UHF Radio basics

On caravanning forums everywhere, over and over again, the question comes up

"Do I need a UHF Radio?"...

Firstly, what is a UHF Radio. UHF stands for Ultra High Frequency, which operates within the frequency range 300MHz to 3GHz, known for being reliable (even in challenging environments). This type of radio is commonly used for two-way communication.

The answer to the question "Do I need a UHF Radio?" is - while, no, technically you don't need one, a UHF Radio is a very useful tool for the safety of you and your family when traveling with your caravan. Truck drivers, mining staff, emergency workers, in fact most people who are on the road a lot - all use UHF Radios as a tool, and its easy for you to do this too!

Reasons to use a UHF Radio include:

• Communicate with truck drivers around you for safer overtaking

• Communicate with road trains, who cannot easily slow down

• Communicate with other drivers, including other caravanners, that you are sharing the road with for safer travel

• Advanced notice of oversized loads and other hazards

Buying a UHF Radio

You can buy a UHF Radio from auto stores, electronics stores, and many department stores.

There are two (2) main types:

1. Handheld - a simple unit, much like a walkie-talkie, that uses batteries. These are generally cost-effective, require no installation, and are easily used. Be aware you won't have a huge amount of distance. Depending on the unit and the terrain you are traveling in, expect about 3kms - which is perfectly adequate for the average caravan traveler. If you have multiple units, these can also be used outside of the vehicle (e.g. reversing into a caravan site, hitching up to your caravan).

2. Fixed radio & antenna - a vehicle-mounted unit that is permanently installed in your vehicle along with a corresponding antenna. These are generally much more powerful than a handheld unit and, since they are integrated into the vehicle, the batteries do not go flat.

Basic use

Once you have purchased your UHF Radio, use the instructions to tune it to Channel 40. This is the main channel used by heavy vehicles and highway driving.

Communicating with vehicles behind you to facilitate safe overtaking

If a truck, road train, other caravanner, or any other vehicle (except emergency vehicles) is coming up behind you and looks like it needs to overtake, don't be afraid to use the UHF Radio to communicate. The big advantage to this is that the driver knows you are aware of him/her and are willing to assist them in getting past you safely. The safest way to manage another vehicle overtaking you is to back off once they pull out to overtake, so they can get past you more easily.

To communicate with a vehicle behind you, you could press the talk button and say something like:

"Copy" <describe vehicle behind> "behind" <describe your van>, where

• <describe vehicle behind> is usually as simple as "truck", "caravan" etc as often you can't tell much more than this

• <describe your van> should be the best description of the van you can give from the vehicle behind's perspective (i.e. what it looks like from behind).

Examples of <describe your van> might be:

• <brand> "caravan", where <brand> is clearly marked on the back of your caravan

• <colour> "caravan", especially if your caravan is an unusual colour like blue or orange

• "Caravan with bikes on the rear"

So overall examples to engage a vehicle behind you include:

• "Copy truck behind Evernew caravan"

• "Copy caravan behind white Jayco caravan"

• "Copy truck behind green motorhome"

They will usually respond to your call with an acknowledgement like "Copy", meaning they hear you. You should then go on to describe to them how you are going to behave, finishing with the word "over" (to let them know you have finished speaking). For example, you could go on to say:

• "When you are ready to overtake, we will slow down once you pull out to help you get past. Over"

• "We are planning on turning right in 1km. Over"

• "We are planning on pulling into this rest area ahead to let you past. Over"

Importantly, don't tell the other driver what to do or when to overtake. If it is a truck, the driver is sitting much higher than you are and will have a much better understanding of the load they are carrying and what their truck can and cannot do. Just communicate to them what YOU are planning on doing.

Often, once you've established communication, they will also let you know when they are going to overtake by saying something like

• "Pulling out now"

• "There's a straight around this next bend, I'll go then if it's clear"

This gives you time to prepare and respond (by doing what you said you would do). After the interaction is complete, a brief word or two of thanks is usually exchanged, and you can close your communications with "Over & out" if so desired.

Communicating with vehicles in front of you to facilitate safe overtaking

Similar to the previous scenario, you can let drivers in front of you know that you're intending to overtake them. This makes them aware of your movements and helps avoid negative reactions. You would use similar UHF communications to the previous scenario.

Safety Issues

Being able to let other road users know there is a safety issue with their vehicle set up or vice versa is another common use for UHF Radio. Maybe a tyre is visibly flat, or bikes are coming loose on the back of a caravan, a step has been left out or door/window come open.

To open UHF communication in this scenario, you could press the talk button and say something like:

"Copy" <describe vehicle with safety issue>, where

• <describe vehicle with safety issue> should be the best description of the other vehicle you can give . Examples could be

  • "Copy white Jayco caravan"

  • "Copy red Ford Ranger ute towing Jayco caravan"

Once they respond, you can explain succinctly what you see. Again, we don't recommend telling them what to do, just what you see. For example

• "Mate, we can see the bikes on the back of your van seem to be loose, with one hanging 10cm above the road", or

• "Your back passenger side tyre appears to be flat, do you need a hand?", or

• "We saw a hatch come off your van and land near the right side fence a couple of hundred metres back".

Oversize Loads

Oversize loads are a factor for any caravanner on Australian Highways, especially when traveling in the opposite direction to you. If the load is wider than their lane, you will often need to pull completely off the road and wait for them to pass, or at least be able to drop your left-hand wheels off the road. Usually, the more time you have to select an appropriate spot in which to do this, the less chance of an accident.

There will usually be a pilot vehicle escort in front of an oversized load. It's their job to go ahead of the load, making the road safe, and they continuously call the oversize load's arrival on UHF Radio so other drivers are made aware and have time to act appropriately. As part of their message, they will usually call out the width of the load and it's location (if describable).

You don't generally respond to the pilot vehicle calls, unless you require clarification of their message. React to place yourself in the safest possible position when the oversized load reaches you.

Areas of Australia with lots of mining activity, e.g. around Port Hedland and Tom Price, WA, will have more movement of oversize mining equipment, so the UHF Radio will be busier.

Accidents, Road Works, and Road Conditions

In these situations, workers will generally be giving updates on UHF Radio, especially on roads where heavy vehicles need to know in advance. They don't want a truck to go around a corner, only to find traffic is stopped and they can't stop. Advance notice gives you more time to react to situations on the road ahead of you. Often also, if you are stuck for a while, updates will be coming through on the UHF Radio.

There are also many narrow sections of road that wind around corners, single-lane bridges, or other difficult road scenarios where it is useful to let oncoming traffic know where you are. In some situations, but by no means all, these sections could have a sign at both ends stating which UHF channel to tune into and that you need to announce yourself. If you find yourself in a difficult road scenario, you could communicate your whereabouts on UHF Radio by saying something descriptive like

• "White four wheel drive and caravan on single-lane bridge southbound on B400 Murray Highway"

• "Red Ranger ute with 23-foot caravan heading down Macquarie Pass toward Albion Park"

This gives any oncoming traffic a heads up so they can wait until you have gone through before they proceed.

Emergency Situations

There are many remote parts of Australia where there is no phone signal. A UHF Radio gives you an additional form of communication for those locations, especially if you find yourself in an emergency or breakdown situation.

Other Uses

Convoy/Group travel

You may be traveling with a group of one or more friends, and each having a UHF Radio allows for easy communication between you while on the road. You can converse on route, stops, things to look out for, emergencies etc. In this situation, do some further research about what channel you should use as channel 40 is not the place for group chat.

Campground communication

If you have two or more handheld UHF Radios, you can use them in other scenarios, for example

• when reversing you caravan into a site

• hitching up

• when the kids are away from the caravan

Again, choose an appropriate channel for this type of communication.

UHF unwritten rules & lingo

Remember, unlike a mobile phone call, everything you say over a UHF Radio is public. When using the radio, speak slowly and clearly, so other parties can understand you.

The two main terms when using a UHF Radio are:

• Copy - this is used as both a call out (like "Hello") and to acknowledge you have heard a message

• Over - makes it clear you have finished talking

Sometimes, you will come across a lot of bad language. This is unfortunate and you may need to turn the volume down, especially if you have young children in the vehicle. Don't forget to turn the volume back up once things quieten down.

Some caravanners display their name or nickname and monitor channel on the back of their caravan. This is another way of letting other road users know you are monitoring UHF Radio if they want to contact you.

Other lingo you may hear, but not commonly used in Australia:

• Roger - another way of saying you have received and understood the message

• Affirmative - another way of saying "yes"

• Negative - another way of saying "no"

• Come in - asking another party to acknowledge they can hear you

• Go Ahead - I am ready to receive your transmission

• Say again - repeat all of you last transmission

• Out - My whole conversation is finished, others can transmit

• Radio check - asking if someone else can hear you, tests your signal strength and whether your UHF Radio is working

• Read you loud & clear - an acknowledgement that another person's radio is working, can be a response to the above question

• Breaker breaker - interrupt a transmission to communicate urgently

• Emergency emergency - distress call indicating immediate assistance is required

• Stand by - wait for a short period and I will get back to you

• All stations - call out to everyone who can hear

• More to follow - the message needs to be longer than practical for one transmission, wait to hear the rest of the message

• Read back - repeat back to me the message I just transmitted to you

• Understood - message understood

The more you listen and use your UHF Radio, the more confident you will become. Happy caravanning!