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M

Post by M »

citrojim wrote:Hands-free kits for these rigs. Are they available? and if so, I'd say absolutely essential.
You certainly used top be able to buy VOX hands free kits mountale on the sun visor (Pama of manchester used to do a range of two or three)

However if teams have a co-pilot - perhaps the co- pilot should be in charge of comm's?

Remember - speaking in an American accent, saying 10-10 good buddy, 1-9 for a copy and generally memorising all the 10- codes is liable to make you have the urine taken out of you mercilessly.
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Post by Philip Chidlow »

Maybe we should speak like this... :lol:

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Post by DavidRutherford »

M wrote:[Remember - speaking in an American accent, saying 10-10 good buddy, 1-9 for a copy and generally memorising all the 10- codes is liable to make you have the urine taken out of you mercilessly.
Thats a big 10-4.
this might be a signature
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Post by Mike E (uk) »

Thanks Marty, good explanation.

Fag lighter power plugs are not ideal for CBs, they are prone to increasing interference on receive, such as alternator whine. and they tend to fall out mid conversation.
Batter to feed a wire direct to the battery and fuse it at the battery + terminal. Wire does not need to be hugely fat as CBs only use a few watts.
(most modern car radios use more power).

Magmounts are best for a temporary installation.
Plus the middle of the roof gives best range. Best installation means a hole in the middle of the roof, but then the roof lining has to come out.
It is possible to fit a mount at the rear of the roof, that's what I did on my car, but the sunroof was bust and the drain holes needed clearing anyway.

It is a simple job to mount a smaller size CB on the side of the centre console, passenger side. A loose radio is a real nuisance, and much harder to operate. You only need a couple of small holes, so this will not disfigure your car.

The biggest problem with mobile radio installations is usually engine related interference. This is an advantage of a diesel engine.A good earth on the radio can help here. This would be a short length of copper braid from the radio case to the car bodywork.

Mike
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Mike E (uk)
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Post by Mike E (uk) »

Regarding the 'pathfinder' idea. This could work well, bearing in mind the limited range of CB, phones would probably be used for a regular traffic report which could be then relayed on the the main contingent via a CB announcement.

I do not think 1.5 hours ahead is necessary though. That is a long time and distance, and the road circumstances could change a great deal in that period.
I would suggest 15-20 minutes ahead. That would be 10-15 miles 'look ahead.'
We will be mostly in the French countryside, which does not suffer road problems anything like the UK.

It is a shame the trip is so late in the year, as the sun will set quite early.
At least you get an extra hour of daylight on French time.

Mike
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Post by Philip Chidlow »

I might be thinking against the grain here but:

RE: Comms: Here is my considered opinion:

I apologise in advance to those who have thus far offered their advice and help for the event. I am not dismissing their counsel - after all I am at a disadvantage having never used CB. This is a personal view and open to debate. It's also entirely down to Team choice.

It seems a little OTT to be talking about maybe fitting a CB rig to every car. I still think it will sufficient to use mobile phones given we are travelling through a leading First World country and not traversing the Gobi desert... I think some teams might like to be able to converse at length en route, but it's not going to be for everyone. Just a minute here and a minute there of calls and some texts via mobile will be - I would have thought - sufficient. The cost of purchasing all the equipment may end up being similar to the cost of using a mobile?

But the biggest reason I don't think I would fit a CB rig, is that I would prefer to rely upon a mobile phone or two (being from the UK they will dynamically switch networks), is that I don't want my BX broken into for the equipment. I don't want to always have to carry the rig, aerial, plus my laptop, mobiles (because I'd still need/want them) and TomTom each time I get out of the car. I want to be able to communicate when not in the car too.

But I repeat, it's down to individual teams to decide.

And it's early days (even I might be persuaded to change my mind!)...
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Post by Philip Chidlow »

Re: Pathfinder idea...

Yes, on reflection over an hour is of course way too long to leave it... 15-20 mins would be fine (unless it was a 16v in the mood for being driven! :lol: )...

Shame it is 'so late' in the year, I agree. But it has been carefully considered given the following factors (based not just on my experience but also upon discussions I have had with a contact connected with arranging French holidays):

Summer vacations for most in France are over by end of August. Those families without kids either do before August (or even before late July) or for the first two weeks or so of September. Prices for and availability of crossings start to drop off after then too in general.

For those with kids, the last two weeks of October is often a half-term. Also, this isn't necessarily always the case in France, so the roads should be OK. I chose a Sunday for the first day (a 300 mile stage) as the number of HGVs on the road are much, much less than other days.

Any later, and we're into November where snow really would become an issue on the elevated stages.

So I plumped for 18th Oct. Still nice weather usually and not too hot or cold.

Justifications over...

:D The date's still 18th October. 8)
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Post by Jaba »

Mike/Jim have you had a look at the group SMS service I mentioned a few pages ago. You can send an SMS to all the teams for the cost of around 6p ea.

It is described quite well here and might be useful on the trip especially for those who are not CB equipped and/or are out of range at: http://abigidea.blogspot.com/2008/03/zy ... p-sms.html

and

https://www.zygohubs.com/

Dunno how useful it would, perhaps be worth looking into.

P.S. Dont forget it is illegal for the driver to use a mobile or CB, even a hand held in France. They all do it of course just like here.
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Post by Jaba »

Philip Chidlow wrote:For those with kids, the last two weeks of October is often a half-term. Also, this isn't necessarily always the case in France, so the roads should be OK.
Actually Phil the French have their half term 'Toussaint' holiday for two weeks starting October 25th.
Ferry prices are so cheap these days 70 -80 GBP return depending on the time of day. September and October tend to be around the same price levels.

I have no issues at all with your dates but as Mike E said the days are getting shorter in late October.
Still, I am sure you will all lay off the drink each night so that you can awake fresh and alert for an early start each morning to make the most of the daylight.
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Post by Mike E (uk) »

Re comms.

I agree we are not crossing the ghobi dessert, but CBs will be a most useful and fun accessory. I would not bother taking a laptop, that's the most popular theft item today, and a complete pain to transport and keep charged.

The folks in cars fitted with CBs will have lots more fun than those without.
The drivers and co drivers in non CB equipped cars will only have each other to talk to during the travelling!

With CB, everyone can talk to the whole group at once. Those without CB will feel left out very quickly,
while the others will be able to exchange information and chat within the entire group, instantly and for free, and all passengers can hear what is said, while they plan impromptu stop overs, avoid speed traps etc.

Mobile phones are useless for communicating within a group simultaneously. Texting in a moving car is a complete pain. You will probably make yourself car sick.!
If you want to speak,you will have to make one call per car, and have to call back all cars if new information is received. By which time that 'inviting creperie' has been long passed.
Without CBs the group cannot discuss anything without all cars stopping at the same place- often impossible on a motorway.

I would only take a tom-tom, a phone, a CB and a map.

CBs are very cheap to buy, and you can sell them again afterwards, probably for what you pay for them.

If you are really worried about security, Etap hotels usually have secure fenced parking and are only E40 a night for a 3 bed room.
When the magmount is removed, there is nothing to attract theives anyway.

Sorry to go on, but I feel the trip will be so much more fun if we can all talk wilst on the move.

Mike

Jaba- yes group SMS would be handy when people are in various hotels and need to be given meeting points etc.
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Post by Philip Chidlow »

A great response, Mike. I was (as you have obviously seen right through my posting), playing devil's advocate, voicing concerns that maybe not just I have had...

I am waivering... :wink:

I do need to know though, what's the range of these things? What happens if the lead car is (at a rough calculation) 30 miles from the rearmost car... would they be able to chat?

I'm still not entirely convinced that "The folks in cars fitted with CBs will have lots more fun than those without. " this sounds positively smug to some who maybe don't share the enthusiasm for CB, but I can see the advantages re: group discussions.

OK, it's still up to individual teams to decide. BUT importantly, as one of the 'core organisers' - which includes Comms advisors of course - I should put aside any reluctance to embrace the unfamiliar and use CB.

So, to set an example I will discuss this with Kermit (Phil) and hopefully be able to confirm that I will try really hard, grit my teeth, and say that Philibusters will be thus equipped.

But I'm still taking a laptop. :D
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Post by Philip Chidlow »

Forgot to mention: The SMS option as pointed out by Jaba, is always there for teams who either don't want to or arrive a bit late on the scene to have arranged the CB option.

This whole thing is a big learning curve, as I'm discovering. But it's now building a momentum (that is hard to communicate via the odd post here and there) all of it's own. And it WILL HAPPEN...

8)
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Post by docchevron »

Erm, I may be completley wrong, but I was under the impression that CB was being banned in this country next year in it's entirety?
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Post by M »

docchevron1472 wrote:Erm, I may be completley wrong, but I was under the impression that CB was being banned in this country next year in it's entirety?
Only the old PR27/81 frequencies - not the PR27/97 or CEPT frequencies. The stuff that Thatcher legalised [27/81] rather than giving us the old bomber frequencies or the Yank AM system. We are once again being "Harmonised" iWith Europe. :roll:

EDIT:
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Avoid rigs with this marking on them ( the one in the circle) they are UK only and will be outlawed soon.
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Post by Jaba »

Have a look at my posting here : http://bxclub.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?p=93649#93649
for a pic of an annual Citroen rally in the Alps. The banners and numbers they use might be an idea to consider. Maybe a sponsor could contribute them.
That would be a Total solution...........(get it ?)
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