Driving on the phone.

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by GO FURTHER

What gets me, is why is it legal to hold and use a CB radio mike while driving in every state in Australia?

Someone should build a mobile phone function covertly into a CB radio.

ACT: mobile phone includes any other wire less hand-held device designed or capable of being used for telecommunication other than a CB radio or any other 2-way radio. [Road Transport (Safety and Traffic Management) Regulation 2000, section 30B, subsection 3].

NSW: “mobile phone” does not include a CB radio or any other two-way radio. [Road Rules 2014, Rule 300, paragraph 4].

VIC: mobile phone does not include a CB radio or any other two way radio [Road Safety Road Rules 2009, Rule 300, paragraph 4].

QLD: mobile phone does not include a CB radio or any other two-way radio. [Transport Operations (Road Use Management-Road Rules) Regulation 2009, section 300, subsection 2].

SA: mobile phone does not include a CB radio or any other two way radio [Australian Road Rules 2014, Rule 300, paragraph 4].

WA: mobile phone does not include a CB radio or any other two way radio [Road Traffic Code 2000, Regulation 265, paragraph 1].

TAS: mobile phone does not include a CB radio or any other two way radio [Road Rules 2009, Rule 300, paragraph 4].

NT: mobile phone does not include a CB radio or any other two way radio [Australian Road Rules 2014, Rule 300, paragraph 4].

I use a CB radio quite a bit while driving as it is a handset and are not holding it up to your ear like a phone. Particularly good for reporting high speed and dangerous driving on the freeways as cops do listen in on ch 40.
My phone is off when I'm driving.

[Itsme]

Originally Posted by mike_nofx

Being an office manager, wouldn’t a phone free society be detrimental?

No, you might get more productivity from your workers instead of them gas bagging on the phone.

[Itsme]

Originally Posted by GO FURTHER

What gets me, is why is it legal to hold and use a CB radio mike while driving in every state in Australia?

Someone should build a mobile phone function covertly into a CB radio.

ACT: mobile phone includes any other wire less hand-held device designed or capable of being used for telecommunication other than a CB radio or any other 2-way radio. [Road Transport (Safety and Traffic Management) Regulation 2000, section 30B, subsection 3].

NSW: “mobile phone” does not include a CB radio or any other two-way radio. [Road Rules 2014, Rule 300, paragraph 4].

VIC: mobile phone does not include a CB radio or any other two way radio [Road Safety Road Rules 2009, Rule 300, paragraph 4].

QLD: mobile phone does not include a CB radio or any other two-way radio. [Transport Operations (Road Use Management-Road Rules) Regulation 2009, section 300, subsection 2].

SA: mobile phone does not include a CB radio or any other two way radio [Australian Road Rules 2014, Rule 300, paragraph 4].

WA: mobile phone does not include a CB radio or any other two way radio [Road Traffic Code 2000, Regulation 265, paragraph 1].

TAS: mobile phone does not include a CB radio or any other two way radio [Road Rules 2009, Rule 300, paragraph 4].

NT: mobile phone does not include a CB radio or any other two way radio [Australian Road Rules 2014, Rule 300, paragraph 4].

The good thing about the CB radio is you cannot text.

[roddy1960]

Originally Posted by GO FURTHER

Most interstate truck drivers.

Yes a truck without a UHF or interstate truck would be pretty rare .

Definitely not as common as they used to be , probably because of mobile phones and even GPS , but for some of us out in the sticks it's good to have because to be honest mobile phone sucks for coverage .

In early 2015 we had this real hot Saturday in excess of 40 C.. I had the old AU outside and about breakfast time ,needed to get some stuff out and the key fob buttons had been dodgey , so I turned on the ignition to button open the boot . As I was doing that a camper van pulled up and the fellow asked me directions how to get to Bicheno .

Ended up talking for a few minutes , forgot I'd left ignition on and went inside. As it was so unbearably hot I stayed inside until late afternoon when a
cooler change came through. Decided to take the muttley's for a swim up on the mountain where it was shady. Discovered then that the ignition had been on for about 10 hours .

Hit the key and she only barely started but it did , wish it hadn't as it turns out because it would have saved me a few hours grief.. I decided it would charge up on the quarter hour trip to the creek . Took the dogs swimming for about half an hour , got back to the car about 6.30 pm , hit key and absolutely nothing , the odometer/clock etc wouldn't even come up . Dead as mutton. Did the usual , checked the battery terminals , turned absolutely everything off , no hope . Ha , no worries I'll ring my next door neighbour and get her to come and pick me up., I was literally five minutes off the Tasman Highway by car and zero coverage . Tried walking up to next hill , nothing .

It was beginning to get dark after I waited for another two plus hours expecting for anyone coming along but not a single vehicle . Ended up me and un tetherable dogs starting to walk back to the highway . About 9.30 pm I realised one of the farm house lights were on at Millbrook so we diverted there .

Volker was about to go to bed but he kindly got dressed and he drove his 4wd with me and dogs back to my car and we hoped the jump leads worked. She fired up but he followed me about 4-5 km back to the highway because always traffic there if she failed properly.

All the way the lights were flaring , nothing else worked , speedo/tach all over the place dash lights playing up and then all I had was park lights and hazard flashers . FINALLY got home about 10.15 ish pm . About an hour later I went back out , hit the key and absolutely nothing. Ended up taking the battery out and put it on the trickle charger and went to bed .

About 10.30 am next morning I decided to see what the battery would do after about 11 hours charge and it spun over like nobody's business , took it for a short drive , everything worked fine , and that night I did same and worked perfect . Did so for a few more months until the alternator went west about mid winter.

Bottom line of all this I know that my UHF would have had a better chance of getting someone because on Mt Nicholas I regulary get action if it's on but absolute nada on the phone . Trouble is the UHF with dead battery was unusable . If only I'd had one of my handhelds then huh.

However if I'd been stranded for some other reason I'm pretty confident I would have been able to raise someone . Now in my XR6 I carry a Uniden 5 watt handheld because you never know when you might need it and if roadworks is going on it's good too. Pretty cheap for an okay one and once you have them , you have them. A bit of added help if needed or you might be able to help or pass message on for someone else.

A week or two later I took my phone and once I got to Millbrook property gates the coverage disappeared. That's maybe 700 metres off the highway . Drove another 7 km up the Mt Nicholas Hill and either no signal or bad drop out so for some of us country bumpkins UHF via local repeaters or HF radio or even satellite coms are a bonus because you never know when it might get you out of a jam . At least the cops can't book us for using it either.

[roKWiz]

Yes I use it because of the crap cellphone coverage. Also so many quarries now days will not let you into the pit without one tuned in their dispatch.

[commodorenutt]

Even the roadworks gates are requiring a call on the UHF these days - a good thing for safety.

Most of the chatter I hear in the metro area is the odd call at a quarry or similar, traffic control, and courteous drivers telling others when he's clear to pull in, clear to pull out etc, if someone has a light out. Not as common as a decade ago, but they still point out the various Police vehicles. However, the absolute best thing about a UHF in the metro is the traffic reports - not from the AM/FM radio - the trucks themselves know far more about what's going on, as they relay it along to others coming behind, those going the other way also update the unlucky ones coming up to it too. Suggestions of which lane to be in are also handy, as well as where a prang is - I've gotten off the freeway before a gridlock, taken back roads, and got back on past it, thanks to pinpoint accuracy of truck drivers reporting.

Out in the country, I reckon all serious drivers should at least have UHF reception, even without the ability to transmit. I went through 5 roadwork zones on a recent trip up the Namoi region, and each time the radio chatter gave me advance warning what was coming. Also gave me a chance to relax, as the traffic guys gave each other about 3 minutes warning of when they were letting the next batch through. Truck drivers also gave warnings about an accident around a blind corner, even though it was off to the side. Country truckers are generally a very courteous bunch.

Between Quirindi & Gunnedah once I radio'd the semi ahead who was moving to the left to let me see around better for an overtaking move. Told him I'm happy to sit behind as it was getting on dusk, and I'd rather his bullbar get the wildlife instead of my car. He proceeded to update me on each near miss, and we had a bit of friendly banter for over 1/2 hour. I stopped at Gunnedah - he was going further, but he said I livened his usually pretty boring trip, and wished me a safe journey back. There's lots of nice truckers out there like that.

[roddy1960]

Originally Posted by roKWiz

Yes I use it because of the crap cellphone coverage. Also so many quarries now days will not let you into the pit without one tuned in their dispatch.

I get ya. Not just in my lil ol' valley in Tassie do we have crappy phone coverage. It's a sore point for us low number Taswegians living in the low density rural places. Sucks .. Our repeater towers in our area , on Channel 3 unconfirmed status and 7 sometimes , but channel 8 is used more in our area as well . They are sometimes not too far from TV translators and the volunteers that keep them going as well as a few techies do a great job.
it's nice to have even now that it's deregulated at you get the odd button pusher or smart mouth toolbag coming in over a coms . Small sacrifice to have a bit of back up via UHF. Just as an example here's a bit of info for our State if you ever need it

https://www.vkham.com/maps/uhf-cb-repeaters/tas ..

[commodorenutt]

Oh - the entertainment value is good too. I took a colleague out one day, and flicked it on. He was gobsmacked when the call came in "hey, mudcarter, evil Kenevil's up your clacker"
In layman's terms, a Police motorbike was tailing a tipper truck.

There's also been funny discussions about the pecking order of truck drivers, and who each "level" consider to be below them.

I got a rude shock from a rental truck one day - he changed lanes onto me on the M7. I was beside the "box" part of the truck doing 90-100km/h, and he just moved over. Between braking & moving to what little shoulder there was, I barely missed being hit, with one eye glued to the rear view mirror worrying someone behind would clean me up. Luckily they were paying attention & not updating facebook..... Semi a few cars back in my lane got on the radio & had a chuckle "looks like that girl friday in the budget rental thinks the bloody thing's only as long as his cab, watch him boys."

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by commodorenutt

Oh - the entertainment value is good too. I took a colleague out one day, and flicked it on. He was gobsmacked when the call came in "hey, mudcarter, evil Kenevil's up your clacker"
In layman's terms, a Police motorbike was tailing a tipper truck.

There's also been funny discussions about the pecking order of truck drivers, and who each "level" consider to be below them.

I got a rude shock from a rental truck one day - he changed lanes onto me on the M7. I was beside the "box" part of the truck doing 90-100km/h, and he just moved over. Between braking & moving to what little shoulder there was, I barely missed being hit, with one eye glued to the rear view mirror worrying someone behind would clean me up. Luckily they were paying attention & not updating facebook..... Semi a few cars back in my lane got on the radio & had a chuckle "looks like that girl friday in the budget rental thinks the bloody thing's only as long as his cab, watch him boys."

As a kid I was lucky enough to have a handheld AM and often sat up at Pennant Hills Rd listening to the truckies after school, what an education.
Loved to listen to the 70's CB radio lingo.

[Blue Shadow]

Originally Posted by roddy1960

I get ya. Not just in my lil ol' valley in Tassie do we have crappy phone coverage. It's a sore point for us low number Taswegians living in the low density rural places. Sucks .. Our repeater towers in our area , on Channel 3 unconfirmed status and 7 sometimes , but channel 8 is used more in our area as well . They are sometimes not too far from TV translators and the volunteers that keep them going as well as a few techies do a great job.
it's nice to have even now that it's deregulated at you get the odd button pusher or smart mouth toolbag coming in over a coms . Small sacrifice to have a bit of back up via UHF. Just as an example here's a bit of info for our State if you ever need it

https://www.vkham.com/maps/uhf-cb-repeaters/tas ..

You need to come to the mainland champ, leave Gilligan and the Skipper there to fend for themselves LOL

[OCTANEBOSS]

Oversized loads on roads CBs are essential for other trucks to know whats is coming towards them and how wide, usually runs like clock work when passing each other. CBs i reckon are not as bad as mobile phones as you cant talk over each other generally, talk - listen - talk, mobiles you can cut over the other person easily and then you end up saying sorry - whats thats - you first - missed that - didn't get that - etc. I think causes a quick lapse in concentration which can be more dangerous. I have enough trouble using mobiles at home let alone driving

Half of Australia has got their head down looking at their mobile doing something while walking, sitting, riding, shopping, working, driving oblivious to whats going on around them. Its world wide obsession imo

[ronwest]

Regarding CB's are the 5W handheld jobbies worth the money?

I don't want to sit on the cb all day but could be useful from time to time on our road trips.

As a matter of interest I had a couple of cb's confiscated by police before they were legalised.

Perhaps they could start confiscating mobile phones...

[commodorenutt]

The handheld ones do have a limited range, but it's still good enough for road use, and very handy on road trips.
It's all I use now, after deciding not to put a dash-mount UHF in the FG because it wouldn't fit.

[Itsme]

Originally Posted by ronwest

Regarding CB's are the 5W handheld jobbies worth the money?

I don't want to sit on the cb all day but could be useful from time to time on our road trips.

As a matter of interest I had a couple of cb's confiscated by police before they were legalised.

Perhaps they could start confiscating mobile phones...

You must be going back to the early 70's for that comment with the confiscation
Handhelds are ok but still could limit you when distance is required due to small antenna, think a car mounted rig has the advantage over mobile unless you happy talking in a convoy setting.

Cheers.

[ronwest]

Originally Posted by commodorenutt

The handheld ones do have a limited range, but it's still good enough for road use, and very handy on road trips.
It's all I use now, after deciding not to put a dash-mount UHF in the FG because it wouldn't fit.

Thanks for that. No interest in mounting a unit but if ok for checking road conditions, etc, from passing vehicles I might just invest in one.

Originally Posted by Officemanager

You must be going back to the early 70's for that comment with the confiscation

Yeah, '74 or maybe early '75.

Got cunning after the second one and learnt to hide the aerial through the daylight hours. I think it was a $240 fine as well (back when a dollar was worth a dollar).
Let's not talk about radar detectors

Originally Posted by Officemanager

Handhelds are ok but still could limit you when distance is required due to small antenna, think a car mounted rig has the advantage over mobile unless you happy talking in a convoy setting.

As above re use.

Cheers...

[Fordblue1000]

I used to do a bit of country driving, and used a hand held one for caravaners mainly. If they had their name and uhf on the back of the van(as most do). Was handy to remind them of their speed at 95 in a 110 zone was becoming annoying and perhaps slow to 60 next overtaking zone so more cars can pass. Sometimes this made for great entertainment as they dont want to drop to 60 and show respect for other road users!!!

Sent from my SM-G928I using Tapatalk

[roddy1960]

Originally Posted by Blue Shadow

You need to come to the mainland champ, leave Gilligan and the Skipper there to fend for themselves LOL

Can I bring Mary-anne too ?

[roddy1960]

Originally Posted by ronwest

Regarding CB's are the 5W handheld jobbies worth the money?

I don't want to sit on the cb all day but could be useful from time to time on our road trips.

As a matter of interest I had a couple of cb's confiscated by police before they were legalised.

Perhaps they could start confiscating mobile phones...

I've had UHF since about 1985 . First in car one was a cheap AM one . Not worth a crumpet except you could hear stuff from as far as Mobile (said Mobeel) Alabama in the U.S. on inversion on hot summer nights.

Then in the late 1980's I bought a Uniden UH 077 Sundowner UHF and still have that unit and it still goes albeit in retirement . In my Falcon AU I have an 80 channel Uniden compact UHF , in my real old Honda Accord I have an Oricom 80 channel and in the FG I carry at least one , sometimes two Retevis 5 watt 80 channel handhelds . These are little beauties. They are dual band UHF/VHF too.

I bought them as a twin pack for $140 on Ebay brand new . They came with speaker mic's , charge station , ear piece's , and other accessories , can be specifically programmed to your needs and also the programming disc.

Since then I bought two Sainsonic mini whip antennas that were about $15 each . They run 1400-1800 mh batteries but can be fitted with bigger if you want to spend the dosh . 1400's will last for ages though from full charge. Best bit with Retevis or cousin Baofeng units is that you can fit a male/female SMA connection to use an external antenna. In the FG I carry a magnetic mount stubby 5 dba antenna with ultra thin co-ax that i can take off or put on in seconds . not as good as a proper whip but not too shabby at all .

Look at this https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/3pcs-RET...AAAOSwYaFWemgR . These are exactly like mine I've had for a few years and three of them for $128 on EBAY. No speaker mic's though or programming disc etc..

Anyone contemplating using UHF handhelds and not wanting to spend big bucks , some of the Unidens , GME, Oricom are great value depending on model. For car use it'd have to be 5 or 8 watt though because the 2 watt ones are nothing flash at all for in car stuff.

[Bill M]

Originally Posted by ronwest

As a matter of interest I had a couple of cb's confiscated by police before they were legalised.

Perhaps they could start confiscating mobile phones...

Now there is an idea! Bring it on.

[Fordblue1000]

Or better still make them drive over the phone....

Sent from my SM-G928I using Tapatalk

[GO FURTHER]

The only way to stop people using mobiles while driving, in my opinion, would be the following national road law being imposed;

A mobile phone, whether belonging to the driver or any passenger must be placed in the boot of the car while the car is being driven and not parked.

Where a vehicle does not have a boot, the mobiles must be locked in a case and placed under the seat, or placed in the glovebox.

Passengers on buses and public transport will be exempt.

The penalty for having a visible mobile phone in the cabin while driving will incur impounding of the phone for 14 days plus loss of licence for 3 months and a $1,000 fine.

(In many cases blutooth functionality will still work if the phone is in the boot, glovebox or suitable locked case).

[ronwest]

Originally Posted by roddy1960

Look at this https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/3pcs-RET...AAAOSwYaFWemgR . These are exactly like mine I've had for a few years and three of them for $128 on EBAY. No speaker mic's though or programming disc etc..

Thanks for the link.

We're off at the end of the week for a few days so I'll order those in time for our big mid-year trip.

Cheers...

[commodorenutt]

Originally Posted by GO FURTHER

(In many cases blutooth functionality will still work if the phone is in the boot, glovebox or suitable locked case).

This is definitely true in the boot of an FG. I've done it quite a few times when I've left my work phone in the laptop bag in the boot. Bluetooth & voice dialling is great for this. Some people will try to tell you the boot is like a faraday cage, but there's obviously "breaches" that let significant signal through.

Here's another one to think about - I see a number of drivers wearing headphones - not just the in-ear ones you get with a phone - ie, they could be on a call with them, but full-on over-ear headphones. How unsafe is that? I've actually seen a guy not even notice an ambo on his backside because he wasn't looking in the mirrors, and the music must have been loud enough to drown out the siren.

Now if this is a "phone" being used as an IPOD, then what part of the law should deal with common sense here?

[NTF6]

Originally Posted by ronwest

Regarding CB's are the 5W handheld jobbies worth the money?

I don't want to sit on the cb all day but could be useful from time to time on our road trips.

As a matter of interest I had a couple of cb's confiscated by police before they were legalised.

Perhaps they could start confiscating mobile phones...

I have a GME 5W handheld that I use on long trips on the road. It's great for communicating with road trains when you want to get around them as sometimes there's two or three so they will create a gap for you or let you know if somethings coming.

I saw a full triple overtake another full triple road train not too long ago, that was an at least 5 or 6 minute exercise and the road wasn't straight either. I thought they must have had a mate further up the road letting him know it was clear but I couldn't here them talking with any one else on my handheld.

[Franco Cozzo]

I use my phone to look at pictures of naked women on Twitter while driving, mostly coming home from work because I'm on the Tullamarine Freeway idling along in 1st gear on a 6 lane freeway each direction thats jammed up and moving at sub 10km/h and it takes me 45 minutes to idle along from Flemington Road to Mickleham Road in first gear.

Whats the worst thats going to happen? Break the spotlights on the front of my car?

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by ronwest

Thanks for the link.

We're off at the end of the week for a few days so I'll order those in time for our big mid-year trip.

Cheers...

Jaycar have some good deals on these as well, where I bought a couple myself, included car charger and microphone.

GME and Uniden are good as roddy mentions. I'm so over smartphones.

[Ben73]

Talking on hands free I don't think is a big deal.
Talking while holding the phone, not the worst thing but still shouldn't be done.
Texting or looking at your phone while driving shows you just don't care about anyone including yourself.

Funny how all the people I know who text or look at their phones regularly while driving say "oh I know how to do it safely, I don't let it distract me" yet I'm always behind people swaying from side to side, speeding up and slowing down randomly and not going at green lights.
Turns out I personally only know the skilled texting drivers and luckily all the stupid ones are random strangers. Convenient.

[blackf6]

Originally Posted by CoupeKing

I read that then seen your avatar before finishing your post and thought ''*&^& me dead''

I never use the phone whilst driving the fuel tanker. Company policy. Maxi's off(handbrake), Phone Off. The phone is actually wired to the maxi's. And has no power when your driving. They also have a camera in the cab, and if caught using your personal phone. Instant dismissal. I know three drivers at my depot that have been dismissed for the phone.

[roddy1960]

Originally Posted by ronwest

Thanks for the link.

We're off at the end of the week for a few days so I'll order those in time for our big mid-year trip.

Cheers...

No worries , I've had mine a fair while , easy to set up once you get it to the English voice prompts . Otherwise it'll default to Chinese . Not hard to do . The set up menu and programming for numerous functions is pretty straight forward . Does a lot of stuff . Also allows for VHF use too if desired or applicable . These are a bit pricier than a few years ago and mine came with them in the two pack but these (see link)

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Retevis-...item2cc17035ec

are really great additions . Ideal if you want to leave the radio on your belt or in your pocket . They are good quality. The belt clips on these compact radios are amazing , spring loaded and will never come off. Better than most if not all high end units.

For the money they are about as good a value as you can get and if you shop around you can also pick up the SMA adapter to fit the fancier antennas .

Only other thing for your trip is download the repeater stations details and you'll be able to access duplex range through them where/if needed.

Not big and bulky either like the old ones used to be.. Enjoy when and if you get them. Cheers Rod.

[mr smith]

The amount of P platers I see texting is growing. A clown blew by me driving a newish Audi on Saturday, he would have been doing 140 and was slumped back texting.
Generation d..khead.