Use of CB/PMR radios. Any thoughts?

I have an 80 channel UHF CB fitted. I mostly use it for vehicle to vehicle comms when traveling in a group with my kids. There are some repeaters in outback areas, used by cattle stations mostly, so there is always potential for emergency purposes in these regions. We have occasionally had a Sat phone skin for mobile (cell) phones for work contact. I also have a PLB (EPIRB) in the van as insurance should really bad things happen...
 
overthehill said:
yeah i agree for emergency but there must be something out there
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Repeater coverage is patchy, but when its available its reasonably well monitored. The PLB is the real back stop for serious emergencies. Mine is GPS enabled so the fix time is around 5 minutes (somewhat more for somebody to actually get to you :) ). Without GPS, it can take half an hour or more to triangulate a position fix. I carry a fire extinguisher, a decent First Aid kit, and a snake bite kit all the time too.

In Australia there is also an HF subscription/licence radio network for 4WD vehicles called VKS-737 that can be useful as the range is much greater than UHF CB. I think I'd probably just take up my Amateur Radio licence again if I wanted HF. Part of the attraction of going bush is to get away from other peoples conversations :)
 
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i think the way truckers are going is uhf ,,not to sure since i have not stepped into a truck after a new Canadian hit my truck and put me and the wife into a ditch, and to beat all he tried to run ,,,with his fuel tank leaking all over the place, not to say anything for leaving his batteries on the highway lol, so yeah , not sure what they use now
 
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