent hand held be adequate?

When in many parts of the outback, especially going over sand dunes, you are required to have a "flag pole" aka aerial with a small flag on the top so you can be seen when you are in the dips between the dunes. A good UHF aerial does the job. If you dont want a UHF installed in your jeep, you can get hand helds with removable antennas that the main aerial lead can plug into. There are hand helds now that have the same specs as base stations.

[Grippy]

Originally Posted by layback40

When in many parts of the outback, especially going over sand dunes, you are required to have a "flag pole" aka aerial with a small flag on the top so you can be seen when you are in the dips between the dunes. A good UHF aerial does the job. If you dont want a UHF installed in your jeep, you can get hand helds with removable antennas that the main aerial lead can plug into. There are hand helds now that have the same specs as base stations.

When I crossed the Simpson in the Grand, I zip tied an old fishing rod to the roof rack with a yellow safety vest and the required cross in duct tape on it, it was still rock solid after the 720km we did whereas the other 8 cars in the convoy had expensive sand flags that had rattled apart on the corrugations, seized or broken all together The money I saved went to much needed booze for around the campfires at night

It obviously didn't wave around as much as a sand flag but could be seen clearly as the elevation on the rack was high compared to a bullbar, it took numerous hits on trees etc but lasted the trip.

As for UHF aerial, I have a small whippy one on the roof rack and could hear traffic on the French line when we were down on the WWA and Rig Rd, whereas the other monster aerials in the convoy didn't hear a thing.

[drover]

Really with UHF if you can see it then you can talk to it, and for just traffic talk then a handheld is good enough, aerials range depends on design and gain, high gain doesn't really mean you will get long distance, a $45 stainless pig tail job on the roof rack will usually do better job than the big stick, big $$ job on bull bar, just not look as cool ... I prefer to wind it down to good reception of 4km, then I don't have to listen to the fools on air, though mine only goes on when out west never ON near any major towns....

Steer clear of grain seasons, grain trucks are worse than coal trucks.

[2YanksAbroad]

We have similar laws here in the US for sand flags, and for the same reasons.

For more specifics on the comms; we will be arriving in Sydney. Where are places there that you guys recommend for purchasing a UHF? I like the idea of the hand held with a remoted antenna for improved range.

For all of our paperwork (and there will be a bundle) we will have a complete folder on hand with us all the time that will show proof of legal entry for us, the Jeep and the trailer into AUS.
I appreciate the unusualness of our journey and anticipate being asked a few times how it is exactly we got to be permitted to drive this LHD Jeep and funky trailer with AZ-USA plates in Australia.
Part of the adventure

[drover]

If you stay out of the cities the place is fantastic and when out of the city and roaming the countryside have some cash as well as plastic, not American Express and out of the city be warned banks are getting scarce, also when you get out into the real country don't plan to be near empty when you get to the next town to refuel sort of thing, some little places may have run out or not even have a garage, I always carry a Jerry or 2 and plan to refuel around half a tank if possible, has paid off once or twice, don't mean to sound dramatic as its not a big issue but if you poke around off the main highways like we do its just the way to do it ... A Jerry is a 20lt military fuel can ...

I envy you, a mate a few years back offered me his RAM and 5th wheeler for 6 mths to run around the States, he'd actually left it in Arizona at a mates, if I had the coin would have taken up the offer, luckily I didn't have enough folding stuff as COVID struck about the time I would have arrived there.............