Australian 80 Tech? (3 Viewers)
- Thread starter jaymar
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I've been importing a decent amount of stuff from Australia. The biggest thing they get that we don't is the diesel engine and manual transmissions so a lot of stuff is centered around that - 3" exhausts, 4" stainless snorkels, airboxes, intercooler, upgraded pumps/injectors, bigger turbos. I have a PDI airbox that uses a 200 Series air filter.
I started out watching 4wd 24/7 years ago and got interested in the Australian 4x4 scene so I've been kind of building my rig in that style. They seem to have a couple different styles - the older people and "tourers" build more of the typical Outback 80 Series with a safari snorkel, RTT, sensible wheels/tires, ARB bumper etc. But the younger crowd has a whole different style. Some of it qualifies as rice but I think it can look cool. Slick tops, stainless snorkels, upgraded headlights, machined wheels, leveled lift.
A lot of them will also get top mount intercoolers and add a 70 series hood scoop to their 80 hood. Or just because they like the look. (The australian pics aren't mine, I've just been saving pics I see on FB)
I think 80 Series sun visors are NLA but people will adapt 70 series sun visors to fit. I don't personally like the look
One thing I got is a set of OEM quads with upgraded LED headlights and Australian-made OEM headlight covers. The quads are funny because in Australia they came on the poverty pack model so lots of people would prefer the Sahara style (like we have in the US) but the grass is always greener right
I started out watching 4wd 24/7 years ago and got interested in the Australian 4x4 scene so I've been kind of building my rig in that style. They seem to have a couple different styles - the older people and "tourers" build more of the typical Outback 80 Series with a safari snorkel, RTT, sensible wheels/tires, ARB bumper etc. But the younger crowd has a whole different style. Some of it qualifies as rice but I think it can look cool. Slick tops, stainless snorkels, upgraded headlights, machined wheels, leveled lift.
A lot of them will also get top mount intercoolers and add a 70 series hood scoop to their 80 hood. Or just because they like the look. (The australian pics aren't mine, I've just been saving pics I see on FB)
I think 80 Series sun visors are NLA but people will adapt 70 series sun visors to fit. I don't personally like the look
One thing I got is a set of OEM quads with upgraded LED headlights and Australian-made OEM headlight covers. The quads are funny because in Australia they came on the poverty pack model so lots of people would prefer the Sahara style (like we have in the US) but the grass is always greener right
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- #3
Right! Well some of that's a different look, thanks for the, um 'scoop!'
What's the purpose of the massive UHF aerial in the states? I've wondered that for awhile when I see guys running them. I've even seen them on bumpers but not even hooked up to anything. I just feel like it would block line of sight.
Are you using it for GMRS? It seems like WAY over kill if that's the case.
Are you using it for GMRS? It seems like WAY over kill if that's the case.
Post #5 IS likely the best answer...
That said. As a extra class Ham; that antenna visually appears to be for VHF (specifically, 2 meters). I wouldn't mount it there either. Moreover, if it's not connected to coax and a radio, well then it's functionality might be a wee bit comprised.
But, like, that's just my opinion man.
I suppose it wouldn't be much good for GMRS in that case then.
I've got an ~18" and a 42" aerial I swap out depending on where I'm going. I can get down a lot more trails with the shorter one. But they are both dual band and mounted on the back of the 80. I'm just a lowly technician though.
I've got an ~18" and a 42" aerial I swap out depending on where I'm going. I can get down a lot more trails with the shorter one. But they are both dual band and mounted on the back of the 80. I'm just a lowly technician though.
Yeah GMRS. GMRS is UHF right? Is there a better antenna? I ask only because I've never been interested in radio setups and just had to buy a GMRS setup quick for a couple trips earlier this year. Everyone else I was running with had GMRS. Some people had big firestick looking antennas, but one guy had just a handheld. He could hear us ok but his transmissions were definitely weaker
I've actually never seen another person in the US with an antenna like this in person.. but I have seen snorkels installed but not attached to the airbox, same concept haha
At first I wasn't sure about the mounting position but I don't have anywhere else for an antenna. Didn't want to do a magnetic roof mount, don't have a rear aftermarket bumper. I figured if the Australians do it I'll try it out. Sight out the windshield isn't a problem
GMRS + this antenna is pretty good, I was able to talk to a friend across Moab which I was blown away with, having only tried CB radio back in the day. Not quite line of sight with all the trees and buildings in the way, I was over by Milt's and he was up by the Arches entrance.
With HAM and properly linked repeaters you can talk all over. I could talk from one side of CO to the other. GMRS isn't meant to do this. People tried to setup linked repeaters but its not made for that. Pretty sure most of them got shut down.
What is the model of your antenna I'm curious. I have seen a lot of people run those little stubby antenna, but I don't know all the specifics on the antennas for GMRS because aside from using a handheld, I have never really messed with it, and don't have much interest in getting a license for it personally.
While it's not the BEST spot, I'm sure its fine. I just don't like having something in my vision like that. Mine isn't the best either, but it is one of the most out of the way and still allows me to get in the garage, I have my antenna installed on one of the mounts that bolts in near the back tailgate. Usually people put rear scene lights there.
My FJ Cruiser had it mounted in a similar spot and got excellent TX/RX, same with my GX470. Of the three this is probably the lowest down on the body though I think. Still get excellent TX/RX though. But I also have a 50w dual band kenwood.
What is the model of your antenna I'm curious. I have seen a lot of people run those little stubby antenna, but I don't know all the specifics on the antennas for GMRS because aside from using a handheld, I have never really messed with it, and don't have much interest in getting a license for it personally.
While it's not the BEST spot, I'm sure its fine. I just don't like having something in my vision like that. Mine isn't the best either, but it is one of the most out of the way and still allows me to get in the garage, I have my antenna installed on one of the mounts that bolts in near the back tailgate. Usually people put rear scene lights there.
My FJ Cruiser had it mounted in a similar spot and got excellent TX/RX, same with my GX470. Of the three this is probably the lowest down on the body though I think. Still get excellent TX/RX though. But I also have a 50w dual band kenwood.
Nice spot for a mount. Yeah I really don't know much about comms to be honest. GMRS has been my first foray into it, haven't tried the repeaters or anything. I didn't feel like going through all the work to get a HAM license. (also I don't wheel with any ham operators) Getting a GMRS license is cheap, no test required, and the hardest part is navigating the outdated govt website to successfully pay for the license.
The antenna is from Alamosa:
Alamosa Antenna
shop.alamosa.mobi
I got the GMRS 6dBi 48" Radome Antenna with a foldable mount so I can fold it back to get in lower garage doors.
but like I said I did very little research before buying. Just needed a setup quick and knew that Alamosa was a local business and owned by a cruiser enthusiast.
Intesting.Nice spot for a mount. Yeah I really don't know much about comms to be honest. GMRS has been my first foray into it, haven't tried the repeaters or anything. I didn't feel like going through all the work to get a HAM license. (also I don't wheel with any ham operators) Getting a GMRS license is cheap, no test required, and the hardest part is navigating the outdated govt website to successfully pay for the license.
The antenna is from Alamosa:
Alamosa Antenna
I got the GMRS 6dBi 48" Radome Antenna with a foldable mount so I can fold it back to get in lower garage doors.
View attachment 3946507
but like I said I did very little research before buying. Just needed a setup quick and knew that Alamosa was a local business and owned by a cruiser enthusiast.
Overall a very cool 80 though. I'm trying to be in Utah in October. I don't know where you are but I'm down to link up if you want to check out the ham setup.
The test isn't that hard. But I get not wanting the headache
mudgudgeon
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UHF radio is typical in Australia for car to car comms if you're on a group/ convoy situation. No license is required, unless the radio exceeds a threshold on strength of transmission
Different length antennas have an effect on range in hilly country. UHF doesn't do great in hilly country.
Ham radio is less of a thing in Australia.
CB radio was the most common until maybe 20 years ago.
It's fairly common to see aerials ( Codan) for satellite comms on 4x4s used in remote locations.
Aerials are a whole fashion statement for some guys!
Different length antennas have an effect on range in hilly country. UHF doesn't do great in hilly country.
Ham radio is less of a thing in Australia.
CB radio was the most common until maybe 20 years ago.
It's fairly common to see aerials ( Codan) for satellite comms on 4x4s used in remote locations.
Aerials are a whole fashion statement for some guys!
I'm down, hit me up when you're out this way man!
Haven't tried Alamosa sticks, but Midland sells several "Aussie-style" antennas. I run a 50-watt Wouxon CG-1000 in my LX-450 . A coax switch let6s me choose between the shorter 3 dB (which fits thru the garage door) and the longer 6.6 dB gain (that doesn't.) The 3 db gain is better in the city and densely forested areas, because it's signal is more "rounded." The 6.6 dB signal is more like a toroid or doughnut, if you will, compressing the signal towards the horizon. On most rigs, including the 80, its extra height puts a good signal directly behind, because the typical bullbar mounting puts the upper part above roof height. Thus, while the engine hood is a less than ideal ground plane, it good enough.
Yeah, to echo what @mudgudgeon said, UHF is the standard way people do vehicle to vehicle comms in Australia these days. Mounting on the front of the vehicle like that is preferred. If you try and mount off the back of the vehicle next to a pillar, it's going to create problems with signals in the direction of the chassis. Mounting dead centre on top of the roof would be best, but that's not practical if you ever pass under a bridge, enter a carpark, or want to pull into a garage. For that reason, front of the bullbar is the typical place, with a ground independent mount. Here's what mine looks like:
I have a "whip" style mast, which is flexible, and it's mounted on a spring base, so the whole thing can flex/move as I bash into branches and the like without breaking. Some people go for the thicker solid fibreglass style rods, but I don't see the point, as it's just the same 1/2 wavelength thin wire inside, and the thicker poles affect visibility more and are more likely to get broken.
There are 80 channels for UHF in Australia, which have some conventions and regulations. I have a channel list like this printed out in a small leaflet tucked into the sun visor:
If you're set to channel 40, you'll pick up all the truckies chatting as you drive down the highway. I often have my radio often to triple-scan when I'm out and about, where it scans three different channels at once (often 40, 10, 18) and will stop at one when it picks up chatter. It's not just vehicles though. Handheld UHF radios are cheap and widely used in all kinds of areas. I give my kids some handhelds like this when they're off exploring in the bush:
This way they can stay in touch with me and each other, so I can check in on them, call them if I need them to come back, and they can call me if there's an emergency. These ones are waterproof, so when they drop them in a river it'll still work. Gives me a lot of peace of mind to let them wander, and I can scan the same channels from the vehicle too, as it's all the same bands.
Range is pretty good. A low-end 2 watt radio can get up to 10km Google tells me, but I'm skeptical of. The larger radios in that picture above are 5 watt, which google claims gives me 17km, again though I doubt that. On the vehicle, range is good, certainly more than enough for my purposes generally, but how it performs in hilly conditions varies depending on the "gain" of the antenna. The longer whip antennas are higher gain and suited for getting longer distance over flat terrain, while I keep a stubby 3db antenna in the glovebox for very hilly conditions, as it'll sacrifice range for "spread", best illustrated by this picture:
In practice I've never needed to swap the antennas over, but Australia is pretty flat, and with the ages my kids are currently at, they've always been fairly close. If I need to though, I've got the stubby antenna on hand for that purpose. The antennas just screw into the spring base, so it's just a 5 second "twist off, twist on" kind of deal.
I have a "whip" style mast, which is flexible, and it's mounted on a spring base, so the whole thing can flex/move as I bash into branches and the like without breaking. Some people go for the thicker solid fibreglass style rods, but I don't see the point, as it's just the same 1/2 wavelength thin wire inside, and the thicker poles affect visibility more and are more likely to get broken.
There are 80 channels for UHF in Australia, which have some conventions and regulations. I have a channel list like this printed out in a small leaflet tucked into the sun visor:
If you're set to channel 40, you'll pick up all the truckies chatting as you drive down the highway. I often have my radio often to triple-scan when I'm out and about, where it scans three different channels at once (often 40, 10, 18) and will stop at one when it picks up chatter. It's not just vehicles though. Handheld UHF radios are cheap and widely used in all kinds of areas. I give my kids some handhelds like this when they're off exploring in the bush:
This way they can stay in touch with me and each other, so I can check in on them, call them if I need them to come back, and they can call me if there's an emergency. These ones are waterproof, so when they drop them in a river it'll still work. Gives me a lot of peace of mind to let them wander, and I can scan the same channels from the vehicle too, as it's all the same bands.
Range is pretty good. A low-end 2 watt radio can get up to 10km Google tells me, but I'm skeptical of. The larger radios in that picture above are 5 watt, which google claims gives me 17km, again though I doubt that. On the vehicle, range is good, certainly more than enough for my purposes generally, but how it performs in hilly conditions varies depending on the "gain" of the antenna. The longer whip antennas are higher gain and suited for getting longer distance over flat terrain, while I keep a stubby 3db antenna in the glovebox for very hilly conditions, as it'll sacrifice range for "spread", best illustrated by this picture:
In practice I've never needed to swap the antennas over, but Australia is pretty flat, and with the ages my kids are currently at, they've always been fairly close. If I need to though, I've got the stubby antenna on hand for that purpose. The antennas just screw into the spring base, so it's just a 5 second "twist off, twist on" kind of deal.
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Great explanation on Australian UHF.
I’ve used HF extensively in east Africa and Middle East. We mount our aerials on the bull bar almost exclusively with two special trucks mounted on the side or rear due how they came to us.
The front mount aerial for us was out of practicality and versatility. With a front mount you have a less complicated install, easier to troubleshoot, less “shadowing”, and in hilly areas you can take a whip antenna and go into NVIS and greatly increase your range. We used auto tune Codans, so I don’t have the deep knowledge of mhz or anything I just know the practical surface level aspects.
I saw that our choice of antenna location had a slight effect, but mostly tying a whip antenna back greatly increased range in the mountains.
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I really like that list from Australia. Good to have for future travels.
I do find the use of UHF in Australia and other places has been the cause for the rise in GMRS in the States.
I feel like I slightly derailed this with radio talk so I apologize for rhat, but it's been fascinating. I know that I've had VHF contacts on simplex from over 50 miles. But I was on top of a hill. And that's with the comet CA-2X4SRNMO at 50w. Probably could get better in the right conditions. I've heard friends clearly from almost 85mi but they couldn't hear me. They were on the mountain on a trail and I was in the flats at work.
If I had funds and space I'd put a dedicated mobile GMRS setup in the 80. But I feel I get more overall use out of the HAM setup would be cool to have both though. Especially since some of the Midland units are TINY and can fit in the ashtray.
My son likes taking the little FRS handhelds out when we are at events. It's been helpful, but mostly just for fun around the campsite. He's not really old enough to go off exploring very far away by himself. But it has helped him and mom locate me if we are exploring other areas of an event. Usually something like Toyota Lonestar Jamboree
I do find the use of UHF in Australia and other places has been the cause for the rise in GMRS in the States.
I feel like I slightly derailed this with radio talk so I apologize for rhat, but it's been fascinating. I know that I've had VHF contacts on simplex from over 50 miles. But I was on top of a hill. And that's with the comet CA-2X4SRNMO at 50w. Probably could get better in the right conditions. I've heard friends clearly from almost 85mi but they couldn't hear me. They were on the mountain on a trail and I was in the flats at work.
If I had funds and space I'd put a dedicated mobile GMRS setup in the 80. But I feel I get more overall use out of the HAM setup would be cool to have both though. Especially since some of the Midland units are TINY and can fit in the ashtray.
My son likes taking the little FRS handhelds out when we are at events. It's been helpful, but mostly just for fun around the campsite. He's not really old enough to go off exploring very far away by himself. But it has helped him and mom locate me if we are exploring other areas of an event. Usually something like Toyota Lonestar Jamboree
