hochung
Adventurer
I was south of the border and no matter how high of a mountain top i went, I couldn't get my cell phone to work. What now?
Lipstick on a Pig: The 10 Don'ts of Vehicle Modifications
- Thread starter Scott Brady
- Start date
I was south of the border and no matter how high of a mountain top i went, I couldn't get my cell phone to work. What now?
bfdiesel
Explorer
Your proving my point... There are still plenty of areas in the west that lack cell coverage, mountain top or notRemember, what works for you won't always be the best solution for the next guy.
Oh, so your buddy has a ham... I get it
What happens if you and your buddy separated? Climb to peaks and call eachother on the phone ?
I do not believe I have said what works for me is the only path. I have tailored how I operate to the locations I travel, if what I was doing didn't work I would be doing something different.
A ham radio or CB is not worth the cost to me for what I do.
No one I travel with currently has a Ham radio or even a CB. I have found hand held radios work fine for my needs.
The buddy system has one rule never leave your buddy. :Wow1:
bfdiesel
Explorer
I currently do not travel South of the border and have not thought about or researched anything for being there. Maybe someday
.I am not trying to argue cell phones are the answer to life's questions or are superior to various forms of radios. In my original post I was just stating what works for me to allow others to have further information about what different people are doing and is working for them.
The Spot statement is what I will spend money on before I will spend it on Ham equipment, there are other factors to that statement such as I do not always go out into the back country in my vehicle. Sometimes it is by bike, horseback or just on foot.
It is up to every individual to research and decide what path they will take based on what they do(want to do) and how they want to accomplish following it.
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cruiseroutfit
Well-known member
cruiseroutfit
Well-known member
Precisely. Not trying to pick on you, just that your original post read like advise thus I figured it was good for some humorous dialogue. I do have to laugh at the "I'll just get a Spot mentality" because if the Spot is such an answer, why don't those people already own them? Emergencies don't wait for you to subscribe, hence why they are emergencies
All this coming from a hamming, spotting, sat phoning, aprs'ing cell phone user.
colodak
Adventurer
So I'm going to jump in on a couple of issues here. First off, regarding the CB vs. HAM debate. I've always used a CB, years upon years ago I looked into getting my HAM license and radio. Sure, it's $14 for the test, but a decent radio will definetly cost you more than $145, try closer to $250. For $250 I can buy a high end CB, antenna, and have the radio peaked/tuned, installed, SWR set and that's a professional install. As for range, well, lemme share a little story, and this will also tie another subject in.
Back in the late 80's, I drove a 2wd Mazda B2200 p-up. I had a t-bar crank lift and 31's, off-roaded it all over here in Colorado. Went over Mosquito with it twice, and many other trails. One afternoon, we got stuck on a ridge between Mt. Bross and Mt. Lincoln, it's really just a shelf trail marginally designed for a vehicle. My poor little carburated 4 cyl. simply couldn't get enough oxygen to run. Tried to back down the trail, worked for about 50' till one of the tires slid off the shelf and rested on the axle tube. Granted it was only 6" beneath it and the ground, but we were stuck. Hi-lift wasn't of much help. Now, had I slid the rest of the way off, it was a 20 deg. downward slope for 1,500 ft followed by a 4,000 ft drop off. While I was pondering the situation, a group of hikers came along, we tried to manhandle the truck back on the trail, wasn't happening, we tried to jack it up and put rocks under the tire and create a new shelf, great until the right front dropped off and hung up. An hr later we had it up but I still didn't have the power to move it. This was pre-cell phone day, however, I was able to use my CB, and talk to someone in Alma (roughly 8 miles away) who was able to call a wrecker service in Fairplay and have them send a 4wd wrecker to come and winch me 75'. Using the CB, we were able to guide the wrecker to me. $200 for the call out and winching, AAA reimbursed it.
Now, as for the other parts to tie in. On that same pickup I had a bed bar, with 4 front facing and 2 rear facing KC's as well as a grill guard with 4 more KC's. When we got stuck it was 2 pm, when we finally started down the Mtn. it was 8 pm and VERY dark. The wrecker was in the lead and couldn't see the trail very well. I was able to fire up all my lights and lead the way down. Now, people bring up stock vs. modified vehicles. Sure this is a debate that will rage for centuries, sure a stock vehicle will do a lot, heck, in HS I used to off-road my parents '76 2wd Chevy window van. Took it many places, and never got it stuck. That 2wd Mazda went thru hell and back 6 yrs. My current vehicle is the same, sure it's 4wd, in stock form it went many places, but you can't leave things alone and it's modified to meet my needs.
Oh and a worthless mod, unless your vehicle weighs 226 tons empty, and can tow 1,000,000 lbs, LEAVE THE TRAIN HORNS ON TRAINS!!!!!
Back in the late 80's, I drove a 2wd Mazda B2200 p-up. I had a t-bar crank lift and 31's, off-roaded it all over here in Colorado. Went over Mosquito with it twice, and many other trails. One afternoon, we got stuck on a ridge between Mt. Bross and Mt. Lincoln, it's really just a shelf trail marginally designed for a vehicle. My poor little carburated 4 cyl. simply couldn't get enough oxygen to run. Tried to back down the trail, worked for about 50' till one of the tires slid off the shelf and rested on the axle tube. Granted it was only 6" beneath it and the ground, but we were stuck. Hi-lift wasn't of much help. Now, had I slid the rest of the way off, it was a 20 deg. downward slope for 1,500 ft followed by a 4,000 ft drop off. While I was pondering the situation, a group of hikers came along, we tried to manhandle the truck back on the trail, wasn't happening, we tried to jack it up and put rocks under the tire and create a new shelf, great until the right front dropped off and hung up. An hr later we had it up but I still didn't have the power to move it. This was pre-cell phone day, however, I was able to use my CB, and talk to someone in Alma (roughly 8 miles away) who was able to call a wrecker service in Fairplay and have them send a 4wd wrecker to come and winch me 75'. Using the CB, we were able to guide the wrecker to me. $200 for the call out and winching, AAA reimbursed it.
Now, as for the other parts to tie in. On that same pickup I had a bed bar, with 4 front facing and 2 rear facing KC's as well as a grill guard with 4 more KC's. When we got stuck it was 2 pm, when we finally started down the Mtn. it was 8 pm and VERY dark. The wrecker was in the lead and couldn't see the trail very well. I was able to fire up all my lights and lead the way down. Now, people bring up stock vs. modified vehicles. Sure this is a debate that will rage for centuries, sure a stock vehicle will do a lot, heck, in HS I used to off-road my parents '76 2wd Chevy window van. Took it many places, and never got it stuck. That 2wd Mazda went thru hell and back 6 yrs. My current vehicle is the same, sure it's 4wd, in stock form it went many places, but you can't leave things alone and it's modified to meet my needs.
Oh and a worthless mod, unless your vehicle weighs 226 tons empty, and can tow 1,000,000 lbs, LEAVE THE TRAIN HORNS ON TRAINS!!!!!
colodak
Adventurer
Oh, and as for running boards. That depends, I've got plain ol' tube side steps on my Dakota, they aren't designed as rock slider, BUT, they did an admirable job as sliders and saved me from replacing a door or rock panel. ARB and others make sliders that double as running boards/side steps and are quite functional as both jobs.
As for short people needing them, it depends on the person and the situation. My 89 yr old grandmother can't lift her legs high enough to get in my stock Dakota, but those side steps make it low enough for her to be able to. My 64 yr old father has had both knees replaced, without running boards he wouldn't be able to get into his pickup either. My mother-in-law is 4'10", in good health, samething, I will guarntee she isn't jumping to my pickup or her husbands Explorer without running boards either.
As for short people needing them, it depends on the person and the situation. My 89 yr old grandmother can't lift her legs high enough to get in my stock Dakota, but those side steps make it low enough for her to be able to. My 64 yr old father has had both knees replaced, without running boards he wouldn't be able to get into his pickup either. My mother-in-law is 4'10", in good health, samething, I will guarntee she isn't jumping to my pickup or her husbands Explorer without running boards either.
expedition4x4
Explorer
It all comes down to proper requirements gathering, that means experience in your rig and not listening to what people in other Geographical areas needs for their rigs and post about on forums, CB's serve a purpose especially if you are leading a trail run.
Quill
Adventurer
More than anything it requires using your head. If the road is iffy maybe you are not equipped to go down it. By equipped I mean you and your vehicle are up to the task. Getting outside help should be a last resort. But when that time comes anything is worth the expensive price you paid, unless you don't value your life and the lives of the folks around you very highly. Also think of the lives being risked to come and get you and the costs to the community to pay for a SAR. Just plain old common sense will keep you from being the lipstick on a pig.
bftank
Explorer
Precisely. Not trying to pick on you, just that your original post read like advise thus I figured it was good for some humorous dialogue. I do have to laugh at the "I'll just get a Spot mentality" because if the Spot is such an answer, why don't those people already own them? Emergencies don't wait for you to subscribe, hence why they are emergencies
All this coming from a hamming, spotting, sat phoning, aprs'ing cell phone user.
pretty sure his advice wasn't to get a spot and then not subscribe to their service prior to leaving on a sketchy trip.
if i am not mistaken, expedition portal forum is about researching what works in different circumstances and applying that knowledge where possible, and where it is not possible coming up with creative solutions.
this is why when bfdiesel and i first started planning our trips into the meeker colorado area we looked at different possible dangerous circumstances and how we could best be prepared for the area. this is why we take two vehicles handheld radios, cellphones, make sure our wives know where we will be travelling, gps units, paper forest service maps, shovels hi lifts, winch, chain, jerk straps, extra winch cable, extra bacon, etc, etc. if one of us broke down there is room in the other vehicle to go get parts, or to transport for medical help. we both do our own mechanical work on our vehicles and are intimately familiar with the majority of there strengths and weaknesses. we are well prepared for the area we "explore".
if we chose to go solo or south of the border, i am sure other options such as spot or a cb would be researched and implemented.
it gets frustrating when people justify their hobbies and force other people to accept there justifications as the only way to do things safely. after making assumptions about there process.
as far as lipstick goes, (note this is my personal opinion and not to be taken as advice) i'm going to say shiny paint. completely overated. chrome addons, usually means cheap. automatic hubs, don't trust them. massive amounts of electronic doohickeys, and political correctness.
Every Miles A Memory
Expedition Leader
HAHA!! I need a few of those for some of my friends
BigAl
Expedition Leader
Hilldweller
SE Expedition Society
I never thought of it like that; thanks...We always called them snatch straps, but now that seems weird too
TRegasaurus
Adventurer
I don't have a radio yet and I'm conflicted about what to get. I sometimes wheel with friends who have CB, I am aware of the advantages of HAM and so my question is this;
Is there one radio that does both well?
And what's wrong with train horns anyway?
They do a good job waking up the guy who's too busy texting to go on the green light.
Is there one radio that does both well?
And what's wrong with train horns anyway?
They do a good job waking up the guy who's too busy texting to go on the green light.
bftank
Explorer
i believe a ham does both quite well.
train horns will make elk and deer move. i don't have them, but it is something i have considered for around here. that and the folks that attempt to merge without noticing the crew cab next to them. then again, my road rage issues might have something to do with that.
train horns will make elk and deer move. i don't have them, but it is something i have considered for around here. that and the folks that attempt to merge without noticing the crew cab next to them. then again, my road rage issues might have something to do with that.