How to stay connected in the Outback

For some caravanners there’s nothing better than not having the distraction of a mobile phone when travelling in remote regions. However, even if you don’t want to surf the web in the Outback, at the very least you'll need a properly thought-out communications set-up... it might just save your life.

There are two general areas of communications to consider when travelling: voice communications, whether by phone or two-way radio, and internet connectivity, by landline/Wi-Fi or the cellular network.

While both provide a link to the outside world, they each suit different purposes. If you’ve taken a month off work for a big trip, your needs will be different to those on an extended working holiday or retirees doing the big lap.

Who you going to call?

There are also two levels of comms requirements: urgent and non-urgent. Basically you want to have some assurance that you’re able to contact emergency services or breakdown assistance when needed in remote areas.

While some may consider surfing the web and checking emails daily as essential, they're usually a luxury rather than a necessity -- and often an expensive one when Outback.

Mobile cellular network

We have all got used to smartphone features that give us everything from voice calls to a multitude of apps and web access, but mobile phone reception is by no means a given when outside major towns and cities.

You may want to consider changing phone providers if yours is known for an especially patchy network. While it's well-known that Telstra has perhaps the best mobile reception in rural areas, its plans are often the most expensive. Most providers have a map of their coverage areas online, so you can check to see if you're covered in the areas you'll be travelling through before heading off.

To boost your mobile phone reception, a mobile cellular high-gain antenna can give you a better chance of getting a signal from nearby towers. You can expect up to 50km range from the nearest tower with an antenna versus about 30km without. A good quality high-gain antenna costs about $200.

Portable wireless routers

A portable wireless router provides Wi-Fi internet access including of course Voip (voice over internet) and relies on the cellular network. While it's a good alternative to relying on your phone plan (or using your phone as a hot spot) or public Wi-Fi (which can often be slow), you need to buy either a pre-paid or post-paid data plan and the hardware (which is relatively cheap - usually no more than $200 for a router).

Because you’re relying on the 3G or 4G cellular network, reception can be patchy or non-existent in some areas just as it can be for your mobile phone.

EPIRB

An EPIRB (emergency position indicating radio beacon) or a PLB (personal locator beacon) is a very good and cheap safety net for remote bush stays (cost is around $200).

As the name suggests, this is a device that you activate only in an emergency (not to find out the footy results!) If you have a medical episode or have become completely lost or stuck in remote bushland, when activating the beacon emergency services are alerted to your location.

An EPIRB or PLB is a smart idea for most Outback travel, even if you plan to stick to main country roads.  What if you get a flat tyre or are running late and break down in the middle of the night half way though a mobile phone 'black spot'? Or you or your partner become seriously unwell and you can't get any mobile phone reception? You’re now in an emergency situation with no outside help.

The EPIRB should be registered with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (so that the AMSA know who you are and your emergency contacts) and re-registered every two years after.

Satellite phone

A satphone handset is the only relatively quick and easy solution if you want phone contact while staying in remote bush where there’s no mobile coverage.

You’ll have phone reception anywhere you have a clear view of the sky (that is, not inside your vehicle or caravan) so for remote area comms they can be ideal.

However, sat phone reception is not guaranteed and it’s not as good as a cellular phone (when within range, obviously). Satphones are also expensive to buy (from around $800 to $2000) and contracts and call rates are also high (prices vary, but budget for about $1.00 per minute).

Another option when you’re planning to be in a remote area for a limited period is to rent a satphone (about $150 per week, plus call costs) and use it sparingly.

UHF radio

A cheap to buy, free-to-use comms solution is UHF radio (about $500 for a good quality in-car unit with antenna, or around $300 for a hand-held 5 watt unit)).

UHF range is limited and anyone can use or listen in on the channel you’re on, and some channels are reserved for emergencies and repeater channels. UHF is incredibly versatile for near-range comms, but if you’re 100 kilometres away from civilization, it’s a big gamble to rely on UHF for emergencies.

Ideally you’d have a 5 watt (the maximum power permitted for UHF radio) in-car unit with a co-ax aerial mounted to the roof of the vehicle, but that’s not always possible. A hand-held UHF can still be effective.

Two-way UHF radio works by line-of-sight, so a 5 watt hand-held unit will give you about 5km range and up to 20km if you’re up high; in duplex mode (using repeater towers), you might extend your range up to 80km.

HF radio

HF radio is effectively a bigger and better (and more expensive) take on UHF, or if you like, a cheaper (but more complicated) alternative to a satphone for long-distance communications.

HF radio uses different frequencies to UHF and can communicate up to 3000km depending on atmospheric conditions, and frequency and equipment used.

While there is no cost to use basic calls on HF radio, you must have a network membership to transmit on one, which is relatively cheap at around $200 a year. The hardware is more expensive (around $3000 for a new unit, although used HF radios can be had for a lot less). HF radio hardware is a little more bulky than a UHF is and requires in-vehicle fitment for best results.

HF radio has become more sophisticated in recent years with (additional-cost) features such as calls to regular Australian phones (mobile or landline) through a telephone interconnect -- although the calls are not private. This is also available for emergency services, so you can connect direct to police or Royal Flying Doctor Service, for example.

Other options (where extra equipment such as a GPS receiver and Wi-Fi router are necessary) include email and text, as well as GPS logging. Another relatively new feature is receive-only transmissions for radio stations.

While HF radio is a good option if you plan an extended holiday in remote regions and can pick-up a second-hand unit (and don’t mind spending the time to not only organise network membership, but also learn how to operate the radio). However it’s not as simple as making a mobile - or even satphone - call.

Satellite dish

A satellite dish can be used for digital TV or internet and costs anything from around $800 for a portable kit to $3000 for a fixed unit on your van (plus fitting). You also have to pay from around $60 to $300 a month for internet plans.

TV and internet use different satellites so you have to switch between them. And like a satphone, you're not guaranteed a satellite signal at all times.

Voip voice calls are also on the sat dish plan menus, but you have to pay an access fee starting at around $10, plus a call fee from about 20 cents a minute.