INFO FAIL-SAFE CONVOY DRIVING TECHNIQUES @overland-workshop

[sgtsandman]

For all of this to work, you need a radio, specifically a radio that uses the same band as everyone else. It won't do you or anyone else much good if you have a CB and everyone else has a GMRS. Handheld radios will work but their range is limited because of the structure of the vehicle. An external antenna, at a minimum, is better. A mobile radio with an external antenna is better yet.

 

[Robert Mangrum]

I've been trail riding a long time. Back when GMRS was unheard of. We all had 6 or 8 ft whips on our bumpers tied to the cheapest CB we could find. None of us knew the right way to hook it up much less how to tune it. A great rule of thumb when in the woods is always make sure you can see the guy behind you. If everyone in the convoy does this simple technique no one gets left behind. Horns and lights work as signals if you need to stop. I try not and depend on radio contact. Electronics fail always at the worst time haha.

 

[sgtsandman]

I've been trail riding a long time. Back when GMRS was unheard of. We all had 6 or 8 ft whips on our bumpers tied to the cheapest CB we could find. None of us knew the right way to hook it up much less how to tune it. A great rule of thumb when in the woods is always make sure you can see the guy behind you. If everyone in the convoy does this simple technique no one gets left behind. Horns and lights work as signals if you need to stop. I try not and depend on radio contact. Electronics fail always at the worst time haha.

Part of the reason I have more than one radio. "One is none and two is one"

As I'm further updating my gear, I'm getting more depth in back up. I have handheld GMRS radios as a spare and in case someone needs a radio.

The current CB in the 2019 is a cigarette lighter compact model. It's going to get replaced with a hard wired Cobra 75 and the cigarette unit will get stored as a backup.

The same goes with the Baofeng dual band. It will get replaced by a unit similar to the Cobra.

And the magnetic mount antennas will get replaced by hard mounted units.

That way, I'll have a case of back up radios and antennas that can get moved from truck to truck as needed or go into the girlfriend's car if we needed to drive separate vehicles on a trip for some reason.

None of that replaces paying attention to your mirrors and the person behind you. Sometimes stuff happens and the radio gets forgotten due to focusing on the problem and not keeping in contact with the group.

 

[JoshT]